A Cut Above and Gear Up

This huge Great Dane at age 15 mos. is a cut above the others in the dog show.

Today's idiom is  Cut Above.  It means:
A person or thing that is better in some way.

She is a cut above her colleagues. She will be chosen to represent the company.
This business suit is a cut above the last one I purchased.
This Chinese restaurant is a cut above it's competitors in this town.

The origins of this idiom are not clear, but in my opinion it derives from a better "cut" of beef.  That is, some parts of a cow are better to eat than others.  Although I am not an expert, it is my understanding that the higher regions  on the body of a cow provide better meat.   Thus, we speak about various "cuts of beef". This can also be used to refer to the better "cuts" of pork, venison, or mutton, etc.

Gearing up for the first day of swimming lessons!

Today's phrasal verb is Gear Up.  It means:
To prepare somebody or something to do something; to take action in preparation for something,

We're all geared up for the next round of talks
Our company geared up for these new challenges

A group of investors were gearing up for the takeover fight.

The town is gearing up for the carnival this weekend.
Most banks have geared themselves up for an electronic future.
The tobacco companies are gearing up to fight the new tax.
The shops are gearing up for the New Year sales.

Notes: transitive and intransitive verb.   This expression derives from the idea of shifting to a larger transmission gear on  a vehicle engine, but it could also derive from the idea of putting on special equipment or "gear",  which is worn on the body. 

 Synonyms: get ready, prepare yourself, prepare, mobilize, ready yourself, psych yourself up