fare la gavetta

Italian

Etymology

Literally, “to do the mess-tin”.

Verb

fàre la gavetta (first-person singular present fàccio la gavetta, first-person singular past historic féci la gavetta, past participle fàtto la gavetta, first-person singular imperfect facévo la gavetta, second-person singular imperative fài la gavetta or fà' la gavetta, auxiliary avére)

1. (intransitive, idiomatic) to work one's way up; to pay one's dues
   • 2020, Barack Obama, translated by Chicca Galli, Paolo Lucca, and Giuseppe Maugeri, Una terra promessa [A Promised Land], Garzanti Libri:

     E ora, trovarsi improvvisamente in lotta serrata con un uomo più giovane di quattordici anni che non aveva dovuto fare la sua stessa gavetta, che non portava addosso le stesse cicatrici di guerra e che sembrava godere di ogni possibile apertura di credito?

     And now, to find herself suddenly in a close contest with a man fourteen years younger, who hadn't had to pay the same dues, who didn't carry the same battle scars, and who seemed to be getting every break and every benefit of the doubt?

     (literally, “And now, to find herself suddenly in a tight race with a man fourteen years younger, who did not have pay her same dues, who did not carry the same battle scars and who seemed to enjoy every possible benefit of the doubt?”)