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Reader question: Please explain this headline, “staying power” in particular (FT.com, December 20, 2017): Theresa May shows her staying power. My comments: This headline addresses the question surrounding the enduring qualities of Theresa May, the British Prime Minister, to wit, her ability to stay strong amidst turbulences caused by, among others, Brexit, or Britian’s exit from the EU (European Union). If you remember, May came to power after the resignation of the previous Prime Minister David Cameron and is now the one to handle the mess that is the aftermath of Brexit, unpopular both within the UK (United Kingdom) and among EU members. Unhappy with her leadership, many analysts in the media have been speculating on her own exit for some time. However, May seems to have weathered the storm and is now looking more and more likely to stay on – stay on as Prime Minister and stay strong. Clearly some of the toughness of the Iron Lady has rubbed off on May, the Iron Lady being Britain’s first female Prime Minister, the late Margaret Thatcher. Anyways, “staying power” literally means the power or ability to stay, endure and persevere. In the case of May, it is descriptive of her ability to maintain control and composure through rough times and remain strong amidst criticisms from the media on a daily basis. As an idiom, generally speaking, “staying power” points to the durability of something. Stay, as in “stay unchanged”, implies that we must be talking about something that’s been there for quite a while. For example, we talk about the staying power of Jazz music or the staying power of Meryl Streep, the Hollywood actress who’s been giving great performances in movies for something like a half century. | 
