IDIOM CONNECTION

G Idioms and Quizzes

G Idiom Quiz #1

G Idioms

gain ground

- to go forward, to make progress

The toy company is gaining ground in their effort to sell more products.

gain traction

- to become popular or become accepted

The movie by the new director is gaining traction with the public.

The new idea will probably not gain traction with the employees.

The new schedule in the sports league is beginnning to gain traction with the fans.

a game changer

- a new idea or event that causes a change in the current way of thinking or doing something

The new rules will be a game changer in the way that football is played.

The new computer will be a game changer in the industry.

game plan

- strategy

I do not know if my boss has a game plan for the meeting.

a game that two can play

- a good or bad strategy that two competing sides can both use

The insults from my friend are a game that two can play and if she wants to continue then I will too.

gang up on (someone)

- to form a group and attack someone

The children tried to gang up on the boy but the boy ran away.

Everybody ganged up on the speaker at the meeting.

I tried to explain myself before my friends began to gang up on me.

garbage in, garbage out

- the quality of information that you put into something will affect the response/outcome

Garbage in, garbage out. The bad information that was used for the story affected the final story that was written.

gas up

- to fill up a gas tank

We must gas up before we leave on our holiday tomorrow.

gather up (something) or gather (something) up

- to take things from different places and put them together, to collect some things and put them together

The student gathered up her books and left the classroom.

The child was told to gather up her toys.

We gathered the dishes up after dinner so that we could wash them.

gear up for (something)

- to prepare for something

The city is gearing up for the big tournament.

The business will gear up for the tourist season soon.

The children are gearing up for their return to school.

gee whiz

- used as an exclamation to show surprise or other strong feelings

"Gee whiz! Are we really going to go to the circus next week?"

generous to a fault

- to be too generous

My friend is generous to a fault and he sometimes gives too much to his friends.

gentleman's agreement

- an agreement that is not written down but is made by two people or two groups who trust each other

I made a gentlemen's agreement with the carpenter to build some new furniture.

Get Idioms

get a bang out of (someone or something)

- to receive special pleasure from someone or something

My father gets a bang out of the funny birthday cards that we send him.

get a black eye

- to get a bruise or darkened eye after being hit or after bumping into something

The boy got a black eye when he fell in the playground.

get a break

- to get an opportunity or a good deal

I got a break when my friend sold me his car for a cheap price.

get a bright idea

- to have a clever thought or idea (often used as sarcasm to criticize someone)

The man got the bright idea that he should buy a motorcycle.

It was my friend's bright idea to start the project that he could not finish.

The city government has some very bright ideas sometimes.

get a charley horse

- to develop a cramp in the arm or the leg

The swimmer got a charley horse while he was swimming.

get a checkup

- to receive a physical examination from a doctor

I go to the doctor every year to get a checkup.

get a clean bill of health

- to be pronounced healthy by a doctor

I got a clean bill of health when I went to see the doctor.

get a dirty look from (someone)

- to receive a frown from someone

I got a dirty look from the man who was sitting next to my crying child.

get a feel for (something)

- to become accustomed to something and learn how it works, to learn how to do something

I am beginning to get a feel for my new job.

get a fix on (something)

- to receive a reading of a distant object by electronic means

We were able to get a fix on the island and took the boat safely to the harbor.

get a foothold (somewhere)

- to find a starting point somewhere, to get a firm basis where further progress or development is possible

The small company was able to get a foothold in the breakfast cereal market.

get/receive a frosty reception

- to get an unfriendly reception (a reception is the way that someone welcomes or receives you)

The speaker got a frosty reception from the audience.

Our manager is going to get a frosty reception when he goes to the meeting.

