expression, godan verb (-tsu)
work hard; keep one's nose to the grindstone
Humble expression used to describe one's own persistent effort, often despite limited ability. Literally 'to whip a jaded horse'.
私も駑馬に鞭打って、この仕事を最後までやり遂げます。
I will also work hard and see this job through to the end.
expression, godan verb (-tsu)
push someone beyond their ability
Original meaning: to force someone to do something beyond their capacity. Now rare; the humble self-reference sense is more common.
古い文献では、駑馬に鞭打つは、能力以上のことをさせる意味で使われている。
In old texts, 駑馬に鞭打つ is used to mean making someone do more than they are capable of.