Question of the Day #1030

More than two months remain until draft night but the hay is in the barn, so to speak, as there are no games left to play; just the NFL combine, pro days and individual workouts.

From the 1st paragraph of this article at CBS Sports.

  上記の文で、the hay is in the barnの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "the hay is in the barn" mean?

  答えは、コメントに書いてください。
Write your answer in the Comments.

明日、ここに答えを書きます。
I will add the answer and other remarks here tomorrow.

 

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解答

意味：
英辞郎等にこのイディオムが掲載されていないので、下記The Free Dictionaryの定義を訳すと、

何かを準備しているときにその最も難しい部分が終わったことを意味します。このイディオムは特にスポーツ関連で使用されます。

一般的には、「仕事が終わった」という意味で使用されます。

   

Answer

According to The Free Dictionary:

The hardest work has been completed in preparation for something. Used especially in reference to sports. Primarily heard in US.

 

Examples

• "I have trained hard.  I'm ready.  The hay is in the barn."
• “The hay is in the barn!” was a term I heard often in college as our nationally ranked cross-country team would step to the line for another highly competitive Division I cross-country meet.
• If this isn’t a sign that “the hay is in the barn”, then I don’t know what is.
• At about 50 hours before the draft, or 24, or 16, people love to say, "The hay is in the barn." All the tapes have been watched, reports read, interviews dissected, and both boards are set.
• Our team has spent every day training during the off-season, so we absolutely feel ready for the season ahead. The hay is in the barn, now we just need to go out there and compete.

   

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