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Late 1600s
- Earliest known use late 1600s The earliest known use of the noun elbow grease is in the late 1600s. OED's earliest evidence for elbow grease is from 1672, in the writing of Andrew Marvell, poet and politician.
What's the origin of the phrase 'Elbow grease'? It has long been said that the best sort of furniture polish is ‘elbow-grease’, that is, there is no substitute for hard rubbing to create a lustrous shine.
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When was elbow grease first used?
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Origins. The first use of the phrase in print was in 1672. Andrew Marvell, an English metaphysical poet, used the words in a satirical book about English parliament. [citation needed]
The origins of this idiom are not entirely clear, but it has been in use for centuries. Some historians believe that the term “elbow grease” may have originated in medieval times when people would use their own sweat and bodily fluids to lubricate machinery.
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It seems unlikely that "elbow grease" is simply a literal translation of a phrase used in another language. The earliest occurrences of "elbow grease" in the course of a narrative—as opposed to as part of a phrase presented in isolation—appear in Thomas de Grey's Complete Horseman and Expert Ferrier (1639). The two instances of the ...
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The first time the phrase “elbow grease” made it to print was in 1672. An English metaphysical poet named Andrew Marvell used the words in a satirical book about English parliament. Marvell wrote Two or three brawny Fellows in a Corner, with meer Ink and Elbow-grease, do more Harm than an Hundred systematical Divines with their sweaty Preaching. Ok...
English isn’t the only language that has instances of this idiom. In fact, the phrase “elbow grease” is used in 70 languages around the world. In France they have “huile de bras” which translates to English as “arm oil”. And the Danish use “knofedt” which literally means “knuckle fat”. The commonality of this phrase indicates that cleaning is a uni...
You’ve probably heard people say “there’s no substitute for good ol’ elbow grease”, or similar, when you’re setting out to do something that’s a chore. The implication is that it’s good to break your body a bit when the outcome is nice. But how can you enjoy a clean home when you’ve drained your body of all that knuckle fat, arm oil, and elbow grea...
At The Simple Scrub, we believe that your grease should stay inside your elbows! In fact, we think your knees, back, and the rest of your body shouldn’t be rung out by cleaning. That’s why we created The Simple Scrub, a unique cleaning brush with a long handle, ergonomic grip, and strong but scratch-proof cleaning pads. Stay upright, and let the si...
Its first citation in 1639 was in the phrase, the smell of elbow grease, which suggests it may have started life as a jocular way of referring to sweat but very soon thereafter it took on its current meaning of any manual work requiring great effort.
Energetic labour, especially in the polishing of household items. Examples. That silver will never get a shine like that – put some elbow grease into it. Where did it originate?
