brush yourself up

[Verona_82]

Hello,

I heard a contestant on an American reality TV show say "I need to brush myself up and keep working". She was being interviewed after she nearly lost a challenge which she had hoped to win, so she sounded frustrated.
I failed to find the expression in dictionaries. I believe it means "collect yourself and get back to what you were doing", doesn't it?
Is it a shortened version of "pick yourself up, brush yourself off"?

Thank you.

[phamduc.minhanh]

Hello,

I heard a contestant on an American reality TV show say "I need to brush myself up and keep working". She was being interviewed after she nearly lost a challenge which she had hoped to win, so she sounded frustrated.
I failed to find the expression in dictionaries. I believe it means "collect yourself and get back to what you were doing", doesn't it?
Is it a shortened version of "pick yourself up, brush yourself off"?

Thank you.

Greetings,

I am a high school pupil from Singapore.

'To brush up' either means to wash or clean yourself or something or to improve one's knowledge base or skills. In this case, it means that the contestant needs to keep improving herself.

This phrase is of chiefly British usage in my opinion, but do not quote me on that.

Cheerio,

Pham Duc Minh Anh

[Tdol]

I agree with this general meaning in BrE, but brush yourself up sounds strange to me- you can brush up your English, for example.

[phamduc.minhanh]

I agree with this general meaning in BrE, but brush yourself up sounds strange to me- you can brush up your English, for example.

Greetings,

I am a high school pupil from Singapore.

I agree with you on this as well. I often hear 'I need to brush up' but not 'I need to brush something or myself up'.

Cheerio,

Pham Duc Minh Anh