Hello,

At a dinner party on Sat, I insisted that it was grasp the mettle, and that grasp the nettle was an incorrect corruption of the original, but when I googled it this am, all sources seemed to say "grasp the nettle" with a couple of references to grasp the mettle as an alternative. Am I going mad? Or did I just learn the wrong one and it's stuck?..... I mean, it's not a phrase that you use every day, but I can't believe I got it wrong. The most arrogant part of me just thinks that everyone on the internet is wrong!

My pendant status has taken a bashing.. can any fellow pedants offer knowledge/support?

isn't it showing your mettle? (ie showing the strength of your character?)

I am sure it is grasp the mettle - have nothing to back this up but I agree with you .

you learnt the wrong one, sorry

If you are being brave and facing up to something unpleasant you 'grasp the nettle'.
You might, in doing this, 'show your mettle' ie demonstrate your true character.

Thanks Idris...and MrsBadger: show me your credentials!

I am starting to think I have also learned the wrong one .

Ah well, is good to learn new things

It's nettle.

Test your mettle and grasp the nettle.

You can't grab hold of your disposition.

OMG: I can't believe I used pendant instead of pedant in a conversation opener on pedants' corner.

(MrsBab crawls off in complete and utter shame)

I thinks MrsB is right. Sorry!

None of us had noticed though

er, and me! I was right! I was right!

Def nettle. Have you tried grasping one? It works.

<goes off to grasp the nettle>

he who grasps the nettle deserves the pricks...

<hands Idris a dock leaf>

OK, will bow to strength of opinion on this, and after my hideous mistake I obviously have no rights to pedant status any more, so will cease and desist from sounding off on linguistic matters at dinner parties.

(To misspell the actual word pedant, on a pedants' thread....the ignominy!!...have probably misspelt that as well...)

at the pendant (didn't spot that one amongst the nettles [smile).

Will stun DH with my amazing knowledge tonight.

Sorry to overlook you there fmf!

Show your mettle and grasp the nettle.
Then you will be in fine fettle.

Once you've dressed the wound with Dettol.

And water from the kettle.

And a dock leaf or a petal.

Just like Hansel and Gretel.

lol at pendant
Hope your blushes soon settle

If not, then hide yourself in a shtetl.