Under your belt
Meaning
To have something 'under your belt' means you have achieved or experienced it, adding it to your personal store of accomplishments or knowledge.
Origin
The phrase "under your belt" most likely comes from the world of competitive sports, particularly boxing or wrestling, where a championship belt is the ultimate symbol of victory. To have a win, a round, or even an opponent "under your belt" meant you had successfully secured it, much like securing a trophy or an object safely tucked away within the confines of your belt. This vivid image of accumulating and holding onto hard-won achievements or experiences transitioned smoothly from the sporting arena into everyday language, becoming a popular idiom for possessing gained knowledge or accomplishments.
Examples
- After completing that challenging project, Sarah felt like she truly had a significant accomplishment under her belt.
- With five years of coding experience under his belt, John was confident applying for the senior developer position.