dig in one's heels (or toes or feet)
Resist stubbornly; refuse to give in: officials dug their heels in on particular points...- My first viewing of it last year was an exercise in frustration as I dug in my heels and resisted any of its sensual pleasures as I hoped that its thematic strands would cohere into some sort of profound statement.
- Or you could dig in your heels and stubbornly fight against life, trying to defeat it, like the fallen tree.
- The difficulty for those attempting to save the credibility of Scottish football is that the very steps which would begin to redress the balance cause the Old Firm to dig in their heels in stubborn resistance.
See parent entry: dig