Let's put our nose to the grindstone and learn this phrase.
Idiom: keep (one’s) nose to the grindstone
Definition
To work hard, to concentrate on one’s work. Sometimes also: hold (one’s) nose to the grindstone).
Examples
→ Be sure to keep your nose to the grindstone while you’re in school. Good grades are essential.
→ Katrina always held her nose to the grindstone when we worked together.
Notes
This idiom was first recorded in 1539. It refers to a grindstone, which is used for sharpening tools. A similar idiom is get (one’s) nose down (to). From 1966, author P. G. Wodehouse:
→ One would certainly have expected him by this time to have raised the price of a marriage license and had the Bishop and assistant clergy getting their noses down to it.
Level:
The idiom keep (one’s) nose to the grindstone is intermediate- to advanced-level vocabulary. It is useful in business English.
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