take one's medicine
Face deserved punishment
To take one's medicine is to accept unpleasant consequences or punishment without complaint, especially when deserved.
The phrase invokes the image of swallowing bitter medicine for one's own good: He knew he'd messed up and was ready to take his medicine.
Sometimes used imperatively to tell someone to stop resisting inevitable consequences.
- accountabilityObligation for one's actions
- punishmentPenalty for an offense
- humilityFreedom from arrogance
- resilienceCapacity to recover quickly
- stoicismUncomplaining acceptance of difficulty
reckoning · treatment · maturity · bitter pill · face the music · pay the piper · compliance · responsibility · penance · own up · recovery · comeuppance · consequences · therapy · prescription · dosage · accept · hard truth
take one's medicineweasel out
Evade through cunning
duck out · cut and run · beat the rap · slip through the cracks · make a run for it
take one's medicinepass the buck
Transfer responsibility elsewhere
shift the blame · point the finger · make excuses · point fingers · cop out
take one's medicinethrow a tantrum
Explode in emotional outburst
pout · sulk · bury one's head in the sand · have a meltdown · pitch a fit
take, takes, taken, taking, ones, medicine, medicines, medicinal, medic