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Phrase(s): Don’t give up the ship!
Fig. Do not give up yet!; Do not yield the entire enterprise! (Fixed order. Alludes to the words on a flag made by Captain Oliver Hazard Perry in the Battle of Lake Erie during the War of 1812.) • Bill: I’m having a devil of a time with calculus. I think I want to drop the course. Sally: Keep trying. Don’t give up the ship! • Bill: Every time we get enough money saved up to make a down payment on a house, the price of houses skyrockets. I’m about ready to stop trying. Sue: We’ll manage. Don’t give up the ship!
McGrawhill's American Idioms And Phrasal Verbs