earn (one's) stripes
(redirected from earn stripes)earn (one's) stripes
To prove that one is deserving of a particular position or designation. I told the recruiter that I earned my stripes as a teacher before moving into administration. You'll need to earn your stripes around here before they consider you for a different position.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2022 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
earn one's stripes
Gain a position through hard work and accumulated experience. For example, She'd earned her stripes by serving for years as the governor's secretary and personal aide . This expression alludes to a military promotion or award, indicated by strips of chevron or braid added to the recipient's uniform and known as stripes since the early 1800s.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
earn your stripes
If you earn your stripes, you gain enough experience to deserve a particular job or position. Mr. Thaddeus earned his stripes playing for such foreign bands as the London-based Pitiful Souls and Singapore's X-Periments. He has worked hard to earn his stripes as a skilled debater in the House of Assembly.
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012
earn (one's)
spurs/stripes To gain a position through hard work and the accumulation of experience, often in the face of difficulties.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.