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Tighten his jaw

Posted by R. Berg on August 30, 2007

In Reply to: Tighten his jaw posted by ESC on August 30, 2007

: : What does someone exactly do, if he "tightens his jaw"?
: : The context is a lecture, the man giving the speech is quite tired of it already.

: : "He tightened his jaw, coughed and drew himself up one last time"

: It is an indication that he is determined, resolute.

Incidentally, it's not a metaphor. It means he contracted the muscles around his jaw joints, like making a fist. ~rb

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