eager beaver

[ ee-ger ]

noun

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

eager beaver

noun

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of eager beaver¹

An Americanism dating back to 1940–45

Idioms and Phrases

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]

Example Sentences

Staying late would give her the reputation of an eager beaver, and that would make her unpopular.

From Project Gutenberg