Dictionary

roll up one's sleeves en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio

Meanings

1. (idiomatic, informal) To prepare to work.
   • TNo more pomp and ceremony, the new pope seemed to be saying, but sleeves rolled up and joining the fight for social and economic justice. 2025 April 21, Peter Stanford, “Pope Francis obituary”, in The Guardian:
   • "We could quite easily have folded today but thankfully they rolled up their sleeves and got back into it. We could even have won it. We had a couple of great opportunities but we just ran out of juice." 2011 October 1, Phil Dawkes quoting Steve Bruce, “Sunderland 2 - 2 West Brom”, in BBC Sport:
2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see roll, up, one's, sleeves.

Forms

Relateds

at the coal face · in the trenches

Synonyms

get one's act together · belly up to the bar · pull one's socks up · shape up · get down to brass tacks

Translations (48)

gl arremangar (roll one's sleeves up) · az qollarını çırmalamaq (roll one's sleeves up) · pt arregaçar as mangas (roll one's sleeves up) · uk засука́ти рукава́ (prepare to work) · pl podwinąć rękawy (roll one's sleeves up) · fr retrousser ses manches (roll one's sleeves up) · sv kavla upp ärmarna (roll one's sleeves up) · cmn 准备工作 (prepare to work) · es arremangarse (prepare to work) · fi kääriä hihat (prepare to work) · uk закача́ти рукави́ (prepare to work) · az qollarını çırmamaq (prepare to work) · hu feltűri az ingujját (roll one's sleeves up) · uk засу́кувати рукава́ (prepare to work) · nl de mouwen opstropen (prepare to work) · cy torchi ei lewys (prepare to work) · hu feltűri az inge ujját (roll one's sleeves up) · it smanicarsi (roll one's sleeves up) · pl zakasywać rękawy (prepare to work) · da smøge ærmerne op (roll one's sleeves up) · de die Ärmel hochkrempeln (prepare to work) · it rimboccarsi le maniche (roll one's sleeves up) · nl de mouwen opstropen (roll one's sleeves up) · uk зака́чувати рукави́ (prepare to work) · is bretta upp ermarnar (roll one's sleeves up) · is láta hendur standa fram úr ermum (prepare to work) · az qollarını çırmamaq (roll one's sleeves up) · ru засучи́ть рукава́ (prepare to work) · az qollarını çırmalamaq (prepare to work) · ru засучи́ть рукава́ (roll one's sleeves up) · sv kavla upp ärmarna (prepare to work) · fi kääriä hihat (roll one's sleeves up) · pt pôr a mão na massa (prepare to work) · de Ärmel hochkrempeln (roll one's sleeves up) · it rimboccarsi le maniche (prepare to work) · it darsi da fare (prepare to work) · fr retrousser ses manches (prepare to work) · cmn 捲起袖子 /卷起袖子 (roll one's sleeves up) · es arremangarse (roll one's sleeves up) · pl podwijać rękawy (roll one's sleeves up) · pl zakasać rękawy (prepare to work) · cy torchi ei lewys (roll one's sleeves up) · es ponerse las pilas (prepare to work) · sh zasuču rukavi (roll one's sleeves up) · ja 腕まくりする (roll one's sleeves up) · pt arregaçar as mangas (prepare to work) · ru заката́ть рукава́ (roll one's sleeves up) · da smøge ærmerne op (prepare to work)