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Is nose to the grindstone an idiom?
Adverb. (idiomatic) Hard at work. Nose to the grindstone, he was up all night.
What does grindstone mean in literature?
1 : millstone sense 1. 2 : a flat circular stone of natural sandstone that revolves on an axle and is used for grinding, shaping, or smoothing.
What do you metaphorically keep to the grindstone when working very hard?
If you keep your nose to the grindstone, you continue to work very hard and do not spend time on other things.
Where does the expression nose to the grindstone come from?
Phrases.uk.org suggests that it came from the habit of “millers who checked that the stones used for grinding cereal weren’t overheating by putting their nose to the stone in order to smell any burning.”
What is the idiom of all in the same boat?
In a similar situation, in the same position. For example, Everyone’s got too much work—we’re all in the same boat. This expression alludes to the risks shared by passengers in a small boat at sea. [ Mid-1800s]
What is the meaning of the idiom green?
If you say that someone is green, you mean that they have had very little experience of life or a particular job. He was a young lad, very green, very immature. Synonyms: inexperienced, new, innocent, raw More Synonyms of green.
What part of speech is grindstone?
noun
grindstone
| part of speech: | noun |
|---|---|
| definition: | a stone wheel that is turned to sharpen knives and tools, grind grain, or sand and shape items by rubbing or scraping. |
| related words: | abrasive |
What type of word is grindstone?
An abrasive wheel for sharpening, polishing or grinding.
What does keep your nose to the ground mean?
= sniffing (compare with dogs) for clues as to what they might say, how they might say it and what they will do.
What does all in the same boat mean idiom?
Also, all in the same boat. In a similar situation, in the same position. For example, Everyone’s got too much work—we’re all in the same boat. This expression alludes to the risks shared by passengers in a small boat at sea. [ Mid-1800s]
What does putting your foot in your mouth mean?
Say something foolish, embarrassing, or tactless. For example, Jane put her foot in her mouth when she called him by her first husband’s name. This notion is sometimes put as having foot-in-mouth disease, as in He has a bad case of foot-in-mouth disease, always making some tactless remark.
What is the meaning of put your nose to the Grindstone?
nose to the grindstone. A phrase said of one who is working hard and/or diligently on something. Sometimes used as an imperative. I’m so impressed your grades, honey—you really put your nose to the grindstone this year, and it paid off! I’ve got to keep my nose to the grindstone if I’m going to get this promotion.
What is the derivation of the phrase ‘nose to the Millstone’?
If the derivation was from milling we would expect the phrase to be ‘nose to the millstone’. A second point in favour of the tool sharpening derivation is that all the early citations refer to holding someone’s nose to the grindstone as a form of punishment.
What is the difference between a millstone and Grindstone?
Firstly, the stones used by millers were commonly called millstones, not grindstones. The two terms were sometimes interchanged but the distinction between the two was made at least as early as 1400, when this line was printed in Turnament Totenham: “Ther was gryndulstones in gravy, And mylstones in mawmany.”
What is the origin of the idiom ‘burn the stone’?
There are two rival explanations as to the origin of this phrase. One is that it comes from the supposed habit of millers who checked that the stones used for grinding cereal weren’t overheating by putting their nose to the stone in order to smell any burning.