I'm a native speaker, and we use "get ready" in exactly the way you describe.
Even though we sometimes qualify the phrase by saying: Get ready for [some event], that "for" clause can be omitted when the listener already knows where we are going. In other words, although get ready can mean different things in different contexts, I can still usually say:
C'mon! We're leaving! You need to get ready!
and that will be understood to mean: put your shoes on, brush your teeth, comb your hair and look presentable, etc.
The precise meaning get ready will vary, depending on where we are going. So long as the hearer knows where we are going, I don't need to add the, say, for your piano practice. For example, I have teenagers at home, so, for me, it works very much like this:
10 or 15 years ago, though, whenever I said, "Let's get ready" to my wife, that always included "Make sure we have the diaper bag!"
You needn't worry about get ready being misconstrued to mean "brace yourself for some bad news" or "get into your starting blocks." Those are very specialized meanings that people wouldn't even think about, unless they were in a situation where that would be the meaning that makes the most sense.
For example, if you wanted your picture taken, and I was holding your camera, I might say, "Get ready..." – which doesn't mean, "go put on your shoes," or, "brace yourself for some bad news." It simply means, "Get ready, I'm going to snap the picture now" – so you should probably just give me your best smile.
I'll be referring to the definitions of count from Oxford Learner's in my answer.
Don't count is the closest to an opposite for count in the sense of numbering in sequence (definition 1). There's no pure antonym here; what could be the opposite of saying "1, 2, 3..."? Some thesauruses list words like guess as antonyms for this case, but I strongly disagree with that.
Definition 2 means calculating a total by summing up the number of members. This is the sense used in your example (let's count... ten in total). As with definition 1, there's no true antonym, for the same reasons. Similarly, you can get the right essential meaning with don't count, and it would be correct to use in your example:
And thus, if you don't count me, you are nine.
But we can get better results with definition 3, include. Exclude is its appropriate antonym. It's also correct to say it in place of discount in your example:
And thus, if you exclude me, you are nine.
Using exclude causes a definitional shift in the usage of count (changing from 2 to 3), which technically changes the meaning. Outside of situations where semantic pedantry is part and parcel (e.g. the law, professional philosophy, ridiculously close linguistic analysis, internet arguments), nobody will care about this. Everyone (discounting those who don't know enough English) will grasp the meaning without any problems.
Since you've discounted don't count, exclude is the best choice.
Definitions 4, 5 and 6 all have the same antonym: discount. See definition 1 from OALD, which I actually find rather lacking; discount can also mean ignore, not include, minimize, etc. MW is more complete here.
Discount is in your example. While semantically (and grammatically) correct, discount is too formal for the context, making the response sound strange. For a group of people organizing a trip together the phrasing just sounds weird, though the meaning is clear. Using discount makes count definitionally shift, as exclude does. However, here the "distance" between the definitions is noticeably greater and makes the change awkward; in general conversation, people will stumble over this. Exclude is a better choice.
OALD redirects uncount to the entry of uncountable noun!
That's because it's a standard abbreviation for uncountable [noun] in dictionaries. But as you've found out, it's not a word in and of itself.
You've clarified that you're after le mot juste to complement count. I agree that count/exclude and count/don't count aren't as eloquent as a cognate pair, such as include/exclude. However, I'm afraid my vocabulary's at an end here; I don't know of a single-word, etymologically related antonym for this sense of count.
For a simple drop-in replacement, I recommend exclude or don't count. I realize that's not what you're after, but in terms of an easy, quick and accurate solution this is the best way to go. Additional apropos alternatives:
- Use include / exclude instead of count / antonym-of-count.
- Restructure the passage to use with / without me or something along those lines, as suggested by Damkerng T.
If your heart is dead set on some sort of count pairing, you could use discount, but I think it's self defeating to use an awkward, contrived sounding phrasing for the sake of preserving a nice juxtaposition of vocabulary. If you're going to do so, I suggest using counting/discounting and upping the formality for the sake of making things marginally less peculiar. Something along these lines, for example:
OK, we are ten, counting everyone, but mind that I might have some unavoidable work that day. Discounting me and planning for a group of nine might be wise. Please arrange for the food and accommodation accordingly.
Bear in mind that while these sentences are now consistent and don't mix registers, they are still too formal for the context. Someone planning a vacation with friends and who's been using phrases like you guys should expect to receive some quizzical looks if they start talking in this fashion.
Best Answer
I think in some ways you have answered your own question(s).
Yes, "go shopping". One would not say "go storing". Shopping is, as far as I know, used the same way in UK and US English, and has nothing to do with "shop" vs "store".
and 3. You would either name the store or type of store ("I'm going to the hardware store") or, as you say, ""I'm going shopping" or "I'm going downtown", but not "I'm going to the stores". You might be inclined to add specifics: "I'm going shopping for a hammer", for example.
In certain places, you may find "shop" and "store" are interchanged (I certainly do this, having lived in both US-English and UK-English countries). If you want to sound natural, though, stick with what is usual for your area.
Of interest:
eytmonline.com says that "shop" meaning "booth or shed for trade or work" is c. 1300, while "to visit shops for the purpose of examining or purchasing goods" is from 1764 (no idea what they would have said before that!).
Meaning "building or room set aside for sale of merchandise" is from mid-14th century, while "store" for "place where goods are kept for sale" is first recorded 1721, in American English.
There was apparently a strong distinction between "shop" and "store" in US English, with "shop" having retained its original (1300) meaning:
Not sure whether that use of "shop" remains in US English.