Meaning
An enthusiastic, hard-working person, especially a keen novice who volunteers for every task. The tone is usually teasing rather than complimentary, suggesting zeal that outruns judgment or an ingratiating wish to impress bosses and superiors. Almost always mildly mocking or affectionate, rarely neutral praise; in the workplace it can imply currying favor. Distinct from busy beaver, a plain hard worker, and from the computer-science busy-beaver problem. Regional use: United States origin, Army slang; now general English.
Origin
Solidly of the Second World War era: the OED records eager beaver, noun and adjective, from 1942, its earliest evidence being the San Antonio Light of that year - verified directly on the factsheet - while Merriam-Webster gives a first known use of 1943, the dictionaries disagreeing by a year. Quick and Dirty Tips traces early use to Army air cadets training in San Antonio in 1943, and American Speech defined it in 1945 as 'a soldier who is so anxious to impress his superiors that he volunteers for every job that offers'. The beaver-as-worker image is far older - the OED dates work like a beaver to 1741 - but the compound itself is new in the 1940s. A claimed 1915 antedating (a University of Delaware bulletin quoted on HiLobrow) would push the phrase past the war, but no major dictionary has followed it, so it is flagged rather than adopted.
Research Sources
References used to check this entry’s meaning, history, or documented forms.
Variants
- a real eager beaver
- eager beavers
Usage Examples
- The new hire reorganized the whole supply closet on day two - a genuine eager beaver.
- Easy there, eager beaver; the report is due Friday, not tomorrow at dawn.
- He was the platoon's eager beaver, first in line for every thankless detail.