working well.

I'd just awakened and I didn't have my brain in gear yet.

Usage notes: often used in the form get something (back) in gear:

Leaders from both sides will meet in Washington in an effort to get peace talks back in gear.

Etymology: based on the idea of an engine with gears (= machine parts that help an engine move or operate a machine or vehicle)

• beat someone to it
• beat someone to the punch
• beat someone to within an inch of life
• beat someone to within an inch of their life
• beat someone up
• beat swords into ploughshares
• be at the bottom of
• be at the bottom of something
• beat the bushes
• beat the daylights out of
• beat the daylights out of someone
• beat the drum
• be at the end of tether
• be at the end of your tether
• beat the hell out of
• beat the hell out of someone
• beat the hell out of something
• beat the living daylights out of
• beat the living daylights out of someone
• be at the mercy of
• be at the mercy of someone
• be at the mercy of something
• beat the pants off
• beat the rap
• be at the receiving end