VOCABULARY - IDIOMS

Idioms about work

Idioms about work

  • a woman's work is never done

    Meaning: The proverb a woman's work is never done means that a woman often works longer hours than a man because the housework and raising children are jobs that never end.

  • all in a day's work

    Meaning: What is normal, typical or expected.

  • All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy

    Meaning: All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy is a proverb which means that it is not good to work all the time and that people may get bored if they don't get some time off from work.

  • back to the salt mines

    Meaning: If you go back to the salt mines, it means you have to return back to the workplace.

  • bean counter

    Meaning: An accountant.

  • break your back

    Meaning: If you break your back to do something, you work very hard to do it.

  • burn candles at both ends

    Meaning: If you burn candles at both ends, you work very hard, day and night.

  • burn the midnight oil

    Meaning: Work hard, especially late into the night.

  • cold piece of work

    Meaning: If someone is a cold piece of work they are difficult to deal with.

  • devil finds work for idle hands to do

    Meaning: People are inclined to do frivolous or harmful things to get rid of their boredom when they don't do anything useful.

  • dirty work

    Meaning: unpleasant work or dishonest action.

  • do the dirty work

    Meaning: The phrase do the dirty work means to do the disagreeable, illegal or dishonest things.

  • get the sack

    Meaning: to be dismissed from employment.

  • gum up the works

    Meaning: The phrase gum up the works means to prevent a process, a system or a machine from working smoothly.

  • hustle and bustle

    Meaning: The phrase hustle and bustle refers to a busy activity usually in a noisy surrounding.

  • keep up the good work

    Meaning: The phrase keep up the good work is used to encourage a person to continue doing the good things they are doing now.

  • labor of love

    Meaning: The phrase labor of love refers to a work that brings you great pleasure.

  • shoot the works

    Meaning: to spend all the money you have or to try as much as you can to do something.

  • sweat blood

    Meaning: to work very hard.

  • work like a beaver

    Meaning: To work like a beaver means to work very hard.

  • work like a charm

    Meaning: If something works like a charm, it works works very well.

  • work your fingers to the bone

    Meaning: to work extremely hard.

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