all dressed up and nowhere to go

all dressed up and nowhere to go

Ready for an event or occasion that has since been canceled. Jimmy canceled our date tonight, so I'm all dressed up and nowhere to go. A: "Why is Jill is all dressed up and nowhere to go?" B: "Oh, because the friend she was supposed to meet got sick."
See also: all, and, dress, go, nowhere, up
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

all dressed up and nowhere to go

 and all dressed up with nowhere to go completely ready for something
that has been postponed or has failed to materialize. (May be literal or figurative.) Tom: I just heard that your company is closed today. Fred: Gee, I'm all dressed up and nowhere to go. The space shot was cancelled, so all the astronauts are all dressed up with nowhere to go.
See also: all, and, dress, go, nowhere, up
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

all dressed up with nowhere to go

or

all dressed up with no place to go

1. If someone is all dressed up with nowhere to go or all dressed up with no place to go, they are wearing clothes suitable for going out somewhere special, but are not going anywhere. An unexpected houseguest forced Mike to postpone his date with Susan. Left all dressed up with nowhere to go, Susan felt embarrassed. Note: You can also say that someone is all dressed up and nowhere to go or all dressed up and no place to go. She sat there, not knowing what to do with herself. `I'm all dressed up,' she thought, `with no place to go.'
2. If someone is all dressed up with nowhere to go or all dressed up with no place to go, they are ready to do something but that thing is not happening. The end of the Cold War left Western troops all dressed up with nowhere to go. Note: You can also say that someone is all dressed up and nowhere to go or all dressed up and no place to go. For many of the commanders at sea, it was a classic `all dressed up and nowhere to go' scenario.
See also: all, dress, go, nowhere, up
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

all dressed up and (or with) nowhere (or no place) to go

prepared for action but having nothing to do or unable to be proceeded with. informal
The expression is an adaptation of the title of a song ( 1913 ) by Silvio Hein and Benjamin Burt , ‘When You're All Dressed Up and No Place to Go’.
2004 Time Because Jeffords' departure put control of Senate committees in Democratic hands, President Bush's proposed National Missile Defense (NMD) is now all dressed up with nowhere to go.
See also: all, and, dress, go, nowhere, up
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • all dressed up with nowhere to go
  • be all dressed up and nowhere to go
  • doll
  • dolled up
  • (all) dolled up
  • result
  • as a result
  • because of
  • fine by (one)
  • go through hell and high water