peg away at

Idioms  

1. Also, plug away at. Work steadily, persist, as in She pegged away at the tax return until she'd finished, or If we keep plugging away at it, the painting will soon be done. These idioms allude to the persistence required to fasten something by driving pegs or seal something by driving a plug. Peg away dates from the early 1800s plug away from the mid-1900s.

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Example Sentences

How he’d pull out his little hammer and peg away at these wonderful rocks!

From Dorothy on a Ranch by Raymond, Evelyn

"Oh! well, you'll only peg away at it when you've a mind," said Alexia carelessly, and setting lazy stitches.

From Five Little Peppers Midway by Sidney, Margaret

Thus the sensitive artist, for the sake of his ideal, will peg away at the forlorn hope, and, sustained by the spirit, may bring off the thousand-to-one chance.

From Spirit and Music by Hunt, H. Ernest

For the moment, I must peg away at what I have in hand—biggish stuff, I fear, in bulk and possible unserialisability, to saddle you withal.

From The Letters of Henry James (volume I) by James, Henry

Oh, by jingo, no: it's quite enough to peg away at it when you are with us, without going at it while you are away.

From Bijou by Gyp