# show a leg

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/show-a-leg
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To wake up and get out of bed.

## Examples

- Come on, show a leg and get ready for school.
- It is already ten in the morning, so you need to show a leg and start your chores.
- Despite his exhaustion from the long journey, he knew he had to show a leg if he wanted to reach the summit before the storm arrived.

## Origin

Supposedly originated in the 19th-century Royal Navy as a waking call. (disputed)

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.