till/until the bitter end



till/until the bitter end

1. Until the point of completion or conclusion, even though it may be difficult, unpleasant, or take a long time to reach. Possibly of nautical origin, referring to the "bitts" on a dock to which a ship's ropes are moored. I'm not really enjoying this book, but I always make a point of sticking with a novel till the bitter end.
2. To the final or most critical extremity, such as death or total defeat. We might not have a chance of winning today, but we have to give it our all until the bitter end! My father stayed beside my dying mother's bed till the bitter end.
See also: bitter, end, till, until

Common Names:

NameGenderPronouncedUsage
Ricardaree-KAHR-dah (Spanish)Spanish, German
HanneloreHAH-ne-lo-rəGerman
Zarathustrazahr-ə-THOO-strə (English)History
Mateja (2)-Serbian
Bakir-Bosnian
Priska-German, Biblical Greek