cut one's teeth
Meaning: To gain one's first experience of something.
Language: English
Literally: (Already vivid in English)
Example: “The famous chef cut her teeth in a roadside diner.”
Category: Body & Senses
Origin: A baby's first teeth are said to "cut" through the gums, a usage from the late 1600s. Teething is one of life's earliest trials, so a first stage of learning came to be described the same way.
Equivalents in other languages
- French: faire ses griffes — literally: to sharpen one's claws
More idioms — Body & Senses
- be scared stiff — To be so frightened that one cannot move.
- with one hand tied behind one's back — Very easily; or, when forced on someone, at a great disadvantage.
- have a heart of gold — To be very kind and generous.
- get back on one's feet — To recover after an illness or a setback.
- not sleep a wink — To not sleep at all.
- welcome with open arms — To greet or accept someone with great warmth and enthusiasm.
More English idioms
- have stars in one's eyes — To be dazzled or dreamily idealistic, especially about love or fame.
- hit a snag — To run into an unexpected problem.
- something fishy is going on — Something suspicious is happening.
- take French leave — To leave without saying goodbye or asking permission.
- dress to the nines — To dress very smartly or elaborately.
- have friends in high places — To know influential people who can help one.
From our untranslatable words
- Khalyava — Something good got for free and without effort — and, strictly, something you were never…
- Beloruchka — Someone who dodges dirty or hard work — a person whose hands stay conspicuously clean.
- Zapoi — A bender running for days, in which a person drops out of ordinary life entirely.