Etymology Journal ยท G
Get your act together
Meaning
- A blunt command to organize one's life or improve one's performance. It implies that a person is currently being chaotic or irresponsible.
Stern, corrective
Used in a sentence
- You really need to get your act together before finals week starts.
- The manager told the team they had to get their act together if they wanted to hit the bonus.
- I finally decided to get my act together and start a budget.
The backstory
The phrase likely stems from the theater world where performers needed to organize their routines or 'acts' before a show. It evolved to represent general preparedness in life.
Heard in
Nationwide
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