earn one's keep

earn one's keep
earn one's keep
to help out with chores in return for food and a place to live; to earn one's pay by doing what is expected. •

I earn my keep at college by shoveling snow in the winter.

Tom hardly earns his keep around here. He should be fired.

* * *
{v. phr.} To merit one's salary or keep by performing the labor or chores that are expected of one. * /John earned his keep at the music conservatory by dusting off all the musical instruments every day./

Dictionary of American idioms. 2013.

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  • earn one's keep — {v. phr.} To merit one s salary or keep by performing the labor or chores that are expected of one. * /John earned his keep at the music conservatory by dusting off all the musical instruments every day./ …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • earn\ one's\ keep — v. phr. To merit one s salary or keep by performing the labor or chores that are expected of one. John earned his keep at the music conservatory by dusting off all the musical instruments every day …   Словарь американских идиом

  • earn one's keep — verb To perform satisfactory physical labor or to provide other worthy services in return for remuneration, lodging, or other benefits; to support oneself financially. Being a very strong, acti …   Wiktionary

  • earn one's keep — work in return for food and accommodations ■ be worth the time, money, or effort spent on one …   Useful english dictionary

  • oats, earn one's —  Deserve one s keep …   A concise dictionary of English slang

  • keep — I n. maintenance to earn one s keep II v. 1) (D; tr.) ( to have ) to keep about (esp. BE), around (do you keep a screwdriver around the house?) 2) (d; intr.) to keep after ( to keep persuading ) (keep after the children; they are still too… …   Combinatory dictionary

  • earn — I (New American Roget s College Thesaurus) v. t. work for, gain, win; deserve, merit, rate; make a living, be gainfully employed. See acquisition, justice. II (Roget s IV) v. 1. [To deserve as reward] Syn. win, merit, gain; see deserve . 2. [To… …   English dictionary for students

  • earn — v.tr. 1 (also absol.) a (of a person) obtain (income) in the form of money in return for labour or services (earn a weekly wage; happy to be earning at last). b (of capital invested) bring in as interest or profit. 2 a deserve; be entitled to;… …   Useful english dictionary

  • keep — keep1 W1S1 [ki:p] v past tense and past participle kept [kept] ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ 1¦(not change)¦ 2¦(continue doing something)¦ 3¦(not give back)¦ 4¦(not lose)¦ 5¦(store something)¦ 6¦(make somebody stay in a place)¦ 7¦(delay somebody)¦ 8¦(do what you… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • gain one's livelihood — earn one s keep, support oneself …   English contemporary dictionary

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