Idiom
keep your nose to the grindstone
Meanings
To work extremely hard and continuously, staying focused on tasks.
Definition
To keep your nose to the grindstone means to work very hard and steadily for a long time.
If you keep your nose to the grindstone, you focus on work and continue making effort without taking many breaks. It suggests persistence, discipline, and long hours. People often use it when talking about studying, building a career, or finishing a demanding project.
Examples
- If you keep your nose to the grindstone, you can finish the certification in a month.
- She kept her nose to the grindstone all week to meet the deadline.
- I’ve been keeping my nose to the grindstone since the new project started.
- They kept their nose to the grindstone and saved enough money to move.
- He needs to keep his nose to the grindstone if he wants that promotion.
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More idiom (verb phrase)s
- touch base To touch base means to briefly contact someone to share a quick update or confirm plans.
- take the mickey To take the mickey means to tease someone or make fun of them in a not-too-serious way.
- drop the ball To drop the ball means to make a mistake or fail to do something important that you were responsibl…
- have a chinwag To have a chinwag means to have a friendly, informal chat with someone.
- face the music To accept and deal with the unpleasant consequences of your actions or a difficult situation.