Expressions used in Everyday Spoken English in Social and Professional contexts
legwork
legwork
Meaning(s)
1) the hard or practical work necessary to do or achieve something
How to MemorizePopularity HighProfessional LowSocial
do most of the legwork for something
Analysis
'Legwork' is physically and/or mentally demanding work that usually goes on behind the scenes. It is most commonly used in a professional environment and usually involves practical, painstaking work, such as collecting and sorting through large amounts of data. Often, a person in a senior position will get someone in a junior position to do their legwork. A similar expression is 'do the hard yards.'
Professional Examples (Basic)
I wrote the article myself, but my assistant did most of the legwork by sourcing all the information I needed.
The legal case I was working on required a lot of legwork that I just didn't have time for, so I roped in a few of the junior members of staff.
I really didn't mind doing the legwork for my boss's conference speech. It was a good experience for me.
Social Examples (Basic)
I have all the legwork done for my essay. All the research and outlines are complete. Now I just have to write it!
There is a lot of legwork involved in building your own home that most people don't realise.