I do not now why I received such a frosty reception from my friend this morning.

get a grasp of (something)

- to begin to understand something

I am beginning to get a grasp of the new computer system.

get a grip of oneself

- to take control of one`s feelings

The man got a grip of himself and calmed down.

get a head start (on someone or something)

- to start earlier than someone or something, to start earlier than usual

We want to get a head start on our holiday.

get a kick out of (someone or something)

- to enjoy someone or something

My father got a kick out of seeing his old school friend.

get a load of (someone or something)

- to take a good look at someone or something

"Get a load of that man over there with the four dogs."

get a load off one's feet

- to sit down and relax

I sat down and tried to get a load off my feet.

get a load off one's mind

- to express or discuss what one is thinking or worried about

I talked with my supervisor and was able to get a load off my mind regarding our recent problems.

get a lot of mileage out of (something)

- to get much use from something (like a car or other equipment)

I hope to get a lot of mileage out of the new sneakers that I bought last week.

get a lump in one's throat

- to feel like there is something in one's throat (like you are going to cry)

My sister got a lump in her throat when she watched her daughter's graduation.

get a move on

- to hurry up

"Please get a move on. We are already late."

get a raise

- to get an increase in one's salary

My friend was not able to get a raise this year.

get a raw deal

- to receive unfair or bad treatment

The secretary got a raw deal when she had to work late everyday.

get a rise out of (someone)

- to provoke a response from someone

We got a rise out of the teacher when we opened the window in the cold weather.

get a slap on the wrist

- to receive light punishment for doing something wrong

The judge gave the boy a slap on the wrist and did not punish him severely for his crime.

get a suntan

- to make your skin browner or darker by exposing it to the rays of the sun

The girl went to the beach to get a suntan.

get a toehold (somewhere)

- to find a starting point somewhere, to get a firm basis where further progress or development is possible

Our company was finally able to get a toehold in the textbook market.

get a whiff of (something)

- to learn a little about something (almost by chance)

Whenever the reporters get a whiff of a scandal they start asking questions.

get a wiggle on

- to hurry up, to get going

"Get a wiggle on. I want to arrive at the party before the other guests."

get a word in

- to find a chance to say something when others are talking

The customer could not get a word in while talking to the salesman.

get a word in edgewise

- to manage to join a conversation

I could not get a word in edgewise so I left the meeting.

get across (something) to (someone) or get (something) across to (someone)

- to explain or say something so that someone can understand it

It was difficult to get across the importance of the school safety rules to the children.

get after (someone) to do (something)

- to urge or try to make someone do something that he or she should do but has neglected

I will get after the repairman to fix the computer as soon as he returns.

get ahead

- to advance, to be successful

The woman works hard at her job in order to get ahead.

get ahead of (oneself)

- to do or say something sooner than you should

I am getting ahead of myself when I talk about the job that I do not have.

My friend should not get ahead of himself and talk about graduating before he takes his exams.

Our teacher is getting ahead of herself when she talks about the final exam.

get ahold of (someone or something)

- to make contact with someone, to obtain something

I have been trying very hard to get ahold of my old high school teacher.

get all dolled up

- to get dressed up in one's best clothes

The woman got all dolled up for the party.

get along

- to leave

It`s late so I must get along now.

get along in years

- to grow older

My parents are getting along in years but they are still very healthy.

get along on a shoestring

- to manage with very little money

I had to get along on a shoestring during university.

get along on (something)

- to manage to survive or do well with something

My friend is able to get along on very little money.

The young woman gets along on her good looks very well.

get along well with (something)

- to make progress with something

The boy is getting along well with his studies.

get along with (someone)

- to have a good relationship with someone

I get along with everybody in my company.

get an earful

- to hear much talk or criticism or complaints about something

Our boss got an earful when he asked the employees if they had any complaints.

get around

- to go to different places, to move about

My friend gets around and has been to many different cities.

get around to (do something)

- to finally find time to do something

Hopefully, I will get around to starting the project today.

I have not got around to writing the important email.

