[Idiom] what does "break out" mean here

[watermark]

Hi,

Anyone know the meaning of "break out" in the sentence of "Break out the poodle skirts and crank up the Perry Como"?

Does "break out" here mean wear? Is it a common usage? I cannot find its meaning as "wear" in the dictionary.
Does the whole sentence mean --- put on the poodle skirts and turn up the volume of Perry Como's music?

 

[probus]

I think your interpretation is basically right, but there is also a connotation of "get those poodle skirts out of storage" and put them on. Break out is a common usage for starting to use something that has been stored away.

 

[watermark]

Thank you probus! It's amazing that break out here means a series of motions--get the skirt and put it on. I cannot find a word in my native language (Chinese) that means more than one action.

 

[5jj]

Thank you probus! It's amazing that break out here means a series of motions--get the skirt and put it on.

That is not what probus said. See also the fifth definition here.

 

[watermark]

ok, now I see. break out means start to do something that has been stored away. I found the same definition as in your link, but it didn't occur to me that the fifth definition applies to "break out poodle skirts". Thank you 5jj!