“Set” can be a verb, noun, and adjective, so dictionaries give it a very long entry with many related meanings and examples.

This expression began with the literal act of pushing a wheel with your shoulder, then became a figurative way to mean hard work.

“Clean as a whistle” usually means very clean. It may also mean clear or smooth, probably from the idea of a pure whistle sound.

Canoe reached English through Spanish canoa, which was borrowed from an Indigenous Caribbean language, probably Taíno.