Meanings
present singular third person sticks to one's last · participle present sticking to one's last · participle past stuck to one's last · past stuck to one's last
- idiomaticTo stick to one's knitting (to concentrate on one's own tasks, affairs, area of expertise etc.).
Sir Martin made clear he intended to “stick to his last” by staying in an industry he knew well and enjoyed, and that he would not wait long before making his next move.
2018 May 8, Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, “Martin Sorrell vows to ‘start again’ after WPP exit”, in Financial Times1 more example
But never one to stick to his last, James founded the Little Big Band in 1993, which launched him on nearly a decade of swing material. Recent years have found him venturing back into rock and he says, “I think it’s time to hit the blues again” when asked what’s around the bend.
2013 March 15, Richard Ouzounian, “Colin James: Blazing his own path for 25 years”, in Toronto Star
Synonyms & antonyms
Origin
Compare the proverb cobbler, keep to your last or shoemaker, stick to your last.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
stick to one's last. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stick%20to%20one's%20last
“stick to one's last.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stick%20to%20one's%20last. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “stick to one's last,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stick%20to%20one's%20last.
Source: stick to one's last on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.