donkey work
Work that is difficult, boring, and routine.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“I hate doing the donkey work for this project.”
“The interns spent the entire afternoon doing the donkey work of sorting through thousands of old files.”
“While the lead architect designed the building's striking facade, his assistants were left to perform the tedious donkey work of drafting every minor technical detail.”
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busy work
Work or activity performed with the intention or result of occupying time, and not necessarily to accomplish something productive; routine work of low priority undertaken for the sake of avoiding idleness.
- 02
close enough for government work
Adequate; acceptable as government work, imperfect but not worth the time nor effort of improving.
- 03
crazy enough to work
Acknowledging that an idea, plan, or strategy seems foolish, implausible, or risky, yet might succeed precisely because of its unconventional or unexpected nature.
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detective work
investigative research
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dirty work
One or more unpleasant tasks, assignments, or employment duties, especially those of a disreputable or illicit nature.
- 06
do the work
To take part in social justice activism; to fight against racism, oppression, etc.
- 07
don't call me sir, I work for a living
Used by senior enlisted military personnel to indicate that they are not commissioned officers.
- 08
donkey's ears
A long time, years and years.
Last updated August 10, 2026