Lump It Means Put Up With It
A lump is a compact shapeless mass. The phrase about lumping something has an unrelated origin.
A lump is a compact shapeless mass, or a swelling. *Like it or lump it* uses a different verb: to *lump* here means to put up with something disagreeable, recorded from the 1800s and probably from an older word meaning to look sulky. The phrase is not about lumping things together. *A lump in the throat* describes a real sensation, caused by muscles around the throat tensing when emotion triggers the fight-or-flight response.
- A shapeless mass. *A lump of clay.*
- A swelling. *A lump on the arm.*
- To endure. *Like it or lump it.*
- To group together. *Lumped in with.*
- Middle English — of uncertain origin. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | lump | A lump. |
| Plural | lumps | Lumps. |
| Verb | lump | Lumping. |
| Adjective | lumpy | Lumpy. |
| Compound | lump sum | A lump sum. |
- A lump of sugar.Mass.
- Like it or lump it.Idiom.
- A lump in the throat.Sensation.
Why emotion causes a lump in the throat
- Strong emotion triggers the fight-or-flight response
- The glottis opens wider to admit more air
- Swallowing closes it, working against that
- The conflict is felt as tightness or a lump
- The sensation is physical, not merely imagined
Middle English, of uncertain origin, probably of Germanic origin. The verb meaning to endure is separate.
What does lump it mean?
To put up with something disagreeable. That verb is separate from lumping things together and dates from the 1800s.
Why does emotion cause a lump in the throat?
The fight-or-flight response widens the glottis, and swallowing works against that. The conflict is felt as tightness.