take the rough with the smooth

English

Verb

take the rough with the smooth (third-person singular simple present takes the rough with the smooth, present participle taking the rough with the smooth, simple past took the rough with the smooth, past participle taken the rough with the smooth)

1. (chiefly UK, figuratively) To accept both the positive and negative elements in a situation.

   Synonym: take the bitter with the sweet

Translations

Translations

• Finnish: hyväksyä sekä hyvät että huonot puolet
• French: prendre les choses comme elles viennent (fr)
• Polish: akceptować sytuację taką, jaka jest impf, zaakceptować sytuację taką, jaka jest pf

See also

• take things as they come
• go with the flow

Further reading

• “take the rough with the smooth”, in Cambridge English Dictionary, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: Cambridge University Press, 1999–present.
• “take the rough with the smooth”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.
• “take the rough with the smooth” (US) / “take the rough with the smooth” (UK) in Macmillan English Dictionary.
• “take the rough with the smooth” in Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Longman.