Meaning
Eagerly involved, quickly inserted, or forcefully participating in something. Current informal simile, more frequent in Canada Regional use: Especially Canada; related forms occur elsewhere.
Origin
Like a dirty shirt occurs in several English varieties, including an older off like a dirty shirt pattern. The specific in there like a dirty shirt construction is now predominantly Canadian by frequency and is documented in Canadian contexts from the 1970s onward. DCHP treats it as likely preservation or Canadian specialisation rather than proving a Canadian coinage.
Research Sources
References used to check this entry’s meaning, history, or documented forms.
Variants
- all over it like a dirty shirt
- in there like a dirty shirt
- on it like a dirty shirt
Usage Examples
- As soon as the fiddle started, Mae was in there like a dirty shirt.
- Offer him a chance to restore an engine and he will be all over it like a dirty shirt.