What is the origin of the idiom for Bite the bullet?
Said bullet gave the patient something to think about and focus on, besides the, say, amputation of their leg, and also helped to reduce their inclination to scream, making it a little easier for the one in charge of the operation. The bullet, being made of lead, was soft and maleable, so that it did not crack the patients teeth. Sometimes a piece of wood was used instead.
