burn the midnight oil

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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

to work very late into the night I've got to get this report finished by tomorrow so I guess I'll be burning the midnight oil tonight.

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

To work or study very late at night.

See also: burn, midnight, oil

References in periodicals archive ?

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

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

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

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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.

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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.