to do the unpleasant or difficult things.

Well, usually I do the dirty work and someone else gets the credit for getting it done.

Usage notes: often used in the form do someone's dirty work - to do the unpleasant or difficult things that are someone else's responsibility:

Naturally, he has assistants who do his dirty work.

• the fat is in the fire
• the feathers fly
• the final curtain
• the final straw
• the fine print
• the [first/highest/next etc.] rung on the ladder
• the first rung on the ladder
• the first string
• the first thing
• the first thing in the morning
• the flavour of the month
• the four corners of the earth
• the four corners of the world
• the ... from hell
• the front office
• the fruit of loins
• the fruit of your loins
• the full monty
• the funny thing is
• the fur flies
• the game's up!
• the genie is out of the bottle
• the ghost at the feast
• the gift of the gab
• the glory days