pay one's dues

Idioms and Phrases

Earn something through hard work, long experience, or suffering. For example, She'd paid her dues in small-town shows before she finally got a Broadway part . This expression transfers the cost of being a paid-up member in an organization to that of gaining experience in an endeavor. [Mid-1900s]

Related Words

• acquire
• bring in
• collect
• derive
• draw
• gain
• get
• make
• obtain
• pick up
• realize
• reap
• receive
• score
• secure
• win