The building manager finally got around to repairing the broken window.

get at (someone or something)

- to attack or hit someone or something

Our dog tried to get at the other dog.

get at (something)

- to mean something

I do not know what our boss was trying to get at during the meeting.

get away

- to succeed in leaving, to escape

I was able to get away from work early so I went shopping.

get away from it all

- to go on a holiday

We want to get away from it all this summer and relax somewhere.

get away with murder

- to do something very bad without being caught or punished

The students were able to get away with murder while the substitute teacher was in the school.

get away with (something)

- to avoid punishment for something

The criminal got away with stealing the money and was never caught.

get back

- to return

We got back from London early yesterday afternoon.

get back at (someone)

- to do something bad to someone who has done something bad to you

The girl is angry at her boyfriend and she is getting back at him by not answering the telephone.

get back to (someone)

- to communicate something to someone at a later time, to contact someone later

We were very careful that our complaints did not get back to the school principal.

get back to (something)

- to return to something

I needed a rest before I could get back to my work.

get back together (with someone)

- to resume a relationship or marriage after separating with someone

The man got back together with his wife after separating for three months.

get behind

- to fail to maintain a desired pace or level of progress, to become late

If you get behind with your homework you will not pass your courses.

get behind (a person or idea)

- to support or help someone or something

Many people wanted to get behind the candidate who promised to cut taxes.

get better

- to become better

The boy is beginning to get better at swimming.

get better (at something)

- to improve one's skill at doing something, to improve one's health

The little boy is getting better at riding his bicycle.

get busy

- to become busy

My friend is getting busy recently and I have no time to meet him.

get by (on something)

- to be able to satisfy your needs with a certain amount of something (usually related to money)

The man is able to get by on his small salary because he does not spend much money.

get carried away

- to be overcome by emotion or enthusiasm, to lose one's control or judgement

I got carried away yesterday and cleaned all of my apartment.

get caught in the crossfire

- to be trapped between two lines of enemy fire, to be caught between two arguing people or groups

I do not want to get caught in the crossfire between my boss and the sales manager.

get close to (someone)

- to become close friends with someone

The woman is trying very hard to get close to her youngest daughter.

get close to (something)

- to be almost as good as something, to almost reach or arrive at a goal

The charity is getting close to the final amount of money that they expect to collect.

get cold feet

- to become afraid and hesitant about something at the last minute

The student got cold feet and cancelled his plans to go to China.

get cracking

- to start doing something quickly

We must get cracking on this job if we want to finish today.

The boy needs to get cracking or he will not finish his homework.

We need to get cracking if we want to get tickets for the game.

get down to brass tacks

- to begin discussing or doing something immediately

"Let`s get down to brass tacks and finish this job quickly."

get down to business

- to begin to get serious

When the meeting began everybody got down to business and began to discuss the important issues.

get down to (something)

- to get started to do something

"Let`s get down to work so we can go home early."

get down to the nitty-gritty

- to get down to the basic facts

The teacher called us into her office to get down to the nitty-gritty of what had happened earlier.

get dressed up

- to put on one's best clothes

I like to get dressed up when I go to a nice restaurant.

get engaged (to/with someone)

- to make a plan to marry someone

My cousin recently got engaged to his girlfriend.

get even (with someone)

- to get revenge on someone

My sister wants to get even with her friend for being late for the concert.

the get-go

- the beginning

Right from the get-go I did not like the new manager.

get going

- to begin, to act, to go

"Let's get going and begin to clean the house."

get going

- to become excited or angry

When the man gets going he will never stop complaining.

get hitched

- to get married

The girl and her boyfriend surprised everyone when they suddenly got hitched last weekend.

get (a) hold of oneself

- to get control of one's emotions

We asked the man who was crying to try and get hold of himself.

get (a) hold of (someone)

- to find a person so that you can speak with him or her

I tried to get hold of my brother last week but he was out of town.

get hold of (something)

- to get possession of something

"If you get hold of a dictionary, could you please let me borrow it for a few minutes."

get in

- to arrive

My friend got in at noon today.

get in on (something)

- to become involved in something

My friend wants to get in on the planning of the summer festival.

get in on the ground floor

- to start at the beginning of something (in hopes of future gain)

I am hoping to get in on the ground floor of the new company.

get in (someone's) hair

- to bother or irritate someone

The woman complained that her young child was always getting in her hair.

get in touch with someone

- to contact someone

I want to get in touch with my friend when I go to New York in August.

get into a jam

- to become involved in some trouble or in a problem

I got into a jam when I lost the keys to my apartment.

We got into a jam when the hotel lost our reservation.

