To get one's ducks in a row means to take care of one's duties and responsibilities, to organize one's affairs. One possible origin is a lawn bowling game that was popular in the 1700s, which involved setting up duck pins, obviously, in a row. ...

What does it mean to put your ducks in a row?

To get your ducks in a row means to organize your tasks and schedule so that you are ready for the next step. ... Get your ducks in a row has become a cliché, and some people object to its use. You should avoid it when you write. Instead, simply say "get organized" or "prepare yourself."

Where did the phrase get your ducks in a row come from?

Writers have suggested that the idiom comes from the game of pool, in which a ball in front of a pocket, an easy shot, is sometimes called a duck. To have a row of balls ready to be potted was to have all one's ducks in a row.