What it means
A leg up is a boost, a helping hand that gets you started or pushes you ahead. The image is of cupping your hands to hoist someone over a wall or onto a horse. It can be a fair bit of help from a friend or the unfair advantage of knowing the right people, depending on who is grumbling about it.
Usage examples
"Her uncle gave her a leg up with that first internship, but she has earned every promotion since on her own steam."
"My uncle gave me a leg up by introducing me to his old colleagues at the firm."
"A part-time internship in the summer would be a nice leg up before applying for graduate schemes."
"I only got a leg-up because my cousin put my CV in the right inbox, so I'm not pretending it was all grind."
"That training scheme gave him a proper leg-up when everyone else was still fumbling about for their first break."
Voice comments
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Where it comes from
It started out literal. In 19th century English, giving someone a leg up meant boosting them with your hands so they could get a foot up, often onto a horse or over something awkward. From that very real shove upward, it slid neatly into the figurative sense of help, advantage, or a useful start.
Other ways to say it
Editors of this term
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