get one’s ticket—
1. (sl.) be discharged from the army or from prison:
- “Coiners” as a rule returned to their profession as soon as they got their “ticket.” Prison is a great punishment to such men.
2. qualify for promotion; take a step up in a career path:
- Seventeen years before he got his “ticket,” his second mate’s ticket, he served in the foc’sle before the mast.
Note:
a) The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase get a ticket—get a notice of an offence against traffic regulations (usually a speeding or parking offence):
- It was two blocks from the hotel, and he might get a ticket for parking.
b) The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase have tickets on oneself—(Austral. sl.) be vain or conceited:
- You’re the bastard that’s always been smug and had tickets on himself.
get one’s ticket punched —(sl.)
1. die or be killed:
- My brother Kevin unexpectedly got his ticket punched yesterday. He has had liver cancer for several years but seemed to be getting better recently.
2. = get one’s ticket 2:
- John was in Vietnam just to get his ticket punched. Combat is the fastest route to promotion.
Cf.: ticketpuncher—(sl.) a career military officer or businessperson whose primary concern is personal advancement:
- Not going with the “business as usual” choice with someone who is just a sharp person rather than a ticketpuncher was a good thing…