get in the boat and row

present singular third person gets in the boat and rows · participle present getting in the boat and rowing · past got in the boat and rowed · UK participle past got in the boat and rowed · US participle past gotten in the boat and rowed · alternative get in the boat and start rowing

1. idiomaticintransitiveTo make a substantial effort, especially in cooperation with others in a group; also, to perform one's share of work.

   He [Ruckelshaus] encourages people not just to complain, but get into public service, or be involved. "Get in the boat and row," is his advice.

   2017 June 1, Knute Berger, quoting William Ruckelshaus, “Seattle's man in middle of Watergate scandal weighs in on Trump's”, in Crosscut.com, archived from the original on 19 May 2024

   2 more examples

   Mr. [Christopher] Keene himself only found out he was the committee's choice last Friday, […] "I have to spend the next six months finding out what's going on," he said. "I'm just going to get in the boat and row."

   1988 September 9, John Rockwell, “City Opera picks successor to [Beverly] Sills”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 30 Jan 2018

   Everyone has to contribute to the company. Whether they're an individual employee, a team lead, a manager, or someone from the overall executive team, everyone has to get in the boat and row.

   2017 September 15, April Nowicki, “Street Culture: Blind References Help Weed Out Drama at Zaius”, in Street Fight Magazine, archived from the original on 27 May 2022

   Synonyms: pull one's weight