keep your nose to the grindstone
Meaning
To work very hard and continuously, staying focused on tasks with little break or distraction.
Origin
From the image of a person bent close over a grindstone, concentrating on sharpening a tool; by the 19th century it came to mean steady, persistent hard work.
Notes
Often approving (diligent, focused) but can imply overwork or neglecting balance. Common in work/study contexts; informal to neutral register.
Examples
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If you keep your nose to the grindstone for a few more weeks, you’ll finish the project on time.
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She kept her nose to the grindstone all semester and ended up with top grades.
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I’ve been keeping my nose to the grindstone at work, so I haven’t had much time to socialize.
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Keep your nose to the grindstone now, and you can take a real vacation later.
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He kept his nose to the grindstone during training, and it paid off on race day.
Grammar & Usage Notes
Fixed pattern: keep/kept/keeping + (one’s) nose + to the grindstone. Possessive changes (my/your/his). Often used with “for weeks/months” or “until …”.
Synonyms
- work hard
- buckle down
- grind away
- keep at it
- put your head down
Antonyms
- take it easy
- slack off
- play it by ear