all dressed up and nowhere to go

== English == === Alternative forms === all dressed up and no place to go all dressed up with no place to go all dressed up with nowhere to go === Pronunciation === === Adjective === all dressed up and nowhere to go (not comparable) (idiomatic) Elaborately attired or otherwise fully prepared for an anticipated situation or activity which, nevertheless, fails to occur. 1924 December 1, the musical "Lady, Be Good!," premiered on Broadway at the Liberty Theatre; music by George Gershwin, lyrics by Ira Gershwin. Therein, the introductory verse to the song "Oh, Lady be Good!" includes the lyric: Listen to my tale of woe, It's terribly sad but true. All dressed up, no place to go, Each evening I'm awfully blue. ==== Synonyms ==== confounded, stymied === References === “all dressed up and nowhere to go”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.