Bunny Trails: A Word History Podcast
Episode 191: Face the Music
Record Date: April 24, 2023
Air Date: May 3, 2023
Intro
Dan:
Welcome to Bunny Trails, a whimsical adventure of idioms and
other turns of phrase.
I’m Dan Pugh
Shauna:
And I’m Shauna Harrison
Each week we take an idiom or other turn of phrase and try to
tell the story from its entry into the English language, to how it’s used
today.
Opening
Hook
Have
you ever made a decision that wasn’t the best or perhaps made a mistake that
you knew was going to get you into trouble? There is a certain point where you
have to decide if you’re going to run away or just go in and deal with the
consequences. Which are you? Do you hide or do you take a deep breath and go
face the music?
Meaning
The
idiom face the music truly means to face the consequences of one’s actions.
This typically refers to negative consequences. We see scenarios in movies
frequently where someone has created this big lie or story that eventually
everyone is going to find out about. It’s all going to come out in the end.
What will the character do when it’s time to face the music?
Oxford English Dictionary gives us this definition,
Quote
to face the music: to accept or
confront the inevitable, or the unpleasant consequences of one's actions.
End
quote
https://www.oed.com/view/Entry/67426?redirectedFrom=face+the+music#eid134064993