set (one's) shoulder to the wheel



set (one's) shoulder to the wheel

To make a sustained, concentrated, and vigorous effort; to work very hard and diligently. After I was nearly expelled in my first year of college, I decided to stop fooling around, set my shoulder to the wheel, and get as much out of my degree as I could. I know that the new deadline is tight, but if everyone sets their shoulders to the wheel, I know we can get it done in time!
See also: set, shoulder, wheel

Common Names:

NameGenderPronouncedUsage
Vergilius-Ancient Roman
AnthonyAN-thə-nee, AN-tə-neeEnglish
PaulaPOW-lah (German, Finnish, Spanish, Polish, Croatian), PAWL-ə (English), POW-lə (Portuguese), PAW-oo-law (Hungarian)German, English, Finnish, Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, Romanian, Hungarian, Polish, Dutch, Swedish,
EmeraldEM-ə-rəldEnglish (Modern)
Lucinda[lu:'sində]
Arienne-English (Rare)