World Languages Lexicon
10 Language-to-English Dictionariesfazer o trabalho sujo
Pronunciation / Transliteration: /faˈzeɾ u tɾaˈbaʎu ˈsuʒu/
"Ela se recusou a fazer o trabalho sujo dele."
Comprehensive Definitions & Senses
2 senses- 1
To perform unpleasant, difficult, or unethical tasks on behalf of someone else who does not want to get involved or ruin their own reputation.
"He always gets his junior assistants to do his dirty work when firing employees." - 2
To carry out the morally questionable actions necessary to achieve a goal for a superior or partner.
"She refused to be the one to break the bad news and do his dirty work."
Thesaurus & Semantic Spectrum
Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology
The idiom combines the literal sense of 'dirty work'—labor that is physically filthy, unpleasant, or menial, originating in the 19th century—with the metaphorical transfer to unethical, unpleasant, or criminal tasks that another person wishes to avoid. Over time, it evolved into a standard English idiom describing proxy execution of morally dubious deeds.
Which of the following is the closest synonym for "Do someone's dirty work"?
10 Global Lexicons: How "Do someone's dirty work" is said worldwide
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faire le sale boulot
Transliteration: /fɛʁ lə sal bu.lo/
"Il refuse de faire le sale boulot pour son patron."
die Schmutzarbeit machen
Transliteration: /diː ˈʃmʊt͡sˌʔaʁbaɪ̯t ˈmaxən/
"Er lässt immer andere seine Schmutzarbeit machen."
fare il lavoro sporco
Transliteration: /ˈfaː.re il laˈvɔr.zo ˈspɔr.ko/
"Non farò io il lavoro sporco per te."
hacer el trabajo sucio
Transliteration: /aˈseɾ el tɾaˈβaxo ˈsu.sjo/
"Me contrató solo para hacer el trabajo sucio."
fazer o trabalho sujo
Transliteration: /faˈzeɾ u tɾaˈbaʎu ˈsuʒu/
"Ela se recusou a fazer o trabalho sujo dele."
किसी का गंदा काम करना
Transliteration: kisī kā gandā kām karanā
"वह दूसरों से अपना गंदा काम करवाता है।"
替某人做见不得人的事
Transliteration: tì mǒu rén zuò jiàn bu dé rén de shì
"他总是让别人替他做那些见不得人的事。"
궂은일을 대신 하다
Transliteration: gujeun-ireul daesin hada
"그는 부하들에게 궂은일을 대신 하도록 시켰다."
汚い仕事を引き受ける
Transliteration: kitanai shigoto o hikiukeru
"上司の汚い仕事を引き受けるのはもううんざりだ。"
Related Vocabulary Words to Explore
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A document or electronic record issued by a carrier or shipping company confirming that goods have been received and dispatched for transport to a specified destination.
Apt to shoot without sufficient provocation or before fully assessing a situation.
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