burn the midnight oil/oil it

[GUEST2008]

Hi

Does "burn the midnight oil" and "oil it" mean the same?

Can I say:

I had so many essays to check that I had to oil it for three consecutive nights.

[5jj]

No. 'Oil it' is not possible here, in BrE, at least.

[GUEST2008]

So if I wrote "...I had to burn the midnight oil for three consecutive nights" then that would be fine?

[BobK]

The verb 'oil' is, in Br E, transitive: 'If a hinge squeaks, oil it.'

b

[Barb_D]

No. 'Oil it' is not possible here, in BrE, at least.

It's nothing I've ever heard in that context but feels like the type of slang that can develop quite easily. When I was in college we did have all sorts of non-standard expressions. Kind of like thieves' cant perhaps.

[BobSmith]

Kind of like thieves' cant perhaps.

I can't seem to work out what this means or what it derives from.

[BobSmith]

Hi

Does "burn the midnight oil" and "oil it" mean the same?

Can I say:

I had so many essays to check that I had to oil it for three consecutive nights.

"oil it" means nothing in AmE as well. Are you making up a usage here? I don't think "burn the midnight oil" is common enough to use "oil it" as a substitute without any prior reference to it.

[BobK]

I can't seem to work out what this means or what it derives from.

The key word is 'cant', pronounced /kænt/ - or is that not the problem?

b

[Barb_D]

Thieves' cant - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I'm just saying that it's entirely possible that within some university, some sorority, they have their own slang phrases which could include "oil it" to mean "burning the midnight oil."

There are phrases from my college days that I don't try to use in my current life because they would be meaningless.

[BobSmith]

The key word is 'cant', pronounced /kænt/ - or is that not the problem?

b

That was elucidative, thanks!