Don't trust him, he is a real piece of work.
piece of work
idiomA person who has a strong and unusual personality, especially one with seriously unpleasant character flaws.
Origin
first recorded 15th c.First use appears c. 1473. The idiomatic second sense came about due to Hamlet’s monologue. See cite from sense 1 below.
I tried to be polite, but my new neighbor is such a piece of work that I eventually stopped talking to him.
While he presents a charming face to the public, those who work closely with him know he is a difficult piece of work who thrives on conflict.
- 01
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
chess piece
A person being manipulated by another, being used to some end.
- 03
close enough for government work
Adequate; acceptable as government work, imperfect but not worth the time nor effort of improving.
- 04
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.
- 05
cut to pieces
To utterly defeat or overwhelm.
- 06
detective work
investigative research
- 07
dirty work
One or more unpleasant tasks, assignments, or employment duties, especially those of a disreputable or illicit nature.
- 08
do the work
To take part in social justice activism; to fight against racism, oppression, etc.
Last updated April 17, 2026