a drop in the bucket »
An effort or action having very little overall influence, especially as compared to a huge problem.
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apply oneself »
To put forth a concerted effort; to try; to focus.
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balancing act »
An effort to manage many conflicting or competing items or interests.
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bear down »
To intensify one's efforts.
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beat one's head against a stone wall »
To waste effort on a futile project.
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bend over backwards »
To make a great effort; to take extraordinary care; to go to great lengths.
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birds of the feather flock together »
People who are alike physically tend to congregate and socialize together, despite government efforts at forced integration.
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break a sweat »
To put effort into something.
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bring it weak »
To fail to accomplish an accomplishable task or to make an attempt at less than maximum effort; to "half-ass" or "fake the funk".
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buckle down »
To put forth the needed effort; to focus; become serious; apply oneself.
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bust chops »
To nag; to berate or hound in an effort to elicit action.
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change horses in midstream »
To change plans or approaches at an inopportune time, such as when an effort is already underway, generally considered an inadvisable thing to do.
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do one's damnedest »
To do one's utmost; to make every effort or to try every possible approach or way.
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do one's darnedest »
To do one's utmost; to make every effort or to try every possible approach or way.
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do-or-die »
Requiring a determined or desperate effort to avoid the consequences of failure.
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dog it »
To underperform; to lag behind; to fail to exert effort.
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elbow grease »
Effort or hard work, especially physical work involving repeated motion of the forearm, such as scrubbing.
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fend off »
Away; to turn away; to defend against; to repel with force or effort.
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for all one is worth »
Intensely, vigorously, with as much effort as one can supply.
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free lunch »
Something obtained without any payment, obligation or effort.
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full blast »
Maximum capacity or effort.
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full marks »
To exclaim complete satisfaction with someone's efforts.
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full speed ahead »
Maximum effort without reservations or delay.
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get stuck in »
To dedicate a large amount of effort towards.
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give 110%25 »
Make the maximum possible effort.
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give it one's best shot »
To make one's best effort or attempt; to try as hard as possible.
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glutton for punishment »
One persistent in an effort in spite of harmful or unpleasant results.
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go all out »
To reserve nothing; to put forth all possible effort or resources.
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go out of one's way »
To make an extra effort.
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go the extra mile »
To make an extra effort; to do a particularly good job.
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go to the wall »
To make an all-out effort.
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God helps those who help themselves »
Fortune comes to those who make a genuine effort to accomplish things.
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gravy train »
An occupation or any lucrative endeavor that generates considerable income whilst requiring little effort and carrying little risk.
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hands down »
Without much effort; easily.
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have one's ducks in a row »
To be organized; to have one's affairs in order; specifically, to have a multi-person effort coordinated towards the exact same goal.
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home stretch »
The final part of a distance or the final effort needed to finish.
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in a canter »
Without much effort; easily.
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jump through hoops »
To put forth effort for the sake of appearance or demonstration.
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last burst of fire »
A final effort or warning.
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last burst of fire »
A state of exertion where one gives one's all; expending all of one's remaining energy in a final effort to achieve one's goal.
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legwork »
Work, especially research or preparation, that involves significant walking, travel, or similar effort.
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licence to print money »
A means of generating a large income with little effort.
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lift a finger »
To make minimal effort; to help as little as possible.
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lost cause »
A cause, attempt, or effort that is hopeless or futile.
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monkey business »
Wasting time, or effort, on some foolish project.
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not win for losing »
To repeatedly fail in one's gambles or efforts.
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nut-cutting time »
Time to exert maximum effort, for example, due to an approaching deadline or a looming competitive situation.
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old college try »
A vigorous, committed attempt or effort.
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one up »
To outdo, to do something slightly better than a competitor's prior effort.
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one-up »
To outdo, to do something slightly better than a competitor's prior effort.
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plug away »
To persist or continue, as with an effort.
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point blank »
The distance between a gun and a target such that it requires minimal effort in aiming it. In particular no allowance needs to be made for the effects of gravity, target movement or wind in aiming the projectile.
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pull one's socks up »
To start making an effort; to renew or redouble one's efforts.
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pull oneself up by one's bootstraps »
To begin an enterprise or recover from a setback without any outside help; to succeed only on one's own effort or abilities.
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pull teeth »
To do something that is especially difficult or effortful.
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put one's back into »
To make a strenuous effort to do something.
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put one's mind to it »
To apply oneself; to exert a directed effort.
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put one's shoulder to the wheel »
To work or exert oneself heavily or with full effort.
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put the pedal to the metal »
To exert maximum effort.
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red tape »
A derisive term for regulations or bureaucratic procedures that are considered excessive or excessively time- and effort-consuming.
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rock the boat »
To disturb the status quo or go against rules or conventions, as in an effort to get attention.
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run after »
To make a determined effort to win someone's affections.
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run somebody ragged »
To exhaust; to demand excessive effort or work from somebody.
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smear campaign »
An effort to damage or call into question someone's reputation, by propounding negative propaganda.
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spin one's wheels »
To make no progress despite making an effort; to get nowhere.
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spoil the ship for a hap'orth of tar »
To have something important fail for want of a small amount of money or effort.
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take something in stride »
To cope with something without much effort; to accept or manage something well.
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that's the way life is »
That is the way things happenCertain things cannot be changed, helped or improved; struggle and objection are pointless.1935, Louis Bromfield, The Man Who Had Everything [1], page 279:That's the way life is, and there's no use trying to go against it.1979, Jay Edward Abrams, A Theology of Christian Counseling: More Than Redemption [2], ISBN 0310511011, page 45:There are no standards, no values; that's the way life is. Learn to accept it and slide with it. Stop fighting it.2002, B. Eugene Ellison, Rings of the Templars, ISBN 059524050X, page 337:Shit happens; that's the way life is. In fact, I want you to take an additional thousand for your efforts.
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two for two »
Successful at both of two efforts.
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work at »
To make a physical or mental effort to progress some specified task.
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worth one's while »
Good and important enough for one to spend time, effort, or money on.
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you only get what you give »
There is a positive correlation between the effort one puts in and the benefits one receives.
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