bear (oneself)

(redirected from bear ourselves)

bear

1. Something, often a task, that presents a challenge or a problem. I thought this project would be pretty straightforward, but it's become a real bear. That couch was a bear to move upstairs. I knew it would be a bear to fix that old vacuum cleaner, but Dad is somehow still undeterred.
2. proverb slang A highway patrol officer. Possibly a reference to Smokey the Bear, a cartoon character who wears a hat similar to those sometimes worn by the highway patrol. Some bear's gonna pull you over if you keep speeding like that! Be careful, boys—I just spotted a bear off the junction to I-75.
3. slang An unattractive woman. She's a total bear, why would I flirt with her? Now, I know I'm no supermodel or anything, but I'm certainly no bear either! A: "God, I feel like such a bear in this dress!" B: "What are you talking about? You look great!"
4. slang A gay man with a hairy, stout body. You know I like bears, so why do you keep setting me up with these skinny pretty boys? I'm gonna go talk to that hot bear over by the bar. I just love a dark-haired guy with a beard! I've always known Ian to date bears, so I was surprised to see that his new boyfriend is such a skinny thing!

bear (oneself)

To behave in a particular way. I need to bear myself bravely if I want to overcome this fear. I know you guys aren't thrilled about going to Great-Aunt Mildred's, but please try to bear yourselves politely. I'm sure it's not easy to live with a serious illness, but she always bears herself with such humor and grace.
See also: bear
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

bear

1. n. a difficult task. This problem is a real bear.
2. n. an ugly woman. (Derogatory.) Tell the old bear to hold her tongue.
3. n. a highway patrol officer. (see also Smokey (the Bear).) There’s a bear hiding under that bridge.
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
See also:
References in periodicals archive ?
| 1940: With France collapsing before German forces, the Battle of Britain was about to begin, with Winston Churchill (pictured) saying: "Let us brace ourselves to our duties and so bear ourselves that if the British Commonwealth and Empire lasts a thousand years, men will still say, 'This was their finest hour'."
On this day
1940: With France collapsing before German forces, the Battle of Britain was about to begin, with Winston Churchill saying: "Let us brace ourselves to our duties and so bear ourselves that if the British Commonwealth and Empire lasts a thousand years, men will still say,'This was their finest hour'."
ON THIS DAY
1940: With France collapsing before German forces, the Battle of Britain was about to begin, with Churchill saying: "Let us brace ourselves to our duties and so bear ourselves that if the British Commonwealth and Empire lasts 1,000 years, men will still say, 'This was their finest hour'."
On this day... 1583: The [...]
Perhaps Mr Christley had Winston Churchill's speech in mind in which he said, "Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say this was their finest hour".
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Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that, if the British Empire and its Commonwealth lasts for a thousand years, men will still say, 'This was their finest hour!''
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Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that, if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, 'This was their finest hour.'"
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Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties and so bear ourselves that if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, 'This was their finest hour.'"
REVEILLE - Their finest hour
1940: Winston Churchill said: "Let us brace ourselves to our duty and so bear ourselves that if the British Commonwealth and Empire lasts a thousand years, men will still say, 'This was their finest hour'." This was at the moment that France was collapsing before German forces, at the start of the Battle of Britain.
ON THIS DAY IN ..
Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves, that if the British Empire and its Common -wealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, This was their finest hour."
Winston at war; Never in the field of human conflict ...Churchill's moving tribute to Few
The Prime Minister then famously added: "Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves, that if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, 'This was their finest hour'."
FINEST TUNING; How Churchill agonised over inspirational speech
"Let us brace ourselves to do our duty, and so bear ourselves that, if the British Commonwealth and Empire last for a thousand years, men will still say: 'This was their finest hour.'" Those words resonate still today: their finest hour.
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'Love' in Paton's sense means active good will to others, the equivalent of that which we bear ourselves, and is the opposite of the wilful ignorance and will to punish that Paton sees as informing the attitudes of South African whites towards black people.
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Why ask them to do things that we can't bear ourselves? If we have mercy on them, then Allah will have mercy on us," he added.
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brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that, if the British Empire and Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, "This was their finest hour"'.
Lloyd George and Churchill: Rivals for Greatness
All of which brings Smith in a neat circle; he might not actually have said it but the Churchillian message is clear: 'Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that if Worcestershire and New Road last for a thousand years, men will still say 'This was their finest hour'.'
Cricket: Smith's Churchillian rhetoric should inspire Worcestershire
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