Question

Hang Out Your Shingle to open a private office, especially a doctor's or lawyer's office, by putting up a sign over the door

Accepted Answer

After many years of training, she hung out her shingle, 'Nilda Sanchez, Animal Doctor.' In 19th-century America, when professional people opened private offices, they hung out signs that were often painted on a shingle, a thin piece of wood used to cover the roof or sides of a building. Today we use the phrase "hang out your shingle" to refer to the whole process of opening u your own office: renting the space, filling it with furniture, hiring help, and hanging up the sign that announces you're in business.

Idiom	Hang Out Your Shingle
Example	After many years of training, she hung out her shingle, 'Nilda Sanchez, Animal Doctor.'
Meaning	to open a private office, especially a doctor's or lawyer's office, by putting up a sign over the door
Origin	In 19th-century America, when professional people opened private offices, they hung out signs that were often painted on a shingle, a thin piece of wood used to cover the roof or sides of a building. Today we use the phrase "hang out your shingle" to refer to the whole process of opening u your own office: renting the space, filling it with furniture, hiring help, and hanging up the sign that announces you're in business.

Shingle Hung Private Office Sign Hang Years Training