gotta

(I've) got to get moving

I need to leave. Well, I've got to get going. It was lovely to see you, as always. Got to get moving before I miss my train!
See also: get, moving

(you've) got to get up pretty early in the morning to (do something)

It will not be easy for you to successfully do something, often something deceptive or skillful. When Mom caught me trying to sneak out of the house, all she said was, "You've got to get up pretty early in the morning to fool me." Sorry, but you've got to get up pretty early in the morning to beat me at poker.
See also: early, get, morning, pretty, up

a man's got to do what a man's got to do

A man must do what he feels needs to be done, even if it is dangerous or undesirable. Sometimes said ironically. It might be dangerous delivering water to the refugees, but a man's got to do what a man's got to do. I know it's a lot of cotton candy to eat, but a man's got to do what a man's got to do.
See also: what

if you wanna play, you gotta pay

1. You must pay some sort of fee or wager in order to participate in something. Hey, whoa, if you wanna play, you gotta pay—it's a $20 entry fee for this game. Come on, Tom, ante up. If you wanna play, you gotta pay around here.
2. By extension, if you want to participate in some activity, then you must be prepared to face the inevitable negative consequences associated with it. In the criminal world, everyone knows that doing time in prison is just a natural part of the gig. If you wanna play, you gotta pay. You're a bit hurt? Well if you wanna play, you gotta pay! I don't want a sissy on our team who can't handle getting injured.
See also: gotta, if, pay, wanna

I've got to fly

slang I have to leave; I must depart. Adam's waiting for me, so I've got to fly. Ooh, the train comes in five minutes, so I gotta fly—see you later!
See also: fly

something's got to give

The current situation cannot remain unchanged for much or any longer; one side or the other has got to yield to the other soon. ("Got to" is often contracted into the informal word "gotta" in this phrase.) You can't keep working these long hours without making any time for yourself or your family. Something's gotta give, Sam. I know you and Barry don't see eye to eye on this, but the business is suffering with you two locked in this standoff. Something has got to give!
See also: give

you('ve) gotta do what you('ve) gotta do

Said of any task or obligation that one must undertake or go through with, especially when it is difficult, unpleasant, undesirable, inconvenient, etc. ("Gotta" is a colloquial contraction of "got to.") Now, I don't like resorting to violence, but you gotta do what you gotta do when it comes to protecting your property. A: "Sorry for missing practice, but I promised the neighbors I would feed their pets." B: "No worries—you've gotta do what you've gotta do."
See also: gotta, what

you've got to crack a few eggs to make an omelet

Sometimes, you have to do unpleasant things in order to complete a task or meet a goal. Your students clearly don't respect you. I know you don't want to yell at them, but you've got to crack a few eggs to make an omelet. If I don't cut people's salaries, the company is going to go bankrupt. It's unfortunate, but you've got to crack a few eggs to make an omelet.
See also: crack, egg, few, make, omelet
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

gotta get up pretty early in the morning to (do something)

Rur. it would be difficult to do something (specified) because of the ability or quality involved. You gotta get up pretty early in the morning to cheat Bill Johnson. He's a sharp businessman for sure. You gotta get up pretty early in the morning to know your Bible better than Preacher Harris.
See also: early, get, gotta, morning, pretty, up

I've got to fly.

 and l('ve) gotta fly.; (I've) got to fly.
Fig. Inf. I have to leave right now. Time's up. I've got to fly. I've gotta fly. See you later.
See also: fly

You got to do what you got to do.

 and A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do.
One has to do whatever it is that one feels obliged to do. I know I wouldn't ever agree to that kind of thing, but you got to do what you got to do.
See also: what
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

I’ve got to fly

and I(‘ve) gotta fly
sent. I have to leave right now. I’ve gotta fly. See you later.
See also: fly

I‘ve gotta fly

verb
See I’ve got to fly
See also: fly, gotta

I gotta fly

verb
See I’ve got to fly
See also: fly, gotta
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions
See also:
  • (I've) got to get moving
  • got to get moving
  • have to be moving along
  • I have to be moving along
  • up to speed
  • moving
  • backward and forward
  • backward(s) and forward(s)
  • forwards
  • move about
References in periodicals archive
Gotta Love It 7's Seve Jarvin, Scott Babbage and Peter Harris became the 2013 champions when they took out Race 7 of the Winning Group JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff Championship on Sydney Harbour.
Gotta love the Giltinan: a few capsizes and plenty of flying 18 footers ensured the 2013 JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff Championship was one to remember
2 Someday you just gotta own a "first," and Grayman Knives has a great one for you.
Gotta-have knives: as if you needed any excuses!
TWO CRACKERS: Gotta Sing Gotta Dance (above) and Trespass (right)
All singing, all dancing; Other shows in the area include:
The debut novel of Brenda Brooks, Gotta Find Me An Angel is the imaginatively engaging story of a 30-something female film-projectionist whose haunting dreams of an old friend, having been dead for about twenty years, becomes reality as the young girl's ghost makes regular visits to her.
Gotta Find Me an Angel
OCTOBER You're a total optimist this month, which helps you when trampling to accomplish all the stuff ya gotta do.
Scorpio 10/24-11/22
In what promises to be a lively and star-studded event Career Transition for Dancers presents "Gotta Dance!
Hollywood homage
The album You Gotta Go There To Come Back will follow their platinum-selling third album Just Enough Education To Perform.
Kelly is ready to take on the world
The following minuscule item appeared in a cartoon balloon spotted in an ad for toys: "Gotta question?
If you spell de rigueur de rigeur you've got yourself an Oy Canada
"An actor's gotta have at least four bad marriages before we know he's straight," Aaron insists.
Straight? Hollywood?
His analysis of Spike Lee's journal Spike Lee's Gotta Have It is especially fascinating through its account of Lee's reliance on Black women's novels (particularly Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God and Toni Morrison's Sula) as thematic touchstones for his film.
Negotiating Difference: Race, Gender, and the Politics of Positionality
There were "Bikers for Jesus," as well as such slogans as "Real Men Are Promise Keepers" and "A Man's Gotta Do What a Man's Gotta Do." Out of the approximately 20,000 participants the sponsors claimed attended (and I estimated the same number), the great majority seemed to be working-class men between the ages of twenty-five and forty-five, with some in their early fifties.
A humanist among the faithful
For a break from the Norm tuck into a Twix, or if you gotta a hunger then you've gotta have a Snickers.
SWEET DREAM; FREE bar for every reader
I had a similar experience in 1986 at an early screening of Spike Lee's She's Gotta Have It.
Like Rashomon but different: the new black cinema
The scientists say anglers might apply the substance -- whimsically named "Gotta Bite" -- to lures to make gamefish all but leap into the boat.
They gotta have it
Summary: Srikakulam (Andhra Pradesh) [India], July 16 (ANI): The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and fire department team on Monday rescued at least 55 people, who were trapped following release of flood water from Vamsadhra river Gotta Barrage, in Srikakulam district.
Andhra: SDRF, fire dept. team rescue 55 people trapped in flood water