Stick to one’s guns and stand to one’s guns are two iterations of an idiom. We will examine the meaning of the common sayings stick to one’s guns and stand to one’s guns, where they came from, and some examples of their idiomatic usage in sentences.
Stick to one’s guns is an idiom that means to stand up for one’s beliefs or opinions, especially when others do not agree or believe as you do. When you stick to your guns you not only hold to your conviction, but you also defend your conviction to others, no matter what. Related phrases are sticks to one’s guns, stuck to one’s guns, sticking to one’s guns. The expression stick to one’s guns can be traced to the military; it came into figurative use in the 1700s. Stick to one’s guns is considered American English.
Stand to one’s guns also means to stand up for one’s beliefs or opinions; this form of the idiom is considered British English. Related phrases are stands to one’s guns, stood to one’s guns, standing to one’s guns. Though stand to one’s guns is an idiom that is older than stick to one’s guns, today, stick to one’s guns is immensely more popular than stand to one’s guns.
Examples
“When it becomes an attempt to creep on turf, we believe the best option is to call the bluff of the Executive, assert the independence, stick to one’s guns and proceed with one’s mandate.” (Pulse Ghana)
But it is commendable to stick to one’s guns and create something genuine and heartfelt rather than jumping on the bandwagon and succumbing to the pressures of music labels. (The Hindu)
Dismissive, defiant, steadfast and downright insulting, Justice — the owner of the aforementioned resort and the girls basketball coach at Greenbrier East High School — stuck to his guns in delaying the prep sports season until at least March 1 and seems determined to do so, even if one those guns eventually goes off and shoots a hole in his foot. (Huntington Herald Dispatch)