dolled up

Idioms and Phrases

Also, all dolled up . Dressed or fixed up smartly and, often, ostentatiously, usually for a special occasion. For example, There's no need to get all dolled up—it's just a picnic , or They dolled up the classroom for parents' night . This expression alludes to a person or object being as attractive as a pretty doll. It is also put verbally, to doll up , as in I wanted to doll up my apartment before the guests arrived . [ Colloquial ; c. 1900] Also see gussied up .