summon up (one's) courage Idiom

pluck up one's courage

have courage鼓起勇气
The small boy plucked up his courage and went upstairs in the dark．那个小男孩鼓起勇气摸黑上了楼。
He plucked up his courage to ask her to marry him．他鼓足勇气向她求婚。
In times of difficulty we must not lose sight of our achievements，must see the bright future and must pluck up our courage．我们在困难的时候，要看到成绩，看到光明，要提高我们的勇气。

screw up one's courage

Idiom(s): screw up one's courage

Theme: COURAGE

to build up one's courage.
• I guess I have to screw up my courage and go to the dentist.
• I spent all morning screwing up my courage to take my driver's test.

have the courage of one's convictions

Idiom(s): have the courage of one's convictions

Theme: COURAGE

to have enough courage and determination to carry out one's goals.
• It's fine to have noble goals in life and to believe in great things. If you don't have the courage of your convictions, you'll never reach your goals.
• Jane was successful because she had the courage of her convictions.

Dutch courage

Idiom(s): Dutch courage

Theme: COURAGE

unusual or artificial courage arising from the influence of alcohol.
• It was Dutch courage that made the football fan attack the policeman.
• It will take a bit of Dutch courage to make an after-dinner speech.

To have the courage of your convictions

If you have the courage of your convictions, you are brave enough to do what you feel is right, despite any pressure for you to do something different.

have the courage of one's convictions|convictions|

v. phr. To be brave enough to act according to your beliefs. Steve showed that he had the courage of his convictions by refusing to help another student cheat in the exam. Owen knew that Pete had started the fight, but he was afraid to say so; he did not have the courage of his convictions.

screw up one's courage|courage|pluck|pluck up|pluc

v. phr. To force yourself to be brave. The small boy screwed up his courage and went upstairs in the dark. When his father came home in a bad mood, it took Pete some time to screw up his courage and ask him for a dollar.
Compare: WHISTLE IN THE DARK.

courage

courage
In addition to the idiom beginning with courage, also see Dutch courage; pluck up one's courage.

courage of one's convictions, have the

courage of one's convictions, have the
Behave according to one's beliefs. For example, Carl wouldn't give his best friend any of the test answers; he had the courage of his convictions. This expression is believed to have originated as a translation of the French le courage de son opinion (“the courage of his opinion”), dating from the mid-1800s and at first so used. By the late 1800s it had changed to the present form.