For the last decade, the word has been the battle cry of the ambitious. It has been tattooed on forearms, printed on motivational posters, and tweeted by entrepreneurs with hundred-hour workweeks. We have been told that to succeed, we must "hustle harder" — waking up at 4 AM, cold-brew in hand, grinding until the sun sets, and then grinding some more.

Historically, the word “hustle” had a slightly seedy connotation. It meant to swindle, to push aggressively, or to move with urgent purpose. In the 20th century, it became synonymous with street vendors, taxi drivers, and door-to-door salesmen—people who had to scramble for every single dollar.

The Anatomy of Hustle: Why We Grind and Where to Draw the Line