pay one's dues

Earn something through hard work, long experience, or suffering. For example, She'd paid her dues in small-town shows before she finally got a Broadway part. This expression transfers the cost of being a paid-up member in an organization to that of gaining experience in an endeavor. [Mid-1900s]

Common Names:

Name	Pronounced	Usage
Huggins	['hʌginz]
Maleko	-	Hawaiian
Fiorenzo	fyo-REN-tso	Italian
Damir	DAH-meer (Croatian, Serbian)	Croatian, Serbian, Slovene
Paz (1)	-	Spanish
Eleanore	['elinə]