Phrases.com »

Phrases related to: set to work Page #5

Yee yee! We've found 602 phrases and idioms matching set to work.

Sort:RelevancyA - Z
state of disrepairSomething in need of repair. Typically referring to a mechanical object or system (like a car or home) that has broken down or doesn't work anymore.Rate it:

(5.00 / 1 vote)
straw that stirs the drinkThe person who stimulates or inspires a group; the major factor affecting a trend or set of developments.Rate it:

(5.00 / 1 vote)
unavailable energyEnergy that is converted by an irreversible process into a form that is unavailable to do workRate it:

(5.00 / 1 vote)
water over the damAn event or set of events which has already happened and cannot be changed.Rate it:

(5.00 / 1 vote)
where i'm at is not where i'm going to beYour current situation can always change as long as you work hardRate it:

(5.00 / 1 vote)
zero hourThe set time for an action, event, vital decision, or decisive change to take place; the hour at which a planned military operation is scheduledRate it:

(5.00 / 1 vote)
read to filth (or) read for filthBasically to scold, or to get called out on something; to reprimand, to degrade, to cuss out, to correct, to set them straight, to tell them what's what & who's who.Rate it:

(4.60 / 5 votes)
bust assTo work hard, especially when trying to achieve a goal.Rate it:

(4.50 / 2 votes)
a stitch in time saves nineA little effort expended sooner to fix a small problem prevents it from becoming a larger problem requiring more effort to fix later; A little preparation can eliminate the need for repairs later; consistency (achieving a set rhythm) is better than trying to rush ahead.Rate it:

(4.43 / 7 votes)
knuckle downTo get to work; to focus on a task.Rate it:

(4.43 / 7 votes)
all hands on deck!Nautical call for all ships crew to come topside and man their usual station. Work challenge or approaching gale threatens safety of crew and vessel.Rate it:

(4.33 / 3 votes)
daily grindThe difficult, routine, or monotonous tasks of daily work.Rate it:

(4.33 / 3 votes)
get the ball rollingTo begin; to start some action; to set in motion.Rate it:

(4.33 / 3 votes)
put downTo set down, stop carrying, or place in a low location.Rate it:

(4.25 / 4 votes)
take offTo absent oneself from work or other responsibility, especially with permission.Rate it:

(4.25 / 4 votes)
"never mind your mother sonny.... eat your bleedin' orange"I worked with a man from Foulridge, Lancashire for over 35 years who often used this phrase whenever there was a problem and he wasn't sure of the answer!.. Said the phrase came from a "chap I used to work with in Colne... but he didn't know what it meant either"Rate it:

(4.00 / 2 votes)
a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go downAn otherwise unpleasant situation can be pleasant when a pleasant aspect is deliberately introduced.1999, Eli Yassif, The Hebrew Folktale: History, Genre, Meaning, Indiana University Press, ISBN 0253335833, page 372,One is known as the "sweetening parable," that is to say a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down. Thus, when the aim is to preach to the people, to guide them along the "bitter," arduous path of upholding burdensome precepts and prohibitions, a tale can lighten the load, make the "medicine" easier "to swallow."2001, Maureen Reagan, First Father, First Daughter: A Memoir, Little, Brown, ISBN 0316736368, page 319,It put some fun into the tedious business of preparing for a presidential debate. A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, right?2004, John Hoover, How to Work for an Idiot: Survive & Thrive... Without Killing Your Boss, Career Press, ISBN 1564147045, page 11,If a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, a barrel of laughs can wash down the big pills you might need to swallow.Rate it:

(4.00 / 5 votes)
a stich in time saves nineWhat ever work you have you should perform the and there, thereby your work being helped others work.Rate it:

(4.00 / 3 votes)
attend toTo diligently work on; to pay attention to.Rate it:

(4.00 / 1 vote)
busman's holidayA holiday or vacation during which you do the same thing that you do for your usual work.Rate it:

(4.00 / 1 vote)
bust one's ballsto work very hard; to put in a lot of effort.Rate it:

