IdiomBody & Senses
English
Englishwork one's fingers to the bone
Meaning: To work extremely hard.
Example: “She worked her fingers to the bone to keep the shop open.”
Origin: A comic exaggeration of hands worn away by labor. The phrase is recorded from the 19th century.
Equivalents in other languages
Italian: dannarsi l'anima Literally: To damn one's soul
More English idioms
- move with the times To keep up with change instead of clinging to old ways.
- beat the drum for something To promote something loudly and publicly.
- any old how Carelessly, with no attention to doing it properly.
- where the sun doesn't shine Somewhere hidden; also a rude way of naming the body.
- without a fight With no resistance at all.
- pave the way To prepare the ground so that something can happen later.
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