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You are here: Home / Language / What Is the Meaning of the Saying “To Bear the Brunt” and How Did “To Take the Heat” Originate?

What Is the Meaning of the Saying “To Bear the Brunt” and How Did “To Take the Heat” Originate?

August 1, 2020 by Karen Hill

“To take the heat” is the literal translation of “to bear the brunt,” because brunt and burn mean the same thing.

From the Anglo-Saxon word brenning, or burning, brunt was a vivid reference to the hottest point of conflict during a battle.

It took on a more general meaning to describe contentious domestic and business issues, but it always means the utmost pressure within a circumstance, or the point of greatest fury.

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Filed Under: Language

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

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