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shape up or ship out. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
shape up or ship out, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
shape up or ship out in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
shape up or ship out you have here. The definition of the word
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English
Pronunciation
Verb
shape up or ship out (third-person singular simple present shapes up or ships out, present participle shaping up or shipping out, simple past and past participle shaped up or shipped out)
- (idiomatic) To either improve one's behavior or else be required to leave; to either improve one's performance in an activity or else withdraw from that activity completely.
1978 April 3, R. Z. Sheppard, “The Far Side of Friendship (review of Scott and Ernest by Matthew J. Bruccoli)”, in Time:Portions of those letters quoted by Bruccoli indicate that though Hemingway could be sympathetic, he used a lot of ink telling Fitzgerald to shape up or ship out.
Usage notes
Translations
to either improve one's behavior or else be required to leave
See also