straighten up and fly right en · VERB
Meanings
-
(colloquial, idiomatic) To start behaving properly; get one's act together.
Now, we are going to straighten up and fly right is what was said. Well, we didn't straighten up and fly right. We continued our wild spending at home and abroad.
1973, United States, Foreign assistance and related agencies appropriations for 1974, hearings …, 93-1, Subcommittee on Foreign Operations and Related Agencies …, →OCLC, page 801:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| straightened up and flew right | Tense=Past | lexicographic | |
| straightening up and flying right | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| straightens up and flies right | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic | |
| straightened up and flown right | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic |
Relateds
straight and narrow · wake up and die right
Synonyms
Translations (5)
fi ryhdistäytyä (to start behaving properly; get one's act together) · pl poważnieć (to start behaving properly; get one's act together) · de sich zusammenreißen (to start behaving properly; get one's act together) · pl spoważnieć (to start behaving properly; get one's act together) · fr se ranger des voitures (to start behaving properly; get one's act together)