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a woman's work is never done. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
a woman's work is never done, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
a woman's work is never done in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
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English
Etymology
From a traditional rhyming couplet, found in at least two forms:
- Man works till set of sun,
- Woman's work is never done.
- From rise of morn to set of sun
- Woman's work is never done.
Proverb
a woman's work is never done
- Housework, which is generally considered women's work, is never finished.
- Women generally work long and hard, especially as they often are responsible for housework and care roles in addition to paid work.
1878, Edward Payson Roe, chapter 1, in A Face Illumined:"Six o'clock, and working still! […] They say a woman's work is never done," remarked Ik Stanton, dropping into the easiest chair in the studio, "and for this reason, were there no other, your muse is evidently of the feminine persuasion."
1979 April 1, Charles E. Silberman, “A Proper Way to Live”, in New York Times, retrieved 7 July 2019:As Professor Myerhoff writes: "The adage 'A woman's work is never done' calls attention to the continuity of woman's tasks on a daily basis."
2018 August 7, Harriet Marsden, “Why should women do the hard, unpaid work after Brexit?”, in Independent, UK, retrieved 7 July 2019:They say a woman’s work is never done. If certain Brexiteers have their way, that might be truer than ever. […] [A] no-deal Brexit would mean a disastrous shortfall in care staff, which would force women out of the office and into unpaid social care roles, looking after elderly parents.
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