What does bust a gut mean?
To bust a gut means to work very hard, to put forth a great deal of effort; to strain yourself to accomplish something.
(The word gut is considered impolite in some circumstances. Bust is a nonstandard form of burst.)
Let’s see a few examples:
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- I don’t intend to bust a gut to get there on time.
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- I busted a gut to get there the last time, and I was the first one there.
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- Don’t bust a gut trying to please these people—they’ll never appreciate it.
But there are a couple of other meanings for busting a gut:
- Bust a gut laughing. When you start laughing uncontrollably.
- The client busted a gut when he saw the email.
- I nearly bust a gut laughing at their reaction – I could barely breathe!
- To react furiously or aggressively, to the point of losing control.
- The driver totally busted a gut when the car crashed his lorry.
- Don’t bust a gut mate, it’s just a tiny problem in the big scheme of things.
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