Green’s Dictionary of Slang

together adj.

1. aware, in control, self-assured, au fait, sophisticated.

[US]N. Heard Howard Street 78: The monotony of thinking about getting ‘together’ – getting a job and living like Franchot.
[US]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.
[US]E. Folb 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.
[UK]W. Russell Educating Rita II vii: It’s like Trish, y’ know me flatmate, I thought she was so cool and together.
[US]N. McCall Makes Me Wanna Holler (1995) 117: Everybody at Norfolk State looked so together.
[Aus]R.G. Barrett Goodoo Goodoo 59: You’re a really together guy, Les.
[US]P. Beatty Tuff 107: If shit was so righteous and together back in the day, how come you turned out so fucked-up?
[UK]K. Richards Life 157: I was feeling so ragged [...] and these brothers were so together.

2. of a place or situation, excellent, first-rate.

[US]G. Scott-Heron Vulture (1996) 56: Cool Spade. The man has done it again. His program is so together.
[US]H.E. Roberts 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.
[US]W.D. Myers Autobiog. of My Dead Brother 20: ‘Yo, man, that [i.e. intimidating a witness] is so not together’.

3. united.

[US]‘Hy Lit’ 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.
[US]Eble Campus Sl. Fall 5: They’re really a together band.

4. prepared, organized.

[US]M. Agar Ripping and Running 140: You get your bread together, you can score.
[US]V.E. Smith Jones Men 166: You money must be together for that kinda action.
[US]Eble Campus Sl. Fall 7: together – organized, with a sense of purpose, meaning.
[US]W.D. Myers Slam! 2: Mr. Tate, the principal [...] started talking about me laying low for the season until I got my grades together.
[US]B. Coleman 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’.
[US]N. Walker Cherry 4: ‘It isn’t like I’m not going to have you together real soon’.

5. (US black) emotionally pleasing, satisfactory .

W.D. Myers 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

get it together (v.) (orig. US black)

1. to start a sexual relationship.

[US]L. Kramer Faggots 23: It’s not possible for two men to get it together.
[UK]J. Sullivan ‘Go West Young Man’ Only Fools and Horses [TV script] Monica and I were having difficulties getting it all together on a one-to-one basis.
[UK]Jade LB Keisha the Sket (2021) 48: We had onli gt it 2gva just b4 summa.

2. to make a decision, to take action.

[US]G. Cain Blueschild Baby 83: Brother we got it together. Every day we drill and help each other.
[US]D. Claerbaut Black Jargon in White America 65: get it together v. 1. to organize or prepare something.
[US]T. Wolff ‘Leviathan’ in 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.’.

3. to pull oneself together, to stop vacillating etc.

Meyer & Ebert 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.
[US]Current Sl. VI 5: Get it together, v. To resolve one’s identity.
[UK]‘P.B. Yuill’ 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.
[Scot]I. Welsh Trainspotting 291: Wir aw gaunnae be wiped oot if we dinnae git it thegether.
[Ire]P. Howard The Joy (2015) [ebook] After about half an hour or so, I get it together and manage to get up again.
[UK]Indep. Mag. 26 Feb. 15: Even when he was pissed he’d get it together for a gig.
[Ire]J.-P. Jordan Joys of War 120: I did manage to see the kids when I was able to get it together enough to see them .
get one’s act together (v.)

see under act n.

get oneself together (v.) (orig. US)

1. to dress oneself well.

[US]D.G. Phillips 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.

[US]W.R. Burnett 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.
[US]C. Cooper Jr Syndicate (1998) 43: I bet the rub-out guy was so surprised that he couldn’t get himself together.
[US]D. Claerbaut Black Jargon in White America 66: get yourself togetherinterj. 1. to regain control of yourself; return to proper functioning.
[UK]T. Stoppard 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!
W.D. Myers 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.

[US]N. Heard Howard Street 78: When you gon’ get youself together, Lonnie?
[US](con. 1950s) D. Goines Whoreson 87: That way you can get yourself together, baby, ’cause I really dig you.
[US]E. Folb Runnin’ Down Some Lines 175: Get yourself together, girl!
[US] Tarantino & Avery Pulp Fiction [film script] 17: Git yourself together.
S.D. Manning 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.

[US]C. Cooper Jr Scene (1996) 177: ’You told him you’d have the money?’ ‘I told him I’d have to get myself together.’.
[US]W.D. Myers Handbook for Boys 24: [A]s soon as I got myself together, I would catch up on the rent.
get one’s eyes together (v.)

see under eyes n.1

get one’s game together (v.)

see under game n.

get one’s head together (v.)

see under head n.

get together (v.)

1. (US campus) to have sexual relations, with or without intercourse.

W.R. Burnett Giant Swing 36: Never made one pass at him, or hinted that things would be pretty interesting if they got together.
[UK]P. Hamilton 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.
E. Condon We Called It Music 114: Barbara and I managed to get together.
[UK]J. Curtis 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.
R. Charles 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’.
[US]W.D. Myers Outside Shot 50: ‘Neither one of us has anybody heavy, so you know, maybe we can get together’.
[UK]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.
[US]R. Gordon 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.

[US]H.E. Roberts Third Ear n.p.: get together v. [...] 3. to enhance one’s appearance; e.g. You’d better get that hair together!
hang together (v.)

(US black) to survive.

[UK]J. Mowry 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?
keep it together (v.) (orig. US black)

1. to maintain a satisfactory lifestyle.

[US]E. Folb 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.

[US]W.D. Myers 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 .
[US](con. 1982–6) T. Williams Cocaine Kids (1990) 59: I have a problem myself keeping everything together.
[UK]N. Griffiths Grits 45: Am tryin, tho, am rirly tryin tuh keep it tuhgether.
[US]K. Powers 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’.
[Can]J.A. Struthers 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 .
[US]A. Trebek 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.
put together (adj.)

emotionally stable, calmed down.

[US]D. Di Prima 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.