have a nerve

Idioms  

1. Also, have some nerve. Have audacity, show effrontery. For example, You have a nerve telling me what to do, or She had some nerve, criticizing the people who donated their time. The related have the nerve is used with an infinitive, as in He had the nerve to scold his boss in public. This idiom uses nerve in the sense of “courage” or “audacity.” [Late 1800s]

---

Example Sentences

"The next step is I'm going to have a nerve block injected into my head," he said.

From BBC • Jan. 19, 2024

The class Mammalia is placed in the phylum Chordata, in which all of the animals have a nerve cord.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2018

They have a nerve and flexibility absent from museums and commercial galleries.

From New York Times • May 20, 2016

Using RTX, Blumberg was able to demonstrate that mammals have a nerve receptor that responds to capsaicin, causing a painful sensation.

From Washington Post • Apr. 12, 2016

And now it's been made and bungled, you have a nerve asking for our help.

From Lion Loose by Schmitz, James H.