win one's spurs

Gain a position or attain distinction through hard work or some special accomplishment. For example, After two years of freelancing, she won her spurs as a programmer and was hired for the top job . This expression originally alluded to being knighted for some act of bravery and was being used figuratively by the mid-1500s.

Common Names:

Name	Pronounced	Usage
Jeppe	-	Danish
Compton	['kɔmptən]
Bolat	-	Kazakh
Fortunato	-	Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
Hippolytos	-	Greek Mythology, Ancient Greek
Les	[lez]