习语可以是一个词或短语，要理解习语的意思不能脱离其文化背景。习语一词的含义甚广，其蕴含的意义往往不能从词或词组的字面意思推测而得。习语在所有语言中都很常见。英语习语是日常英语的重要组成部分。在英语的书面语和口语中，存在海量的习语。
儒琴今日习语（Idiom of the Day）
work one’s tail off (butt off, ass off)
英文解释
If you work your tail off, you work very hard. Tail and butt are substitutes for the mildly vulgar “ass.” All three expressions have the same meaning. Many other verbs are combined in similar slang expressions with “tail off” or “butt off” or “ass off” to mean a lot or severely.
中文解释
work one’s tail off 意思是拼命的干活，努力工作，竭尽全力。这个不太雅的习语可以追溯到20世纪上半叶。詹姆斯·法雷尔(James Farrell)在《斯塔兹·洛尼根》(Studs Lonigan, 1932-35)中使用了这个表达方式: “This idea of sweating your tail off with work”。后来work one’s tail off被用来形容累死累活。有时该习语中的 tail， 会被替换成粗俗的 ass 和 butt 组合在一起，同样的意思。
原文举例
Sen. Ron Johnson told CNBC on Thursday that President Donald Trump personally promised to “‘work my tail off‘” to win the Wisconsin Republican’s vote on the Senate’s tax overhaul plan.
参议员罗恩·约翰逊周四在接受CNBC采访时表示，唐纳德·特朗普总统亲自承诺将“竭尽全力”争取威斯康辛州共和党人对参议院税收改革计划的投票。
Meanwhile, the U.S. has millions of people—of all colors and backgrounds—who are skilled with their hands and passionate about hard work. The modern U.S. economy offers very little to people who do not have the ability to get a degree in economics or law, but who are nonetheless willing to work their tail off every day. What are these people—people who are watching their livelihoods and their family’s future disappearing right in front of them—to do? (psychologytoday.com /202101 )
与此同时，美国有数百万不同肤色、不同背景的人，他们双手熟练，对艰苦的工作充满热情。现代美国经济给那些没有能力获得经济学或法律学位，但却愿意每天拼命工作的人提供的机会很少。这些人——看着自己的生计和家庭的未来在眼前消失——该怎么办呢?
