Is at the ready meaning?

phrase. If you have something at the ready, you have it in a position where it can be quickly and easily used. Soldiers came charging through the forest, guns at the ready. Synonyms: poised, waiting, prepared, in readiness More Synonyms of at the ready.

Is at the ready an idiom?

(idiomatic) Ready; in a state of preparation or waiting; in position or anticipation.

Where does the phrase at the ready come from?

Phrase at the ready “in the position of a soldier’s firearm after the command ‘(make) ready! ‘” is attested from 1837. As an adverb, c. 1300, “at hand.” A ready-reckoner (1757) was a book of tabulated calculations of the sort used in ordinary business and housekeeping.

What dies at the ready mean?

• AT THE READY (adjective) Meaning: Ready for immediate use.

What does on deck mean?

1. Available, ready for action, as in We had ten kids on deck to clean up after the dance. [ Slang; second half of 1800s] 2. In baseball, scheduled to bat next, waiting near home plate to bat, as in Joe was on deck next.

How do you say I’m ready in different ways?

ready

  • 1 all set, arranged, completed, fit, in readiness, organized, prepared, primed, ripe, set.
  • 2 agreeable, apt, disposed, eager, game (informal) glad, happy, have-a-go (informal) inclined, keen, minded, predisposed, prone, willing.

What does be on your toes mean?

If you say that someone or something keeps you on your toes, you mean that they cause you to remain alert and ready for anything that might happen.

What does always at the ready mean?

Available for immediate use, as in Umbrellas at the ready, we were prepared to brave the storm. This idiom was originally a military term in which the ready denoted the position of a firearm prepared to be raised and aimed or fired. [ First half of 1800s]

What nationality is ready?

English: nickname for a provident man, from Middle English readi ‘prepared’, ‘prompt’. Irish: variant of Reddy. Scottish: variant of Reedie.

What does in the ready mean?

at the ready. : ready for immediate use kept guns at the ready. ready. verb. readied; readying.

Why do they call it on deck in baseball?

“On deck” refers to the main area of the ship, therefore the next batter up is also called “on deck”. “In the hold” refers to a holding place below deck, therefore the batter that came after the “on deck” player was originally called “in the hold”.

What is the dictionary definition of at the ready?

at the ready synonyms, at the ready pronunciation, at the ready translation, English dictionary definition of at the ready. adj. read·i·er , read·i·est 1. Prepared or available for service, action, or progress: I am ready to work.

Where does the idiom at the ready come from?

at the ready. Available for immediate use, as in Umbrellas at the ready, we were prepared to brave the storm. This idiom was originally a military term in which the ready denoted the position of a firearm prepared to be raised and aimed or fired.

Is the American Heritage Dictionary at the ready?

Available for immediate use: soldiers with machine guns at the ready; students with notebooks at the ready. American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.