Square off

Question

Hello,I went to a public library and asked someone who works there to help me fax a document. He took me to a fax machine and told me, "Let me get you squared off here."Can "square off' mean prepare?Thank you for your time.Sincerely,Tony

Avangi · Accepted Answer

FakakiCan "square off' mean prepare?

Yes, it can.
("Lined up/out" is more common in my experience. Even "squared away" is much more common in the US.)

The "preparation" would focus on the details of the anticipated procedure.

"To square off", as an idiom, has a couple of meanings, neither of which is the one you want.
(Eg, to face each other in oppositon (literally or figuratively) in preparing to do battle.)

"To get you squared off" is a different idiom, as used in your example.

Of course to square off in carpentry might be to re-cut, or trim off the end of a board to make it square,
or at a true 90 degrees.

"To square up" is also used in money matters, as to settle an account.

Fakaki · Answer

Thanks for the reply, Avangi!

So I can also say, "Let me get you lined up/out" meaning I am going to help and prepare you for what you are about to do?

Avangi · Answer

Yes, that would be fine. Personally, I like "squared away" for general use. There may be regional differences.
We used "lined out" in electrical contracting, as I recall, making sure the installers knew how the job should proceed.

If it's important, you might want to Google the expressions (in quotes). Sometimes the results are surprising. Sometimes they help you choose the right one for the specific application.

Fakaki · Answer

That's right! Actually he first said, "Let me get you squared away" and then "Let me get you squared off" the second time I came to him for help.

So square off and square away are interchangeable in this context?

Thanks so much for your time, Avangi.

-Tony

Avangi · Answer

FakakiSo square off and square away are interchangeable in this context?

Right, the second one being more natural in this particular case.

Edit. I'm wondering why he switched.

I suppose in rare cases, "squared away" could be taken as rude, when speaking to a stranger who happens to be a customer. Perhaps he was being over cautious.
If you're talking to another person about a third party not present, and this third party is known to be a pain in the ****, you might say, "Yeah, this guy needs to be squared away," meaning "put in his place." But, as I say, this is rare, and shouldn't apply in the present case.

It's like, "Somebody oughta straighten this guy out."
"Let me straighten you out about something," could be confrontational when said in a particular tone of voice
and in a particular context.
But normally, "straightening someone out" is just being helpful.

Fakaki · Answer

I didn't receive an email alert for this last reply. I find this enormously helpful.

Thank you so much, Avangi.

Sincerely,

Tony

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