work one's fingers to the bone
Labor until exhausted
To work one's fingers to the bone is to labor extremely hard, especially at physical or tedious tasks, often over a long period: She worked her fingers to the bone to put her kids through college.
The image suggests work so relentless it wears the flesh away.
The phrase typically carries a note of sacrifice or complaint.
- toilStrenuous, prolonged effort
- hard workSustained strenuous effort
- strainExcessive stretching force
- blood sweat and tearsMaximum physical and emotional exertion
- fatigueWeariness from prolonged exertion
blister · diligence · callus · manual labor · burnout · overwork · sacrifice · weariness · industriousness · burn the midnight oil · long hours · knuckle · perseverance · exhaustion · drudgery · wage slave · hardship · achievement
work one's fingers to the boneloaf
Baked bread shape
laze about · rest · sit on one's hands · slack off · idle
work one's fingers to the bonetake one's time
Act without haste
have it easy · dawdle · mosey · potter about · putter around
worked, working, worker, workers, workable, workings, finger, fingers, fingered