brave face, put on a

brave face, put on a idiom
    Also, put up a brave front.
  1. Face adversity cheerfully. For example, Even though she had been passed over for promotion, she put on a brave face.
  2. Try to appear brave even though very frightened. For example, Harry was terrified of animals, but his boss was a dog lover, so he put up a brave front. [Second half of 1800s]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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