(4.00 / 1 vote)
carry one's weightTo contribute or produce one's fair share, as of work, money, etc.Rate it:

(4.00 / 1 vote)
dial inconfigure, set up, particularly a complex machine with many configuration options.Rate it:

(4.00 / 1 vote)
do the best and live the restFirst do your work with your 100% dont think about the resultRate it:

(4.00 / 1 vote)
dope sheetA set of detailed instructions which the designer of an animated film provides to the photographers and editors.Rate it:

(4.00 / 1 vote)
fall in withTo accept a set of generally agreed rules, or a suggestion.Rate it:

(4.00 / 2 votes)
full of oneselfEgotistical, believing oneself to be superior to others; preoccupied with one's own work, interests, point of view, etc.Rate it:

(4.00 / 1 vote)
labor of loveA task performed voluntarily without expectation of reimbursement; an altruistic work or undertaking.Rate it:

(4.00 / 2 votes)
loaded wordAny word, set phrase or idiom that has strong positive or negative connotations beyond their ordinary definition.Rate it:

(4.00 / 1 vote)
pit againstTo set someone in opposition to someone else.Rate it:

(4.00 / 4 votes)
rock upTo work one's way vertically up a chimney or cleft using a rocking movement.Rate it:

(4.00 / 2 votes)
stand upTo bring something up and set it into a standing position.Rate it:

(4.00 / 2 votes)
state of affairsA specific situation; a set of circumstances.Rate it:

(4.00 / 1 vote)
out to lunchAway eating lunch or for a midday break; especially, away from work or a job.Rate it:

(3.67 / 3 votes)
doss aroundTo shirk one's work or duty.Rate it:

(3.50 / 2 votes)
let her ripTo set off or allow to begin.Rate it:

(3.50 / 2 votes)
proverbs run in pairsEvery proverb seems to be contradicted by another proverb with an opposed message, such as "too many cooks spoil the broth" and "many hands make light work."1863, Sir Richard Burton, Abeokuta and the Camaroons Mountains, vol. 1, Tinsley (London), p. 309:Moreover, all the world over, proverbs run in pairs, and pull both ways: for the most part one neutralizes, by contradiction, the other.Rate it:

(3.50 / 2 votes)
slop bowlOne of the four components of the traditional tea set. Tea drinkers emptied their unwanted, cold tea into the slop bowl before refilling their cups with fresh, hot tea.Rate it:

(3.50 / 2 votes)
based on experiencethe purpose or a new work can be designed having few numbers or data from the previous successful execution.Rate it:

(3.00 / 2 votes)
be mechanically inclinedBe able to understand how machines workRate it:

(3.00 / 1 vote)
block offTo book, set aside.Rate it:

(3.00 / 1 vote)
dig inTo make a burst of hard work.Rate it:

(3.00 / 1 vote)
Early Bird Catches the WormThose who wake up early and start work have the best possible chances to attain their settled goalsRate it:

(3.00 / 3 votes)
Get the Lead Out of Your FeetTo move hurry or work fasterRate it:

(3.00 / 2 votes)
hustle and bustleA large amount of activity and work, usually in a noisy surrounding.Rate it:

(3.00 / 4 votes)
Labour of LoveTo do something free of money, work done for love and pleasure, not for the sake of moneyRate it:

(3.00 / 1 vote)
lay aboutTo set about, with infinitive or gerund.Rate it:

(3.00 / 1 vote)
pull one's weightTo do the work that one is obligated to.Rate it:

(3.00 / 2 votes)
renfermer le loup dans la bergerieTo set the fox to keep the geese.Rate it:

(3.00 / 1 vote)
rush hourThe times of the day when traffic jams are commonplace, due mainly to people commuting to or from work.Rate it:

(3.00 / 1 vote)

We need you!

Help us build the largest human-edited phrases collection on the web!

Alternative searches for set to work:

Quiz

Are you a phrases master?

»
Wear your ______ upon your sleeve.
A Blood
B Heart
C Skin
D Love

Browse Phrases.com

#ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