I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips

Definitions

• to be eager and ready to go
  Describing a group of people who are waiting and ready to spring into action

Examples of I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips

• The athletes looked poised and ready to start the race as they crouched in their starting positions. It was as if they were greyhounds waiting to be released from their slips.

  "I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips" is a figurative expression that describes a group of people or animals as being in a state of readiness or anticipation, similar to the way greyhounds wait eagerly in their starting gates before a race. In this example, the use of "greyhounds" and "slips" creates a vivid and dynamic image of the athletes' body language, conveying their eagerness and concentration. The phrase also implies that they are powerful and quick, like the speedy greyhounds they're compared to.

• The athletes were poised and ready to compete, their muscles tense and their eyes focused, like greyhounds in the starting gates before a race.

  This idiom compares the stillness and anticipation of people to that of greyhounds waiting to begin a race in the starting gates, or "slips." The image of greyhounds in the slips is one of quiet intensity, as the dogs wait for the starting gun to fire. The use of this idiom here suggests that the athletes are similarly focused and ready to give their all in their upcoming competition.

Conclusion

The idiom "I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips" is used to describe a group of people who are eagerly waiting and ready to spring into action. It can be used in a variety of contexts, such as in a sports team before a big game, or a group of employees waiting for an important meeting to start. The idiom conveys a sense of readiness and anticipation, suggesting that the group is poised and prepared to act.

Origin of "I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips"

The origin of this idiom can be traced back to the world of greyhound racing. In the sport of greyhound racing, the "slips" refer to the narrow starting boxes from which the dogs are released at the beginning of a race. When the dogs are in the slips, they are standing eagerly and ready to burst out and start running as soon as the gates open. This image of readiness and anticipation has been borrowed from the world of greyhound racing and applied to other contexts, giving rise to the idiom "I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips." The idiom captures the sense of eager anticipation and readiness to spring into action, making it a vivid and evocative way to describe a group of people who are poised and prepared to go.