 |
What is the meaning of burn the midnight oil? |
[Edit] |
"Burning the Midnight Oil"
Meaning
To work late into the night. Originally this was by the light of an oil lamp or candle. More recently, the phrase is used figuratively, alluding back its use before electric lighting.
Origin
The English author Francis Quarles wrote in Emblemes, 1635:
Wee tyre the night in thought; the day in toyle.
At that time there was a verb for working late by candlelight - elucubrate. Henry Cockeram defined that in his The English dictionarie, or an interpreter of hard English words, 1623:
Clearly, we no longer have much call for that word and it has fallen out of use. Although it is probably some years since anyone needed to do it in reality the phrase 'burning the midnight oil' is still in everyday use. Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton released an album called The Right Combination/Burning the Midnight Oil, in 1972.
First answer by Fallon Galbraith. Last edit by Fallon Galbraith. Contributor trust: 22 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 1 [recommend question]
Answers.com > Wiki Answers > Categories > Literature and Language > English Language > Literary Devices and Figures of Speech > Idioms and Slang > What is the meaning of burn the midnight oil?
Our contributors said this page should be displayed for the questions below. (Where do these come from ) |
| If any of these are not a genuine rephrasing of the question, please help out and edit these alternates. |
