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glutton for punishment

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glutton for punishment

A person who continues to do things whose consequences he or she finds difficult or unpleasant. I couldn't wait to finish college, but I soon found myself in grad school. I must be a glutton for punishment. Why does George keep getting detention? Is he a glutton for punishment?

See also: glutton, punishment

glutton for punishment

Fig. someone who is eager for a burden or some sort of difficulty; someone willing to accept a difficult task. Tom works too hard. He is a glutton for punishment. I enjoy managing difficult projects, but I am a glutton for punishment.

See also: glutton, punishment

glutton for punishment

Someone who habitually takes on burdensome or unpleasant tasks or unreasonable amounts of work. For example, Rose agreed to organize the church fair for the third year in a row-she's a glutton for punishment . This expression originated as a glutton for work in the late 1800s, punishment being substituted about a century later.

See also: glutton, punishment