What it means
Means quit moaning and just deal with it, even if it’s grim, painful, or unfair. It’s the verbal equivalent of a hard stare and a shove forward: stop whining, crack on, get it done. Said by parents, mates, coaches, anyone with no patience for drama. Sometimes dressed up as suck it up, buttercup for extra tough love.
Usage examples
"My trainers are chewing my heels and the rain’s horizontal. Dad goes, suck it up, buttercup, we’re two minutes from the chippy and I’m starving."
"You signed up for the marathon yourself, so when your legs are screaming at mile twenty you just suck it up and keep moving."
Where it comes from
It comes out of American sports and military talk, where sucking it up meant swallowing your complaints and pushing through the pain without a fuss. From locker rooms and barracks it spread into everyday tough love, and the playful suck it up buttercup tag came along to soften the blow just a little.
Other ways to say it
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