Clear the Deck!

Posted on by Victoria

I’m usually the first one up at our house and I wondered aloud the other morning…as I spent the first few minutes of my not-quite-awake-state shuffling around our kitchen and family room. Talking to myself, asking a ridiculous question before the sun was up:

What’s the origin of the idiom, “clear the deck”?

Here’s what I found on theidioms.com:

The phrase “clear the deck” has been around for centuries, with first use attributed to British sailor John Smith in 1630. According to John Smith, the phrase was taken from a command given by admirals of Royal Naval ships when they were preparing for battle. Naval personnel were instructed to clear the deck, discard unnecessary items, and report to their designated stations. This order has been translated into many contexts since then; it symbolizes the need for a thorough level of preparedness in any venture one pursues if they are determined to be successful. The original phrase still rings true today as an everlasting reminder that success often requires careful planning and discipline.

I’m no sailor, but clearing the deck is a hardwired habit for me. Here’s what I mean – about my early morning routine:


I make the rounds in the kitchen first, tidying up the few dishes left on the counter from the night before and I wipe away the wet spots. Then I nestle the washed and now air-dried pots and pans – like Russian dolls – into their stacked spots in their designated cupboards.


Morning pills. We’re regimented around here about morning meds and supplements. I retrieve the jars and bottles and pause to straighten wonky placemats as I plop the multi-colored array on the kitchen island.


Hubby Paul loves using the island for projects (even though he has a garage…and a workbench…and ample space elsewhere) but I try to hush up about it. I scooch his latest work-in-progress, wires and tools and more – to the side. To make room for him to sit and take those aforementioned “morning pills”.


I catch of glimpse of the pile-up of throw pillows and blankets on the sofa and wander that way. Folding the three softies lengthwise and then rolling them so they look like little sausages, I tuck them into their basket. I spy a couple of crumbs on the coffee table from the night before…Trader Joe’s dark chocolate peanut butter cup wrappers… and I scoop them up, carrying them to the garbage can. Finally laying eyes on the coffee maker.


Oof. I also see a load of laundry that’s heaped in a basket, so I pause and do a quick fold of towels and wonder how much time’s elapsed in my morning sweep. In the retelling here it might sound like a lot, but it wasn’t. Everything took less than ten minutes to do. Tops.


As I park in my favorite swivel chair, I turn and see the kitchen is in order and I think about my next task. Make the coffee. I’m smiling, all by myself, taking in the scene. Grateful for my home, my health, my life. I know I could skip the “clear the deck routine” anytime I wanted to. Paul wouldn’t care. He’s that way. Kind. Forgiving. Tolerant of messes. Not only his own but mine, too…and by that I mean both the physical messes and the emotional pileups. Present, past and all the in between.


Which brings my long-departed dad, Sonny, to mind. He was the original “clear the deck” guy. Famous for putting the Sunday newspaper into the recycling bin before anyone had read it. 😉 Just to tidy up. He was famous for his love of vacuuming and could often be found with a Windex bottle swinging from his belt and a roll of paper towels under one arm and a chamois in the other.


Thinking about my morning ritual I understood the genetic aspect for the first time. For some of us, neat and tidy – especially when life is swirly – provides relief. Evidence, right before our eyes, that we have agency and power. Perhaps over the simplest of things, but agency nonetheless. And yes, taken to extreme, I see the potential for compulsion, but I think routines and rituals are sometimes maligned. Misunderstood. To each his own. Tidy if you want to. Clear the deck if that’s your meditative moment.


I wish I had a pic of my dad in his element, cleaning with abandon. He’d assume an alter ego that wasn’t very gender-aware – then or now. Blasting his favorite Tony Bennett tunes he’d get busy. And if we dared to interrupt him? He’d only answer to the name “Mary”. His tidying up persona.


Hail Mary and clear the deck, I say. But only if you want to.

Vicki 😉

P.S. I hear what you’re thinking. Yes – I can come over anytime. My rates are reasonable…I work for cookies. A good snickerdoodle will do! Maybe two.

P.P.S. You might enjoy these two posts about my dad. This one about missing out on a Tony Bennett concert…for a very good reason…and this one: “Sunny Sonny“. Goodness that reverberates, still.

Hi – I’m Victoria, Vicki, Dr. Vicki. I hold a doctorate in Adult Education and I’m a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), and author of Surviving Sue | Eckhartz Press.

Check out this link to learn more about my book “Surviving Sue” – all about resilience and love.

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49 thoughts on “Clear the Deck!”

  3. I absolutely love this and can identify with it all. the comfort in having some control over one’s life and a sense of order is imperative. especially when it wasn’t that way in the past.

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  5. Just reading about your morning routine fills me with a sense of calm. It’s like a physical manifestation of creating space to start the next thing. Love that Sonny did it too. Your observation, “Evidence, right before our eyes, that we have agency and power” is so powerful. Yes, if we tackle these things, we certainly can tackle the next.

    Beautiful post to start my day. Now I’m going to tidy up… 🙂 ❤

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    1. LOL – thanks for the endorsement, the love and the smile. You are so right on…I need to make space for the “next thing”. Might be why I have a sudden urge to attack the dust bunnies on the bathroom floor. Or is that an avoidance tactic? Hmm…either way, xo! 🥰

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  6. Instead of clearing the deck, our family calls it “redding up.” I’ve heard it across rural PA and it means to tidy up. My kids all laugh at me when I use it. They especially laugh when I’m like your dad and put away the Sunday paper or some equivalent in the recycling bin before anyone else has read it. I’ve gotten my share of “I’m still drinking from that glass, dad!” 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

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    1. Oh…’redding up’…that sounds vaguely familiar! Pennsylvania, Ohio…must be a connection there with slang. And yes – thanks for the giggle. Where’d my glass go? I forgot about that one! 😜😜😜

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  7. No snickerdoodles handy but I always have oatmeal cranberry cookies, my personal take on oatmeal raisin. Fair enough compensation?
    Shuffling over to Brian’s comment, I’ve been redding up my whole life. Rumor has it (and in Western Pa we know a good rumor when we hear it), it was born of the idea that one readies the room for company. Or family. Or just because.

