# operam et oleum



## Quentin Dollinger

Oh Lord! Do not gladden my heart too much. You only lose operam et oleum.


----------



## Lamb67

pain and olive-oil


----------



## Quentin Dollinger

Thanks Lamb67 for answering my postings today.


----------



## loco44

Lost of _olive-oil_ and *work*.
The meaning: when you have heavy and long-term works to do, and at the end you have a poor or lousy result (you wasted time, effort and money).


----------



## Quentin Dollinger

Thanks loco44, that explanation helps.


----------



## Fred_C

Hi,
There again, "operam et oleum perdere" is a very common phrase in German...
I have found it in the same dictionary.
Advise it to your translator :
http://www.kruenitz1.uni-trier.de/


----------



## Stoicorum_simia

The oil refers to lamp-oil used as you toil away at night. Electricity to us.


----------

