line up one's ducks

Unknown. Most likely a reference to the line of ducks in a shooting gallery.

line up one's ducks (third-person singular simple present lines up one's ducks, present participle lining up one's ducks, simple past and past participle lined up one's ducks)

1. To organize one's affairs so that one is ready to act efficiently.
   • 1968, Henrietta Buckmaster, The lion in the stone: a novel, page 340:

     "Senator Allen was one reason he made up his mind to go to Washington. He'd like to get some of the windbags out of our way and line up our ducks."

   • 1971, George R. Metcalf, Up from Within: Today's New Black Leaders, page 230:

     On Saturday, August 1, the Commissioner lined up his ducks and summoned the owners to a conference the following day at 12:30 p.m. in his wood-paneled office on the twelfth floor at 410 Park Avenue.

   • 1972, United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on the Judiciary, Richard G. Kleindienst [and] Louis Patrick Gray III, page 1453:

     In other words, in the course of investigating the single contribution involving one company, Yellow Cab, they had discovered a whole chain involving other companies of C. Arnholt Smith and for that reason they wanted to get Thornton before he had time to line up his ducks.

   • 1992, B. J. Hoff, Land of a Thousand Dreams, page 128:

     Horace hasn't yet learned to line up his ducks before he starts shooting.

• have one's ducks in a row