mettel
noun

- a person's ability to cope well with difficulties; spirit and resilience

- ability and determination when competing or doing something difficult

Oxford Languages, The Cambridge Dictionary

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WORD PHRASE ORIGIN

The word "mettle" originates from the Middle English spelling of "metal", which was used metaphorically to describe a person's character or temperament.

Late Middle English (14th–15th century): "Metal" referred not only to physical substances like iron or gold but also metaphorically to the qualities of a person, such as strength, resilience, or spirit.

16th–17th century: The spelling "mettle" emerged as a separate word to specifically denote courage, resilience, and inner strength, distinguishing it from the physical meaning of "metal."

Modern usage: "Mettle" now exclusively refers to a person's ability to face challenges with determination and endurance, while "metal" remains associated with physical materials.

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SIR ERNEST SHACKLETON

A Testament to Human Mettle

Few stories of resilience match that of Ernest Shackleton, the Antarctic explorer whose unwavering determination saved the lives of his crew against impossible odds. His 1914 Endurance expedition was meant to achieve the first land crossing of Antarctica, but when his ship became trapped in ice and eventually sank, the mission transformed into a struggle for survival. It was here that Shackleton’s true mettle emerged—in his ability to lead under extreme hardship.

Forced to abandon the ship, Shackleton led his men on an almost inconceivable journey. They dragged lifeboats across treacherous ice fields, endured temperatures far below freezing, and navigated impossible maritime conditions. When their ice floe disintegrated, they launched small boats into the tempestuous Southern Ocean, navigating 800 miles to the remote Elephant Island.

Recognizing that rescue would not come to them, Shackleton made a decision that would become legendary. With five men, he embarked on a 1,300-mile journey in a 22-foot open boat across some of the world's most dangerous waters, navigating by sextant to the tiny South Georgia Island—a navigation feat that remains unparalleled in maritime history.

After an arduous crossing of the island's unmapped, mountainous interior, Shackleton secured rescue for his entire crew. Remarkably, not a single life was lost during this two-year ordeal.

Sources: Britannica, National Library of Scotland, Royal Geographical Society

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SYNONYMS

backbone, balls, bottle, bravery, brio, bulldog tenacity, can-do attitude, character, chutzpah, courage, daring, dash, dauntlessness, determination, diehard spirit, endurance, fibre, fight, fighting spirit, fire in the belly, fortitude, gameness, grit, gusto, guts, having what it takes, heart of oak, indomitability, inner fire (steel, strength, intestinal fortitude), iron will, lion-hearted, liveliness, made of stern stuff, METTLE, moxie, nerve, nerves of steel, pluck, resoluteness, resolution, resolve, right stuff, rock solid, spine, spunk, stamina, staying power, steadfastness, steel, steel resolve, stiff upper lip, stomach for the fight, strength, substance, tenacity, true grit, unbreakable spirit, valour, willpower

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SMUGGLE OWAD into an English conversation, say something like:

“METTLE is what keeps you going when common sense says stop."

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