stand the gaff

stand the gaff

To face and withstand intense censure or criticism. I made the decision to go ahead with my plan and stand the gaff later, if it came to it. You must be willing to stand the gaff if your hope to make any worthwhile progress in this business.
See also: gaff, stand
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

stand the gaff

Take severe criticism or other adversity in stride, as in If you can't stand the gaff, don't try running for office. [Slang; late 1800s]
See also: gaff, stand
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
See also:
  • blow the gaff
  • gaff
  • run high
  • running high
  • intense
  • take the
  • take the hit (for someone or something)
  • mizzle
  • mizzle a wild card word for words beginning with
  • take the rap for something
References in periodicals archive
All successful leaders and business men have the enduring capacity to stand the gaff. Salesmen are leaders, and also they're business men running business on their own ability; and all the successful ones I ever saw had one thing in common--that enduring capacity to stand the gaff, a steady courage.
A quality common to all good salesmen
A famous saying in Cape Breton, "They Can't Stand the Gaff," is attributed to J.E.
The composer of "They Can't Stand the Gaff" is listed as "E.E.R." to protect his or her identity.
Wallace The Workers Child Thomas Campbell Bread and Roses Joseph Oppenheim The Battle of Glace Bay Lloyd Roberts Can You Stand the Gaff Patrick Owney They Can't Stand the Gaff "E.E.R." The Workers Cry John C.
They can't stand the gaff." Frank calls this "one of the most memorable statements in Cape Breton labour history," and "the remark was regarded as an offensive slur." In turn, "Standing the Gaff" became "a rallying cry of the strike" (Frank 1999: 374).
Protest song and verse in Cape Breton Island