to get your ass in gear
- idiom
- Offensive
:
mover el culo (vulgar)
- I realized I needed to get my ass in gear and study for the exams coming up next week.
Examples
-
The coach told the players to get their ass in gear if they wanted to win the game.
-
Believe what you like, it's happening and if you don't get your arse in gear people, it will be completed.
-
If we want to finish this project on time, we need to get our ass in gear and start working now.
Synonyms
231
2.0
To start doing your job, often after a delay
36
3.5
To start moving or begin working on something
16
2.8
To start a meeting or project by taking the first step
12
5.8
Start working quickly and with energy
11
4.4
To start working hard and seriously after wasting time
7
3.2
To begin working right away with energy
3
4.2
Start working more actively and getting more done
2
9.9
Start working quickly and with more energy
2
7.5
To start working very hard to reach a goal
1
4.4
To start working faster and harder
1
9.7
To start working hard without delay
To start working well and fast after a slow time
Antonyms
How Prompt
4
4.0
- Offensive
- Informal
62
1.6
481
1.8
318
2.5
17
5.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
The core meaning is partly transparent: 'get' (cause to become) + 'in gear' (engaged/ready to move) yields the idea of making someone start acting, and 'ass' here is a vulgar reference to the person. However, the metaphorical mapping from mechanical 'gear' to human motivation and the informal/vulgar tone are idiomatic and may not be fully predictable to a B1 learner without exposure, so the expression is only partially transparent.
Etymology
Get your ass in gear may come from the picture of a car: when you put something in gear the engine starts and the car moves, so telling someone to get their ass in gear is a strong way to say 'start moving'. That's why today it means 'begin working seriously'.