I do not want to get into a jam by making too many appointments on the same day.

get into a stew about/over (someone or something)

- to be worried or upset about someone or something

My mother is getting into a stew over my aunt not phoning.

get into hot water

- to get into trouble or difficulty

We got into hot water when they found us in the building after it had closed.

get into (something)

- to become involved in something

I do not want to get into an argument with my friend.

We were beginning to get into an interesting conversation when it became very late.

get into (something)

- to become interested in something

The man is beginning to get into music.

get into (somewhere)

- to enter somewhere - a car or a class or a university

My friend wants to get into a good university.

I bumped my head as I was getting into the car.

get into the act

- to try to be part of whatever is happening

Everybody at the party wanted to get into the act and join the singers.

get into the swing of things

- to adapt to a new environment or situation

We got into the swing of things after the party started.

get into the wrong hands

- something secret or dangerous is discovered by someone who should not have it

The teacher was careful that the test answers did not get into the wrong hands.

get into trouble

- to become involved in some kind of trouble

The young boys try not to get into trouble when they are home alone.

get involved with (someone)

- to become associated with someone (often romantically)

The bank teller got involved with the bank manager several months ago .

get it

- to understand something, to understand a joke

Everybody was laughing at the joke but I did not get it.

get it all together

- to be in full control of oneself

My friend got it all together and applied for the job at the supermarket.

get it through one`s head

- to understand or believe something

The man has got it through his head that he will get a job without making any effort.

get lost

- to lose one's way, to become lost

I got lost on my first day in the city.

Get lost!

- Go away!

The girl told her brother to get lost so she could finish doing her homework.

get mad at (someone or something)

- to become angry with someone or something

I often get mad at my friend when he is late.

get married

- to marry someone

We got married in June of last year.

get mixed up

- to become confused

"I`m sorry but I got mixed up with the dates. That`s why I came today."

get nowhere fast

- to make no progress

We are getting nowhere fast in our effort to convince our boss to give us a holiday.

get off

- to escape or avoid punishment

The criminal got off with a very light sentence from the judge.

get off (a bus/train/plane etc.)

- to leave or exit from a bus or train etc.

We will get off the train at the next station.

get off easy

- to escape a serious punishment

The criminals got off easy after they robbed the bank.

get off lightly

- to escape a serious punishment

The boy got off lightly and was not punished very hard by his teacher.

The criminal got off lightly after committing many crimes.

get off on the wrong foot with (someone)

- to make a bad start to a relationship

Unfortunately, my relationship with my new teacher got off on the wrong foot.

get off one`s butt

- to get busy, to start working

My friend should get off his butt and try to find a job.

get off one's high horse

- to become less arrogant

The manager was forced to get off his high horse and act better toward the employees.

get off (someone`s) back

- to leave someone alone and not bother him or her

I wish that my supervisor would get off my back.

get off the ground

- to make a successful beginning

My uncle's new business never got off the ground and he must try to sell it.

get off the hook

- to become free from an obligation

I got off the hook and did not have to clean the classroom after school.

get off to a flying start

- to have a successful beginning

The new restaurant got off to a flying start when many people came during the first weekend.

get on in years

- to become older

My uncle is getting on in years and is not very healthy.

get on one`s high horse

- to behave with arrogance

Our boss likes to get on his high horse and give orders to everyone.

get on someone's case

- to criticize someone

The boy's mother is always getting on his case when his room is not clean.

get on (someone`s) nerves

- to irritate someone

The woman's constant complaining is beginning to get on my nerves.

get on (someone) to do (something)

- to ask or pressure someone to do something

I will get on my friend to return your book tomorrow.

get on the bandwagon

- to join a popular activity or campaign

Everybody got on the bandwagon to support the popular candidate.

get on the good side of (someone)

- to get in someone's favor

I took my friend to a nice restaurant in order to get on her good side.

get one's act together

- to become more organized

My sister finally got her act together and was able to find a new job.

get one's bearings

- to determine where one is

When I got my bearings, I was able to easily find my way around the department store.

get one's comeuppance

- to get the punishment that one deserves

The woman got her comeuppance when she was forced to apologize to the other woman in the company.

