knock oneself out

knock oneself out idiom
  1. Make a great effort, as in I was knocking myself out to finish on time. This expression also is put negatively, Don't knock yourself out, meaning “don't exert yourself; it's not worth that much effort.” [c. 1930]
  2. Enjoy yourself, have a good time, as in You're off to Europe? Knock yourself out. [Slang; mid-1900s] Both usages allude to knocking oneself unconscious (see knock out). For a synonym see break one's ass.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Comments
Improve this definition.
Do you have more to add? Share your linguistic knowledge or observation.
/Register to save your comments.