(See also ENDURANCE.)

come hell or high water Come what may, no matter what; also in spite of hell or high water. P. I. Wellman in Trampling Herd (1939) claims the following as the origin of the expression:

Whether originally a cowboy expression or not, hell and high water symbolize any difficulties or obstacles to be overcome. The expression has been in use since at least 1915.

die-hard A hard-core supporter; one who struggles and resists to the bitter end, particularly against change or innovation; literally one who dies hard. This expression reputedly had its origin in the Battle of Albuera (1811) where the 57th Regiment of Foot of the British Army fought desperately to maintain a strategic position. In the midst of the fighting, Colonel Inglis is said to have urged his men on by shouting “Die hard! 57th, die hard!” The last-ditch courage and stamina with which the 57th fought that day earned them the nickname the “Die-hards,” by which their regiment is known to this day. Use of this term dates from at least 1844.

don’t give up the ship Keep fighting or trying, hang in there. Although this expression was not new at the time of the Battle of Lake Erie (September 10, 1813) when Commodore Perry adopted it as his battle cry, it was he who popularized the words and made them memorable. The expression has extended beyond its naval origins and application and is now currently used to give encouragement to people in all walks of life.

happy warrior One who is undaunted or undiscouraged by adversity, a diehard; often used of a politician who is a perennial candidate for nomination or election to high office. The nickname “Happy Warrior” was first applied to Alfred E. Smith, Democratic candidate in the presidential election of 1928.

The term was later applied to Hubert Humphrey, Democratic candidate for President in 1968 and many times a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination. The term was first used in the conventional sense of an excellent soldier, a fighter—a meaning which is reflected in its figurative application to political “warriors.”

hold one’s ground To firmly maintain or defend one’s position; to resist the pressure to compromise one’s ideals. Although this expression can refer to maintaining ground literally, as in a battle, it is more frequently heard in regard to defending a philosophical stance. The two levels of usage are related, however, because even in war there is a philosophical basis for defending one’s ground, meaning territory, land, etc. This expression and its variants keep or stand one’s ground appeared in print by the 17th century.

keep a stiff upper lip To keep one’s courage when confronted with adversity, to remain resolute in the face of great difficulties, not to lose heart. The allusion is to the quivering of the upper lip when a person is trying to maintain control and keep from crying in the face of danger or great emotional stress.

The expression dates from the early part of the 19th century.

keep one’s chin up To maintain one’s courage and resolve, to keep one’s spirits up, to keep one’s head held high. This American expression has been in use since at least 1938.

keep one’s nose to the grindstone To persist in an unpleasant task; to labor continuously, especially at hard, monotonous work; to labor unceasingly; to drudge. The allusion is perhaps to laborers hovering over grindstones or whetstones to sharpen tools made dull from constant use. The expression and variants, which date from at least 1532, originally meant to oppress someone else by exaction of labor.

keep one’s pecker up To keep one’s chin up, to hold one’s head high, to keep one’s spirits or courage up. In this British slang expression pecker means ‘spirits, courage.’ It probably derives from the term pecker for a bird’s beak or bill. Cockfighting is sometimes cited as the source of the phrase, since a gamecock’s pecker or beak sinks when he is tired and near defeat. Thus, the expression literally means to keep up one’s beak (British slang for nose). This of course cannot be done without keeping the head and chin up as well. The expression, which dates from at least 1853, is avoided in the United States, where pecker has an altogether different and vulgar slang meaning.

nail one’s colors to the mast To fight or hold out until the bitter end; to refuse to compromise, concede, or surrender; to persist or remain steadfast, especially in the face of seemingly overwhelming opposition. It has long been nautical custom for a ship to signify its nationality or allegiance by flying that country’s colors (i.e., flag) from its tallest mast. In battle, a captain could signal his surrender or defeat by lowering the flag. If the colors were nailed to the mast, however, they could not be lowered, implying that surrender was not possible.

praise the Lord, and pass the ammunition Keep up the struggle, don’t give up. This expression, although rarely used today, was the title of a popular song during World War II. It has been attributed to Chaplain Howell Forgy, who was on board the cruiser New Orleans in Pearl Harbor at the time of the Japanese attack in 1941. During the assault the chaplain helped fuel a counterattack by carrying ammunition to the ship’s guns. He is purported to have said the now famous words “Praise the Lord, boys—and pass the ammunition.”

stick to one’s guns To stand firm, to persist in one’s point of view, argument, or beliefs; not to yield or give in, to hold one’s ground.

Of military origin, this phrase was originally to stand to one’s gun(s), meaning literally to stand by one’s gun, to keep fighting no matter what.