grasping the nettle

Verb

grasp the nettle (third-person singular simple present grasps the nettle, present participle grasping the nettle, simple past and past participle grasped the nettle)

1. To act boldly, especially when there are short-term adverse consequences.
   • Hence it was that a few dozen policemen, resolutely grasping the nettle, had no difficulty in handling it.1886 February 22, “London's Recent Rioting”, in New York Times, retrieved 18 Aug 2010, page 5