put one's shoulder to the wheel

English

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Verb

put one's shoulder to the wheel (third-person singular simple present puts one's shoulder to the wheel, present participle putting one's shoulder to the wheel, simple past and past participle put one's shoulder to the wheel)

1. (figuratively) To work very strenuously.

   When he got to law school he knew he'd have to put his shoulder to the wheel to succeed.

Synonyms

• set one's shoulder to the wheel

Translations

work very strenuously

• Danish: arbejde med stor anstrengelse
• Finnish: tehdä hartiavoimin töitä
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Russian: закатать рукава (zakatatʹ rukava)

See also

• ear to the ground
• eye on the ball
• nose to the grindstone
• put one's back into