If you want to succeed, you have to put your nose to the grindstone and keep working hard.
word origin — From the 1500s — workers had to bend close to grinding stones sharpening tools, keeping their noses near the wheel.
put your nose to the grindstone, pull yourself together, keep the wolves at bay, miss the mark, be out of your depth: meanings and examples
Learn these 5 idioms from Idioms set 61. Each entry includes a definition, example sentence, pronunciation, and synonyms. Use the interactive cards above to practice them.
put your nose to the grindstone · idiom/pʊt jʊr noʊz tu ðə ˈɡraɪndstoʊn/
to work hard and stay focused
If you want to succeed, you have to put your nose to the grindstone and keep working hard.
Origin: From the 1500s — workers had to bend close to grinding stones sharpening tools, keeping their noses near the wheel.
pull yourself together · idiom/pʊl jʊrˈsɛlf təˈɡɛðɚ/
to regain self-control and composure
Take a deep breath and pull yourself together!
Origin: From the 1800s — used the image of physically gathering scattered emotional pieces back into a unified self.
keep the wolves at bay · idiom/kip ðə wʊlvz ət beɪ/
to prevent a threat or problem from escalating
The security measures helped keep the wolves at bay.
Origin: From medieval times — packs of wolves were kept at a distance ('at bay') by fires and weapons through the night.
miss the mark · idiom/mɪs ðə mɑrk/
to fail to achieve the goal or misunderstand something
His argument completely missed the mark.
Origin: From archery — when an arrow fails to hit its target mark, the shooter has misjudged or missed entirely.
be out of your depth · idiom/bi aʊt əv jʊr dɛpθ/
to be in a situation beyond one's ability to handle
She felt out of her depth when she started her new job.
Origin: From swimming — when water is deeper than a swimmer's height, their feet can't touch bottom, creating panic.