To bury the hatchet means to make peace; to settle one’s difference; to stop arguing or fighting; to put an end to old resentments.
Origin of ‘Bury the Hatchet’
The idiom bury the hatchet originated in North America during the 16th and 17th centuries, derived directly from a literal Native American custom of burying weapons to signify peace between warring tribes or between tribes and European settlers.
While some modern internet sources claim the phrase has no connection to Native American traditions or speculate that it replaced an older British phrase (“to hang up one’s hatchet”), historical colonial records thoroughly debunk this doubt.
The Ritual Peace Tradition
In Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) culture, the ritual of burying weapons beneath the “Tree of Peace” was an established ceremony long before European contact. When peace agreements or treaties were made, actual weapons, including hatchets, war clubs, and tomakawks, were buried in the ground to symbolize that fighting had permanently ceased.
Early Historical Citations (Literal and Figurative)
Early colonial documents recorded in Early American Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases confirm that English settlers and local tribes were using the phrase both literally and figuratively by the late 1600s and early 1700s:
- 1680 (Literal Custom): Samuel Sewall’s papers record peace talks between colonists and local tribes, noting that “they buried two Axes in the Ground… which ceremonial buryall of instruments of war is always understood to signify a firm peace.”
- 1727 (Early Figurative Transition): A letter from the Baxter Manuscripts regarding peace negotiations with Maine tribes reports that the tribes promised “to bury ye hatchet and not to offer any hurt for ye futer for they ar in Good frindship with the English.”
Because European colonists frequently negotiated treaties with Indigenous nations using this ritual language, English speakers adopted “bury the hatchet” into general figurative speech by the mid-1700s to mean setting aside any personal grievance, argument, or rivalry.
Television and Movie Citations
In film and television, screenwriters frequently use “bury the hatchet” to mark crucial turning points in character relationships, whether as a comedic peace offering between rivals, a cynical business proposal, or a defiant rejection when one party refuses to forgive past transgressions.
- The Comedic Peace Offering: In the slapstick comedy Dumb & Dumber (1994), Lloyd enthusiastically tries to make amends with a hostile truck driver over drinks: “…like to buy you guys a round of beers just to bury the hatchet.” / “Make it four boilermakers.” / “Whatever you want, sir.”
- The Publicity-Driven Reconciliation: In the comedy-drama Chef (2014), a food critic reaches out to a chef he previously humiliated, suggesting they put their feud behind them for mutual benefit: “I wouldn’t blame you for having a few trust issues, but I just thought that, you know, you and me burying the hatchet might be a good story.”
- The Witty Play on Words: In the classic drama A Streetcar Named Desire (1951), Stanley uses the idiom after a heavy rainstorm cools down a tense evening: “Rain from heaven! You want to bury the hatchet and make it a loving cup?” / “No, thank you.”
- The Dark Threat Response: In the biographical sports drama 42 (2013), a photographer tries to stage a friendly photo ops between Jackie Robinson and an opponent, prompting a sarcastic threat: “MAN 1: How about a picture? You shake hands. Bury the hatchet.” / “You wanna bury the hatchet?” / “Sure. We’ll use a bat.”
- The Defiant Rejection of Forgiveness: In the romantic comedy-drama Working Girl (1988), a deceptive executive tries to hand-wave her betrayal as mere business, resulting in a sharp rejection: “Tess, this is business. Let’s just bury the hatchet, OK?” / “You know where you can bury your hatchet? Now get your bony ass out of my sight.”
Similar and Related Idioms
- Let Bygones Be Bygones: To forget about unpleasant things that have happened in the past; to stop holding a grudge, quarreling or seeking revenge over past actions.
- Forgive and Forget: To stop thinking about or dwelling on a past offense and stop being angry toward someone about it.
- Water Under The Bridge: Something that is in the past, cannot be changed and should not be considered important or worth being concerned or worried about.