face the music ?

[juliana0403]

"Face the music" means accepting criticism or punishment for something you have done.

I would like to know what that expression is originated from?

Anybody knows the origin of that expression?

[Doris]

Hi juliana0403,

This is what I've found:

Face the Music

After you are caught doing something wrong, you must 'face the music.' In other words, you must accept the punishment for your actions.

As with many English expressions, there is more than one theory of the origin of 'face the music.' Here are two.

Soldiers, dismissed for dishonorable conduct, were literally drummed out of their army. Thus for dishonorable deeds, they had to face the music.

Nervous actors, comedians or singers would often use this expression to describe their feelings of facing an audience, since the musicians would often be in the "pit" area between the actor and the audience.

(Source: http://www.tcet.com/EAOnline/CrazyEn...-originsI.html)

Regards,
Doris