kill or cure

Idioms  

1. Either remedy a disease or kill the patient, as in The copy chief did not like her headline for the drug, “Kill or Cure.” This expression dates from the mid-1700s, when it was already being used half-jokingly.

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Example Sentences

A 2017 review of past scientific studies, titled “Cold water immersion: kill or cure”, found a bounty of evidence dating back to the 16th century regarding the potential health implications of cold-water immersion.

From The Guardian

He took to leaving his paintings outdoors through the brutal Norwegian winters—to “kill or cure” them, he said.

From The New Yorker

Kill or cure “Voters are sick of me.”

From Economist

Ulster Unionist Party leader Mike Nesbitt said Sinn Féin's continual denial of the IRA's existence would "kill or cure" devolution in Northern Ireland.

From BBC

“We’se goin’ inside out dis weather, kill or cure.”

From Literature