ahead of the game »
Having completed a task before it is due; ready, prepared, or anticipating.
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asleep at the switch »
Neglectful of an important task, responsibility, or opportunity.
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ball-breaker »
A person or task which is excessively demanding or punishing.
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beaver away »
To busily undertake a large task.
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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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call on »
To request or ask of somebody; to select for a task.
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carry the message to Garcia »
To perform a requisite task despite obstacles.
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carry the message to Garcia »
To perform a requisite task without having been informed specifically by what method to do so.
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carry water for »
To perform menial tasks for; to serve; to assist.
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chicken out »
To shy away from a daring task; to decline, refuse, or avoid something due to fear or uncertainty.
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cop-out »
An excuse made in order to avoid performing a task or duty; a reason offered when someone cops out.
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cop-out »
Avoidance or inadequate performance of a task or duty; the action of copping out.
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copious free time »
A hypothetical time set aside for performing time-consuming tasks, however insinuating that the speaker really has no free time.
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crack on »
Task.
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daily grind »
The difficult, routine, or monotonous tasks of daily work.
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do the hard yards »
To perform a difficult task or tasks.
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don't look at me »
A response indicating that one is not willing or able to perform a task.
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drain the swamp when up to one's neck in alligators »
(idiomatic) When performing a long and complex task, and when you've gotten utterly immersed in secondary and tertiary unexpected tangential subtasks, it's easy to lose sight of the initial objective. This sort of distraction can be particularly problematic if the all-consuming subtask or sub-subtask is not, after all, particularly vital to the original, primary goal, but ends up sucking up time and resources (out of all proportion to its actual importance) only because it seems so urgent.
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eager beaver »
Who is very excited or enthusiastic to begin a task.
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fall between two stools »
To attempt two tasks and fail at both, when either one could have been accomplished singly.
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farm out »
To subcontract some task to another; to outsource.
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get moving »
To start hurrying to undertake a task.
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give of oneself »
To devote oneself unselfishly to a task, especially to give time and energy.
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go all the way »
To continue to the conclusion of a task or project.
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go to work »
To begin performing some task or work.
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good to go »
Ready for some specific task or ready for normal activity, especially after preparation or recovery.
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hard pressed »
Having or likely to have difficulty or to find a task almost impossible.
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hardwired »
Designed to perform a specific task.
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have one's work cut out for one »
To face a large task or project.
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hunker down »
To take shelter; to prepare oneself for some eventuality; to focus on a task.
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knuckle down »
To get to work; to focus on a task.
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labor of love »
A task performed voluntarily without expectation of reimbursement; an altruistic work or undertaking.
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last minute »
Point in time, too close to a deadline to reasonably begin a critical task.
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leave no stone unturned »
To do a task very carefully and thoroughly, not missing any step.
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loaded for bear »
Thoroughly equipped, as for a demanding task or confrontation.
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long row to hoe »
A difficult or arduous task.
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loose end »
A small job that needs to be done, or minor problem that needs to be resolved, before a task can be considered complete.
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make a meal of »
To spend more time and energy on some task than it warrants; to make something overly complicated.
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make quick work of »
To accomplish a specified task easily and quickly.
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make short work of »
To make a task quicker or easier.
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many hands make light work »
A large number of people co-operating can perform tasks easily.
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mess up »
To make unwanted mistakes in a given task, usually through distraction or obnoxious behavior.
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more haste, less speed »
When we are in a hurry, we often end up completing our task slower.
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move the goalposts »
To alter the agreed basis, scope, standards or target of a procedure or task during its course, especially to do so to someone's advantage.
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new school »
A style, way of thinking, or method for accomplishing a task that is typical of the current era, as opposed to former eras.
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on the right track »
Using the correct general approach to a particular task or problem; pursuing something in a promising way.
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peel grapes »
To perform a menial task, eliminating trivial inconveniences.
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piece of cake »
A job, task or other activity that is easy or simple to do.
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pull one's finger out »
To stop wasting time in preliminaries, and concentrate on the important task.
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push one's luck »
To take an excessive risk or to attempt some task unlikely to succeed, especially after having already been unexpectedly lucky.
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put one foot in front of the other »
To walk, decomposed to stress the fundamentality of the task.
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queer one's pitch »
To make a task more difficult for the speaker.
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slam dunk »
A task expected to present no difficulty.
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smooth operator »
A person who accomplishes tasks with efficiency and grace, especially one with verbal skills who is persuasive in interpersonal relationships, negotiation, etc.
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soft touch »
A comfortable situation; an easy task or undemanding occupation, especially one which is comfortably remunerative.
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squaring the circle »
A hopeless or impossible task.
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stroke of work »
With "do not do a", to do none of the assigned task at all.
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tag team »
Two or more people or groups acting alternately to accomplish some task.
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take to task »
To lecture, berate, admonish, or hold somebody accountable for his or her actions.
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task force »
A group of people working towards a particular task, project, or activity, especially assigned in a particular capacity.
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third time's a charm »
One is sure to succeed at a task or event on the third try.
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tiger team »
A specialized group tasked with testing the effectiveness of an organization's ability to protect assets by attempting to circumvent, defeat or otherwise thwart that organization's internal and external security.
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too many cooks spoil the broth »
If too many people try to take charge at a task, the end product might be ruined.
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tough row to hoe »
A difficult or arduous task.
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wade through »
To do a boring, repetitive research task.
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whistle past the graveyard »
To attempt to stay cheerful in a dire situation; To proceed with a task, ignoring an upcoming hazard, hoping for a good outcome.
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wild-goose chase »
A task whose execution is inordinately complex relative to the value of the outcome.
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work at »
To make a physical or mental effort to progress some specified task.
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wrap up »
To finish off a task completely.
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wrestling with a pig »
To engage in a pointless task that leaves one worse off for having made an honest attempt.
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zero in on »
To concentrate or focus one's attention on at task.
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| BTW, Why won't you become an editor? |
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