English idiom

get the show on the road

Register · Informal CEFR B2

Post

Figurative meaning

to begin a project or activity that has been delayed

Why this phrase?

A travelling show is pictured loading its wagons and starting the journey; the phrase urges the group to begin.

Example

“Enough planning — let's get the show on the road.”

Recorded usage

These full forms were measured in COCA in 2016–2017. Counts apply to the quoted form, not every use of this idiom; overlapping forms are not added together.

“Let's get this show on the road” — 23 recorded occurrences

Grouped source variants; editorially classified here as an idiom. Usage counts are separate from CEFR difficulty.

Dictionary details

Tags

Expressions connected by reviewed component words or topic tags.

back to square one

to return to the beginning of a task after an attempt has failed

come into play

to start to have an effect or become relevant

throw somebody in at the deep end

to make someone start a difficult task with little preparation or help

back to basics

returning to the simple, fundamental principles of an activity

easier said than done

Something that sounds simple to do but is actually hard.

for the time being

temporarily, until circumstances change

Source methodology

Meanings, register, CEFR, and examples come from the reviewed dictionary record. Expression notes may describe a reviewed present-day word picture or a background note; they are not presented as verified etymology.

External links

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