English

Verb

dig in one's heels

1. (idiomatic) To act in a determined manner by firmly maintaining one's beliefs, demands, situation, etc. in the face of opposition.
   • 1938 July 16, Jean Kelvin, "The Tug of War," Glasgow Herald, p. 8 (retrieved 18 July 2011):

     What we want are more women of combined business efficiency and integrity to get into public life and dig in their heels against the forces of war, lust, and injustice.

   • 1989 June 28, Flora Lewis, "Foreign Affairs: Maggie on the Beach," New York Times (retrieved 18 July 2011):

     Margaret Thatcher tried to do it again, digging in her heels, lecturing archly on her achievements, illuminating our European partners on the superior virtue of her ways.

   • 2011 Jan. 27, Andrew J. Rotherham, "Fixing Teacher Tenure Without a Pass-Fail Grade," Time:

     [T]he teachers' unions are still pretty much digging in their heels on the tenure issue.

Translations

See also

• drag one's feet