knock oneself out
Idioms-
Make a great effort, as in I was knocking myself out to finish on time . This expression also is put negatively, Don't knock yourself out , meaning “don't exert yourself; it's not worth that much effort.” [c. 1930]
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Enjoy yourself, have a good time, as in You're off to Europe? Knock yourself out . [ Slang ; mid-1900s] Both usages allude to knocking oneself unconscious (see knock out ). For a synonym see break one's ass .
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
