the donkey work

donkey work

Difficult and tedious work. Oh, don't worry, we can get our interns to do this donkey work for us.
See also: donkey, work
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

the ˈdonkey work

(informal) the hard, boring parts of a job: Why is it always me who has to do the donkey work?
See also: donkey, work
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • donkey work
  • do the donkey work
  • go about your work
  • in work
  • grunt work
  • go shares
  • dirty work at the crossroads
  • be at work
  • be your own master/mistress
  • be (one's) own master
References in periodicals archive
Of his role, Bolger told Mirror Sport: "You have to do a lot of the donkey work and you can't be selfish about it.
CRAIG CURRAN insists he doesn't mind doing the donkey work for Andrew Nelson as long as the rising star fires Dundee to safety.
Do the donkey work through the middle and put the icing on the cake at the end.
Maybe she didn't win as far as she did in Ascot, but she had to do the donkey work today and had to make all the running.
Do the donkey work and allow Shelvey the space and time to play his football.
As in football you can do the donkey work, but know your place.
By doing the donkey work now, you'll have a perfect plot ready for planting in spring when the soil warms up.
Far more so than those who do the donkey work out in the streets of Cleveland.
"It's going to be quite a shock to the system for whoever plays fullback behind him because Newcastle have had in the likes of Gutierrez, Gouffran and Sissoko, midfielders who will run their socks off and do their share of the donkey work.
NOT Only was he saddled with a penalty, he ALSO had tO dO much Of the dOnkey wOrk himself and HannOn had made nO secret Of the fact that he wOuld IMPROVE plenty fOr the Outing.
With nobody willing to do the donkey work, and Roi Du Mee unable to, O'Connell decided to tear up the pre-race script.
Bearing the perils of a tactical race in mind, Ruby Walsh decided to make the pace on the Andrea and Graham Wylie-owned five-year-old and despite having to do the donkey work, Briar Hill's class shone through.
Especially as you have scores of highly-paid civil servants on hand to do all the donkey work? The West Coast main line was operating perfectly respectably under the stewardship of a proven high-performer in Richard Branson and his trusted Virgin brand.
I suppose both of these will want a secretary to do all the donkey work, plus expenses adding to the cost.
"But there are a couple of things to consider - he's playing with two of the best ball carriers around, so there could be a little bit of that, plus he gets through a lot of work you don't see, he does the donkey work.