Put in the shoulder grease
Posted: August 31, 2026 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: expressions, words, idioms, malaphors, mixed idioms, blended idioms, language, humor 2 CommentsA large, brass family heirloom was being restored, requiring a lot of physical effort, including polishing and rewiring. At some point, frustration set in, and this was said: “Well, I guess we just have to put in the shoulder grease to get this done.”
This is a conflation of several idioms, including “put in a good faith effort” (make a sincere attempt), “put your shoulder to the wheel” (make a sustained, concentrated effort), “use some elbow grease” (put in the hard work necessary), and maybe “grease the skids” (help prepare for or ease the way for the success). Then again, maybe shoulder grease is a little more effective than elbow grease. A big thanks to frequent contributor Verbatim for this multi-mixed malaphor.
Malaphors 
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The expression I have heard along these lines is, “Keep your nose to the grindstone,” meaning keep working hard without taking breaks, especially on a task that requires focus and effort over a long time.
I had a boss who told us at a staff meeting to “keep your eye on the grindstone,” which was a conflation of “keep your nose to the grindstone” and “keep your eye on the ball.”