soldier on
phrasal verb

- to continue doing something although it is difficult

Cambridge Dictionary


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ETYMOLOGY

The word soldier derives from the Middle English word soudeour, from Old French soudeer or soudeour, meaning mercenary, from soudee, meaning shilling's worth or wage, from sou or soud, shilling.

The word is also related to the Medieval Latin soldarius, meaning soldier (literally, "one having pay"). These words ultimately derive from the Late Latin word solidus, referring to an Ancient Roman coin used in the Byzantine Empire

As soldiers are expected to persevere or never give up, we can assume that “soldier on“ follows the logic of “carry on“ or “never give up“.

adapted from Harper, Douglas "Online Etymology Dictionary"

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TALKING POINT

“Keep Calm and Carry On“ is a motivational poster dating back to the Second World War. The poster was made to boost the confidence of the British public who lived in fear of the possibility of air attacks.

Although millions of copies were printed, hardly any were ever publicly displayed or even well-known till the year 2000. Many, at the time, felt these posters to be distasteful and a waste of paper.

Many wonder about the person who designed the poster and the font used on it. Sadly, both remain a mystery till date. Since there were no computers at the time, the posters were hand-designed and the civil servant, who designed this poster remains anonymous.


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SYNONYMS

carry on, persevere, soldier on, suffer, withstand

Practice OWAD in a conversation today
say something like:

“I admired the way she SOLDIERED ON when her business ran into trouble.“