get one's ducks in a row
get (one's) ducks in a row
To take action to become well-organized, prepared, and/or up-to-date. We need to get our ducks in a row to ensure that there are no problems at home while we're gone on our trip. Make sure Finance gets their ducks in a row before the audit.
get one's ducks in a row
Fig. to get one's affairs in order or organized. Jane is organized. She really gets all her ducks in a row right away. You can't hope to go into a company and sell something until you get your ducks in a row.
get one's ducks in a row
Also, have one's ducks in a row. Complete one's preparations, become efficient and well organized, as in I'm trying to get my ducks in a row before I go to Europe. This synonym for get one's act together probably alludes to lining up target ducks in a shooting gallery. [Slang; 1970s]