Work your fingers to the bone

Definition

To work extremely hard, often to the point of physical exhaustion or injury from repetitive manual labor.

Etymology

This phrase emerged in the 19th century from the literal reality of manual laborers whose hands would become so worn from repetitive work that their bones seemed visible through the skin. The hyperbolic image emphasizes the extremity of the physical toll such work takes on the body.

Kelly Says

Before modern labor protections, this phrase wasn't much of an exaggeration - factory workers, seamstresses, and farm laborers often did develop skeletal hands from malnutrition and overwork. The phrase carries the weight of real human suffering from the Industrial Revolution era.

Translations

AMአማርኛ
ስራ እስከ እንቅስቃሴ ድረስ
seh-rah eh-skeh eh-nkoo-skuh-seh deh-rehs
ARالعربية
العمل حتى الإرهاق
al-ah-mahl hah-tah al-ir-hah-q
BNবাংলা
হাড় পর্যন্ত কাজ করা
hah-rr pah-rrohn-t kaj koh-rah
CACatalà
treballar fins als ossos
tray-bah-yah feens ahl-sohs
CSČeština
pracovat do úmoru
prah-tsoh-vah-tch doh oo-moh-roo
DADansk
arbejde sig til udmattelse
ah-bay-deh seh teel ood-mah-tel-seh
DEDeutsch
sich zu Tode arbeiten
zeech too toh-deh ah-rah-bay-ten
ELΕλληνικά
δουλεύω μέχρι εξάντλησης
thoo-leh-voh meh-tee eh-ksahnt-lee-sees
ESEspañol
trabajar hasta la extenuación
trah-bah-hah ahs-tah lah ehk-steh-noh-ah-see-ohn
FAفارسی
کار کردن تا استخوان
kah-r kardan tah ast-khah-n
FISuomi
työskennellä loppuun asti
tyoh-keh-neh-lah loh-poo ahn ah-stee
FRFrançais
travailler à la limite de ses forces
trah-vah-yay ah lah lee-mee-teh deh seh fohr-seh
GUGU
કામ કરવું હાડકા સુધી
kahm kahr-voo hahd-kah soo-dee
HAHA
aikin zuwa ga kashi
ah-ee-keen zoo-wah gah kah-shee
HEעברית
לעבוד עד התשישות
lah-ah-vohd ahd hah-tah-shee-shoot
HIहिन्दी
अपनी हड्डियों तक काम करना
ahp-nee hah-dee-yohn tahk kaa-m karnah
HUMagyar
dolgozni a csontig
doh-loh-goh-znee ah chohn-tee-g
IDBahasa Indonesia
bekerja sampai kelelahan
beh-keh-jah sah-mpee keh-leh-lah-hahn
IGIG
ọrụ ruo ọnụ ọkpọkọ
oh-roo roo oh-noo oh-kpoh-koh
ITItaliano
lavorare sodo
lah-voh-rah-reh soh-doh
JA日本語
骨までしゃくり上げる
hone made shaku-ri a-geh-ru
KKKK
жұмыс істеу сүйекке дейін
zhoo-mees ee-steh soo-yehk-keh deh-een
KMKM
ធ្វើការរហូតដល់ឆ្អិន
tvaay kah reh-hoh-toh dah-chohn
KO한국어
뼈까지しゃく리 올리다
ppyeo-ji-kka shah-koo-ree oh-ree-dah
MRMR
काम करणे हाडापर्यंत
kahm kahr-neh hahd-ah-pah-ryahnt
MSBahasa Melayu
bekerja sampai keletihan
beh-keh-jah sah-mpee keh-leh-tee-hahn
MYမြန်မာ
အလုပ်နေတယ် အရိုးအထိ
ah-luht nay tah-yeh ah-yoh ah-hdee
NLNederlands
zich uit het hoofd werken
zaykh oot hayt hoh-oft vair-ken
NONorsk
arbeide seg til utmattelse
ah-bay-deh seh teel oot-mah-tel-seh
PAPA
ਕੰਮ ਕਰਨਾ ਹੱਡੀਆਂ ਤਕ
kahm kahr-nah hah-dee-ah tahk
PLPolski
pracować na siłę
prah-tsoh-vah-tch nah see-oh-neh
PTPortuguês
trabalhar até ao limite
trah-bah-lah aht-eh ah-oh lee-mee-teh
RORomână
a munci până la epuizare
ah moo-nchee pah-nah lah eh-poo-ee-zah-reh
RUРусский
работать до упаду
rah-boh-tah-tch doh oo-pah-doo
SVSvenska
arbeta sig till utmattning
ah-rah-beh-tah seh teel oot-mah-tnee-ng
SWKiswahili
fanya kazi hadi kuchoka
fah-nyah kah-zee hah-dee koo-choh-kah
TAதமிழ்
எலும்பு வரை உழைத்தல்
eh-lum-poo vah-rah ee oo-zhai-ththahl
TEతెలుగు
ఎముకల వరకు పని చేయడం
eh-moo-kah-lah vah-rah-koo pah-nee chay-yah-dahm
THไทย
ทำงานจนเหนื่อยล้า
tahm ngahn jahn nuer-ee-lah
TLTL
magtrabaho hanggang sa pagod
mahg-trah-bah-hoh hahng-gahng sah pah-gohd
TRTürkçe
kendi canını çıkarmak
keh-ndee jah-nee chah-rah-mahk
UKУкраїнська
працювати до виснаження
prah-tsoo-vah-ty doh vee-snah-zheh-nyah
URاردو
ہڈیوں تک کام کرنا
hah-dee-yohn tahk kaa-m karnah
VITiếng Việt
làm việc đến kiệt sức
lahm vee-ehk dah kee-et soohk
YOYO
ṣe ise ṣeẹ ṣe ọọ̀dẹ
shay ee-seh shay eh-eh shay oh-oh-deh
ZH中文
拼命工作
pīn mìng gōng zuò
ZUZU
sebenza kuya kuze kube ngaphakathi
seh-ben-zah koo-yah koo-zeh koo-beh ngah-pah-kee

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