Meaning of don't give up your day job | Babel Free

Definitions

Somewhat sarcastic but usually good-natured advice used to criticise a person's degree of talent (especially in music or other performing arts), implying that they are unlikely to be successful.

humorous, idiomatic, often

Examples

“When the accounting department's barbershop quartet was warming up, the sales team was ribbing them, yelling, "Don't give up your day job!"”

“"I remember after the school was over," he said, "I went up to the instructor just completely wound up like: ‘O.K. man, how do I do this and become a real racecar driver? I want to quit my job and do this.’ . . . And he goes: ‘Other Sports Beckon. You suck. Don't give up your day job.’ "”

CEFR level