put in the hard miles

[Theseus]

This is an idiom which seems to be now frequent & almost reaching cliché status. If you have put in the hard miles, you have done the hard difficult work and that makes you eligible to comment or participate in something. The surgeon after my hip operation said:
"What you now have to do for your hip to improve is to put in the hard miles''.
How would this whole sentence be put into conversational Greek? The best I can up with is «Αυτό που πρέπει να κάνεις τώρα για βελτίωση του γοφού σου είναι να βαδίσεις εντατικά/σκληρά τα πολλά χιλιόμετρα».
But I am wholly dissatisfied with this forced and laboured Greek.

 

[nickel]

For both cars and people we may say "τα έχει κάνει τα χιλιόμετρά του", and this could be the closest to the English in one respect, but I'm sure there are other idioms with this meaning.

 

[nickel]

Let me add this:

Hard miles

If you have done the hard miles, you have done the hard difficult work and that makes you eligible to comment or participate in something.
https://www.usingenglish.com/reference/idioms/hard+miles.html

 

[Theseus]

Your translation is predictably concise and natural. Thanks, Nickel. I'd already put the same English definition as you In #1 above. Can the above idiom be used metaphorically? Or would you say something on the lines of έχει κάνει το δύσκολη δουλειά/δύσκολο εργο/επίπονο έργο; :mellow:

 

[pontios]

There's a similar (sounding) idiom ....
... "do the hard yards" or "put in the hard yards" (see the definition below)
The "hard yards" idiom is commonly used in Australia. I'm not sure about the UK?

I know "hard yards" is a commonly used term ..
hard yards plural noun. a great deal of effort or hard work, esp in playing a sport: Dallaglio's ability to make the hard yards and cross the gain line.

put in the hard yards
(from Open Dictionary)
to do the hard work and effort that is needed for success, often when this is not noticed by other people

Difficult, irksome, tedious, boring and unglamorous work or effort needed to achieve success in a business venture, sport or study.

"It just shows if you put in the hard yards and you learn you get your rewards".

Australian informal ..(Collins English Dictionary)
to make a great effort to achieve an end.

 

[Theseus]

Thanks, Pontios. But Nickel's "τα έχει κάνει τα χιλιόμετρά του", I presume, can't be used metaphorically.

 

[cougr]

Thanks, Pontios. But Nickel's "τα έχει κάνει τα χιλιόμετρά του", I presume, can't be used metaphorically.

It can be used metaphorically but more often than not connotes someone who has "paid their dues".

 

[Theseus]

Thanks, cougr. So my translation of the phrase in #4 in the sense of putting in the irksome & tedious work to achevé success δηλ. έχει τη δύσκολη δουλειά κλ. would serve as a passable idiom?

 

[pontios]

It can be used metaphorically but more often than not connotes someone who has "paid their dues".

And someone who has paid their dues and earned their right to succeed would have presumably "put in the hard yards"?

Maybe by "hard miles" the surgeon was suggesting to "go hard", i.e., the opposite of "junk miles" (taking it easy/going slow, which might not bring the same benefits)?

 

[pontios]

Thanks, cougr. So my translation of the phrase in #4 in the sense of putting in the irksome & tedious work to achevé success δηλ. έχει τη δύσκολη δουλειά κλ. would serve as a passable idiom?

Theseus, until something better comes along (I was waiting for someone else to respond)... and I get blown out of the water.

put in the hard yards (which I'm more familiar with and which may or may not have the exact same meaning as "put in the hard miles"? - it probably does?)

βάλε τα δυνατά σου;
φρόντισε να βάλεις τα δυνατά σου;
κανε ο,τι καλύτερο μπορείς; ....και όλα θα πάνε καλά

 

[cougr]

Thanks, cougr. So my translation of the phrase in #4 in the sense of putting in the irksome & tedious work to achevé success δηλ. έχει τη δύσκολη δουλειά κλ. would serve as a passable idiom?

Yes, more ore less (unless someone comes up with something better).

Αυτό που απαιτείται τώρα για τη βελτίωση του γοφού / ισχίου σου είναι η σκληρή δουλειά.

 

[Theseus]

Thanks for all these suggestions & all the hard yards on my behalf, pontios & cougr! I have plenty of excellent ideas to work on now.:)

 

[pontios]

Thanks for all these suggestions & all the hard yards on my behalf, pontios & cougr! I have plenty of excellent ideas to work on now.:)

Keep the interesting queries coming - I'm learning something alongside you, Theseus.
Glad to help (if I can here and there), and I'm sure I'm speaking on behalf of cougr (my fellow Melbournian/Melburnian)when I say you're welcome.
.

 

[Theseus]

Thank you, pontios. It is very gracious of you to say so.:)