bust a gut

Idioms  

1. Also, burst a gut.

2. Exert one-self to the utmost. For example, He was busting a gut trying to please her . This hyperbolic term alludes to hurting one's mid-section through physical straining. The first slangy term dates from the early 1900s, the variant from about 1700. For a synonym, see break one's ass .

3. Explode with strong feeling, especially laughter or anger. For example, Gene almost bust a gut laughing , or The foreman will burst a gut when he learns that the machine isn't repaired . The former dates from the late 1800s, the latter from about 1940.

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Example Sentences

George bent double with laughter, like he was about to bust a gut.

From Literature

“At a time when ‘Star Wars’ and its spinoffs have inspired special effects men to bust a gut making their interplanetary adventures look real, ‘Flash Gordon’ is cheerfully willing to look as phony as it is,” he wrote.

From New York Times

Ms Sturgeon also said health teams would "bust a gut" to get booster jabs to all adults as quickly as possible.

From BBC

The unrepentantly blue streak threaded throughout makes "Harley Queen" very much an adult-style treat, and with each of its 26 episodes coming in at around 20 minutes long, you can somersault through the entirety of its two seasons and bust a gut without breaking a sweat.

From Salon

I was laughing so hard I thought I’d bust a gut.

From Literature