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You’ve had the bold beaten out of you

English translation: You've lost your boldness

12:15 May 19, 2021
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Bus/Financial - Management
English term or phrase: You’ve had the bold beaten out of you
Does it mean you are trying to be bold in your organization?
The context is:
Unless your organization is pint-sized or truly exceptional, it probably tilts to the right side of the scale. That’s why you feel beleaguered. You’ve had the bold beaten out of you. “Epic quest,” you snort. “I’m just trying to make the quarter.”
Abraham
Selected answer:You've lost your boldness
Explanation:
It means that the boldness and enthusiasm you had when you started your business has gone, "beaten out of you" by lack of success, strong competition or whatever other cause; you're just trying to get by, to "make the quarter" as the text says.
Selected response from:

Charlotte Fleming
United Kingdom
Local time: 05:48
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
4 +5You've lost your boldness
Charlotte Fleming
4 +2Your experience in the organization has led you to think, feel, and act like a cringing milquetoast.
Robert Forstag
3 +2You’re initiative has been quashed
Orkoyen (X)
4 +1you've had the bold beaten out of you
yolanda Speece


  

Answers


5 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +5
you’ve had the bold beaten out of you
You've lost your boldness


Explanation:
It means that the boldness and enthusiasm you had when you started your business has gone, "beaten out of you" by lack of success, strong competition or whatever other cause; you're just trying to get by, to "make the quarter" as the text says.

Charlotte Fleming
United Kingdom
Local time: 05:48
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Orkoyen (X)
7 mins
  -> Thank you!
agree  yolanda Speece
58 mins
  -> Thank you!
agree  Tina Vonhof (X)
3 hrs
  -> Thank you!
agree  Bruno Pavesi
7 hrs
  -> Thank you!
agree  AllegroTrans: lost your boldness, confidence, drive, determination etc. etc.
5 days
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15 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
You’re initiative has been quashed


Explanation:
Any spark of creative thinking and proposals has been stifled.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 16 mins (2021-05-19 12:31:36 GMT)
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Sorry: Your initiative has been quashed.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 22 mins (2021-05-19 12:37:05 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Or stamped out

Orkoyen (X)
United States
Local time: 00:48
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  yolanda Speece
48 mins
  -> Thank you Yolanda.
neutral  writeaway: YOUR!!! you're = you are
2 hrs
  -> True, that. Hence my correction above. Wish I could have edited.
agree  Yvonne Gallagher: yes, not just "lost", but quashed/stifled. Correction (at 16 mins!!!) noted BTW
8 hrs
  -> Thank you Yvonne.
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
you’ve had the bold beaten out of you
you've had the bold beaten out of you


Explanation:
Basically what they are telling you is that the organization is one where you have to side with the "corporate culture" or you won't last there.

If you want to survive, you cannot do anything to stand out. You cannot grow but you can adapt to what the company wants. If you can do that good. if not, find another place.

If you can't adapt to corporate culture you will become like what they want not what you want and you may lose who you are!

You will have the bold beaten out of you. In essence you will be stifled and smothered. You will become someone else that may not be something you want..





yolanda Speece
Local time: 23:48
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Orkoyen (X)
4 mins
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4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
you’ve had the bold beaten out of you
Your experience in the organization has led you to think, feel, and act like a cringing milquetoast.


Explanation:
The boldness hasn't merely been "lost" (Option 1), but "beaten out of you." These are two very different realities.

Apart from the glaring error already pointed out, the second option fails to address the emotional and cognitive components involved here (i.e., it is not only a matter of failing to *act* - initiative -but of how the person *feels* inside and *thinks* about themselves).

Finally, the third option is a near *verbatim* repetition of the posted phrase, bereft of explanatory value.

My suggestion includes the behavioral, cognitive, and emotional components implicit in the posted phrase.

Robert Forstag
United States
Local time: 00:48
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 8

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Orkoyen (X): Although, the glaring error was corrected before the alarm went off.
5 hrs
  -> You are a good sport! Thanks for the “agree.” 😊
agree  Pavle Perencevic: or... "act like a quivering pushover" :)
1 day 1 hr
  -> Or, perhaps, “...like a wilting pansy.” Thank you, Pavle. 😊
neutral  AllegroTrans: Far too US-slanted and probably unintelligble on a world scale; I have never even heard of a milquetoast
5 days
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