brute for punishment

English

Noun

brute for punishment (plural brutes for punishment)

  1. (set phrase, possibly dated) One who endures, or who can endure, a great deal of pain, hardship, or other adversity.
    • 1926 June, Martin Bunn, "Before You Go Auto Camping," Popular Science Monthly, p. 66 (Google preview) (retrieved 2 March 2018):
      "That's not auto camping at all," Henry scoffed. "I mean the real thing—every night in a different place and lots of miles covered every day."
      "Gosh!" exclaimed Gus. You are a brute for punishment!"
    • 1938, Fargo Commercial Trucks vintage advertisement (image at Pinterest)‎, retrieved 2 March 2018:
      A brute for punishment, a beauty for looks! Engineered to outserve and outperform all ordinary trucks.
    • 1964, Alexander McKee, Caen: Anvil of Victory‎, →ISBN, retrieved 2 March 2018:
      "I know the English soldier is a brute for punishment, but I can't figure out why they don't take the bull by the horns and do something to make life more pleasant."
    • 2012 April 27, Michael Tucker and Hannah Stiff, "Gallatin Valley School Board Election," Belgrade News (Bozeman, Montana) (retrieved 2 March 2018):
      If re-elected, Brainard will start his 31st year with the school board. “I guess I’m a brute for punishment,” he said laughing.

Synonyms

See also
This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.