Learn English | A new lesson every week
Book your course now

Work Idioms

Average: 3.9 (19 votes)

Any plans for the summer? Will you be working or taking some time off? There's no time off for us hardworkers here at EC!

Anyway, here are some idioms which are related to work or holidays:

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy

Proverb: It is not healthy for someone to work all the time and never play:

'Come to the beach with us today. Remember, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.'

A busman's holiday

Doing something on holiday which is similar to your job:

'The lifeguard spent most of her holiday on the beach, which is a real busman's holiday for her.'

To work like a dog

Simply, to work very hard:

'I had to work like a dog over the weekend to get this report finished.'

Be all in a day's work

When someone does something strange or unusual at work, which he/she considers to be normal:

'Being in dangerous situations is all in a day's work for him because he's a firefighter.'

Donkey work

The unpleasant, boring parts of a job:

'I did all the donkey work while she chatted on the phone.'

Link: Time Idioms

  • It's not fair, I do all the ___ work and you sit around doing nothing.





  • The doctor took a ___ working in a free clinic in Africa.





  • All work and no play makes Jack a ___ boy.





  • I've been working like a ___ all day.





  • Dealing with screaming kids is all in a ___ work for a kindergarden teacher.