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.
Is elbow grease an actual thing?
Nope! Elbow grease is not an actual miracle product that will make mud and grime disappear. It’s actually an idiom that refers to good old-fashioned hard work. An idiom is a phrase with a meaning that’s different from the meaning of the actual words used.
What does the idiom shake a leg mean?
hurry
old-fashioned informal. used to tell someone to hurry or act more quickly: Come on, Nick, shake a leg or we’ll never be ready in time. SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases.
What is the meaning of the idiom forty winks?
a short sleep
: a short sleep : nap.
Who invented the phrase elbow grease?
poet Andrew Marvell
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.”
What does Mrs Hinch use elbow grease for?
When it comes to Mrs Hinch’s cleaning favourites, this product is definitely used regularly to clean her home. The Elbow Grease All Purpose Degreaser is loved by the cleaning guru as well as many of her followers. One woman revealed how she got her Mum’s tiles sparkling clean with just a small amount of the spray.
What does rub the wrong way mean?
Definition of rub (someone) up the wrong way : to cause (someone) to be angry or annoyed : to irritate She meant to be helpful but her suggestion really rubbed me up the wrong way.
Is elbow grease tested on animals?
From the Elbow Grease website…… “None of the ingredients used in the Elbow Grease formulation have been sourced from animals. Neither the finished product nor any of the ingredients have been tested on animals on behalf of 151 Products Ltd.”
Is elbow grease the same as sugar soap?
If you’re doing a DIY project – for example painting an item – you can use Elbow Grease before you start to get rid of old paint or grease marks. Much like sugar soap, this will give you a blank canvas to work with.
What is the origin of elbow grease?
Elbow grease. The old joke that ‘elbow grease’ is the best brand of furniture poish was probably common centuries ago, too, in some form. The phrase was known in France from early times as well (buile de bras).”. From the ” Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins ” by Robert Hendrickson (Facts on File, New York, 1997).
What is elbow grease used for?
Elbow Grease is formulated to remove grease and oil in all situations. It is ideal for removing grease spots from fabrics and porous materials, for removing grease from kitchen surfaces and for only cleaning oily surfaces such as engines and machinery.
Where did the term elbow grease originate?
Elbow grease. We will look at the meaning of the term elbow grease, where it came from and some examples of its use in sentences. Elbow grease means hard work, energetic physical labor, especially labor that involves vigorous rubbing or polishing. The term elbow grease is surprisingly old, it dates back at least to the 1600s.
