Lost in Translation

The New York Times, 4 July 2019 This is the headline of an article about do-it-yourself auto-repair workshops in the US.

A fun look at interesting words

Usage

“Elbow grease” is an informal expression for hard physical work. In the headline above, the word “grease” is a reference to the oil and grease found in a garage. “Elbow grease” is, therefore, a clever idiom to use for the physical effort needed to repair a car. “Elbow grease”, however, usually means the hard work that goes into cleaning or polishing something very thoroughly. In the days before so many chemical products existed, our grandmothers cleaned their homes with simple substances like vinegar, together with a lot of physical effort, or elbow grease. Today, Elbow Grease is also the brand name of a cleaning product — a spray that, ironically, acts as a degreaser, removing oil and grease from surfaces.

Background

The expression “elbow grease” comes from the idea that the best way of polishing something is simply by means of hard work. If you want to polish your wooden furniture or your leather boots until they shine, it isn’t enough just to use wax or grease. You have to rub it in for a long time, using the strength of your whole arm, including your elbow. The term dates back at least to the 17th century. Other languages have expressions based on a similar idea, such as the French huile de coude (“elbow oil”) and the Portuguese cera de cotovelo (“elbow wax”).

If you search the internet for a German equivalent, you’ll quickly come across the word Muskelschmalz, although you will not find this word in Duden. Interestingly, the term Hirnschmalz does have an entry. So, Hirnschmalz can be used to master an intellectual task, but you’ll have to apply simple Muskelkraft to help with your physical work.