nail one's colours to the mast

present singular third person nails one's colours to the mast · participle present nailing one's colours to the mast · participle past nailed one's colours to the mast · past nailed one's colours to the mast · alternative pin one's colours to the mast

1. To clearly show one's support for a side or opinion in a dispute, often indicating an intention to defend that side to the end.

   Stood for his country’s glory fast, And nail’d her colours to the mast!

   1808, Sir Walter Scott, Marmion, Canto I, Introduction, Stanza 10

   2 more examples

   He eventually nails his colours to the mast of strict determinism: every human action is inescapably caused by preceding events in the world, including events in the brain.

   2017 June 9, Steven Poole, “Behave by Robert Sapolsky review – why do we do what we do?”, in The Guardian, →ISSN

   Changes are coming down the line - from GBR, Green Book, devolution, and how regions are funded and governed. These changes are all convincing SYMCA [South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority] to pin its colours to a mast and show its vision for its region.

   2026 April 1, Richard Wilcock, “South Yorkshire's sights on a People's Network”, in RAIL, number 1058, page 23