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简体
grunt work
苦差事

Date: Aug 08 2013

Quote

1. Quote - Listen to the quote and guess what the slang means.

“Once you start paying somebody else to do the grunt work, who are you?”

- Actress Rebecca Romijn on why she doesn’t have a nanny for her children

Definition

1. Definition - Study the definition.

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difficult or boring labor; work nobody wants to do

2. Use - Learn how the slang is used.

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When you work on a project with a group of people, there are many ways to divide up the work. Someone might do the creative thinking. Someone else might be in charge of keeping everything organized. Someone who’s good with numbers might do the budgets, and someone who’s good with words might be in charge of writing. But chances are there’s going to be some work that no one really wants to do. That’s the grunt work.

Grunt work, is the messy, boring, difficult work that needs to happen in order for any project to really get done. To grunt is to make an annoyed, exasperated, or exhausted sound, and that’s a sound that someone might make while doing this kind of work. Sometimes one person’s idea of grunt work is another person’s idea of a good time, so, hopefully, you can work on a project with someone like that.

Rebecca Romijn knows that many people consider the day-to-day work of taking care of a child to be grunt work. That work involves changing diapers, feeding bottles, dealing with the child when it cries, etc. Even though it’s difficult or annoying, she doesn’t want to pay someone else to take care of it, though. For her, that grunt work is part of the experience of being a mother.

What do you consider grunt work? Do you think mothers should pay someone else to do the grunt work for them, if they can?

Examples

1. Examples - Hear some example sentences.

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“Since I’m the newest employee, I have to do all the grunt work. Yesterday I had to clean out the refrigerator in the break room!”

“She considers chopping vegetables to be grunt work, but I actually find it relaxing.”

“Alright, let’s get through this grunt work so we can get on to the good stuff!”

Winners

1. Winners - See who guessed the slang definition correctly.

	work that is boring and sometimes difficult by samaneh64
	Hard work that is not very interesting. by zhaleh hoor
	unpleasant job, work not like to do by dearpesar
	dirty work ,something boring. by Ahshan
	chores by a2020

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Comments

sherryleio

China

well if a mother can take care of the grunt work by herself, then it is ok. but if she really ca not handle that by oneself, it is better for her to get someone to help her. if a mother gets desperated due to this, it’s not so good for the kids, and the bad mood would affect the family also.

mtgk70

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

grunt work isn’t hard work for all .this is depends on the individual.isn’t it?

saba084

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

difficult and some times boring work that a person have to do. mandatory task.

julito

Argentina

It is true that the daily chores at home can be Boring to some women, they would prefer going for a paid position and hire a helper to do it for them. This is not altogether Bad ,except that on doing so, if they have children they would be deprived for many hours of their mother’s Love and caring

ola33

Japan

The grunt work is what we need. This is very rewarding! Don’t be afraid of the biased opinion of not that cool as cleaning and scrubbing the floor. It’s all has its charm! Let’s take the oven, for example. The self cleaning oven of burning its grime. Never have done before, plus how much electricity it will burn and all the “grime” will heavilly land on your bill. So, I go with the wise grunt work of doing it myself and enjoying the bubbly, warm water process and the most gratifying result of your labour – the clean shiny sparkly oven. You know, I’m not alone! The Feng Shui specialists say that clean oven is the way to wealth. So, way to go for grunt work, if you want to be a millioner ;)

Jobee

China

Lazy ones always find grunt work in my opinion.

there are many ways to divide up the work,,so are you sure you are clever enough to do the creative or constructing part?someone definitely has to do the grunt work.Addtionally,that makes a real team.It is called devotion.

Remeber the sentence “standing on the shoulders of giants”?

Wow,we are stepped on!!!

DarknessLight

Germany

House chores are definitely grunt work.

If it was house chores then I think they should hire someone to do it. But if it was taking care of children, then I think they should do it themselves, no one would treat a mother’s children like her.

Drmahsa1995

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

grunt work is hard work that is not very interesting or work that is menial and thankless.i think some times yes the should pay some one to do grunt work because that will be really hard for a mother to do all the home tasks

Jasonlongo

Congo, Democratic Republic Of The

Giving a wash to a dog could be a grunt work too. Grunt work is, I can say a work that everybody dislikes, that’s dirty and annoying

aspire1

Germany

I consider most of them jobs you don´t need a real bright education for as grunt work. But on the other hand, most of the time it´s just your attitude. So taking care of a baby really doesn´t need to be that of a grunt work, I guess. I think if you really love your baby, and if you´ve the time, you take care of it, no matter how much work it is.