Idiom
have one's ducks in a row
Meaning
To be organized; to have one's affairs in order; specifically, to have a multiperson effort coordinated towards the exact same goal.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“Make sure you have your ducks in a row before the meeting.”
“I need to have my ducks in a row before I start my tax return.”
“The project manager insisted that every team member have their ducks in a row before we launched the new website.”
“We cannot sign the lease for the new apartment until we have our ducks in a row regarding the security deposit and references.”
“The wedding planner worked hard to ensure the caterers and the band had their ducks in a row before the guests arrived at the reception.”
“Before presenting the proposal to the board, she spent weeks ensuring that every department head had their ducks in a row to guarantee a unified strategy.”
Examples
simple
“Make sure you have your ducks in a row before the meeting.”
“I need to have my ducks in a row before I start my tax return.”
contextual
“The project manager insisted that every team member have their ducks in a row before we launched the new website.”
“We cannot sign the lease for the new apartment until we have our ducks in a row regarding the security deposit and references.”
“The wedding planner worked hard to ensure the caterers and the band had their ducks in a row before the guests arrived at the reception.”
complex
“Before presenting the proposal to the board, she spent weeks ensuring that every department head had their ducks in a row to guarantee a unified strategy.”
Origin
Probably from the image of ducklings following their mother in an orderly line, the phrase is a relatively modern addition to the lexicon with no confirmed historical namesake or specific date of origin. The visual of aquatic birds in a singular file remains the most likely source for the idiom.
Key words
Related idioms
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