Famous Sayings #173 — ‘All in a Day’s Work’

December 29, 2019

When I asked Alice how she was able to deal with so many irate customers over the phone, she said it was ‘all in a day’s work.’

The phrase “all in a day’s work” may have nautical origins. Credit: U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 3rd Class Kevin S. O’Brien [Public domain]

As 2019 draws to a close, this may be the last Famous Sayings post of the year (unless I can make room for 1-2 more before New Year’s Day, but that will take some doing). That said, here is a fast post that involves a phrase that may be less than 100 years old as of 2019.

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What Does ‘All in a Day’s Work’ Mean?

When someone says that something is “all in a day’s work,” that person may be referring to a part of their job that is routine. that aspect of their profession may be pleasant or unpleasant, or otherwise unusual for other people (“ALL IN A DAY’S WORK”). Also, since a task is routine for someone and part of their daily activities, it is relatively easy for them to do, but they may be downplaying the overall difficulty (“definition and synonyms”, Wiktionary).