really earn the keep(That was a year in which financial managers really earned their keep. – В тот год финансовые руководители действительно отрабатывали свою зарплату. rakerunner)
hone one's skills(Luigi has been honing his pizza making skills at the Edgewood location of Pizza Uno and is now opening his own pizza place on E.15th St.ART Vancouver)
practice(напр., методы/приёмы спасения пострадавших: These rescues require a high level of expertise, so our firefighters spend hundreds of hours every year practicing and training.ART Vancouver)