
IdiomDaily Life
English
do the heavy lifting
Meaning: To do the hardest part of a job.
Example: “The interns did the heavy lifting on the report.”
Origin: From physical labor, where someone carries the heaviest loads. The figurative use is common from the late 20th century.
Equivalents in other languages
Danish: At trække det store læs Literally: To pull the big load
More English idioms
- pull a long face To look sad, sulky or disappointed.
- rushed off one's feet Extremely busy.
- the penny drops Someone finally understands something.
- change one's tune To change one's opinion or behavior, usually suddenly.
- call someone every name under the sun To insult someone furiously with every abusive word one can think of.
- live beyond one's means To spend more money than one earns.
Explore another collection: Untranslatable Words
Words that capture a feeling or idea English needs a whole sentence for.
- Ma The meaningful negative space between things — a deliberate pause in music, an empty room…
- Natsukashii A warm, nostalgic rush triggered by something from the past — a smell, a song, a sight. N…
- Yugen A profound, mysterious sense of the universe that is too deep for words — the feeling of…
Keep exploring