true grit

English

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

true grit (uncountable)

1. Spirit; courage; moral stamina.
   • 2010, Barbara Bennett Woodhouse, Hidden in Plain Sight, page 197:

     Mitzi, her teacher tells me, has true grit. I can see that for myself. Her tears of pain have dried and she is cheerful again. This child's will to love and thrive is astonishing.