get one`s dander up

- to become angry

You should not talk to the supervisor early in the morning or you may get his dander up.

get one's ducks in a row

- to put one's affairs in order, to get things ready

I got my ducks in a row and was able to find a job easily.

get one`s feet wet

- to do something for the first time, to gain your first experience of something

The writer got his feet wet in the publishing business and he is now ready to start his own business.

get one's fill of (someone or something)

- to receive enough of someone or something

Recently, I have got my fill of fresh corn and I do not want to eat any more.

get one's foot in the door

- to begin to do something that you hope will lead to future success (often used with jobs or careers)

I was able to get my foot in the door of the banking industry when I found a job at a bank.

get one's hands on (someone or something)

- to get someone or something in one's grasp

"When I get my hands on a hammer I will help you fix the door."

get one's head above water

- to get in control of one's situation (often financial situation)

When I get my head above water I will be able to spend less time working.

get one's just deserts

- to get what one deserves

The apartment manager got her just deserts when she was fired for bothering the tenants.

get one's mind out of the gutter

- to stop having inappropriate thoughts

I wish that my friend would get his mind out of the gutter.

get one's money's worth

- to get value for what you have paid for

We got our money's worth when we stayed on the golf course for seven hours.

get one's nose out of (someone's) business

- to stop interfering in someone else's business

The school secretary was told to get her nose out of the teacher's business.

get one`s own way

- to be able to do what you want

The boy always gets his own way with his younger brothers.

get one's priorities right

- to choose the correct order of priorities

The woman must get her priorities right and spend more time at her job.

get one`s rear in gear

- to hurry up, to get going

"Let`s get our rear in gear before it is too late to go to a movie."

get one's say

- to be able to say what one thinks

The meeting was over very quickly but everyone got their say.

get one's sea legs

- to become accustomed to something, to become accustomed to a ship moving at sea

After a few days at my new job, I was able to get my sea legs.

After we got our sea legs, we were able to walk around the boat.

get one's second wind

- to get a second burst of energy (usually after being tired)

I tried to get my second wind in order to continue my hike up the mountain.

get one's start

- to receive the first major opportunity of one's career

The newspaper owner got his start by selling papers when he was a child.

get one's walking papers

- to get fired

The young man got his walking papers for being late too often.

get one`s way

- to be able to do what you want or get what you want

The girl is spoiled and always gets her way.

get one's wires crossed

- to get confused about something, to have a different understanding of the same situation

We got our wires crossed and we both went to different places for our meeting.

I got my wires crossed with my friend and we went to meet at the wrong time.

get out from under (someone or something)

- to escape from a situation that one does not like

I would like to get out from under my boss who is always watching my work.

get out of a jam

- to get free from a problem or bad situation

I got out of a jam this morning when my coworker came to help me finish the job.

get out of bed on the wrong side or get out on the wrong side of bed

- to be in a bad mood

I think that the girl got out of bed on the wrong side as she is not talking to anyone today.

get out of hand

- to get out of control

The party was beginning to get out of hand so we asked everyone to leave.

get out of line

- to disobey or ignore the rules of something

The children were getting out of line when the teacher returned.

get out of (something)

- to avoid doing something that you should do or that you said you would do

I was able to get out of my piano practice yesterday.

get out of (something)

- to take some clothes off so that you can put on more comfortable clothes

I want to get out of my wet clothes quickly.

get out of (somewhere)

- to leave somewhere, to escape

I want to hurry and get out of my house so I will not be late for work.

get out of the way

- to stop obstructing or interfering with someone or something, to escape from something

The car was unable to get out of the way of the truck.

get over (something)

- to overcome a difficulty, to recover from an illness or shock

The woman is having trouble getting over her father`s death.

get ready

- to prepare yourself for something

"First I must get ready for work, then I will help you."

get religion

- to develop a strong religious belief

My uncle recently got religion and is serious about it.

get rid of (something)

- to give or throw something away, to sell or destroy something, to make a cold or fever disappear

I bought a new television set so now I want to get rid of my old one.

get rolling

- to get started

"Let's get rolling and try and finish this project today."

get serious (with someone)

- to become more serious in a romantic relationship with someone

The two students dated for several months before they began to get serious.

