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Is it "bear" or "bare" with me?

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If there is an ursine nearby, you would say "bear with me", but if there is a nudist or an electrical fault you would say "bare with me". – delete Aug 19 '10 at 1:26
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Downvoted as no research shown, and voted to close as general reference. – Hugo Apr 14 '12 at 15:24

2 Answers

up vote 68 down vote accepted

“Bear with me,” the standard expression, is a request for forbearance or patience.

“Bare with me” would be an invitation to undress.

Source

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+1 for the good answer, and the Wednesday morning chuckle. – Chris Dwyer Aug 18 '10 at 15:24
Any answer that is informative and also gives me a laugh gets my vote! – Noldorin Aug 18 '10 at 16:20
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Think bear and as in bear a burden. – Umang Aug 19 '10 at 11:59
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So, the ultimate pickup line is then "Bear with me, but bare with me." - If she gets it, you know she's a keeper, right? – corsiKa May 5 '11 at 3:28
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The phrasal verb is bear with, not bare with.
Bear with me means have patience with me, or be tolerant with me.

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protected by RegDwighт♦ Apr 14 '12 at 13:07

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