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Glite Dictionary
to sing for one's supper

to sing for one's supper

4 7.9
To do work or perform to earn something you need
  • idiom
  • Informal
translation icon : trabajar para ganarse el pan
  • When traveling to different cities, artists often have to sing for their supper in exchange for food and lodging.
  • make them sing for their supper

Examples

  • In this theater, every performer must sing for their supper, showcasing their talents to secure a role.

  • And that means every new student must dance, act or sing for their supper.

    Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son (2011)

  • Well, you're gonna have to sing for your supper now.

    The Chateau Meroux (2011)

  • "You don't need to sing for your supper."

    Fiction book (1997)

  • A few years ago, you were singing for your supper... and here you are, a full-fledged star at 29.

    Moulin Rouge (1952)

  • Sing for your supper!

    Cold Skin (2017)

  • Sing for your supper.

    The Loved Ones (2010)

  • As a struggling musician, he had to sing for his supper at local bars every night to make ends meet.

Synonyms

to earn
vsto sing for one's supper
947 1.0

To get respect from others because you behave well

involves working or performing to get a reward that may not be guaranteed
to put food on the table
vsto sing for one's supper
  • Informal
38 2.8

To earn enough money to support yourself or your family

focuses on temporary or performance based rewards rather than steady support

Antonyms

to fall into one's lap
  • Informal
4 6.4

To get something good without trying or expecting it

to idle
1 3.2

To spend time doing nothing

How Dependent

to survive
425 2.7
to sing for one's supper
  • Informal
4 7.9
to gig
2 3.7

Surface Forms

sing for one's supper infinitive
sang for one's supper past
singing for one's supper present participle
sings for one's supper third person singular
sung for one's supper past participle

Morphology

sing + for + one + supper

The literal components ('sing' + 'supper') transparently suggest performing in exchange for a meal, so a learner who knows the words can infer a basic exchange meaning. However, the idiomatic extension to doing work or making concessions to earn a reward or keep one’s place is metaphorical and not fully predictable from the parts, so the expression is only partially transparent.

Etymology

The idiom sing for one's supper may come from a simple scene where a poor person would literally sing at an inn or house to earn their supper. So, it now means 'to work or perform to earn a reward'.