Courageous, resolute, independent.
1847. Thur never was a grittyer crowd congregated before on that stream.—Robb, ‘Streaks of Squatter Life,’ &c., p. 106. (N.E.D.) (Phila.).
a. 1860.
| Thought I, my neighbor Buckingham | |
| Hath somewhat in him gritty, | |
| Some Pilgrim-stuff that hates all sham, | |
| And he will print my ditty. | |
J. R. Lowell, ‘An Interview with Miles Standish.’ |
1861. In all our works and labour, our first great interest should be the building up of the kingdom of God, and be so gritty that we will actually go without buying a pasteboard bonnet or a pair of paper shoes, when we can have something we can produce ourselves that will answer the purpose.—Geo. A. Smith at Logan, Utah, Sept. 10: ‘Journal of Discourses,’ ix. 117.
1866. And then father would look gritty enough to bite a board-nail off.—Seba Smith, ‘’Way Down East,’ p. 62.
