get in the boat and row en · VERB
Pronunciation
- (Australia) audio
- /ˌɡɛt‿ɪn ðə ˈboʊt n̩ ˈɹoʊ/ (General-American)
- /ˌɡɛt‿ɪn ðə ˈbəʊt n̩ ˈɹəʊ/ (Received-Pronunciation)
Etymology
From the image of a person or group of people stepping into a boat and rowing to get it moving.
Meanings
-
(idiomatic, intransitive) To make a substantial effort, especially in cooperation with others in a group; also, to perform one's share of work.
He [Ruckelshaus] encourages people not just to complain, but get into public service, or be involved. "Get in the boat and row," is his advice.
2017 June 1, Knute Berger, quoting William Ruckelshaus, “Seattle's man in middle of Watergate scandal weighs in on Trump's”, in Crosscut.com, archived from the original on 19 May 2024:Mr. [Christopher] Keene himself only found out he was the committee's choice last Friday, […] "I have to spend the next six months finding out what's going on," he said. "I'm just going to get in the boat and row."
1988 September 9, John Rockwell, “City Opera picks successor to [Beverly] Sills”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 30 Jan 2018:Everyone has to contribute to the company. Whether they're an individual employee, a team lead, a manager, or someone from the overall executive team, everyone has to get in the boat and row.
2017 September 15, April Nowicki, “Street Culture: Blind References Help Weed Out Drama at Zaius”, in Street Fight Magazine, archived from the original on 27 May 2022:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| gets in the boat and rows | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic | |
| got in the boat and rowed | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | UK | lexicographic |
| got in the boat and rowed | Tense=Past | lexicographic | |
| getting in the boat and rowing | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| gotten in the boat and rowed | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | US | lexicographic |
| get in the boat and start rowing | alternative | lexicographic |
Relateds
Synonyms
Translations (7)
fi kantaa kortensa kekoon (to perform one’s share of work) · pl wykazywać inicjatywę (to make a substantial effort, especially in cooperation with others in a group) · pl wykazać inicjatywę (to make a substantial effort, especially in cooperation with others in a group) · pl robić swoje (to perform one’s share of work) · fi tehdä oma osuutensa (to perform one’s share of work) · pl zrobić swoje (to perform one’s share of work) · fi ponnistella (to make a substantial effort, especially in cooperation with others in a group)