When listening to English conversations or reading a written word, you may stumble upon the saying ‘bury the hatchet. But what does this term mean and where did it come from? We are going to answer these questions and take a look at how this phrase can be used in your every day conversations.
Bury the Hatchet
Bury the Hatchet Meaning
The meaning of the phrase is to put an end to a dispute with someone and move on with your friendship or relationship with that person. Buy ‘burying the hatchet’ you are laying to rest the problem that you and the other person had between yourselves and leaving it behind.
Origin of this idiom
The term ‘bury the hatchet’ comes from the literal act of burying a hatchet in 19th century Native America. Tribes would typically bury a hatchet to symbolize the end of a dispute or disagreement. The use of the term today is not so literal but metaphorically speaking, it has lived on.
“Bury the Hatchet” Examples
You would use this saying in a situation where you wanted to make peace with a friend or loved one, you might say:
- ‘OK, enough is enough, there is no point in continuing to argue about this. Let’s bury the hatchet.’
Or you could also use it when giving advice to someone who is having difficulties with another person by saying something along the lines of
- ‘Perhaps it is time that you and David bury the hatchet and move on.’
Other examples:
- All right! Let’s bury the hatchet and be friends.
- If I were you, I’d bury the hatchet.
- The two countries decided to finally bury the hatchet.
- Just bury the hatchet and go have a drink together!
Conversation examples
If you are interested in how this idiomatic phrase might fit into conversation, here are some examples.
Conversation 1:
- Person 1: “I am so tired of getting into a disagreement with Carol over this legal battle.”
- Person 2: “Perhaps it is time for you two to bury the hatchet.”
Conversation 2:
- Person 1: “I can see that we are never going to agree on this matter. What’s the use in fighting over it?”
- Person 2: “You’re right, let’s bury the hatchet.”
Other Ways to Say the Phrase
There are other ways in which you might express the meaning of the term ‘bury the hatchet.’ Here are some examples of how you might say it.
- Lay things to rest
- Make it up with one another
- Make peace
- Stop fighting
- Stop arguing
- Reconciliation
Bury the Hatchet Meaning | Picture
