labouring oar
(US laboring oar)
noun
An oar that works or is worked, especially with difficulty or great effort; (hence figurative ) the most difficult or demanding part of an enterprise (now chiefly US ). Frequently in to pull (also tug, ply) the labouring oar (and variants).
Origin
Early 17th century; earliest use found in Michael Drayton (1536–1631), poet.
- water maze
- water meadow
- water meal
- water measure
- water measurer
- watermelon
- water merchant
- water meter
- water milfoil
- watermill
- water miller
- watermill wheel
- water mint
- water mite
- water moccasin
- water mold
- water mole
- water monarch
- water-monger
- water mongoose
- water monitor
- water moss
- water moth
- water motor
- water mould