beard the lion in his den

English

Alternative forms

• beard the lion

Etymology

From sense beard (“to confront”).

Verb

beard the lion in his den (third-person singular simple present beards the lion in his den, present participle bearding the lion in his den, simple past and past participle bearded the lion in his den)

1. (idiomatic) To confront an adversary in his or her own environment.
   • 1808 February 22, Walter Scott, “Canto Sixth. The Battle.”, in Marmion; a Tale of Flodden Field, Edinburgh: […] J[ames] Ballantyne and Co. for Archibald Constable and Company, […]; London: William Miller, and John Murray, →OCLC, stanza XIV, page 338:

     And dar'st thou then / To beard the lion in his den, / The Douglas in his hall?

   • 1840, Thomas Pringle, Josiah Conder, Narrative of a residence in South Africa, page 45:

     George and John Rennie, and James Ekron, a servant of my father’s, announced their determination to march in and beard the lion in his den, provided three of the Mulattoes, who were superior marksmen, would support them.

   • 1936, The Bankers magazine, volume 132, page 307:

     Duty called me to beard the lion in his den; and though no Daniel, I took on the job without fear and trembling…

See also

• take the bull by the horns