English Idioms

Comprehensive resource for understanding and mastering English idioms

Get act together

Meaning

"Get act together" is an idiom that means to prepare oneself or one's affairs for a task or situation, usually by gathering information or resources needed for it. It can also refer to organizing one's thoughts or plans before taking action.

Usage

  • The project manager told the team to get their act together and start working on the proposal yesterday. (Implies that the team had not been organized enough)
  • The CEO of the company got her act together during a crisis meeting and presented a clear plan for overcoming the challenges faced by the company. (Implies that the CEO had been disorganized before the meeting)
  • After getting his act together, he was able to pass his driving test on the first try. (Implies that he had not been prepared for the test)
  • The students had to get their act together if they wanted to complete the project on time. (Implies that they were not organized enough)
  • The traveler got his act together and managed to catch the flight on time, despite facing some unexpected challenges along the way. (Implies that the traveler was disorganized before the incident) The usage of this idiom can vary depending on the context. For instance, it can be used in a professional or personal setting, and it can refer to various types of tasks or situations.

Roots and History

The origin of this idiom is not entirely clear, but it is believed to have evolved from earlier expressions such as "get one's act in order" or "get one's affairs together." These expressions were used to mean organizing oneself or one's affairs for a task or situation. Over time, the phrase "get act together" has become more commonly used and has taken on its current meaning.

Synonyms in English

  • Get organized
  • Gather information
  • Prepare oneself
  • Get ready
  • Plan ahead

Synonyms in other languages

  • Organize oneself - French: Organiser soi-même (Organiser se soi)
  • Gather resources - German: Aufgabe vorbereiten (Aufgabenvorbereitung)
  • Prepare for a task - Spanish: Prepararse para una tarea (Prepararse para una tarea)
  • Plan ahead - Italian: Pianificare in anticipazione (Pianificare anticipativamente)
  • Get ready - Mandarin: 準備好 (準備好)

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