do the spadework

  • 1do the spadework —    Someone who does the spadework does the preparatory work or the preliminary research.     Although I did all the spadework, my name was never mentioned …

    English Idioms & idiomatic expressions

  • 2spadework — [[t]spe͟ɪdwɜː(r)k[/t]] N SING: usu the N The spadework is the uninteresting work that has to be done as preparation before you can start a project or activity. It is now that the spadework has to be done to lay firm foundations for later success …

    English dictionary

  • 3spadework — noun (U) hard work that has to be done in preparation before something can happen: Credit must go to the researchers, who did a lot of the spadework …

    Longman dictionary of contemporary English

  • 4spadework — spade|work [ˈspeıd wə:k US wə:rk] n [U] hard work that has to be done in preparation before something can happen = ↑legwork ▪ Most of the spadework had been done by 1981 …

    Dictionary of contemporary English

  • 5Spadework — Infobox Book | name = Spadework image caption = author = Timothy Findley cover artist = country = Canada language = English genre = Novel publisher = HarperCollins Canada (hardcover) release date = August 30, 2001 media type = Print (Hardcover,… …

    Wikipedia

  • 6spadework — noun Date: 1778 1. work done with a spade 2. the hard plain preliminary drudgery in an undertaking …

    New Collegiate Dictionary

  • 7spadework — /spayd werrk /, n. preliminary or initial work, such as the gathering of data, on which further activity is to be based. [1770 80; SPADE1 + WORK] * * * …

    Universalium

  • 8spadework — Synonyms and related words: arrangement, basic training, briefing, clearing the decks, dirty work, donkeywork, drudgery, employment, equipment, fag, familiarization, fatigue, fixing, foundation, grind, groundwork, handiwork, handwork, industry,… …

    Moby Thesaurus

  • 9spadework — spade|work [ speıd,wɜrk ] noun uncount BRITISH preparation and hard work that has to be done at the beginning of a project …

    Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • 10spadework — UK [ˈspeɪdˌwɜː(r)k] / US [ˈspeɪdˌwɜrk] noun [uncountable] British preparation and hard work that has to be done at the beginning of a project …

    English dictionary