nail (one's) colors to the mast

To refuse to cease or surrender. Because lowering a ship's flag was a customary indication of surrender, this nautical phrase emphasizes the resolve of a ship's crew. We will nail our colors to the mast and fight on—they will never capture us! We're going to have a tough time beating this team now that they are playing with such determination. I fear they've nailed their colors to the mast.

Common Names:

Name	Pronounced	Usage
Radomir	-	Serbian, Russian, Bulgarian, Medieval Slavic
Valorie	VAL-ə-ree	English
Mukhtar	-	Arabic
Anouska	-	Various
Salim	sah-LEEM	Arabic
Vicki	['viki]