Break the back of

[Rich7]

Test No. incompl/advan-68 "Back Again", question 7

There's still some way to go with this latest project but I think we've ......... the back of it.

(a) smashed
(b) broken
(c) hit
(d) crashed

Test No. incompl/advan-68 "Back Again", answer 7

There's still some way to go with this latest project but I think we've broken the back of it.

Correct answer: (b) broken

Your answer was: incorrect
There's still some way to go with this latest project but I think we've smashed the back of it.
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could you refresh this one up?

[Alan]

This expression means do most of the work on a project do the major part of a job.
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[Cristovam]

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Sorry my dear Alan, but didn`t understand your explanation about the question 7(BACK AGAIN) very well.Please, could you explain differently? Regards.

[Beeesneees]

smashed the back of it = done most of the work on it
It's idiomatic, so doesn't make sense if you try to break it down word by word literally.
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Terry Pratchett

[Alan]

Hi Cristovam,

To avoid further confusion, I should repeat that the sentence reads: we've broken the back of it. You might know the old proverb: The last straw that broke the camel's back. This refers to the story of how just one more piece of straw was too much for the camel to carry on its back and as a result the camel's back was broken. This is the idea behind the test sentence suggesting that you have reached the point where you have done the greatest part of the project and there is not much left for you to do.

Alan
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[Our Tort System]

[Beeesneees]

No, 'broken' is correct if you are looking for a general expression. That is what I intended to say, but my fingers were working faster than my brain.
I would not rule out 'smashed' to indicate 'brokrn completely' as an alternative in informal speech though. (In the same way as we can say 'he smashed the record' to indicate that he broke it, but by a considerable degree.)
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"Inside every old person is a young person wondering what happened."
Terry Pratchett

[Alan]

I would 'rule it out'. I think that's a bit misleading to line up 'break' with 'smash' in the sort of context suggested in the test of completing a major part.
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[Beeesneees]

No surprises that you disagree with me, especially if you wrote the test.

I still think it's possible.
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"Inside every old person is a young person wondering what happened."
Terry Pratchett

[Alan]

Cheap jibe.
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[Beeesneees]

I'm just stating fact.
_________________
"Inside every old person is a young person wondering what happened."
Terry Pratchett