Get your ducks in a row means get organised and prepare everything: we need to get our ducks in a row before we invite the suppliers. Have your ducks in a row means you're already prepared: she had all her ducks in a row before applying. It's informal and mostly American.
When would you say get your ducks in a row?
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get / have my / your / our / their ducks in a row
- We need to get our ducks in a row before we invite the suppliers.
- She had all her ducks in a row before applying for the permit.
- Give me a day to get my ducks in a row and I will confirm the dates.
What changed
First versionLet's get our ducks on a row before the meeting.
RevisionLet's get our ducks in a row before the meeting.
Ducks sit on water, and on seems natural for a line: on a row. But English says in a row, as in three days in a row.
Put things in order means tidy up, including literally, in a room. Get your ducks in a row is about preparing for a task: documents, dates, agreements. In an essay, the neutral make the necessary preparations works better.
Your turn
Complete the idiom about becoming organized and prepared: Get your ducks ___ a row before you start.
Show the answer
in — The fixed phrase is in a row. On a row isn't used.
Name an important event and what you need to prepare for it, using get your ducks in a row.
We need to get our ducks in a row by confirming the room and sending the invitations.
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