checkered career

Idioms and Phrases

A background that includes many changes, especially of employment. For example, Heather's had a checkered career, hopping from one city to another and one job to another . This expression, first recorded in 1881, uses checkered in the sense of “constantly alternating,” much like the squares on a checkerboard.

Example Sentences

Together we rejoiced at the escape of Sill and Lamson, and made merry over the vicissitudes of my checkered career.

From Project Gutenberg

For the first time in his checkered career Mr. Gibney had a sane, sensible, and serious thought.

From Project Gutenberg

Today, by his own design, the second era of his checkered career would have come to a peaceful close.

From Project Gutenberg

MacLean had a lean and wiry strength which had stood him in good stead upon more than one occasion in his checkered career.

From Project Gutenberg

The story of the checkered career of that remarkable woman is fairly accessible.

From Project Gutenberg