burn the midnight oil

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burn the midnight oil

To stay up late working on a project or task. The phrase refers to the outdated practice of using an oil lamp. Denise has been burning the midnight oil trying to finish this report, so she must be exhausted. I'll need to burn the midnight oil to have any chance of finishing this paper before class tomorrow morning.

See also: burn, midnight, oil

burn the midnight oil

Fig. to stay up working, especially studying, late at night. (Alludes to working by the light of an oil lamp late in the night.) I have a big exam tomorrow so I'll be burning the midnight oil tonight. If you burn the midnight oil night after night, you'll probably become ill.

See also: burn, midnight, oil

burn the midnight oil

Stay up late working or studying, as in The semester is almost over and we're all burning the midnight oil before exams. This expression alludes to the oil in oil lamps. [Early 1600s]

See also: burn, midnight, oil

burn the midnight oil

If you burn the midnight oil, you stay up very late at night in order to finish a piece of work. He's been burning the midnight oil getting his article written. The truth is, I haven't been sleeping all that much lately. Burning the midnight oil. Note: The image here is of someone working late into the night by the light of an oil lamp.

See also: burn, midnight, oil

burn the midnight oil

To work or study very late at night.

See also: burn, midnight, oil

oil (someone's)

hand/palm Informal

1. To bribe: an attorney who tried to oil the judge's hand to obtain a favorable verdict.

2. To give a tip to: oiled the porter's palm.

References in periodicals archive ?

Sunday night is going to be a difficult night and we are going to burn the midnight oil.

Jenkins still undecided on Wales starting line-up

He said: 'I had to burn the midnight oil a few times and Anne did become a bit of a computer widow.

I SPARKED INTO LIFE AT AGE 61; Jimmy completes his apprenticeship

9% of women MBAs say they burn the midnight oil to that degree.

Women with MBAs from Top Schools Are Twice as Likely as Men MBAs to Say They Need Enough Money to Support Themselves Alone, According to New Survey from the Committee of 200 -C200-

THOUSANDS of Harry Potter lovers are set to burn the midnight oil tonight when the eighth and final movie in the franchise, The Deathly Hallows - Part 2 (12A) has its first public screenings from midnight.

Potter mania: Catch up with ALL the film reviews online

MANCHESTER United got ready to burn the midnight oil last night to ensure their pursuit of Dimitar Berbatov eventually ended in success.

United burn midnight oil

As taxpayers burn the midnight oil this weekend, swallowing major doses of Maalox (and stronger stuff) to get through line after line and page after page of complicated tax forms, they can thank Senate Democrats for a bottom line that's $1,400 in Uncle Sam's favor -- because that's how much the Democrats think we ought to be taxed just for the privilege of saying "I do.

RNC: Senate Democrats Kill Marriage Tax Relief; Thank Senate Dems for $1,400 Marriage Penalty on 'Tax Return Weekend'

He said: "It's important that heads understand that we don't expect them to burn the midnight oil preparing policy documents on every aspect of school life for us.