IdiomAnimals
English
Englisha workhorse
Meaning: A person or machine that does a large amount of hard, reliable work.
Example: “That old van has been the workhorse of the business for twenty years.”
Origin: A horse used for labor rather than riding or racing. The figurative sense is found from the 19th century.
Equivalents in other languages
French: Une bête de somme Literally: A beast of burden
More English idioms
- deaf as a post Completely deaf.
- ugly as sin Very ugly.
- terra firma Solid ground, as opposed to the sea or the air.
- the sandman is coming It's time to sleep; someone is getting sleepy.
- soaked to the skin Completely wet.
- cash on the nail Payment made immediately.
Explore another collection: False Friends
Words that look familiar in another language but mean something else entirely.
- Oldtimer Actually means 'vintage car' or 'classic aircraft'. A veteran person is ein Veteran.
- Camera Actually means 'room'. A camera (device) is una macchina fotografica.
- Pretendere Actually means 'to demand' or 'to expect'. Pretende troppo = He demands too much.
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