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Glite Dictionary
to cut one's teeth

to cut one's teeth

6.9
To gain first experience in a job or activity
  • idiom
translation icon : adquirir experiencia
  • As a young journalist, she cut her teeth covering local news before moving to national stories.

Examples

  • Likewise for Captain Hendrix and Gunnery Sergeant Crisp, who cut their teeth under my command in Desert Storm.

    The Rock (1996)

  • Mikey cut his teeth working for Molly Ivins.

    Truth (2015)

  • It's a good story for her to cut her teeth on.

    My Favorite Martian (1999)

  • You cut your teeth on it.

    Gone with the Wind (1939)

  • I have a few assignments for you to cut your teeth on first.

    Inspector Gadget (1999)

  • You're all about to cut your teeth now, let me tell you something.

    Attack Force (2006)

  • Many successful chefs cut their teeth in small restaurants, mastering their craft over the years.

  • He cut his teeth in the world of finance by interning at a reputable investment firm.

Synonyms

to break in
vsto cut one's teeth
11 3.4

To start working in a new job or field, often for the first time

is about developing first skills early in a career rather than just starting
to learn the ropes
vsto cut one's teeth
  • Informal
9 3.4

To begin to understand how to do a job by gaining basic skills

focuses on broad early experience rather than only learning procedures
to get one's feet wet
vsto cut one's teeth
  • Informal
3 4.9

Start doing something to gain some experience

involves gaining early experience without the cautious or limited emphasis

How Experienced

to master
191 4.1
to cut one's teeth
6.9
to learn the ropes
  • Informal
9 3.4
to get one's feet wet
  • Informal
3 4.9

Surface Forms

cut one's teeth infinitive
cut one's teeth past
cut one's teeth past participle
cutting one's teeth present participle
cuts one's teeth third person singular

Morphology

cut + one's + teeth

The phrase is a metaphorical extension of the literal idea of teething (cutting teeth) to mean gaining initial experience, so some semantic link to the constituents exists. However the specific sense 'gain first experience or skills' is culturally conventionalized and not directly predictable from 'cut' + 'teeth' for an uninformed B1 learner, and equivalent expressions vary across languages.

Etymology

The idiom cut one's teeth comes from the image of a baby cutting its first teeth, a clear sign of starting to grow and learn. So, to cut one's teeth in a job means 'to gain first experience' there.