- Meaning
- This idiom means to work or study late into the night, often diligently or under pressure. It evokes the image of staying up by the light of an oil lamp, suggesting dedication, hard work, or last-minute effort, typically in academic or professional contexts.
- Origin
- The phrase dates to the 17th century, when oil lamps were used for nighttime work. It appeared in Francis Quarles’ 1635 poem *Emblems*: ‘Wee spend our mid-day sweat, our midnight oyl.’ By the 19th century, it was common in English, with Charles Dickens and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow using it to describe late-night toil. Its use grew in the 20th century, especially in education and journalism, reflecting the era’s emphasis on hard work.
- Variants
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- Burning the midnight oil
- Burn the midnight lamp
- Examples
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- She’s been burning the midnight oil to finish her thesis before the deadline.
- Burning the midnight oil, he prepared a flawless presentation for the board.
- The team burned the midnight oil to meet the client’s last-minute demands.
- You’ll need to burn the midnight lamp to catch up on all that paperwork.
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