bottle it
Keep it inside
Bottle it is British slang meaning to lose one's nerve or back out of something at the crucial moment.
Someone who bottles it fails to follow through on a commitment or challenge because of fear or anxiety.
He was going to ask her out but bottled it at the last second.
The expression suggests that courage has been metaphorically contained or suppressed rather than acted upon.
- cowardiceAbsence of bravery
- lose one's nerveAbandon courage under pressure
- holdMaintain in grasp
- chokeObstruct breathing or airflow
- failBe unsuccessful
meltdown · cap · succumb · seal · withdraw · chicken out · get cold feet · surrender · back out · contain · dread · evasion · shy away · yield · wimp out · funk · hesitancy · fearfulness
bottle itlet it out
Express suppressed feelings
vent · get it off your chest · open up · speak your mind · blow off steam
bottle itrise to the occasion
Succeed when challenged
step up · stand firm · come through · tough it out · deliver