legwork
Tedious research effort
Legwork is the practical, often tedious groundwork required to accomplish something—gathering information, making contacts, running errands.
The term evokes physically going from place to place: Reporters do the legwork while editors stay at their desks.
It implies effort that's necessary but unglamorous: The detective had done the legwork, interviewing dozens of witnesses.
Professional crime investigator
- sleuthingInvestigative work
- cluesHints toward answers
- evidenceFacts supporting truth
- leadsGoes in front
surveillance · inquiry · forensics · case · witness · testimony · interrogation · canvassing
Strenuous, prolonged effort
- exertionVigorous physical effort
- laborStrenuous effort; also childbirth
- grindCrush into particles
- drudgeryHard, boring work
hustle · running around · busywork · tedium · grunt work · donkeywork · errands · chores
Arranging for future events
- logisticsCoordination of complex activities
- coordinationOrganized cooperative movement
- schedulingAssigning times to events
- organizingSystematically putting in order
setup · arranging · reconnaissance · scouting · research · gathering · compiling · preliminary
detective
Professional crime investigator
leads · surveillance · inquiry · forensics · case · witness · testimony · interrogation · canvassing · interviews
toil
Strenuous, prolonged effort
drudgery · hustle · running around · busywork · tedium · grunt work · donkeywork · errands · chores · schlepping
planning
Arranging for future events
- logisticsCoordination of complex activities
- coordinationOrganized cooperative movement
- schedulingAssigning times to events
organizing · setup · arranging · reconnaissance · scouting · research · gathering · compiling · preliminary · spadework
- workjob, 9 to 5, jobs, labor, employee
- preparationprepare, preparing, ready, readies, readiness
- Private InvestigatorsPI, private detective, detective agency, gumshoe, shamus
- African dancessoli, gumboot, soapy
- laborlabor, labor union, work, labor force, laborers
- drudgerychores, housework, grunt work, busywork, drudgery
legworkbrainwork
Intellectual labor
desk work · paperwork · thinking · theorizing · office work