elbow grease

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elbow grease

n. Informal

Strenuous physical labor and effort.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

elbow grease

facetious vigorous physical labour, esp hard rubbing

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

el′bow grease`

physical exertion; hard work.

[1630–40]

elbow grease

Great physical effort put into doing something.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun

elbow grease - use of physical or mental energy; hard work; "he got an A for effort"; "they managed only with great exertion"

exertion, effort, travail, sweat

toil, labor, labour - productive work (especially physical work done for wages); "his labor did not require a great deal of skill"

struggle - strenuous effort; "the struggle to get through the crowd exhausted her"

difficulty, trouble - an effort that is inconvenient; "I went to a lot of trouble"; "he won without any trouble"; "had difficulty walking"; "finished the test only with great difficulty"

least effort, least resistance - the least effortful way to do something

straining, strain - an intense or violent exertion

exercise, exercising, physical exercise, physical exertion, workout - the activity of exerting your muscles in various ways to keep fit; "the doctor recommended regular exercise"; "he did some exercising"; "the physical exertion required by his work kept him fit"

pull - a sustained effort; "it was a long pull but we made it"

diligence, application - a diligent effort; "it is a job requiring serious application"

overkill - any effort that seems to go farther than would be necessary to achieve its goal

supererogation - an effort above and beyond the call of duty

overexertion - excessive exertion; so much exertion that discomfort or injury results

detrition, friction, rubbing - effort expended in moving one object over another with pressure

elbow grease

noun

Informal. The use of energy to do something:

effort, endeavor, exertion, pain (used in plural), strain, striving, struggle, trouble, while.

Translations

knofedt

huile de coude

elbow grease

n (inf) → Muskelkraft f

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

elbow grease

n (fam) → olio di gomito

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

References in periodicals archive ?

She wrote: "Spray the Elbow Grease on and leave it to soak in for 10 minutes then pop them in the washing machine with your usual detergent and a dishwasher tablet."

Simple cleaning tip which could save your white trainers; Nothing ruins a fresh pair of trainers like a splash of mud, and autumn is on its way..

The more elbow grease that goes into the preparation, the more professional the job will look.

WARM NATURAL COLOURS

Thesix-bedroom semi-detached property has fallen into a state of disrepair, but it has incredible potential for a buyer willing to put in a bit of elbow grease.

Inside the run-down 'hidden gem' property with epic views over the River Mersey; This fixer-upper would need some serious work to transform it into the perfect Mersey home

While the six-bedroom semi-detached property has fallen into a state of disrepair, it boasts incredible potential for abuyerwho is ready to put in a bit of elbow grease.

Run down property up for sale boasts one hidden gem that is too good to resist; The future buyer of this Liverpool home would need to put in some serious work - but this feature will make sure it is worth the effort

Her nan, she says, had always used just four ingredients to clean her house - "Bicarbonate of soda, lemon, vinegar, salt and elbow grease" - and Sullivan decided to follow suit.

HOW TO GO GREEN WHEN YOU CLEAN; Ditching toxic forumlas for something more natural doesn't have to be a chore

Jo Corcoran, by email AYOU don't need all the fancy stuff, just a stiff bristle brush, and elbow grease. First, brush the paving down.

OUR EXPERT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTIONS

Jo Corcoran, by email AYOU don't need all the fancy stuff, just a stiff bristle brush and elbow grease. First, brush the paving down.

OUR EXPERT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTIONS

And you don't need expensive jetwashers, elbow grease will do.

NO CLEAN BREAK

This technique works great, doesn't scratch the pan, and is cheaper and easier than using soap pads, which require a lot of elbow grease.

2 humble hints for cleaning mavens

Y | ESTERDAY'S TERDAY'S TERDA SOLUTIONS WEE THINKER ACROSS: 7 Stature 9 Ethos 10 Regal 11 Bittern 12 Bar 13 Lowering 16 Sorcerer 17 Tan 19 Rotunda 21 Agave 22Where 23 Earache DOWN: 1 Ascribe 2 Kangaroo 3 Full 4 Lecturer 5 Shoe 6 Using 8 Elbow grease 13 Licensee 14 Nuthatch 15 Integer 18 Drawn 20 Tier 21 Agra QUICKIE ACROSS: 1 Stick insect 8 Coo 9 Art 11 Roasted 12 Issue 13 End 14 Her 15 Ringlet 17 Ego 19 Easy 21Wage 23 Liar 25 Sell 27 Mop 29 Lovable 31 Arc 34 Pin 36 Learn 37 Compere 38 Peg 39 Ail 40 Desert boots DOWN: 1 Soon 2 Toad 3 Cutting 4 Indigo 5 Snide 6 Cash 7 True 8 Crepe 10 Terry 16 Tea 18 Owl 20 Arm 22 All 24 In limbo 25 Scalp 26 Mascot 28 Panel 30 Ounce 32 Reed 33 Cage 34 34 Peat 35 Iris

PS200 Xword

BY MICHAEL SCULLY STEPHEN WARD insists some elbow grease over the summer and into the autumn can get Ireland in position for the Euro 2016 qualifiers.