A: Congratulations for finally getting the corner office!

B: The boss made me jump through hoops to earn it, believe me. I was doing everything from leading presentations to getting him coffee for months.

Note: Circus animals are sometimes trained to jump through hoops which are hung or held above the ground and sometimes set on fire. The saying was first recorded in English in the late 18th century in its literal meaning, but the expression used to describe having to do something difficult or complicated to get what you want is from the early 20th century. For example: We had to jump through hoops to get my dad admitted to hospital.