works one's tail off
Labors extremely hard
To work one's tail off is to work extremely hard, with sustained effort and dedication: She worked her tail off to get that promotion.
The image suggests exhausting oneself so thoroughly that even body parts wear away.
Variants include work one's ass off and work one's butt off, with tail being the mildest of the three.
- bust one's chopsExert oneself strenuously
- dedicationWholehearted loyalty to purpose
- fatigueWeariness from prolonged exertion
- burn the midnight oilWork late into night
- burning the candle at both endsExhausting oneself through excess
long hours · sweat blood · blood sweat and tears · diligence · nose to the grindstone · pull out all the stops · go the extra mile · exhaustion · determination · exertion · toil · perseverance · grit · industriousness · stress · burnout · resolve · strain
works one's tail offloafs
Spends time idly
slacks off · goofs off · coasts · mails it in · dogs it
works one's tail offslacks
Informal leg garments
slacks off · shirks · goofs off · goldbricking · malingers
works one's tail offidles
Passes time uselessly
lazes about · sits on one's hands · bums around · lounges · vegetates
work, works, worked, working, worker, workers, workable, unworkable, workings