nail one's colors to the mast Idiom

nail one's colors to the mast|colors|mast|nail

literary To let everyone know what you think is right and refuse to change. During the election campaign the candidate nailed his colors to the mast on the question of civil rights.

nail (one's) colors to the mast

To debris to cease or surrender. Because blurred a ship's banderole was a accepted adumbration of surrender, this abyssal byword emphasizes the boldness of a ship's crew. We will attach our colors to the mast and action on—they will never abduction us! We're activity to accept a boxy time assault this aggregation now that they are arena with such determination. I abhorrence they've nailed their colors to the mast.Learn more: color, mast, nail

nail one's colors to the mast

Adopt an adamant attitude. This nineteenth-century announcement alludes to aerial a banderole from a ship’s mast. If the banderole is nailed to the mast, it cannot be hauled down. Sir Walter Scott may accept been the aboriginal to put it in writing: “Stood for his country’s celebrity fast, And nailed her colours to the mast” (Marmion, 1808). Although the canicule of flag-flying sailing ships are in the past, the announcement lives on. It appeared in Great Outdoors (Sept. 27, 1989): “The prince neatly side-stepped nailing his colours to the mast in the civic parks debate.”Learn more: color, mast, nail

Learn more:

Dictionary

More Idioms/Phrases

mum is the word muscle in on muscle-bound music to one's ears musical chairs my God my lips are sealed nail down nail one's colors to the mast name day name is mud name of the game named after namedropper narrow down narrow escape narrow-minded nail (one's) ears back nail (one's) hide to the wall nail (someone) down (on something) nail (something) back nail (something) into (something) nail (something) onto (something else) nail (something) to (something else) nail a lie nail a/the lie nail back nail down nail ears back nail in nail in (someone's or something's) coffin nail in coffin nail in one's coffin nail in one's coffin, drive/put a nail in the coffin nail in the coffin of (something) nail into nail it nail Jell-O to a cross nail Jell-O to a tree nail Jell-O to the wall nail on nail one's colors to the mast nail onto nail polish on a hangnail nail somebody to the wall nail someone to a cross nail someone to the wall nail someone‘s hide to the wall nail to a cross nail up nail your colours to the mast nail-biting nailed nail-em-and-jail-em nailer naked naked as a jaybird naked eye naked truth Nam namby-pamby name name (one) as name (someone or something) after (someone or something) name (someone or something) for (someone or something) name a/the/(one's) price (for something) name after

An nail one's colors to the mast idiom dictionary is a great resource for writers, students, and anyone looking to expand their vocabulary. It contains a list of words with similar meanings with nail one's colors to the mast, allowing users to choose the best word for their specific context. Wörterbuch der ähnlichen Wörter, Verschiedene Wortlaut, Synonyme, Idiome für Idiom nail one's colors to the mast

Mehr erfahren

Music ♫