Green’s Dictionary of Slang

lump v.1

[SE lump, to look sulky or disagreeable]

(orig. US) to accept something, however grudgingly, that has to be endured.

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implied in like it or lump it
J. Neal Rachel Dyer 70: If you don’t like it, you may lump it [DAE].
[UK]J. Lindridge Sixteen-String Jack 88: If ye hadn’t a liked my perceedings, why you could have lump’d ’em.
[US] in R.G. Carter Four Brothers in Blue (1978) 24 Aug. 84: I do not complain with a mean tone; I lump it all.
[US]‘Mark Twain’ Tom Sawyer 8: You can lump that hat if you don’t like it.
[Aus]Bulletin (Sydney) 18 Apr. 18/3: This is pretty rough on the witches, seeing that the average raking-in of some of them in P.O. stamps alone, exceeded £10 a week; and when we consider the money-orders and the takings for visits, we come to the conclusion that if there is one thing easier and more lucrative than foretelling of the next life, it is foretelling this one, and we wonder that the sky pilots don’t lump the thing.
[UK]W.S. Maugham Liza of Lambeth (1966) 85: It can’t be ’elped, so we must jolly well lump it.
[UK]Marvel 12 Nov. 4: No, I don’t suppose they will; but, then, they’ll have to lump it!
[Scot]‘Ian Hay’ Carrying On 196: These people [...] always dislike giving up their lofts [...] However, the old boy must lump it.
[UK]E.F. Benson Queen Lucia (1984) 241: That’ll make eight, which is more than Foljambe likes, but she must lump it.
[US]J. Steinbeck Grapes of Wrath (1951) 103: I tell ya I ain’t goin’, an ’ya can lump it.
[UK]N. Marsh Final Curtain (1958) 224: Well, we’ll have to lump it.
[US]M. Spillane One Lonely Night 85: I’ll take it my way and the public can lump it.
[US]E. De Roo Big Rumble 107: ‘Do they like it?’ [...] ‘What you tell ’em?’ He kissed her good bye. ‘I told ’em to lump it.’.
[UK](con. 1940s) D. Nobbs Second From Last in the Sack Race 92: Well tha’ll have to lump it.
[Ire]L. McInerney Blood Miracles : Gina’s lumped for keeping the house, keeping the car [...] and keeping her mouth shut.

In phrases

like it or lump it (v.)

to accept a situation, willingly or not; usu. as You’ll have to like it or lump it, or sometimes the euph. phr. If you don’t like it you’ll have to do the other thing.

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Columbian Aug. 77: As you like it, you may lump it [DA].
[UK]Morn. Post (London) 29 Mar. 3/2: To this came a reply that we might ‘like it or lump it,’ as the homely saying goes.
[US]T. Haliburton Clockmaker II 254: That’s flat. And if you don’t like it you may lump it.
[UK]Dickens Dombey and Son (1970) 205: ‘Hoity-toity!’ exclaimed Mrs. Pipchin, [...] plucking up all the ogress within her. ‘If she don’t like it, Mr. Dombey, she must be taught to lump it.’.
John o’Groat Jrnl 18 Nov. 1/8: The Mayor [...] complained [...] that he could not get his copy of a daily paper, [...] the newsboys [...] told him ‘if he did not like it, he must lump it’.
[UK]T. Taylor Ticket-Of-Leave Man Act I: Now you know. It’s like it or lump it.
[Aus]M. Clarke Term of His Natural Life (1897) 70: They may like it or lump it, but we mean to have the ship.
[US]H.B. Stowe Poganuc People 94: I’ll buy such clothes as I see fit, and if anybody don’t like it, why they may lump it.
[Aus]Bulletin (Sydney) 14 Mar. 13/1: Wot’s smashed’s smashed, and wot’s pawned’s pawned; there now! If you don’t like it, you may lump it!
[UK]B.L. Farjeon Mystery of M. Felix I 149: If she don’t like it she may lump it.
[Aus]Crowe Aus. Sl. Dict. 47: Lump It, to dislike it, ‘if you don’t like it you can lump it’.
[Aus]‘Miles Franklin’ My Brilliant Career 259: But if the Gov. doesn’t like it, they’ll have to lump it, for none of us have a penny to bless ourselves with, let alone dub up for taxes.
[NZ]Truth (Wellington) 22 May 7/1: If you don’t like it, you can - well lump it.
[UK]Marvel 1 Mar. 6: If you don’t like the jape, jolly well lump it and keep out of it.
[Ire]Joyce Ulysses 697: Ill tell him about it some day not now and surprise him ay and Ill take him there and show him the very place too we did it so now there you are like it or lump it.
[US]C. McKay Home to Harlem 96: A girl had slapped another’s face and replied to her victim’s cry of pain with, ‘If you no like it you can lump it!’.
[Scot]Dundee Courier 23 Dec. 13/2: Everyone was to take a ten per cent cut in salary [...] and if you didn’t like it you could lump it.
[US]Z. Grey Robbers’ Roost 144: ‘Now, boss, there’re the cards face down, an’ you can like them or lump them.’ ‘I’m lumpin’ them, Smoky Slocum … .’.
[UK]G. Kersh They Die with Their Boots Clean 5: Discipline is what you’re definitely going to get here. See? And if you don’t like it you can definitely lump it.
[Aus]D. Niland Shiralee 46: No backing and filling with him, either. They’d like it or lump it.
[Aus]P. White Solid Mandala (1976) 268: They don’t like it. So you’ll have to lump it, Arthur.
[US]Fantastic Four Annual 7: If you don’t like it, you’ll have to lump it.
[UK]P. Bailey Eng. Madam 82: He didn’t like what he heard, but he knew he had to lump it, he had no choice.
[Ire]J. O’Connor Salesman 374: ‘That’s shite depressin’ music,’ he said. ‘Well that’s what we’re listening to [...] So you can like it or lump it.’.
[Aus]S. Maloney Big Ask 75: The union had done all it could, he was told. Then he could like it or lump it.