show a leg
English edit
Etymology edit
Supposedly originated in the 19th-century Royal Navy as a waking call.[1]
Pronunciation edit
Audio (AU) (file)
Verb edit
show a leg (third-person singular simple present shows a leg, present participle showing a leg, simple past showed a leg, past participle shown a leg)
- (idiomatic, nautical, chiefly imperative) To wake up and get out of bed.
- Show a leg or you’re going to be late.