stiff-lipped

We leave the theater wondering what exactly the takeaway's supposed to be: During the last scene, an older, amputated Mattie, far from riding into the sunset, hobbles around aimlessly, unmarried, childless, proud, stiff-lipped, firm.

Avital Binshtock: An Environmentalist's Review of True Grit Avital Binshtock 2011

“Yes, quite,” Lord Ewing mumbled in his stiff-lipped, aristocratic way.

KNIGHTLEY ACADEMY VIOLET HABERDASHER 2010

He paints the town with recently-divorced Lane Pryce, who breaks from the stiff-lipped account executive to jump up and shout 'I want my beef!' and then hold his gut-busting steak on his crotch.

Janet Turley: Motherhood and Futility: Mad Men Season 4, Ep3 2010

“Yes, quite,” Lord Ewing mumbled in his stiff-lipped, aristocratic way.

KNIGHTLEY ACADEMY VIOLET HABERDASHER 2010

Oh, don't make that face and proceed to perform a stiff-lipped, defiant "Thriller" dance in my direction (which, yes, is everywhere).

Meg Favreau: A Letter From the Cosmos Regarding the Death of Michael Jackson 2009

He details elegant Babe's stiff-lipped endurance of the infidelities of her second husband, CBS founder Bill Paley, and he recounts Minnie's romances with women and her rebellious decision to divorce dour Vincent Astor in favor of painter James Fosburgh.

Books About High Society 2009

There is an old, stiff-lipped, patrician motto that could be stitched on her pillow: never explain, never complain.

The Faces of Vanity Fair 2008

Jack managed to hide his amusement in a stiff-lipped smile that made him look like a half-witted adolescent who'd just heard a great fart joke.

Fault Line Andrews, Sarah 2002

The stages ranged from the resigned, quiet grief of the elderly, who had lived with their charges since they were young, to the stiff-lipped grief of the soldier-weesham, who had seen their charges brought down by the war currently raging on Arianus, to the anguished grief of a weesham who has lost a child.

The Hand of Chaos Hickman, Tracy 1993

With the stiff-lipped expression he assumed when commanded to snare songbirds for the Duke's menagerie, Telemark gathered the boy off the floor.

Stormwarden Wurts, Janny 1989