on deck

1. Available, ready for action, as in We had ten kids on deck to clean up after the dance . [ Slang ; second half of 1800s]

2. In baseball, scheduled to bat next, waiting near home plate to bat, as in Joe was on deck next . [1860s] Both usages allude to crew members being on the deck of a ship, in readiness to perform their duties.

Example Sentences

His memory of that day jumps ahead to night when, exhausted from the battle, he found an empty corner on deck to sleep.

From Los Angeles Times

Jamie xx / The Shrine / Jan. 23 You’re not going to have a better night on a dance floor than whenever Jamie xx is on deck.

From Los Angeles Times

“All hands should be on deck, working to persuade Republican senators to oppose this threat to health and science,” says former NIH Director Harold Varmus.

From Science Magazine

“I felt the ground literally shaking,” added Wells, who was standing on deck.

From Los Angeles Times

Not your typical singles mixer, All Hands on Deck is a high-energy matchmaking event where participants pitch their single friends to an audience of mostly singles with a slide deck presentation, the kind one might give to their team at work in a data report meeting.

From Los Angeles Times