How can I be "beside myself" with whatever?

My mother recounted a story from when she was in the WRAF of doing cleaning and her boss telling her to 'use some elbow grease'.

She looked in the cupboard but couldn't find any so reported this back to her boss.

My mother recounted a story from when she was in the WRAF of doing cleaning and her boss telling her to 'use some elbow grease'.

She looked in the cupboard but couldn't find any so reported this back to her boss.

A school friends Mum, in her first job as a cleaner was told by her boss to put some Gumption on it, she didn't realise that Gumption was a brand of cleaner and thought she was being told to work harder.

And now it's a real brand of cleaners 

I had a friend in the RAF, they would send the newbie out to change the batteries in the wind socks on the runway  

Reminds me of the building apprentances tasked with buying, a left handed hammer, and tartan paint!