knock yourself out


knock yourself out

Feel free (to do something); go ahead; do something for as long and as much as you like. If you want to go through all the files one by one, knock yourself out, but I ain't doing that.See also: knock, out

knock oneself out (to do something) (for someone or something)

to make a great effort to do something for someone or some group. (As if one had worked oneself into unconsciousness.) I knocked myself out to plan this party for you! She knocked herself out for us. I don't know why I knock myself out to do these things for you. You are not at all appreciative. He knocked himself out to get there on time.See also: knock, out

knock oneself out

1. Make a great effort, as in I was knocking myself out to finish on time. This expression also is put negatively, Don't knock yourself out, meaning "don't exert yourself; it's not worth that much effort." [c. 1930] 2. Enjoy yourself, have a good time, as in You're off to Europe? Knock yourself out. [Slang; mid-1900s] Both usages allude to knocking oneself unconscious (see knock out). For a synonym see break one's ass. See also: knock, out

knock oneself out, to

To make a great effort, to apply oneself to the point of exhaustion. This hyperbolic expression, alluding to knocking oneself unconscious with extreme effort, dates from about 1930. It is often put negatively, as in “Don’t knock yourself out; we can finish this project tomorrow.” In the mid-1900s a newer slang usage surfaced, knock yourself out, meaning enjoy yourself, have fun. Unlike the earlier usage, it is not yet a cliché.See also: knock