together adj.
1. aware, in control, self-assured, au fait, sophisticated.
Howard Street 78: The monotony of thinking about getting ‘together’ – getting a job and living like Franchot. | ||
National Lampoon May 42/l: Just to show you how cool they are and everything they’ll lay a nickel of Michoacan or a couple of tabs of sunshine on you so you’ll know they’re together. | ||
Runnin’ Down Some Lines 127: There are a number of vernacular expressions that characterize the state of being and staying cool [...] to be together, to have it together. | ||
Educating Rita II vii: It’s like Trish, y’ know me flatmate, I thought she was so cool and together. | ||
Makes Me Wanna Holler (1995) 117: Everybody at Norfolk State looked so together. | ||
Goodoo Goodoo 59: You’re a really together guy, Les. | ||
Tuff 107: If shit was so righteous and together back in the day, how come you turned out so fucked-up? | ||
Life 157: I was feeling so ragged [...] and these brothers were so together. |
2. of a place or situation, excellent, first-rate.
Vulture (1996) 56: Cool Spade. The man has done it again. His program is so together. | ||
Third Ear n.p.: together adv., adj. […] 6. descriptive of a person or event near perfection; e.g. We made this down set in Harlem. last week and it was together. | ||
Autobiog. of My Dead Brother 20: ‘Yo, man, that [i.e. intimidating a witness] is so not together’. |
3. united.
Hy Lit’s Unbelievable Dict. of Hip Words 2: When using hi baby in a greeting, it means everything is uptight, friendly, and you are together. | ||
Campus Sl. Fall 5: They’re really a together band. |
4. prepared, organized.
Ripping and Running 140: You get your bread together, you can score. | ||
Jones Men 166: You money must be together for that kinda action. | ||
Campus Sl. Fall 7: together – organized, with a sense of purpose, meaning. | ||
Slam! 2: Mr. Tate, the principal [...] started talking about me laying low for the season until I got my grades together. | ||
Check the Technique 22: ‘I was the best musician out of all of us, so it was my job to keep things together when we were all just throwing ideas out there and jamming’. | ||
Cherry 4: ‘It isn’t like I’m not going to have you together real soon’. |
5. (US black) emotionally pleasing, satisfactory .
Darnell Rock Reporting 4: Moms made some tea, which is what she always does when things get serious. That was together because I know she’s definitely in my corner. |
In phrases
1. to start a sexual relationship.
Faggots 23: It’s not possible for two men to get it together. | ||
Only Fools and Horses [TV script] Monica and I were having difficulties getting it all together on a one-to-one basis. | ‘Go West Young Man’||
Keisha the Sket (2021) 48: We had onli gt it 2gva just b4 summa. |
2. to make a decision, to take action.
Blueschild Baby 83: Brother we got it together. Every day we drill and help each other. | ||
Black Jargon in White America 65: get it together v. 1. to organize or prepare something. | ||
Back in the World 185: ‘Bliss’s little girl came down with tonsillitis last month and Bliss never got it together to go see her in the hospital.’. | ‘Leviathan’ in
3. to pull oneself together, to stop vacillating etc.
Beyond Valley of the Dolls [film script] I went back in the stacks to do some research in the rare book collection. And who do I run into but my score? Cool, man. That’s getting it together. | ||
Current Sl. VI 5: Get it together, v. To resolve one’s identity. | ||
Hazell and the Three-card Trick (1977) 187: It was just a place to stay for a while till I got it all together again. | ||
Trainspotting 291: Wir aw gaunnae be wiped oot if we dinnae git it thegether. | ||
The Joy (2015) [ebook] After about half an hour or so, I get it together and manage to get up again. | ||
Indep. Mag. 26 Feb. 15: Even when he was pissed he’d get it together for a gig. | ||
Joys of War 120: I did manage to see the kids when I was able to get it together enough to see them . |
see under act n.
1. to dress oneself well.
Old Wives for New 210: ‘Don’t she know how to get herself together?’ demanded he of Murdock. And Jesse certainly was looking well, with her black-and-white check traveling dress that brought out every good point of her full figure. |
2. to sort out one’s emotions.