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  8. Haha love this. Sonny obviously brought order to the chaos and bless him for being the saving Mary. Windex all the way. It’s my go to also.
    It’s funny, just as you said that the morning tidy only took 10 minutes I was thinking how it was feeling like too much for me. But 10 minutes I could do. 🤣
    The thing is “clearing the deck” is so necessary to move forward effectively. Whether it’s about cleaning up to get organized so you can prepare breakfast or make the coffee. Or whether it’s about clearing the emotions to make way for new thoughts and ideas. Clearing always feels good. It restores order and clarity.
    Love this post Vicki. Very meaningful.

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      2. Yes, yes! Busy doing too much at once most days…wishing I had more time for the ancestral detective work in your neck of the woods. Oh my. One day we’ll need a long chat about some of the things I’ve found. Think of you often as I’m trying to put pieces together, my friend. xo! 🥰🥰🥰 Hope you are doing well.

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      3. Chatting would be lovely. I’m ok, currently resting a twisted ankle. Trying to get back to my writing. It shouldn’t be so difficult to do something I enjoy so much. I’m sure I’ll get there

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      4. Oh dear…I’m sorry to hear about the ankle. Yikes. Take care of yourself. The writing will always be there…sometimes a lull is good. Sending big, big hugs your way! 🥰🥰🥰

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  12. I admire how orderly you are in the morning, Vicki! I’d be lucky if I don’t pour hot kettle water on myself in my half awake state! 😂

    I love learning more about the origins of the term “clear the deck.” It’s so important to have this approach to life and not just the moments of crisis.

    And I hear you on the Russian doll analogy of dishes to be cleared! My sink is practically pregnant with ten generations!

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    1. Oh my goodness…how do you do that? Make me giggle three times? Let’s not do the hot water on yourself nonsense, okay? I’ll also take your confession to mean you shouldn’t handle heavy equipment in the morning. Go slow, Ab. Go slow…LOL. And yep. I had an inkling about the ‘clear the deck’ reference and wowza. It fits. I get so sucked in by visual distractions.
      Last? Thank you for understanding my wacky Russian doll reference. You’re the best! xo! 🥰🥰🥰

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  13. Don’t we all like these moments when the rest of the house is quiet and we can fully concentrate on our tasks without interruption? My wife goes to bed much earlier than me, and while I always love being with her, I also enjoy this time alone.

    I’m a big fan of idioms. We used to have an ongoing project for most of the year. When a child came across one in a book while reading independently, I encouraged them to write and illustrate the literal meaning of the idiom. “Dad blew his top when I spilled milk all over the bills,” or “you’re driving me up the wall” make for some humorous illustrations.

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    1. Oh, Pete. You and Ab both have me in stitches…and maybe that’s a phrase we should research, too…why ‘stitches’ – sounds harmful, no?
      I love your ‘tales from the front’…of the classroom, that is. Idioms make for some wild visualizations with the youngsters, eh? Thank you so much for your fun comment. xo! 🥰

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  14. You had me smiling by describing Sonny with Windex (like a gunslinger!) and only answering to Mary. I think it’s neat how quirky people can be. And your morning ritual sounds calming. Clean up this and that. Prepare the house and yourself for the day. I’m also usually the first one awake, and I love the dark quiet of the mornings. I work on my personal projects before shifting to client work later on. Oh yeah, I almost forgot to add that I also love Trader Joe’s dark chocolate peanut butter cups! I just bought a couple containers yesterday. They’re delicious!! 🌞

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    1. I love that you loved that imagery of my dad! Sonny as a gunslinger — yes! And cheers to quiet mornings…and TJ’s dark chocolate pb cups! I haven’t had one for breakfast…but…my minds’s wandering. With a hot cup of coffee…maybe just one? 😜 Thanks so much for reading and for your kind comments, Dave! Appreciate you! 🥰

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  16. In our house, Tara’s the cleaner and I’m the deck-clearer. It’s a nice balance that works for us. Thank you for sharing the origin of the phrase; can’t say I’m the least bit surprised to learn that sailors invented it. Does this mean that pilots came up with “air out your grievances?”

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  17. We have the exact same morning routines and as I was reading this post I got goosebumps! I usually make coffee first then putz around putting things in order as it brews. Lighting is part of my routine. I have specific lights that add a touch of allure to a room and certain blinds that I lift allowing the light to filter in. Then I walk around with my coffee and tell my house how much I love her. It’s not a grand house but I’m so enamored with every single thing my eye lands on, from family pictures, to the art, the fireplace, a comfy chair, smooth countertop, and all those silly decorations I have collected over the years. It’s an outrageous love affair and one I participate in every damn morning. I thought I was the only one…hugs, C

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    1. You know what? Now that I think about it, I’m realizing your “morning posts” are some of my favorites! I remember – and you’re right! We do DO many of the same things. Loving our spaces and feeling gratitude. I love that connection between us, Cheryl! And gosh yes — light control. Mood lighting. Even evocative wallpaper! (Your post about that – yesterday – was so good!) Hugs back to you, morning girl! 🥰

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