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3. roll up one's sleeves

roll up one's sleeves

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roll up one's sleeves

Prepare to work, as in When he saw how much snow had fallen he simply rolled up his sleeves and went to find the shovel . This expression, alluding to turning one's sleeves upward to avoid getting them wet or dirty, is used both literally and more loosely, as in the example here.

See also: roll, sleeve, up