Question

Burn the Candle at Both Ends to overwork yourself mentally or physically and until you're exhausted

Accepted Answer

Ms. Murphy goes to college during the day and works in a restaurant at night. She's burning the candle at both ends. This was a French expression that came into English in the late 1500s. If you really took a candle and burned it at both ends, it would be used up twice as fast. That image changed to refer to people who work hard night and day and use up all their strength. We also say that you can "burn yourself out" this way.

Idiom	Burn the Candle at Both Ends
Example	Ms. Murphy goes to college during the day and works in a restaurant at night. She's burning the candle at both ends.
Meaning	to overwork yourself mentally or physically and until you're exhausted
Origin	This was a French expression that came into English in the late 1500s. If you really took a candle and burned it at both ends, it would be used up twice as fast. That image changed to refer to people who work hard night and day and use up all their strength. We also say that you can "burn yourself out" this way.

Candle Ends Day Burn Ms Murphy College Works