It takes a licking and keeps on ticking.

The line is best known not as an anonymous proverb but as an advertising slogan associated with Timex watches. It became widely popular in mid‑20th‑century U.S. television and print advertising that dramatized the watches’ durability—famously subjecting them to rough treatment and then showing they still ran accurately. The phrase entered everyday speech as a shorthand for resilience, often applied to people, machines, or institutions that continue functioning despite setbacks. Because it circulated heavily through mass media, it is frequently misattributed to “Anonymous,” even though its cultural prominence stems from commercial copywriting and campaign repetition rather than a single literary source.

The saying compresses a narrative of endurance into a rhythmic jingle: “takes a licking” (absorbs punishment, wear, or criticism) yet “keeps on ticking” (continues operating reliably). Its power lies in the contrast between damage and persistence, turning adversity into a test that proves sturdiness. In broader usage, it functions as a compliment for toughness and dependability—someone or something may be battered by circumstances but remains steady and productive. The alliteration and internal rhyme make it memorable, helping it migrate from advertising into idiom, where it often implies not just survival but continued regularity and competence.

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