à la force du poignet

== French == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /a la fɔʁ.s(ə) dy pwa.ɲɛ/ === Adverb === à la force du poignet by one's own efforts, through hard graft se hisser à la force du poignet, s'élever à la force du poignet ― to success by dint of hard work, to succeed through sheer hard work, to pull oneself up from nothing, to pull oneself up by one's bootstraps