all in a day's work

Idioms

Also, all in the day's work. Expected and normal, as in He said I had to finish these reports by five o'clock—all in the day's work. This phrase is sometimes used as an ironic comment on an unpleasant but not abnormal situation. The expression possibly alludes to the nautical term day's work, defined in 1789 as the reckoning of a ship's course during the 24 hours from noon to noon. [c. 1800]

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But this was all in a day’s work for CAFE, or the corporate average fuel economy rules, enacted in 1975.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 2, 2026

"Ronnie was very gracious about it considering... but as far as he was concerned as a professional in the movie industry it was all in a day's work," said Powell.

From BBC • Aug. 17, 2025

For Sobotka, it’s all in a day’s work.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 1, 2021

There are also plenty of shots of Cavill dashing through the snow, battling monsters, and brandishing swords at people — all in a day’s work for an itinerant monster-hunter.

From The Verge • Jul. 9, 2021

Katherine accepted the recognition graciously: all in a day’s work.

From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023