lean and mean

lean and mean

Ready, able, and willing to work hard and achieve the desired results, especially in an efficient or dominant manner. We've been training every day in the off-season, so our team is looking lean and mean this year. After 15 years of experience in this industry, our little accounting firm is lean and mean.
See also: and, lean, mean
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

lean and mean

Fig. fit and ready for hard, efficient work. Dave got himself lean and mean and is ready to play in Saturday's game. The management is lean and mean and looks to turn a profit next year.
See also: and, lean, mean
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

lean and mean

mod. capable and ready for hard, efficient work. Ron got himself lean and mean and is ready to play in Saturday’s game.
See also: and, lean, mean
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions
See also:
  • along the right lines
  • can’t win em all
  • can’t win them all
  • can't win them all
  • You can’t win ’em all
  • You can’t win them all
  • you can't win 'em all
  • you can't win them all
  • (you) can't win them all
  • come up dry
References in periodicals archive
Measure the amount he eats daily and consider cutting down or try a lower fat formula to keep him lean and mean.
Ticked off with beasties; pets corner
In today's manufacturing environment where the difference between financial success and ruin is often measured in pennies per part, enterprises must operate their businesses with an eye toward becoming increasingly "lean and mean" and in control of their system.
Go lean or go gone: Enterprise Resource Planning--ERP--is part of the Lean strategy to boost bottom-line profits
The war coverage, interestingly enough, has included a ton of criticism of the Bush administration, and particularly Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, for a lean and mean approach to the war.
As it is turning out, the pundits were wrong, and the lean and mean strategy of the administration is, perhaps, a metaphor for our times.
I have worked in fat and happy organizations, and I have worked for lean and mean companies.
Lean and mean
Yes, it's true that most finance functions can rightfully call themselves lean and mean after a decade of driving down costs and improving productivity, both of which were mostly fueled by the labor/technology exchange that marked the 1990s.
Transforming Finance into a Competitive Weapon