# What does ‘a stiff upper lip’ mean?

To “a stiff upper lip” means to stoic endurance without complaint. The phrase became associated with British reserve in the 19th and 20th centuries; Brewer's does not fix an origin, and its earliest recorded uses are American.

## What it means

- The phrase became associated with British reserve in the 19th and 20th centuries; Brewer's does not fix an origin, and its earliest recorded uses are American.

## Action steps

1. Often used, sometimes ironically, of unflappable composure.
2. Example: He kept a stiff upper lip through the whole ordeal.

## Sources

- [Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898) — Internet Archive scan](https://archive.org/details/brewers-dictionary-of-phrase-and-fable)

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