Keep Your Nose to the Grindstone

01And now, words and their stories from VOA Learning English.

02Learning a language is difficult.

03Sometimes it requires a plan and resources.

04But it also usually requires hard work.

05People who persist with their language goals often get good results.

06They keep working even through hard times.

07They keep their nose to the grindstone.

08When you keep your nose to the grindstone, you work very hard for a long time at something.

09You don't give up.

10How do we use this idiom in daily life?

11How did it come to mean perseverance?

12And just what is a grindstone?

13We answer all these questions on today's show.

14First, let's talk about a grindstone.

15A grindstone is a large, circular stone with a hole in the middle.

16An axle fits through that hole.

17When the stone turns quickly on the axle, it can sharpen, shape, or smooth a tool.

18And that brings us to the beginnings of this idiom.

19On his website, Phrase Finder, writer and language researcher Gary Martin suggests two possible beginnings.

20Both are set in work environments of long ago.

21A place for milling grain and a place for sharpening tools.

22Some online sources claim that keeping your nose to the grindstone comes from milling grain.

23If the stone got too hot while grinding, it could burn the grain.

24So, workers would have to keep their noses close to the stone and smell for any sign of burning.

25However, word expert Martin says that doesn't seem true.

26He claims that these mills used millstones.

27So, if this story were true, we would say keep your nose to the millstone.

28But we don't.

29He also notes that the terms millstone and grindstone were used interchangeably hundreds of years ago.

30But then, at some point long ago, that stopped.

31Grain mills used millstones and not grindstones.

32And vice versa.

33Tool sharpening workshops used grindstones and not millstones.

34So, let's talk about the explanation set in a tool sharpening workshop.

35Martin talks about old workshops in his area of England.

36He says these workshops have benches very near to grinding stones.

37Workers would sit on the benches, hunched over, and work very hard and very long.

38He goes on to write the following.

39They had to pay close attention to their work, as a moment too long on the wheel could cause the steel to overheat and be ruined.

40Martin guesses that this story is the more likely explanation.

41Imagine being hunched over your work and working hard at it.

42That describes having your nose to the grindstone.

43In some cases, we also say put your nose to the grindstone.

44We may say it this way if we give someone advice.

45For example, you need to put your nose to the grindstone if you're going to finish this project on time.

46Now, let's hear another example.

47Have you seen Marissa lately?

48She hasn't called or texted in weeks.

49I was worried about her too.

50But the other day, I ran into her co-worker.

51She said Marissa has her nose to the grindstone, trying to finish her year-end report.

52Oh, I forgot about that.

53In that case, let's take her some dinner.

54She never eats when she's busy with work.

55Good idea.

56I'll make my famous pasta and meatballs.

57If I had to pick an opposite of this idiom, it would be this one.

58All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.

59Life can't be all about work.

60So if you've been keeping your nose to the grindstone, remember to take a break.

61And that's all the time we have for this Words and Their Stories.

62Until next time, I'm Ana Mateo.

63I'm Ana Mateo.

64I'm Ana Mateo.

65I'm Ana Mateo.

66I'm Ana Mateo.

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68I'm Ana Mateo.