Photo credit: healthymessage.com
Today our landlord was showing new potential tenants around the flat and he touched upon the issue of parking, which has been a real nightmare for me ever since we moved here. The issue with parking is simple – there is none, so I end up paying at least a few quid every single day (ok, apart from weekends) to just be able to park my car. He was saying that all the residents have been applying to the Council to get parking permits, but they ‘stick to their guns‘ and insist that there is going to be no parking.
‘To stick to your guns‘ is an informal way of saying that you refuse to change your mind despite what the others are saying or doing.
Below are some examples:
– I have told my husband I won’t attend, but he says I should go out of respect for his parents. Do I stick to my guns by not attending? Or should I just attend, given it is only one hour of the year? (The Guardian)
– He has had most success where he has promoted choice in public services and ensured that private companies can compete with public authorities to deliver services. He needs to stick to his guns with this approach (The Guardian).
– Made any resolutions for 2006? Broken them already? Or are you sticking to your guns? (BBC)
– But with America sticking to its guns, the Hatoyama administration is bound to upset one side or other (The Economist).
– Mr Zapatero wisely said this week that he would stick to his guns. But he is on the way out (The Economist).
Confessions of the Linguistic Spy 