# "Like it or lump it": do you know what this phrase means? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 18, 2012, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-it-or-lump-it-do-you-know-what-this-phrase-means/619215 "2012-04-18T23:13:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-it-or-lump-it-do-you-know-what-this-phrase-means/619215/41 "2012-04-19T12:25:51Z")
58 years old, Maryland for the first 46, Ohio since then. It’s a very familiar phrase from my youth. I have heard it in Ohio as well. ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-it-or-lump-it-do-you-know-what-this-phrase-means/619215/42 "2012-04-19T12:30:41Z")
> [@Candyman74](#): > > UK, know it well. Same here. Going by your username, we were probably born in the same year: 1974. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-it-or-lump-it-do-you-know-what-this-phrase-means/619215/43 "2012-04-19T12:32:50Z")
> [@excavating\_for\_a\_mind](#): > > As far as the entomology goes, I had always assumed that it referred to gravy Mmmm, insect gravy. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-it-or-lump-it-do-you-know-what-this-phrase-means/619215/44 "2012-04-19T12:32:54Z")
Use it almost daily. New York Stater. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-it-or-lump-it-do-you-know-what-this-phrase-means/619215/45 "2012-04-19T12:33:04Z")
I suspect this is a generational thing. I wonder what generation those that know it vs. those that don’t? Late 40’s, from CA and NY mainly - known it my whole life, don’t know if I used it. I think of it as a 40’s or 50’s phrase, like daddy-o or something… ---
**Author:** ![Heart\_of\_Dorkness](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/4bbf92/32.png) [@Heart\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heart_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-it-or-lump-it-do-you-know-what-this-phrase-means/619215/46 "2012-04-19T12:53:17Z")
I’m mid-thirties, from the Midwest, and I’ve heard it my whole life, and have probably used it, but it does strike me as something I’m not hearing that often now. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-it-or-lump-it-do-you-know-what-this-phrase-means/619215/47 "2012-04-19T12:57:39Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > Mmmm, insect gravy. Band name! ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-it-or-lump-it-do-you-know-what-this-phrase-means/619215/48 "2012-04-19T12:57:44Z")
Yip. Born 27 years ago here in northern Arkansas. Though I’d tend to associate it with old folks’ language. ---
**Author:** ![shiftless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@shiftless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shiftless)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-it-or-lump-it-do-you-know-what-this-phrase-means/619215/49 "2012-04-19T13:11:19Z")
I use it all the time. If someone hasn’t heard it before they can like it or they can lump it. I don’t care. ---
**Author:** ![Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Living_Well_Is_Best_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-it-or-lump-it-do-you-know-what-this-phrase-means/619215/50 "2012-04-19T13:26:06Z")
TN, never heard it. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-it-or-lump-it-do-you-know-what-this-phrase-means/619215/51 "2012-04-19T13:57:21Z")
Mid 30s, Pacific Northwest. I know what it means, but I think that’s from reading it. I’m not sure I hear people use it very much. I don’t think it’s very common. ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-it-or-lump-it-do-you-know-what-this-phrase-means/619215/52 "2012-04-19T14:01:10Z")
35, grew up in western WI, now live in MN, and I’m pretty familiar with it. I couldn’t say how much I actually hear it used, however. I know I’ve said it myself, but not recently. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-it-or-lump-it-do-you-know-what-this-phrase-means/619215/53 "2012-04-19T14:47:11Z")
> [@NoClueBoy](#): > > Familiar. > > All over, I’m from. > > TX, CA, CO, KY, TN, OK, IA, LA, TX, TX, TX … > > Last edited by NoClueBoy; Yesterday at 05:21 PM. Reason: … > . [Texas is the Reason](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_Is_the_Reason)? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-it-or-lump-it-do-you-know-what-this-phrase-means/619215/54 "2012-04-19T15:00:11Z")
Upper midwest, heard the phrase all my life (late 1950’s onward.) ---
**Author:** ![gwendee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@gwendee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gwendee)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-it-or-lump-it-do-you-know-what-this-phrase-means/619215/55 "2012-04-19T15:32:15Z")
> [@Eve](#): > > Middle-aged, East Coast, certainly have heard it. Me too. I associate it with recess negotiations. “I don’t wanna play right field again.” “Like it or lump it.” I don’t think I’ve heard it in a while. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-it-or-lump-it-do-you-know-what-this-phrase-means/619215/56 "2012-04-19T15:46:31Z")
Well, at least I’m not _completely_ alone. But it does make me wonder how I’ve managed to miss it all my life. And I assumed from context that it was equivalent to “like it or leave it” initially. ---
**Author:** ![stretch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a6a055/32.png) [@stretch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stretch)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-it-or-lump-it-do-you-know-what-this-phrase-means/619215/57 "2012-04-19T17:44:15Z")
Know it and use it. Mid 40s, lived in Washington State my whole life. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-it-or-lump-it-do-you-know-what-this-phrase-means/619215/58 "2012-04-19T19:40:52Z")
50 and lived most of my life in PA. Familiar with it. ---
**Author:** ![PookahMacPhellimey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pookahmacphellimey/32/3175_2.png) [@PookahMacPhellimey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PookahMacPhellimey)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-it-or-lump-it-do-you-know-what-this-phrase-means/619215/59 "2012-04-19T19:51:32Z")
Dutch but lived in England and Ireland. Know it and am surprised some people don’t. ---
**Author:** ![Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maggie_the_Ocelot)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-it-or-lump-it-do-you-know-what-this-phrase-means/619215/60 "2012-04-19T19:53:41Z")
Los Angeles native, and know it. But I’ve picked up a lot of expressions from my midwestern grandfolks. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-it-or-lump-it-do-you-know-what-this-phrase-means/619215.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-it-or-lump-it-do-you-know-what-this-phrase-means/619215.md?page=4)