What does the bitter end refer to?
What does the bitter end refer to?
(Entry 1 of 2) : the last extremity however painful or calamitous.
What is the meaning of to fight to the bitter end?
phrase. If you say that you will continue doing something to the bitter end, especially something difficult or unpleasant, you are emphasizing that you will continue doing it until it is completely finished. [emphasis] The guerrillas would fight to the bitter end, he said, in order to achieve their main goal.
Who said to the bitter end?
And the Bitter’s end is that part of the Cable doth stay within board.” It was sometimes spelled better; Daniel Defoe, in Robinson Crusoe (1719), described a terrible storm, saying, “We rode with two anchors ahead, and the cables veered out to the better end.” A much earlier version is found in Chaucer’s The Squire’s …
What does take the helm mean?
1 : to steer a boat or ship The ship’s captain took the helm. 2 : to take a position of full control or authority in an organization She took the helm of the university.
What does fighting tooth and nail mean?
Engage in vigorous combat or make a strenuous effort, using all one’s resources. For example, I’m going to fight tooth and nail for that promotion. This expression, with its allusion to biting and scratching, was first recorded in 1576.
What is the meaning of celerity in English?
celerity • \suh-LAIR-uh-tee\ • noun. : rapidity of motion or action : swiftness.
What is the meaning of sink and swim?
Definition of sink or swim —used to refer to a situation in which someone either must succeed by his or her own efforts or fail completely They left me to sink or swim on my own.In this job, it’s sink or swim.
What is the meaning of idiom once in a blue moon?
Once in a blue moon: This poetic phrase refers to something extremely rare in occurrence. A blue moon is the term commonly used for a second full moon that occasionally appears in a single month of our solar-based calendars.
What does 3 shackles in the water mean?
1 shackle = a length of cable or chain equal to 15 fathoms (90 feet or 27.432 meter). “3 shackles in the water” means that a ship has passed 3 shackles (of anchor chain) into the water. For a given depth under the ship you want to have 3 to 5 times that lenght of chain on the bottom of the sea.
What is windlass?
The windlass /ˈwɪndləs/ is an apparatus for moving heavy weights. Typically, a windlass consists of a horizontal cylinder (barrel), which is rotated by the turn of a crank or belt. A winch is affixed to one or both ends, and a cable or rope is wound around the winch, pulling a weight attached to the opposite end.
What does to the bitter end mean?
Definition of ‘to the bitter end’. to the bitter end. phrase. If you say that you will continue doing something to the bitter end, especially something difficult or unpleasant, you are emphasizing that you will continue doing it until it is completely finished.
What is the Bitter End on a ship?
The bitter end means the very end. The bitter end is a nautical term. The bitt end (or bitter end) refers to the final part of the anchor rope near to where the rope is fixed to the ship s deck. Usually marked with coloured rags, the bitter end gets its name from the bollards (or bitts) on the deck to which the anchor rope was tied.
What is the meaning of idiom ‘to fight to the bitter end?
bitter end, (fight) to the The last extremity, the conclusion of a tough battle or other difficult situation. The term comes from seamanship, where “the bitter end” is that part of the chain or anchor cable that is secured inside the vessel and is seldom used.
