ready (redirected from readies)

*ready (to do something)

prepared to do something. (*Typically: be ~; get ~.) Get ready to jump! It's time to get ready to go to work.

(Are you) ready for this?

a way of presenting a piece of news or information that is expected to excite or surprise the person spoken to. Tom: Boy, do I have something to tell you! Are you ready for this? Mary: Sure. Let me have it! Tom: Now, here's a great joke! Are you ready for this? It is so funny! Alice: I can hardly wait.

(Are you) ready to order?

Would you please tell me what you want as your meal? (A standard phrase used in eating establishments to find out what a customer wants to eat.) The waitress came over and asked, "Are you ready to order?" Tom: I know what I want. What about you, Sally? Are you ready to order? Sally: Don't rush me!

all dressed up and nowhere to go and all dressed up with nowhere to go completely ready for something

that has been postponed or has failed to materialize. (May be literal or figurative.) Tom: I just heard that your company is closed today. Fred: Gee, I'm all dressed up and nowhere to go. The space shot was cancelled, so all the astronauts are all dressed up with nowhere to go.

See also: and, dress, nowhere, up

Anytime you are ready, and Anytime you're ready.

a phrase indicating that the speaker is waiting for the person spoken to to make the appropriate move or action. Mary: I think it's about time to go. Bill: Anytime you're ready. Surgeon: Shall we begin the operation?Nurse: Anytime you're ready, Doctor.

See also: anytime

on your mark, get set, go and ready, set, go

[in preparing to start a race involving speed] move to the starting point, get set to move, go. Runners on your mark, get set, go.

See also: get

ready, willing, and able

Cliché eager or at least willing [to do something]. If you need someone to help you move furniture, I'm ready, willing, and able. Fred is ready, willing, and able to do anything you ask him.

See also: able, and

rough-and-ready 

1. strong, active, and ready for anything. John is not exactly rough-and-ready, but he is a moderately good athlete. Ralph is very rough-and-ready, but his table manners are very bad.

2. Go to rough-and-tumble.

rough-and-tumble and rough-and-ready

disorderly; aggressive. That was a rough-and-tumble football game. George is too rough-and-ready for me. He doesn't know how to act around civilized people.

when one is good and ready

when one is completely ready. I'll be there when I'm good and ready. Ann will finish the job when she's good and ready and not a minute sooner.

See also: and, good, one

---

be ready to roll 

1. (mainly American) to be going to start soon The new TV series from the Hill Street Blues creator, Steve Bochco, is ready to roll.

2. (American) to be going to leave soon Give me a call when you're ready to roll, and I'll meet you outside.

See also: roll

fit/ready to drop

extremely tired I'd just walked 10 miles and I was ready to drop.

See drop guard, drop into lap

See also: drop, fit

ready cash/money

money that is immediately available to spend They need investors with ready money if they're going to get the project started.

See fit to drop

See also: cash

rough and ready 

1. if you do something in a rough and ready way, you do it quickly and without preparing it carefully I've done a rough and ready translation of the instructions. I hope it's clear enough.

2. not very polite or well educated Just a warning about the men who work for him, they're a bit rough and ready.

See also: and, rough

---

at the ready

ready for use Military police leapt out of the car, their weapons at the ready.

make ready to do something

to prepare to do something He made ready to jump in the water and swim to shore as soon as the boat neared the beach.

See also: make

ready to roll

1. prepared to start doing something Once you have the software loaded, you're ready to roll.

2. prepared to leave Give me a call when you're ready to roll.

See also: roll