Take a licking and keep on ticking 🦯➡️✅

Meaning

To endure hardship or damage without failing or stopping.

Origin

This iconic phrase burst onto the scene in the 1950s thanks to Timex watches. Their advertising campaigns featured a tough, burly man, nicknamed 'John Cameron Swayze' (though not the actual news anchor), who would demonstrably bash, freeze, or otherwise abuse a Timex watch, only for it to continue its steady, rhythmic ticking. This visual demonstration of durability, showing the watch enduring physical punishment and still functioning perfectly, cemented the phrase in the American consciousness as a symbol of resilience and unwavering performance.

📅🕰️ 20th 21st century 🦁💪 courage 🏆 success 💪📈 work

Take a licking and keep on ticking represented with emoji🦯➡️✅

This playful arrangement of a white cane leading a checkmark not just takes a lickin' but keeps on tickin'. It functions as a delightful proverb rendered in pictograms, playfully underscoring the inherent resilience within the mundane. Note how the simple symbols echo the enduring spirit of perseverance.

Examples

  • Despite the budget cuts, the community center will take a licking and keep on ticking, continuing its services for everyone.
  • That old truck has been through a lot, but it still manages to take a licking and keep on ticking every morning.
  • The persistent little robot, designed for deep-sea exploration, seemed to take a licking and keep on ticking, unfazed by the crushing pressure.
  • Even when the cookie jar was nearly empty and the gingerbread man had lost an arm, he always managed to take a licking and keep on ticking across the kitchen counter.

Frequently asked questions

Is 'take a licking and keep on ticking' a proverb or an idiom?

While often used proverbially to describe resilience, 'take a licking and keep on ticking' is technically an idiom. It originated as a specific advertising slogan for Timex watches in the 1950s, becoming a widely recognized phrase for steadfastness.

What is the opposite of 'take a licking and keep on ticking'?

The opposite of 'take a licking and keep on ticking' could be considered 'give up at the first sign of trouble' or 'break under pressure.' These phrases describe someone or something that succumbs easily to difficulties rather than enduring them.

Can 'take a licking and keep on ticking' be used for non-physical damage?

Absolutely, the phrase is most often used metaphorically to describe enduring emotional, financial, or professional setbacks. The original Timex ads showed physical damage, but the idiom's power lies in its application to any form of hardship where persistence is key.

Similar to "take a licking and keep on ticking"

Weather the storm
Both phrases capture the essence of enduring adversity, but 'weather the storm' uses a grander, more elemental metaphor that feels less about individual resilience and more about surviving a collective crisis
Keep the wheels on the bus
This phrase, often heard in group settings, speaks to maintaining functionality under pressure, much like 'take a licking and keep on ticking,' but it emphasizes collective effort and a more down-to-earth, practical struggle to keep things moving
Étre un roc
Both phrases signify unyielding steadfastness, but this French idiom, meaning 'to be a rock,' offers a more stoic, almost immutable image of strength compared to the action-oriented persistence of 'take a licking and keep on ticking.'

Opposite of "take a licking and keep on ticking"

Throw in the towel
This phrase argues for acknowledging defeat and ceasing the struggle, a direct counterpoint to the relentless persistence of 'take a licking and keep on ticking,' highlighting the wisdom or necessity of knowing when to quit
Cut your losses
This strategy suggests strategically withdrawing from a damaging situation rather than enduring it, presenting a pragmatic alternative to the 'keep on ticking' mentality, implying that some battles aren't worth the prolonged hardship
Fiddle while Rome burns
Rather than enduring hardship, this phrase criticizes inaction and a failure to address critical problems, suggesting a stark contrast to the engaged endurance of 'take a licking and keep on ticking' by focusing on the danger of neglecting a crisis

Related to "take a licking and keep on ticking"

Rubber meets the road
This phrase shares the focus on practical application and the moment of truth that tests performance, much like the clock mechanism in the original idiom, but it specifically talks about where the abstract meets concrete reality
The show must go on
This expression resonates with the idea of continuing despite difficulties, sharing the spirit of unwavering performance inherent in 'take a licking and keep on ticking,' but it specifically relates to maintaining a public presentation or duty
Grin and bear it
This phrase echoes the stoic endurance, but it adds a layer of forced cheerfulness or suppression of complaint to the act of suffering, a more outwardly brave but perhaps less internally resilient companion to the mechanical persistence of 'take a licking and keep on ticking.'
Roll with the punches
Sharing the core idea of enduring hardship, this phrase likens adversity to the blows in a fight, emphasizing adaptation and the absorption of impact rather than the continuous, unfeeling operation of a clock