English

Phrase

up and at 'em

1. (idiomatic, hyphenated when used attributively) Vigorously launched or launching into an activity.
   • 1945 Nov. 12, "Sport: Stretch Drive," Time (retrieved 29 May 2015):

     At 41, Jockey Richards was still up and at 'em last week, and his wrists and knees were still persuasive enough to boot home the winner in Newmarket's Icklingham Stakes.

   • 2002 Sep. 15, Simon Schama, "A Whiff of Dread for the Land of Hope," New York Times (retrieved 29 May 2015):

     [O]nly two alternative responses seem available: irrepressible up-and-at-'em chirpiness or apocalyptic hysteria.

   • 2011 Sep. 9, Andrea Sachs, "Bed Check: Mountain dreamin’ in W. Va.," Washington Post (retrieved 29 May 2015):

     I padded downstairs to find everyone up and at 'em, their day leaps ahead of mine.

   • 2013 Nov. 18, Stephen Brenkley, "Peter Siddle hungry to leave some banana skins in England's path," Independent (UK) (retrieved 29 May 2015):

     Siddle is the sort of up-and-at-'em, tearaway fast bowler whom you imagine to train on raw red meat while running over a bed of hot coals.

Usage notes

• Sometimes used to express a command, with an unexpressed but implied imperative action verb, as in:

Okay, team, [get] up and at 'em and make every shot count!

• Sometimes used specifically to urge a person to rise from bed, with the same sense as "rise and shine".