“Grin and bear it”in other languages

Same idea, different pictures

Three of the four make you swallow an animal: grass snakes in French, toads in Portuguese, camels in Norwegian. The less appetizing the animal, the harder the thing you have to accept. English is the only one that keeps a brave face, or rather a grin.

French avaler des couleuvres is mostly about humiliations: insults or unfair treatment you can't answer back. It can also mean believing whatever you're told.