go the extra mile
Say it: go the EK-struh mile /ˌɡəʊ ði ˌɛkstrə ˈmaɪl/ · idiom
What “go the extra mile” means
Do more than people expect or require.
More precisely: To make more effort than is expected or required.
Example: “Our best reviews come from staff who go the extra mile for guests.”
When to use it
At work or in everyday conversation, to praise someone who makes an extra effort to help.
Similar words
go above and beyond, make an extra effort
Where it comes from
From the Sermon on the Mount, which urges going two miles when forced to go one.
Quick check
A shop assistant finds your size, then personally carries your bags to the car in heavy rain. Which phrase describes their effort?
pull your weight or go the extra mile?
Show the answer
go the extra mile
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