eager beaver

American  

[ee-ger] / ˈi gər /

noun

1. a person who is excessively diligent or overly zealous.

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eager beaver British  

noun

1. informal a person who displays conspicuous diligence, esp one who volunteers for extra work

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eager beaver Idioms  

1. An exceptionally zealous person, one who habitually takes on more tasks or works harder than others. For example, Bill is a real eager beaver, always volunteering to stay late. This expression became especially popular during World War II, applied to recruits anxious to impress their commanding officers by such behavior. [First half of 1900s]

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Etymology

Origin of eager beaver

An Americanism dating back to 1940–45

Example Sentences

And it wasn’t that long ago that they were young, eager beaver startups changing the world.

From Forbes • Sep. 11, 2014

But the year was actually 1997, and Mr. Campbell was a 24-year-old eager beaver of seemingly boundless confidence and ambition.

From New York Times • Dec. 1, 2010

With his mischievous small-boy charm, he is the most ingratiating eager beaver who ever gnawed through someone else's rung on the ladder of success.

From Time Magazine Archive

He needs to be a go-getter, an eager beaver, someone out for a fast buck.

From Time Magazine Archive

If I looked like one of the eager beaver kids from debate, everything would be different.

From "The Benefits of Being an Octopus" by Ann Braden