ready and waiting
7
3.0
- idiom
:
listo y esperando
- At the Silver Threads Nursing Home, Maud May was ready and waiting.
Examples
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The boats are ready and waiting.
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It'll be ready and waiting for you tonight.
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And you have dinner ready and waiting for me, okay?
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We're all ready and waiting for them.
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You must be ready and waiting for me.
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The crew is ready and waiting.
Fiction book (1997) -
So we are here, ready and waiting.
Blog text (27) -
Harold was ready and waiting for her in the small lobby of the Hall.
Fiction book (1990) -
We're ready and waiting.
-
The team is ready and waiting for the coach's instructions.
Synonyms
103
1.3
Ready to use or do something when needed
85
3.5
Ready to start or continue something
29
4.3
Prepared to begin an activity such as a game or meeting
20
3.5
Prepared and available to use immediately
12
2.8
Completely prepared and willing to begin
1
4.6
Ready to take action or respond quickly
Ready and available for use or action
Prepared and alert to act immediately
Ready and willing to act immediately
Antonyms
How Ready
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is a straightforward coordination of two adjectives whose combined meaning 'fully prepared and waiting' is directly derivable from knowing 'ready' and 'waiting' and the coordinating 'and'. This compositional, additive pattern is common in English (and across many languages), so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will readily understand it.
Etymology
The phrase ready and waiting gives a simple image: a thing is prepared and someone is standing nearby to use it. Being both ready and waiting is why it means 'fully prepared and able to act immediately'.