The pitcher's earned run average improved dramatically after he worked on his command.

After surviving the toughest assignments, one earns one's stripes.

By earning one's stripes, one gains the respect of more experienced colleagues.

One earned one's stripes through long nights and relentless study before being trusted with the project.

It was commonly said that one earned one's keep by working hard on the farm.

Anyone who lives here earns one's keep by doing chores and contributing to household expenses.

Earning one's keep in a busy household means pitching in with cooking, cleaning, and childcare.

Baseball analysts compared last season's earned run averages to determine which pitchers improved the most.

When deciding whether to buy the new phone, Jenna reminded herself of the old proverb, 'a penny saved is a penny earned,' and put the money into her savings instead.

As the only wage earner in her household, she worked overtime every week to cover the children's tuition.