up and at 'em

English

Pronunciation

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Phrase

up and at 'em

1. (idiomatic) Vigorously launched or launching into an activity.
   • 1945 November 12, “Sport: Stretch Drive”, in Time, retrieved 29 May 2015:

     At 41, Jockey Richards was still up and at 'em last week, and his wrists and knees were still persuasive enough to boot home the winner in Newmarket's Icklingham Stakes.

   • 2002 September 15, Simon Schama, “A Whiff of Dread for the Land of Hope”, in New York Times, retrieved 29 May 2015:

     [O]nly two alternative responses seem available: irrepressible up-and-at-'em chirpiness or apocalyptic hysteria.

   • 2011 September 9, Andrea Sachs, “Bed Check: Mountain dreamin’ in W. Va.”, in Washington Post, retrieved 29 May 2015:

     I padded downstairs to find everyone up and at 'em, their day leaps ahead of mine.

   • 2013 November 18, Stephen Brenkley, “Peter Siddle hungry to leave some banana skins in England's path”, in Independent, UK, retrieved 29 May 2015:

     Siddle is the sort of up-and-at-'em, tearaway fast bowler whom you imagine to train on raw red meat while running over a bed of hot coals.

Usage notes

• Sometimes used to express a command, with an unexpressed but implied imperative action verb, as in:

Okay, team, [get] up and at 'em and make every shot count!

• Sometimes used specifically to urge a person to rise from bed, with the same sense as rise and shine.

See also

• onwards and upwards