What does it mean to keep your ear to the grindstone?

What does it mean to keep your ear to the grindstone?

(idiomatic, after keep, put, have, hold (one’s)) used to form idioms meaning “to work hard, or focus heavily on work.” If he’d keep his nose to the grindstone a bit more, he could be a pretty good student.

What does nose to the grind stone mean?

Definition of keep one’s nose to the grindstone : to do hard, continuous work You’ll do well at school if you just keep your nose to the grindstone.

Why do people put their ears to the ground?

Origin of Keep Your Ear to the Ground The idiom stems from the literal practice of placing one’s ear to the ground in order to hear far off hoof beats, footsteps, or other indicators of something or someone approaching. It is possible for vibrations to carry through the ground at great distances.

Where does the saying nose to the grind stone come from?

Phrases.uk.org suggests that it came from the habit of “millers who checked that the stones used for grinding cereal weren’t overheating by putting their nose to the stone in order to smell any burning.”

Where did grinding stones originate?

south east Australia
Grinding stones were developed in south east Australia during the last Ice Age, about 15,000 years ago. Conditions were much drier then, and grinding stones allowed people to live in areas where food was limited.

What does just for kicks mean?

phrase. If you say that someone does something for kicks, you mean that they do it because they think it will be exciting. [informal]

What does the idiom pie in the sky mean?

: an unrealistic enterprise or prospect of prosperity.

Why did Native Americans put their ear to the ground?

It is generally—and perhaps erroneously—said to refer to the Native-American practice of putting one’s ear to the ground in order to detect the vibration of sounds in the distance before they can actually be heard. …

Why did the Native American people live with one ear in the ground?

Answer: By laying down and pressing an ear to the ground, one can hear the distant sound of buffalo on the move, and so be more successful at finding them for hunting.

What is the meaning of take a rain Cheque?

1 : a ticket stub good for a later performance when the scheduled one is rained out. 2 : an assurance of a deferred extension of an offer especially : a document assuring that a customer can take advantage of a sale later if the item or service offered is not available (as by being sold out)

What is the meaning of cross the bridge when you come to it?

Definition of cross that bridge when one comes to it : to not worry about a possible problem until it actually happens I don’t know how we’ll pay the bills if you quit your job, but we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.

What does the idiom keep an ear to the ground mean?

keep an ear to the ground and have an ear to the ground; keep one’s ear to the ground; have one’s ear to the ground Fig. to devote attention to watching or listening for clues as to what is going to happen. John had his ear to the ground, hoping to find out about new ideas in computers.

What does keep your nose to the Grindstone mean?

To keep your nose to the grindstone is to apply yourself conscientiously to your work. What’s the origin of the phrase ‘Keep your nose to the grindstone’? There are two rival explanations as to the origin of this phrase.

Why does John keep his ear to the ground?

John had his ear to the ground, hoping to find out about new ideas in computers. His boss told him to keep his ear to the ground so that he’d be the first to know of a new idea. See also: ear, ground, keep, to McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

When did ” keep your ear to the ground ” become a cliche?

An Americanism dating from the late nineteenth century, the term was a cliché by the time Stanley Walker poked fun at it (and two others) in The Uncanny Knacks of Mr. Doherty (1941): “He had his ear to the ground and his eye on the ball while they were sitting on the fence.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZgwaNPpEXQ