“Pull Your Weight” means to do your fair share of the work in a group. The guide stays with current documented meaning and does not add unsupported origin chronology.
ReviewedEvidence1 sourceSectionPhrases & Idioms
Quick answer
“Pull Your Weight” means to do your fair share of the work in a group.
Key details
Canonical FormPull Your Weight
Core Meaningto do your fair share of the work in a group
Further guidance
History Boundary
This guide explains the current documented meaning and does not claim a single inventor, exact coinage date, or absolute first use without direct historical evidence.
Meaning
to do your fair share of the work in a group
Usage Boundary
It concerns contributing the expected share of group effort, not physical weight or merely being present.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
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