Give it plenty of elbow grease.
Meaning: Sustained physical effort and hard work can overcome obstacles that seem intractable or resistant to easy solutions.
Origin: A joke nearly four centuries old: the "grease" that makes things shine is really the effort of hard rubbing with the arm. John Clarke's 1639 schoolbook of proverbs has "it smells of elbow-grease," and a 1699 dictionary of slang defined it as a mock term for sweat. It is still offered, with a grin, as the secret ingredient for any tough cleaning job.
More proverbs about Wisdom
- That's but an empty purse that's full of other men's money. — Borrowed wealth brings no security; true richness comes from what you genuinely own.
- England is the Paradise of women. — Women historically enjoyed greater legal protections, property rights, and social freedom…
- Enough and to spare is too much. — Abundance beyond necessity breeds excess and waste, inviting trouble rather than security.
- He that throws away his estate with his hands, goes afterwards to pick it upon his feet. — Careless squandering forces you into degrading labor to recover what you carelessly destr…
- He that knows himself best, esteems himself least. — Self-awareness diminishes arrogance; intimate knowledge of our flaws humbles our self-reg…
- Let every tub stand on its own bottom. — Each person must support themselves financially and practically without depending on othe…
From our compliments & insults
- Eres un crack — You're brilliant — a total star at what you do.
- Eres muy majo/a — You're a lovely, kind, and genuine person — the nicest way to compliment someone's charac…
- Tienes mucho corazón — You're extraordinarily generous and warm — you give more than you need to.