get set

- to get ready to start something

Everybody is getting set for the wedding ceremony.

get sick

- to become ill

I got sick yesterday and did not go to the movie.

get sidetracked

- to become diverted from one's task

I began to watch the news and got sidetracked from what I had planned to do.

get some dirt on (someone)

- to get some information that could hurt someone's reputation or career

The woman is always trying to get some dirt on the managers in her company.

get (someone)

- to annoy someone

It really gets me when my co-worker comes to work late.

get (someone) down

- to make someone unhappy, to cause discouragement

The long commuting time is getting my friend down so she wants to quit her job.

get (someone`s) goat

- to irritate someone

My friend is always getting my goat and I am tired of him.

get (someone or something) out of one's mind/head

- to forget about someone or something

It took me several months to get my old girlfriend out of my mind.

get (something) for a steal

- to buy something for a very low price

I was able to get our television set for a steal.

get (something) off one's chest

- to talk about something that has been bothering you

I told my father about my problem at work so that I could get it off my chest.

get (something) out in the open

- to make something public

We had a frank discussion in order to get everything out in the open.

get (something) out of one's system

- to get rid of the desire to do something

I went on a short holiday so that I could get travelling out of my system.

get (something) out of (something)

- to get some kind of benefit from something

My mother does not understand why my aunt can get something out of going to an opera.

get (something) out of the way

- to take care of some business, to do or finish something

We got our work out of the way and began to plan for the weekend.

get (something) over with

- to finish something (usually something that you do not want to do)

I was very happy to get my exams over with.

get (something) straight

- to understand something clearly

I could not get what my friend was trying to tell me straight.

get (something) through (someone's) thick skull

- to get someone to understand something

I could not get it through my friend's thick skull that I could not go on a holiday with him.

get (something) under control

- to be able to control something

The fire fighters were quickly able to get the fire under control.

get the ax

- to be fired

The man got the ax last week and now he has no job.

get the ball rolling

- to start something

"Let`s get the ball rolling and start planning the party."

get the benefit of the doubt

- to receive a decision in your favor when the evidence is neither for you nor against you

I got the benefit of the doubt when I complained about my parking ticket.

get the better of (someone)

- to beat or defeat (someone), to win against someone

My friend got the better of me and won the tennis match.

get the blues

- to become sad or depressed

Every winter my neighbor seems to get the blues.

get the boot

- to be fired from a job, to be told to leave a place

I got the boot from my first job in high school.

The man got the boot from the restaurant for smoking.

get the brush-off

- to be ignored or sent away

I got the brush-off when I asked the girl to dance.

get the cold shoulder

- to be ignored or rejected

My friend got the cold shoulder when he went to the expensive restaurant.

get the day off

- to have a free day from work

I hope to get the day off tomorrow so I can visit my grandfather in the hospital.

get the facts straight

- to get a clear understanding of the facts about something

I do not believe that our supervisor got the facts straight when she heard about our argument.

get the feel of (something)

- to become used to or learn about something

After you get the feel of the new computer it is very easy to use.

get the floor

- to receive official permission to speak to an audience

When the principal finally got the floor everybody was ready to go home.

get the go-ahead

- to receive a signal to start something

The construction company got the go-ahead to begin work on the new stadium.

get the goods on (someone)

- to find out true but often negative information about someone

I finally got the goods on the man and I will talk to the police soon.

get the green light (to do something)

- to get permission to start or continue something

The company should soon get the green light to start building the bridge.

We got the green light to begin to use the new computer system.

get the hang of (something)

- to learn how to do something

The boy was asked to help with the sound system after he got the hang of it.

get the jump on (someone)

- to get ahead of someone

We left home early so that we could get the jump on the other travellers.

get the last laugh

- to laugh at someone who has laughed at you

We got the last laugh when the car that had passed us on the highway got a speeding ticket.

get the lead out

- to hurry

"Get the lead out," I said to my slow friend.

get the lowdown on (someone or something)

- to receive the full story about someone or something

I met a friend for coffee to get the lowdown on our friend who is getting married.

get the message

- to clearly understand the meaning of something

I told my friend to be quiet but I do not think that he got the message.

get the nod

- to be chosen for something

My favorite candidate got the nod to run in the election.

get the once-over

- to receive a quick visual examination

I quickly got the once-over when I arrived for the job interview.

