Idiom
Grin and bear it
If you grin and bear it, you accept an unpleasant or painful situation without complaining, because you cannot change it.
How people use it
People often say "You'll just have to grin and bear it" about things like a long flight, a boring meeting or a cold that won't go away. The grin does not need to be real; the point is putting up with something calmly. The phrase sounds informal and a little resigned, and it suggests the problem is temporary or unavoidable. Do not write "grin and bare it": "bear" here means endure, the same as in "I can't bear the noise."
Examples
- The bus has no air conditioning, so we'll have to grin and bear it until we get home.
- Sam hates dentist visits, but he grins and bears it twice a year.
- If your boss won't change the schedule, sometimes you just have to grin and bear it.
Where it comes from
The phrase has been used since at least the 1700s, and an older form, "grin and abide," meant much the same thing. In this saying, "grin" first suggested baring your teeth, closer to a grimace than a happy smile, while "bear" meant put up with. Over time the grin came to be seen as a brave smile in the face of trouble.
Check yourself
1. What does it mean to grin and bear it?
Answer: To put up with something without complaining. Grin and bear it means accepting something unpleasant calmly because you can't avoid it.
2. Which spelling is correct?
Answer: grin and bear it. Bear means put up with or endure, as in I can't bear the noise.
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