What it means
It means someone's properly keyed up and ready to start right now. You're not just willing, you're buzzing at the gate, shoes on, brain already halfway there. People use it for anyone full of energy and itching to get moving before the thing's even begun.
Usage examples
"Alarm’s set for 5am and I’m raring to go, full of beans. By the time I hit the bus, I’m begging for a brew."
"The dog's been raring to go since six, sat by the door with the lead in his mouth."
"New trainers on, water bottle filled, I was raring to go right up until the first hill."
"We'd been stuck in traffic for an hour, so when we finally got there everyone was raring to go."
"She's been raring to go since breakfast, pacing round the kitchen in her coat waiting for us to hurry up."
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Where it comes from
It goes back to older English and the verb rear, used for a horse lifting up on its hind legs when it's fired up and hard to hold. By the late 19th century, raring had stretched from horses to people, giving us raring to go for someone bursting to get started.
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