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I’m Burning the Midnight Oil Because I’m a Singer

Eduarda phones from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to ask about the English expression burn the midnight oil, meaning “to work late.” The phrase goes back to the days of having to use oil lamps for illumination at night. A Spanish idiom somewhat along these lines, meaning “to work or study into the wee hours” is quemar las pestañas, or literally, “to burn the eyelashes.” This is part of a complete episode.

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