set up shop

Idioms  

1. Open a business, start a profession, as in Now that you've got your degree, where do you plan to set up shop? This idiom was first recorded about 1570.

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Example Sentences

She bought lollipops and a teddy bear, and by 10 a.m. she had set up shop outside a campus dining hall where she consoled students Sunday morning with offers of “free mom hugs.”

From The Wall Street Journal

And Abu Dhabi’s government is luring crypto startups to set up shop in the city’s financial center by offering early financing, free office space and other perks.

From The Wall Street Journal

Nina fell so in love with the country—the pristine beaches that make up its coastline, the music and culture—that she decided to set up shop there.

From The Wall Street Journal

“They come in and they set up shop and they just want to do what they want to do,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times

The semitoothless old soothsayer had set up shop in the narrow alley that led to the theater’s stage door.

From Literature

Related Words

• commence
• convene
• inaugurate
• initiate
• launch
• meet
• start