Prendre sur soi

It was 6:27 p.m. on a Friday. Émile had survived an entire workweek and was emotionally held together by one thing: the thought of getting home quickly with a baguette and a camembert.  He joined the express checkout lane. "10 articles max", the sign said. A sacred law. A social contract. Then she appeared.  An elderly lady parked herself in front of  Émile with a full week's worth of groceries. Not ten. Not eleven. Forty-three. Émile counted. Twice.  His eyes twitched and he had to prendre sur lui not to explode.  

The French expression prendre sur soi literally translates to take upon oneself, but its meaning is actually quite different. It is one of those delightful faux amis - words or phrases that look like they should mean the same thing in English but sneakily don't.  Prendre sur soi has a far more emotional or psychological twist than its English literal translation. It’s about bearing something silently, digging deep, and making an internal effort - often involving a heroic (and silent!) battle to keep your cool for the sake of others or the situation. Think of it as the art of biting your tongue so hard you might need a bandage.

Origin

The expression prendre sur soi has been attested since the early 13th century, according to lexicographical sources.
At that time, it primarily meant voluntarily assuming responsibility for something, even without having the authority to do so.  The literal English translation, “to take upon oneself,” still captures that noble initiative.

Over time, however, its usage in French evolved to include more psychological and emotional meanings, such as self-control, restraint, or bearing a moral or emotional burden. This shift reflects a transition from a concrete sense of responsibility to the subtle (and sometimes exhausting) art of managing one’s emotions and behavior without flipping the table.

Examples

Il avait envie de crier, mais il a pris sur lui pour rester calme.
He wanted to scream, but he restrained himself to stay calm.

J’ai pris sur moi pour ne pas me battre quand la vieille dame m’a doublé à la caisse avec 43 articles dans la file 10 articles maximum.
I took a deep breath and restrained myself when the elderly lady cut in line with 43 items in the 10-items-or-less queue.