Dic: into shape, out of shape

• You'll have four months in which to lick the recruits into shape.
• The drama coach will try to lick her into shape by performance time. 
• Please try to lick this report into shape by tomorrow morning.
• I've got about two days more to lick this place into shape so I can sell it. 
• I want to whip this house into shape for Saturday night.

PHRASE : V inflects | If you lick, knock, or whip someone or something into shape, you use whatever methods are necessary to change or improve them so that they are in the condition that you want them to be in.

• Once most wires are bent out of shape, they don't return to the original position.

PHRASE : PHR after v | If something is out of shape, it is no longer in its proper or original shape, for example because it has been damaged or wrongly handled.

.... Cobuild, http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/shape