elbow grease
noun
strenuous physical exertion: a job requiring elbow grease.
Origin of elbow grease
First recorded in 1630–40
Words nearby elbow grease
elberta,
elbląg,
elbow,
elbow bone,
elbow catch,
elbow grease,
elbow joint,
elbow room,
elbow-bender,
elbowed bougie,
elbowroom
Example sentences from the Web for elbow grease
British Dictionary definitions for elbow grease
elbow grease
noun
facetious
vigorous physical labour, esp hard rubbing
Cultural definitions for elbow grease
elbow grease
Strenuous physical effort: “If you're going to get this job done, you'll need to apply a little elbow grease.”
Idioms and Phrases with elbow grease
elbow grease
Strenuous physical effort, as in You'll have to use some elbow grease to get the house painted in time. This term alludes to vigorous use of one's arm in cleaning, polishing, or the like. It soon was extended to any kind of hard work, and Anthony Trollope used it still more figuratively (Thackeray, 1874): “Forethought is the elbow-grease which a novelist ... requires.” [First half of 1600s]