What does the saying elbow grease mean?

What does the saying elbow grease mean?

hard work
Definition of elbow grease : hard work There is just no substitution for the elbow grease involved in promotion. You just have to get out there and work hard to get the word to the stores that the book is available.—

How do you use elbow grease in a sentence?

Elbow grease sentence example Easy bargain decorating is within reach with a little creative thinking and elbow grease . If using machines isn’t your style, then fixing scratched video games with some elbow grease might be the way to go.

What is the meaning of elbow mean?

Definition of elbow (Entry 1 of 2) 1a : the joint of the human arm. b : a corresponding joint in the anterior limb of a lower vertebrate. 2 : something (such as macaroni or an angular pipe fitting) resembling an elbow.

Where does the word elbow come from?

elbow (n.) 1200, elbowe, from a contraction of Old English elnboga “elbow,” from Proto-Germanic *elino-bugon, literally “bend of the forearm” (source also of Middle Dutch ellenboghe, Dutch elleboog, Old High German elinbogo, German Ellenboge, Old Norse ölnbogi).

Where did the phrase 40 winks come from?

The first use of this expression dates back to 1821, when Dr. William Kitchiner, an optician and telescope inventor used it in his self help guide, The art of invigorating and prolonging life – “A forty winks nap in a horizontal posture, is the best preparative for any extraordinary exertion of either.”

Where does the expression elbow grease originate?

In 1699, the phrase “elbow grease” appeared in the “New Dictionary of the Canting Crew” defined as “a derisory Term for Sweat”. The phrase had existed for sometime before that, known as “the best substance for polishing furniture”. English isn’t the only language that has instances of this idiom.

Where did the saying put some elbow grease into it come from?

If your little brother complains that mowing the lawn is too hard, you might say, “It just takes a little elbow grease!” The English poet Andrew Marvell used the word in 1672, and in 1699 it appeared in the “New Dictionary of the Canting Crew” with the definition “a derisory Term for Sweat.”

Why is it called elbow?

Few people ever wonder why their elbows are called elbows, but there is a reason. The word breaks into two parts el and bow. Inside your forearm are two bones called the radius and the ulna. The ulna is named from Latin and Latin in turn took the name ultimately from an Indo-European root el meaning “forearm.”

What is the use of elbow?

In conjunction with the shoulder joint and wrist, the elbow gives the arm much of its versatility, as well as structure and durability. The elbow swings 180 degrees in one direction to extend the forearm, and it also helps turn the forearm at the point where the parallel bones in the forearm—the radius and ulna—meet.

What did elbow mean Shakespeare?

Now we mean it to fight for or defend something. elbow Here’s another verbification, from King Lear, first performed in 1605: “A sovereign shame so elbows him.” The noun “elbow” lasted fine on its own for 600 years before Shakespeare got hold of it. gossip Yes, Shakespeare gossiped.

Who is elbow in Shakespeare?

Elbow is a constable, a man from the lower classes who constantly mangles his words. One of the officers charged by Angelo with cleaning up Vienna, he arrests Elbow and Froth, suspecting that the latter is having an affair with his wife.

What is the meaning of idiom break a leg?

good luck
This is an expression used mostly in the world of theatre to mean ‘good luck’. Actors and musicians are never wished ‘good luck’; before they walk on to the stage, they are usually told ‘break a leg’.

What is elbow skin called?

Weenus (or weenis or wenis) is a slang word for the excess or loose skin at the joint of one’s elbow, which is technically referred to as olecranal skin.

What does this idiom mean off the hook?

Definition of let (someone) off the hook : to allow (someone who has been caught doing something wrong or illegal) to go without being punished If you ask me, they let him off the hook too easily.

Where did the term elbow grease originate?

In 1699, the phrase “elbow grease” appeared in the “New Dictionary of the Canting Crew” defined as “a derisory Term for Sweat”. The phrase had existed for sometime before that, known as “the best substance for polishing furniture”. (2.)

What is another name for elbow?

Elbow Synonyms – WordHippo Thesaurus….What is another word for elbow?

What did greasy mean in Shakespeare?

greasy: contemptuous epithet Wiv.

What is the origin of elbow?

Elbow comes from Old English, where the word for the same body part was elnboga. It had two components – ell, meaning the length of the forearm, and boga, “bow” or “arch.” These in turn came from a Germanic word that ultimately meant “bend of the forearm,” and has similar forms in Dutch, German, and Old Norse.