I was wondering, does anybody know the origin of the phrase "sweating bullets"? I heard others use it and I've used it myself, but I've always wondered: WHY BULLETS?

"A sobering thought: what if, at this very moment, I am living up to my full potential?" JANE WAGNER

the origin of the phrase "sweating bullets"

A couple of idiom dictionaries listed "sweating bullets/sweating blood." If "sweating blood" is indeed a related idiom, then we can look to (an interpretation of) the biblical account of Christ suffering in the garden for a hint of the etymology.

Brandon

Hi a&o

(is that the opposite of ciao?)

This is suggested in blissfully partial ignorance:
sweating = operation of easing a solder or other lead-work joint
bullets = lead pellets
sweating bullets = armourers' delicate task of removing bullet from charge of heat-sensitive gunpowder.

But someone correct this...