(intransitive, idiomatic, Australian) to work overtime; to make up time off by working overtime; to work beyond a specific shift.
Maybe start with modern stuff and work back.
The tendency towards decentralizing care work back into the extended family can only be seen as a dual tendency to fragment spheres of consumption. Still not sure about this weirdness here. But I do think that capita…
(intransitive, idiomatic, Australian) to work overtime; to make up time off by working overtime; to work beyond a specific shift.
"work back" means: to work overtime; to make up time off by working overtime; to work beyond a specific shift.. This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
"work back" means: to work overtime; to make up time off by working overtime; to work beyond a specific shift.. This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
Add your own interpretation of "work back".
Aussie and Kiwi vocabulary — bogan, daggy, brekkie, sheila, bach, jandals — the whole Antipodean lexicon, including outback dialect, surf and beach culture, and Sydney/Melbourne street slang.
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flipping my board of number of days gone without crying at work back down to zero
"work back" means: to work overtime; to make up time off by working overtime; to work beyond a specific shift.. Register: neutral, standard English, usable in most everyday contexts. Note the regional or dialect label (Australian) — usage may sound odd outside that variety. A common non-native mistake is to use the word in the wrong register, or to assume one fixed meaning when it is actually polysemous; always check the surrounding register and the audience before producing it yourself. In formal writing, prefer a neutral synonym or a short descriptive phrase, and use this word only when you have heard or read it being used naturally in a comparable context.
“Maybe start with modern stuff and work back.”
“The tendency towards decentralizing care work back into the extended family can only be seen as a dual tendency to fragment spheres of consumption. Still not sure about this weirdness here. But I do think that capitalism has a dual tendency towards Balkanization.”
“flipping my board of number of days gone without crying at work back down to zero”
“Would the gryph like me to continue? 🥹 I can work back toward the base of the neck and forelimb shoulders, those areas are always hard to reach. I'll preen a few pin feathers as I go, gently rubbing and removing the casings for ya”
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(intransitive) Return to where one came from.