{v. phr.} To force yourself to be brave. * /The small boy screwed up his courage and went upstairs in the dark./ * /When his father came home in a bad mood, it took Pete some time to screw up his courage and ask him for a dollar./ Compare: WHISTLE IN THE DARK.
PLUCK UP ONE'S COURAGE
Meaning of PLUCK UP ONE'S COURAGE in English
Slang English vocab. Английский сленговый словарь. 2012