locked up
adj.— «Having survived the “Aladdin” test, Pvt. Kyle Brower, 18 years old and just a few months removed from civilian life, was able to stand still and stare into the middle distance during his first dignified transfer last week. He was able to carry the coffin while remaining, as the soldiers call it, “locked up”—both physically and emotionally. If his thoughts wandered to the soldier inside, how he or she died, he was able to snap back.» —“‘They’re a fallen soldier, and they deserve the highest respect and honor we can give’” by Christian Davenport Chicago Tribune (Illinois) Apr. 6, 2009. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Linda in Salisbury, North Carolina, wonders why boxing is called the sweet science, since there’s nothing obviously sweet about a bruising sport. This term took hold among British sportswriters in the early 19th century as promoters tried to frame...
Joseph in Houma, Louisiana, serves in the Coast Guard, shares a story about asking for directions when he was en route to an oil spill deep in Cajun Country. A local crawfisherman told him to go down the turning, twisting bayou for about four...