nose to the grindstone

plural noses to the grindstone · plural noses to grindstones

1. idiomaticobsoleteUsed to form idioms meaning "to force someone to work hard or to focus intensely upon their work".

   I shall to reuenge former hurts, Hold their noses to grinstone.

   1546, John Heywood, A Dialogue Conteinyng the Nomber in Effect of All the Prouerbes in the Englishe Tongue, sig. Bii

   2 more examples

   This Text holdeth their noses so hard to the grynde stone that it clean disfigureth their faces.

   a. 1533, John Frith, A Mirrour or Glasse to Know Thyselfe, sig. Avi v

   Be to the Poor like onie whunstane, And haud their noses to the grunstane.

   1786, Robert Burns, Poems, page 188

2. idiomaticUsed to form idioms meaning "to force oneself to work hard or to focus intensely upon one's work".

   People whose heads are a little up in the world, have no occasion to keep their nose to the grindstone.

   1828, Lights & Shades of English Life, volume II, page 13

   2 more examples

   I travelled energetically; I went everywhere and saw everything; took as many letters as possible, and made as many acquaintances. In short, I held my nose to the grindstone.

   1886 [1882], Henry James, The Point of View, London: Macmillan and Co.

   Thirty years ago, I lived in Stearns County with my wife and little boy in a rented farmhouse south of Freeport, an area of nose-to-the-grindstone German Catholics proud of their redneck reputation.

   2001 August 26, Garrison Keillor, “In Search of Lake Wobegon”, in The New York Times, →ISSN

   Synonyms: see at strive

1. idiomaticnot comparableHard at work.

   Nose to the grindstone, he was up all night.

   Synonyms: head down, bum up