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to take a licking and keep on ticking

to take a licking and keep on ticking

1 9.2
To keep going without giving up after facing many hard times
  • idiom
  • Archaic
translation icon : aguantar lo que venga
  • Takes a licking and keeps on ticking, huh?

Examples

  • Even after enduring a tough year, she took a licking and kept on ticking, refusing to let challenges bring her down.

  • After the team lost a crucial match, they took a licking and kept on ticking, preparing for the next game with renewed focus.

  • Despite facing numerous setbacks, he took a licking and kept on ticking, determined to achieve his goals.

Synonyms

to hold on
vsto take a licking and keep on ticking
173 3.3

To keep trying and not give up when things are hard

stresses surviving and remaining functional under hardship rather than only persisting
to hang in
vsto take a licking and keep on ticking
  • Informal
167 3.6

To keep trying and not give up when things are hard

focuses more on surviving hardship and continuing to function not just trying
to hang on
vsto take a licking and keep on ticking
  • Informal
46 3.3

To continue doing something and refuse to give up

emphasizes coping and keeping active through hardship rather than mere determination
to persevere
vsto take a licking and keep on ticking
22 5.1

Keep trying to do something even when it is hard

is about enduring hardship and keeping going rather than only goal pursuit
to do it tough
vsto take a licking and keep on ticking
  • Australian
1 8.5

To live through hard times and keep going

focuses on continuing to function despite hardship rather than only enduring it
to keep on pushing through
vsto take a licking and keep on ticking
  • Informal
5.1

To continue to try hard even when things are difficult

highlights staying operational during adversity rather than only making effort
to kick about
vsto take a licking and keep on ticking
  • UK
8.3

To stay alive or active when people think you will not

means actively surviving hardship and keeping working rather than mere existence

Antonyms

to give up
∞ 1.2

To stop trying to do something or accept defeat

to quit
653 1.5

To stop trying when something is too hard

How Resilient

to make it
  • Informal
311 3.4
to take a licking and keep on ticking
  • Archaic
1 9.2
to endure
304 3.5
struggle
466 3.2
to break down
111 3.9

Surface Forms

take a licking and keep on ticking infinitive

Morphology

take + a + licking + and + keep + on + ticking

Although elements like 'keep on' + 'ticking' give a clear clue of continuing/remaining in a state (so 'keep on' = continue), the senses of 'licking' (here meaning a defeat/beating) and 'ticking' (metaphorically meaning functioning) are figurative and not the literal meanings a B1 learner would assume. The overall resilient meaning ('withstand hardships and continue to function') is inferable only if the learner knows the slang/metaphorical uses, so the expression is partially but not fully predictable from its parts.

Etymology

The saying take a licking and keep on ticking comes from an old watch ad that showed a watch being hit hard but still working. In the ad the watch would take a licking (get hit) and still keep on ticking (tick like a clock), so the phrase means 'to take many hard hits and keep going'.