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OP 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...
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