All dressed up, with nowhere to go.

The phrase captures a comic but pointed mismatch between preparation and purpose: the speaker (or a society) has invested in appearances—clothes, polish, readiness—yet lacks a destination, plan, or meaningful occasion. It can be read as a critique of empty display, social ritual, or political/organizational posturing: energy goes into looking “ready” rather than deciding what readiness is for. In a broader cultural sense, it also evokes modern restlessness and anticlimax—an image of potential stalled by indecision or circumstance. Even without a verified immediate occasion, the line’s durability comes from how easily it applies to personal life, public life, and eras of uncertainty.