Shape Up or Ship Out Came From the Military
A shape is the external form of something. The phrase shape up dates from American wartime service.
A shape is the external form or outline of something. *Shape up or ship out* is American military slang from the Second World War: improve your performance or be posted overseas. It survives in civilian English as a general warning, with most speakers unaware that shipping out was once a literal threat. Old English *scieppan* meant to create, and it gives *-ship* in *friendship* and *hardship*, originally meaning the condition or shape of something.
- External form. *An odd shape.*
- Condition. *In good shape.*
- To form. *Shape the dough.*
- Shape up — to improve. *Shape up.*
- Old English — *scieppan*, to create. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | shape | A shape. |
| Plural | shapes | Shapes. |
| Verb | shape | Shape it. |
| Adjective | shapely | Shapely. |
| Adjective | shapeless | Shapeless. |
- Cut the pastry into shapes.Form.
- He is in good shape.Condition.
- Shape up or ship out.Idiom.
Shape in phrases
- In shape — physically fit
- Out of shape — unfit, or deformed
- Shape up — to improve behaviour or performance
- Take shape — to become defined
- Bent out of shape — American, meaning annoyed
Old English *gesceap*, form or creation, from *scieppan*, to create or form.
Where does shape up or ship out come from?
American military slang of the Second World War: improve or be sent overseas.
Is the suffix -ship related?
Yes. Friendship and hardship contain the same root, originally meaning the condition or shape of something.