🗓️ Idiom: Face the Music (v)
💬 Meaning
- To accept the results of your actions, even if they are difficult or unpleasant.
- To deal with criticism, questions or consequences directly.
🧠 Example Sentences
- After arriving late to the interview, he knew he had to face the music when the manager asked why.
- The team had to face the music after missing an important deadline.
- She did not prepare well and had to face the music during the interview when she could not answer the questions.
🏛️ Origin
The idiom likely comes from the theatre. Actors had to walk on stage and “face the music” played by the orchestra, meaning they had to perform and accept whatever happened. Over time, it became a metaphor for facing difficult situations or consequences.
📝 Practice Exercises
1. Fill in the blank
After forgetting part of my presentation, I had to __________ during the interview.
Answer
face the music
2. Multiple choice
What does “face the music” mean?
a) To accept consequences or criticism
b) To relax and listen to music
c) To take a break during the interview
Answer
a) To accept consequences or criticism
3. Change the sentence using “face the music”
“I had to accept the consequences when the interviewer realised I had not prepared.”
Answer
I had to face the music when the interviewer realised I had not prepared.
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Rob is a CELTA qualified English teacher with 15 years of international experience. He has a BSc and PGDip from Loughborough and St Andrews universities in the UK. He has taught in Thailand and Saudi Arabia and now works with professionals worldwide.
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