to get one's act together = οργανώνομαι, συνέρχομαι, σοβαρεύομαι, συμμορφώνομαι, συμμαζεύομαι

[Theseus]

To get one's act together/to get oneself organised and on schedule/to need to improve, especially because one is inefficient or disorganised. Several examples:-
--I've got to get my act together and start getting my work done.
--When I have my act together, I'll get a job.
--The man who runs our post office never has any fresh vegetables in. He should get his act together. :angry:
--You have every chance to do well in this course, but you just need to change your attitude a bit. Get up early, go to class, finish your assignments on time, and get your act together."
--After years of inefficiency the company has finally updated its business methods, and is showing real signs of getting its act together.:)

 

[Palavra]

This is translated according to context; a generic translation would be «συγκεντρώνομαι» or «οργανώνομαι».

--I've got to get my act together and start getting my work done.

Πρέπει να οργανωθώ και να αρχίσω να κάνω τη δουλειά μου.

--When I have my act together, I'll get a job.

Όταν συνέλθω, θα πιάσω δουλειά.

--The man who runs our post office never has any fresh vegetables in. He should get his act together. :angry:

Ο υπεύθυνος του ταχυδρομείου δεν φέρνει ποτέ φρέσκα λαχανικά. Πρέπει να σοβαρευτεί.

--You have every chance to do well in this course, but you just need to change your attitude a bit. Get up early, go to class, finish your assignments on time, and get your act together."

Μπορείς να τα πας καλά σ' αυτό το μάθημα, όμως πρέπει να αλλάξεις λίγο συμπεριφορά. Να σηκώνεσαι νωρίς, να πηγαίνεις στα μαθήματά σου, να κάνεις τις εργασίες σου, και να είσαι προσηλωμένος.

 

[Zazula]

Ο υπεύθυνος του ταχυδρομείου δεν φέρνει ποτέ φρέσκα λαχανικά. Πρέπει να σοβαρευτεί.

Πρέπει να σοβαρευτεί — ή μήπως απλά ν' αλλάξει δουλειά; (Αδυνατώ να συνδέσω το ταχυδρομείο με τα λαχανικά, όπως καταλαβαίνετε...)

 

[bernardina]

Πρέπει να σοβαρευτεί — ή μήπως απλά ν' αλλάξει δουλειά; (Αδυνατώ να συνδέσω το ταχυδρομείο με τα λαχανικά, όπως καταλαβαίνετε...)

Παρομοίως, αλλά είπα να μη μιλήσω...

 

[nickel]

Λοιπόν, να οργανωθούμε. Το «Let's get our act together» μπορούμε να το πούμε και στο γνωστό ανέκδοτο, με το όργιο, έτσι;

 

[Zazula]

Λοιπόν, να οργανωθούμε. Το «Let's get our act together» μπορούμε να το πούμε και στο γνωστό ανέκδοτο, με το όργιο, έτσι;

Τον κατιδεασμό, θες να πεις: Ρε παιδιά, να οργανωθούμε λίγο — έχω δεχθεί καταιγισμό ιδεών κι εγώ δεν έχω προλάβει να ρίξω ούτ' έναν κατιδεασμούλη!

 

[Cadmian]

Να συμμαζευτούμε.

 

[cougr]

Occasionally various conjugations of the verb "συμμορφώνω" are used in a similar sense to the expression "to get one's act together".

For example, in the article here, the title "Λέτο συμμορφώσου..." could adequately be rendered as "Leto get your act together...".

Likewise, further down where it writes "Γι' αυτό και ο Λέτο πρέπει να συμμορφωθεί όχι για να γυρίσει στο "Άνφιλντ" το καλοκαίρι του 2009, όπως και είναι η μεγάλη του επιθυμία, αλλά για να παίξει ποδόσφαιρο στον Ολυμπιακό και να μην τον... φάει ο πάγκος.", the beginning of the sentence could translate as "That's why Leto needs to get his act together.......".

 

[pontios]

Maybe if we compare this expression to another one with a similar sense, it could prove useful in bringing us closer to the meaning and in turn help with the translation here.

I think what cougr described above, is closer (in sense) to the expression "clean up your act". Leto is behaving unacceptably - selfishly, by playing for himself and not for the team , so Leto needs to "clean up his act", rather than "get his act together".
To clean up your act is to improve in a behavioural sense.

Similarly, if a company needs to "clean up its act" it could mean it is behaving roguishly and inappropriately, maybe even scandalously (e.g. like Murdoch's English newspaper, "News of the World"), i.e. needs to improve in a behavioural sense.
Whereas, If a company needs to "get its act together", it indicates that it would need to improve in terms of its efficiency, it needs to reorganise itself, streamline its operations etc..
Δηλαδή "να οργανωθούμε", as Palavra and nickel suggested.

 

[nickel]

Thank you, guys. Τα έβαλα στον τίτλο με μια σειρά από το νου μου.

 

[cougr]

Maybe if we compare this expression to another one with a similar sense, it could prove useful in bringing us closer to the meaning and in turn help with the translation here. I think what cougr described above, is closer (in sense) to the expression "clean up your act". Leto is behaving unacceptably - selfishly, by playing for himself and not for the team , so Leto needs to "clean up his act", rather than "get his act together". To clean up your act is to improve in a behavioural sense. Similarly, if a company needs to "clean up its act" it could mean it is behaving roguishly and inappropriately, maybe even scandalously (e.g. like Murdoch's English newspaper, "News of the World"), i.e. needs to improve in a behavioural sense. Whereas, If a company needs to "get its act together", it indicates that it would need to improve in terms of its efficiency, it needs to reorganise itself, streamline its operations etc.. Δηλαδή "να οργανωθούμε", as Palavra and nickel suggested.

Hi pontios,

generally speaking I agree with you, but in the case of the article referred to in my previous post, the gist of it concerned not so much some kind of on or off-field transgression or unethical behaviour by Leto -in which case "clean up your act" would have definitely applied- but rather his sub-par performances as well as his overall attitude. Therefore the expression "Λέτο συμμορφώσου" could be construed as implying something like "Hey Leto, drop the attitude, play the team game, lift your performance (or else you'll be dropped to the bench) etc". In which case I think the expression "get your act together" is appropriate.

 

[pontios]

I agree with you too cougr and obviously nickel does too, re: "συμμορφώσου", in regards to the the example you provided
as it (the example you gave) does indeed allow a wide scope of interpretation, and there is a lot of grey area, now that I think about it ; probably because we're talking about a living, thinking person where attitude is a factor.

Whereas I think the example I gave in relation to a company makes the distinction between the expressions more clear cut as it is more black and white - the company is either misbehaving (if it needs to "clean up its act") or it is inefficient (it needs to "get its act together"). Plus the company is not a member of a team.
By the way I think Leto also needs to "toe the line" (which is very close to συμμορφώνομαι again), there are so many expressions that can apply to a living, thinking person in a team situation, in regards to the example you gave, and they could all be right.