| Idiom | Busy as a Beaver |
|---|---|
| Example | Jeni is as busy as a beaver setting up her new computer. |
| Meaning | working very hard; extremely industrious |
| Origin | This saying comes from the 17th century. For hundreds of years the beaver has been a symbol of diligent work. Watch a beaver bustling about, busily cutting down trees with its teeth and energetically building a dam, and you'll easily see why. Alliteration (busy as a beaver) adds to the popularity of this simile. Related sayings: "busy as a bee" and "eager beaver." |
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