work one's tail off
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Also seen as: work someone's tail off
Sense 1
Meaning · English
Less vulgar synonym of work one's ass off.
Register: slang
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Sense 2
Meaning · English
Less vulgar synonym of work someone's ass off.
Register: slang
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “work one's tail off” mean?
Less vulgar synonym of work one's ass off.
Is “work one's tail off” formal or informal?
work one's tail off is generally slang.