The saying 'Elbow grease' meaning and origin. Phrasefinder. WebIt was also used later in the same century, as it is used now, just to mean sweat or effort. An example of that usage is found in the 1699 A New Dictionary of the Terms Ancient and Modern of the Canting Crew: Elbow-grease, a derisory Term for Sweat..
Webelbow grease 1. Vigorous scrubbing, typically to clean something. You'll never get that rust off without some elbow grease. 2. By extension, any strenuous, effortful physical work needed to do or accomplish something. It took some elbow grease…