to get one's second pip
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
To be promoted from second to first lieutenant. These army ranks are marked by "pips" on the shoulder- straps.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “to get one's second pip” mean?
To be promoted from second to first lieutenant. These army ranks are marked by "pips" on the shoulder- straps.
Is “to get one's second pip” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.