Tomorrow’s Another Day 81: The Greek sat for a long time staring—so long that Benny began to grow more and more uneasy. [...] he wasn’t at all prepared for a reaction like this. The Greek just couldn’t seem to get himself together. | ||
Syndicate (1998) 43: I bet the rub-out guy was so surprised that he couldn’t get himself together. | ||
Black Jargon in White America 66: get yourself togetherinterj. 1. to regain control of yourself; return to proper functioning. | ||
Jumpers Act I: He’s only missing in action, shot down behind the thin yellow lines of advancing Rad-Libs and getting himself together to go BOO! | ||
Autobiography of My Dead Brother 143: [H]e was crying. [...] I waited for C.J. to get himself together. It took a while. |
3. to mend one’s ways; to pull oneself together.
Howard Street 78: When you gon’ get youself together, Lonnie? | ||
(con. 1950s) Whoreson 87: That way you can get yourself together, baby, ’cause I really dig you. | ||
Runnin’ Down Some Lines 175: Get yourself together, girl! | ||
Tarantino & Avery Pulp Fiction [film script] 17: Git yourself together. | ||
From the Palace to the Prison 81: Get sober and get yourself together. Reach inside of you and become a better man or woman. |
4. to amass a sum of money.
Scene (1996) 177: ’You told him you’d have the money?’ ‘I told him I’d have to get myself together.’. | ||
Handbook for Boys 24: [A]s soon as I got myself together, I would catch up on the rent. |
see under eyes n.1
see under game n.
see under head n.
1. (US campus) to have sexual relations, with or without intercourse.
Giant Swing 36: Never made one pass at him, or hinted that things would be pretty interesting if they got together. | ||
To The Public Danger 60: cole: Well, Nancy — when do you and I get together? nan: How do you mean — get together? cole: Oh — just get together. nan: Well — not to-night, I’m afraid. We got too many mutual friends, ain’t we? cole: Yes. Let’s take ’em out and drop ’em. | ||
We Called It Music 114: Barbara and I managed to get together. | ||
Look Long Upon a Monkey 96: Very likely she was thinking about him, dreaming of him, wondering what it would be like if they got together. | ||
Brother Ray 276: ‘If you’re carrying something special in your womb, I can dig it. But listen here: That’s no reason why we can’t get together’. | ||
Outside Shot 50: ‘Neither one of us has anybody heavy, so you know, maybe we can get together’. | ||
Indep. on Sun. Real Life 11 July 2: When the lights go down and everyone’s meant to be asleep it’s far from unknown for couples to, erm, get together. | ||
Can’t Be Satisfied 155: [T]here was a young and beautiful waitress at Pepper's named Lois Anderson, and Muddy got together with her. |
2. (US black) to improve one’s appearance.
Third Ear n.p.: get together v. [...] 3. to enhance one’s appearance; e.g. You’d better get that hair together! |
(US black) to survive.
Way Past Cool 273: It for sure gonna make me look like a goddam fool if you go an pass out or somethin [...] Can you hang together another hour, man? |
1. to maintain a satisfactory lifestyle.
Runnin’ Down Some Lines 136: You cain’t keep it together if you bread too short. |
2. (also hold it together) to keep emotional control.
Fallen Angels 282: Lobel was just about holding it together. We had to get him back [...] [l]et him get the knots out of his nerves . | ||
(con. 1982–6) Cocaine Kids (1990) 59: I have a problem myself keeping everything together. | ||
Grits 45: Am tryin, tho, am rirly tryin tuh keep it tuhgether. | ||
Yellow Birds 147: [O]ne of the cops looked at me with a pitiable concern and said, ‘Try to keep it together, buddy. You’ll be back in the swing in no time’. | ||
Appel 137: I had to control my urge to freak out, but I literally saw the light at the end of the tunnel and managed to hold it together . | ||
The Answer Is 67: Once, I was doing a television newscast and a guy mooned me on the other side of the glass. I just barely kept it together. |
emotionally stable, calmed down.
Memoirs of a Beatnik 88: Two days and three suicide attempts later, somewhat put together, [. . .] Big Jack got on a bus and went back to his people in Worcester, Massachusetts. |
(US black/campus) an expression of approval.
Hy Lit’s Unbelievable Dict. of Hip Words 40: that’s together – Approval of something which is hip and which you really dig. | ||
Campus Sl. Nov. 4: that’s together! – an expression of approval (mostly used by blacks). |