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The meaning and origin of the expression: Buckle down

Buckle down

What's the meaning of the phrase 'Buckle down'?

Apply oneself to hard work.

What's the origin of the phrase 'Buckle down'?

This is a US phrase, although it may well be related to an earlier British phrase 'buckle to', which means much the same thing. That dates back to the early 18th century, for example, from John Arbuthnot's story John Bull in The Law is a bottomless pit, 1712:

"'Squire South buckled too, to assist his friend Nic."

'Buckle down' is first cited in the American literary/cultural magazine Atlantic Monthly, 1865:

"If he would only buckle down to serious study."

Gary Martin - the author of the phrases.org.uk website.

By Gary Martin

Gary Martin is a writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.

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