earn one's keep
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earn one's keep
verb earns one's keep · earning one's keep · earned one's keep · earnt one's keep
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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, active man, with gift of versatile hand and brain, and early acquaintance with handicrafts, Christopher Bert could earn his keep.
Similar: earn one's corn, earn one's crust, carry one's weight, bring home the bacon, earn a living, earn one's keep, keep the home fires burning, put bread on the table, put food on the table
- To be worthwhile. The lack of bottom-end grunt presents as a particular problem in hilly terrain where the five-speed manual gearbox really earns its keep.
Translations
Every language
verb to perform physical labor or to provide services for remuneration, lodging, etc.
| Deutsch | sich seinen Platz / sein Bett / sein Essen verdienen, seine Schuld abarbeiten, für Kost und Logis arbeiten, sich seinen Lebensunterhalt verdienen, sein Auskommen haben |
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verb to be worthwhile
| Deutsch | lohnen |
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Talk about this word "earn one's keep." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/earn%20one's%20keep. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. earn one's keep. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/earn%20one's%20keep "earn one's keep." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/earn%20one's%20keep.Cite this
@misc{earn_one_s_keep_2026,
title = {earn one's keep},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/earn%20one's%20keep},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
