Don’t give up the day job

Meaning

The idiom "don't give up the day job" is used to express skepticism or disbelief about someone's profession or occupation. It suggests that the person is not serious about their career or they are not good at it. The figurative meaning of this idiom is that the person is not competent enough to be a professional or successful in their chosen field.

Usage

• "I heard he's a doctor, but I don't think he gives up the day job easily." This sentence implies that the speaker does not believe that the person is a good doctor and may need to continue working another job.
• "She's an actress, but I don't give up the day job." This sentence suggests that the speaker believes that the person is not successful as an actress and needs to have a backup job.
• "He's a musician, but I think he gives up the day job for good when he gets his first big hit." This sentence implies that the speaker thinks that the person may need to continue working a day job until they become successful in their music career.
• "She's a chef, but I think she gives up the day job too often." This sentence suggests that the speaker believes that the person is not consistent enough in their cooking skills to be a successful chef.
• "He's an artist, but I don't think he gives up the day job quite yet." This sentence implies that the speaker thinks that the person may need to continue working a day job until they become more established as an artist.

Roots and History

The idiom "don't give up the day job" was first used in English literature in the early 20th century. It is believed to have originated from the idea that many people who were not successful in their chosen careers needed to continue working a day job to support themselves. The phrase became popularized in the 1940s when comedian W.C. Fields used it in one of his jokes. Since then, the idiom has been widely used in contemporary language and has become a common expression used to express skepticism about someone's profession or occupation.

Synonyms in English

• "He's not cut out for this."
• "She's not good at her job."
• "They're not making it as professionals."
• "He's not qualified enough."
• "She's not a natural in her field."

Synonyms in other languages

• Spanish: "No está bien apto para esto". Translation: He/She is not well suited for this.
• French: "Il n'a pas la capacité pour cela". Translation: He/She does not have the ability to do this.
• Italian: "Non è adatto a questo". Translation: It does not fit him/her for this.
• German: "Er/sie ist nicht für diese Aufgabe geeignet". Translation: He/She is not suitable for this task.
• Portuguese: "Ele/ela não está apto para este trabalho". Translation: He/She is not suited for this work.

Similar Idioms

• down to the wire

• yesterday’s man

• buckle down