There are a couple meanings to the phrase "take it on the chin". The first means to stand up and face a criticism or adverse situation with courage and without complaining. The second means to receive the full impact of a negative situation, with or without a choice; this meaning does not mean that the person handled it with courage, rather it simply means that they person got hit with the full weight of a situation.

The origin of this phrase is boxing and the meaning at the time was quite literal - for a boxer to receive a direct hit on the chin or head.

Use Example - Joey was really going to take it on the chin when his boss realized that due to his mistakes the company was going to get audited.

Source Tags : Sports