What is the Origin of the Expression ‘Face the Music’?

And how does it relate to the phrasal verb ‘Drum Out’?

To face the music means to receive punishment for your actions; to accept the unpleasant consequences of your mistakes.

It is believed that this expression comes from an old army practice in which a soldier dismissed for disgraced or dishonorable behavior would be sent away with drums beating behind him to let the public know that he was a shame to the army and the country.

Let’s see an example —

“He had to face the music when a police officer caught him jumping the red light.”

The example is self-explanatory.

Guys, one more phrase has arisen from the same army practice and that phrase is “Drum out” which means to expel or throw out someone from a position or office.

For example —

“After the news of his scandal broke out, he was drummed out of the office within a day”.

It means that he was removed from the office within a day without any ceremony.

I hope you found this story interesting. If you did, buy my full course on Udemy or watch it for free on Skillshare by signing up here. This course covers nearly 380 idioms with their origins and backstories.

Hi, I am Gauri Shanker, a Vocab teacher and enthusiast. I teach vocabulary in a fun and engaging way. You can check out my courses here.