Put in the shoulder grease

A 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.