Burn the Candle at Both Ends – Meaning, Origin & Usage

‘Burn the candle at both ends’ is such an old phrase. I mean, who burns candles unless there’s a power outage. And can you even picture a candle being burned at both ends?

If the phrase has left you feeling confused, you’ve come to the perfect place. Here in this article, I will teach you what the phrase means and explain how it may have originated. Then we’ll go onto usage of the phrase, including how and when you can use the phrase, before going through some examples of alternative phrases that you can use in its place.

And without further ado, let’s get down to it…

What is the meaning of the phrase ‘burn the candle at both ends’?

The phrase ‘burning the candle at both ends’ dates back to the period before we had electricity, when we had to rely on candles for light whenever there’s insufficient sunlight.

The term was used to describe when someone is trying to do too much in a short period of time, which means that they have to stay up late at night, and get up early in the morning to get it all done.

Following on from that, when someone has to burn a candle late into the night, and then light a candle before sunrise in order to complete a project of some kind, then the candle is likely to burn out, and the individual is also at risk of reaching ‘burn out’.

What is the origin of the phrase ‘burn the candle at both ends’?

The phrase ‘burn the candle at both ends’ originally showed up in the French language: ‘Bruloient la chandelle par less deux bouts’. It first appeared in the English language in the early 17th century, but back then it had a different meaning. It referred to wasting material wealth, since burning a candle at both ends can be considered needlessly wasteful.

However, of the course time, the phrase took on its more modern meaning about overextending oneself in their efforts, as popularised by the poet Edna St. Vincent Millayin her poem ‘First Fig’ published in 1920 where she wrote:

“My candle burns at both ends;

It will not last the night;

But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends—

It gives a lovely light!” 

We also have the phrase ‘burn the midnight oil’ which refers to staying up late, and this dates back to at least 1635, since it appears in a poem published at this time titled ‘Emblems’ written by the English author Francis Quarles, the official chronologer to the City of London, who wrote:

‘We spend our midday sweat, our midnight oil,

We tire the night in thought, the day in toil.’

How and when to use the phrase ‘burn the candle at both ends’?

The phrase ‘burn the candle at both ends’ is suitable to describe both personal and professional circumstances. For example, you could use it to describe how you’ve been working long hours on a particular project for work, or equally you can use it to describe how you’ve been putting long hours in for a hobby.

It is generally considered informal language on the whole, and it is also used as a warning. For example, someone might say ‘If you keep burning the candle at both ends, both you and the candle will burn out’.

What can you use in place of the phrase ‘burn the candle at both ends’?

If you’d like to choose an alternative phrase to ‘burn the candle at both ends’ for example if you’re speaking with a non-native English speaker who may be unfamiliar with English idioms, then there are many alternative phrases to choose from. Here are some examples for you.

• Mind you don’t overwork yourself.
• Don’t do hours you don’t get paid for.
• Be careful you don’t burn out putting so many hours in.
• I’m working all the hours God sends to get this job done.
• I’ve been working late into the night and getting up early in the morning for this project.
• This project has had me working late  into the night and getting up early in the morning.

Final word

So, to sum up, the phrase ‘burn the candle at both ends’ means working on something late into the night and early in the morning, or generally putting long hours in. The phrase dates back to the use of candlelight prior to the invention of electric light, but the phrase was not truly popularised until the year 1920, when it appeared in a poem by poet Edna St. Vincent Millayin called ‘First fig’.

The phrase is often used as a warning that if someone spends too much time on something, then they are not getting enough rest, and are at risk of reaching burn out.