a tight ship

a tight ship

A very well organized and efficiently operating place, group, or organization. Jane sure ran a tight ship when she worked here—the whole place has started falling apart without her. A: "I must say, I'm impressed with your battalion, commander." B: "Thank you, sir. I try to keep a tight ship." Mom always a ran a tight ship when we were kids, whereas things were much more laidback at my Dad's.

See also: ship, tight

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

tight ship

A well-managed organization, as in The camp director runs a tight ship. This metaphoric term alludes to a ship in which the ropes are taut and by extension the ship is strictly managed. [Second half of 1900s]

See also: ship, tight

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

tight ship

A well-managed and efficient business, household, or organization: We run a tight ship.

See also: ship, tight

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.