knuckle down

knuckle down

To begin to work on something in a determined matter. If you want to get a passing grade this semester, you'll really need to knuckle down and study hard.

See also: down, knuckle

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

knuckle down (to something)

Fig. to get busy doing something. I want you to knuckle down to your work and stop worrying about the past. Come on. Knuckle down. Get busy.

See also: down, knuckle

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

knuckle down

1. Apply oneself seriously to some task or goal, as in The professor insisted that we knuckle down and get our papers in by Friday. Both this term and the rhyming synonym buckle down date from the 1860s, but the precise allusion in either is unclear.

2. See knuckle under.

See also: down, knuckle

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

knuckle down

v.

To apply oneself earnestly to a task: We've been relaxing too long—it's time for us to knuckle down and finish this work.

See also: down, knuckle

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs. Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

knuckle down

verb

See knuckle down to something

See also: down, knuckle

McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

knuckle down

Apply yourself to the job at hand. The phrase comes from the game of marbles, one of the once-popular children's street games. Players shot their “shooter” marble by clenching the marble in a fist with knuckles touching the ground, then launching it with a flick of the thumb. When it was a player's turn and his attention was elsewhere, he was reminded, “Okay, knuckle down.” A similar phrase, “buckle down” most likely came from the idea of tightening your belt before performing an arduous task.

See also: down, knuckle

Endangered Phrases by Steven D. Price Copyright © 2011 by Steven D. Price