stroke of work
A small amount of work.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“He did not do a stroke of work all day.”
“Despite the deadline approaching, the lazy intern did not do a single stroke of work.”
“The manager grew frustrated because his assistant had not completed a stroke of work throughout the entire afternoon.”
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broad strokes
Major features or key points; outline.
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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.
- 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.
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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.
- 07
do the work
To take part in social justice activism; to fight against racism, oppression, etc.
- 08
don't call me sir, I work for a living
Used by senior enlisted military personnel to indicate that they are not commissioned officers.
Last updated August 10, 2026