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The English we speak.

From BBC learning English.

com Hello and welcome to the English we speak.

I'm Neil and joining me is Faye.

Hi everyone.

In this program we have an expression which means to make a great effort to achieve something.

Neil why are you wearing that running gear in the studio? I'm not sure that shorts and a vest

are appropriate for the workplace as for those sweatbands.

Well Fay Fay it's because I'm desperate to get fit. You see I'm running a marathon at the

end of the month and I've barely started training. I'm really going to have to bust a gut to be ready on time.

Yes, you really do need to start training, but surely busting a gut is not going to help.

Well, I'm not going to bust my gut literally. To bust a gut means to make a huge effort to achieve something.

Imagine working so hard that your stomach or gut actually breaks.

Ooh.

Here are some examples of the expression to bust a gut.

We're going to have to bust a gut to get this report done by tomorrow. We're only halfway through and it's already 7 PM.

The problem with today's millionaire footballers is they're not prepared to bust a gut for their national team?

There are train strikes and the traffic is terrible. I had to bust a gut to get here on time today.

To bust a gut to get here on time today.

To bust a gut, to make a great effort to achieve something?

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