I got the once-over from the security guard as I entered the building.

The young student got the once-over when he arrived late for class.

get the picture

- to understand the whole situation

I did not get the picture of what my friend was saying about his new girlfriend.

get the raw end of the deal

- to do badly in a negotiation or a similar situation

I got the raw end of the deal when I received my new work schedule.

get the red-carpet treatment

- to receive very special treatment

The Queen of England got the red-carpet treatment during her trip to Australia.

get the runaround

- to receive a series of excuses and delays

I got the runaround when I went to talk to the company about my parking ticket.

get the sack

- to be fired from a job

I told the employee that if he does not change his work habits he will get the sack.

get the shock of one's life

- to receive a serious emotional shock

I got the shock of my life when I saw my teacher on TV.

get the short end of the stick

- to get less than others

I sometimes get the short end of the stick and I have to do more work than the other students.

get the show on the road

- to start doing something

"Let`s get the show on the road and begin work for the day."

We need to get the show on the road and begin our project now.

We are late and we need to get the show on the road quickly.

get the third degree

- to be questioned in great detail and for a long period of time

The boy got the third degree when he came home late for dinner.

get the upper hand (on someone)

- to get into a position superior to someone

I got the upper hand during my dispute with the apartment manager.

get the worst of (something)

- to be defeated, to receive less benefit than someone else

The man got the worst of the deal when the salesman sold him the used car.

get through (something)

- to complete something, to finish something, to survive something

My friend is having trouble getting through her final exams.

I have much reading that I must get through before tomorrow.

get through to (someone)

- to make someone understand something

I tried talking to the woman but I could not get through to her.

get time off

- to receive a holiday from work

I can never get time off in the summer.

get tired

- to become tired

I want to have a quiet day because I do not want to get tired.

get to (a place)

- to arrive at a place

We will eat dinner when we get to the hotel.

get to (do something)

- to have a chance to do something, to be able to do something

I did not get to go to the circus last week.

get to first base

- to make a start, to succeed

I tried to meet the company president but I could not get to first base.

get to one's feet

- to stand up

The members of the audience got to their feet when the concert finished.

get to the bottom of (something)

- to find out the real cause of something or answer to something

The government wants to get to the bottom of the financial problems in the company.

get to the heart of (something)

- to understand the most important thing about something

We were in the meeting for three hours trying to get to the heart of the problem.

get to the root of a problem

- to find the cause of a problem or issue

The purpose of the meeting is to get to the root of the problem.

The company must get to the root of the problem about the computer system.

There is a problem with my phone and I must get to the root of it quickly.

get tough with (someone)

- to become firm or strict with someone

The school plans to get tough with students who are late.

get under (someone`s) skin

- to bother or irritate someone

The woman always gets under my skin although I do not really know why.

get under way

- to start

The festival got under way early this morning.

get up

- to get out of bed, to get to one`s feet

I got up early today so that I could go fishing with my friend.

I got up after sitting at my computer all morning.

get-up-and-go

- energy, enthusiasm, drive

The man has lots of get-up-and-go and it is difficult to follow him around.

get up enough nerve (to do something)

- to become brave enough to do something

I finally got up enough nerve to ask the woman for a date.

get up on the wrong side of the bed

- to be in a bad mood

My friend got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning and will not talk to anyone.

get up the nerve to (do something)

- to become brave enough to do something

I tried to get up the nerve to ask my friend about his new job.

get used to (someone or something)

- to become accustomed to someone or something

I am slowly getting used to my new job.

get what`s coming to you

- to receive the good or bad that you deserve

The criminal got what was coming to him when he was sent to jail for two years.

get well

- to become well, to become healthy again

The boy was sick but now he is getting well.

get wet

- to become wet

I got wet because of the rain.

get wind of (something)

- to suddenly hear about something (usually something that is a secret)

I got wind of the changes in our company from my friend.

The man may leave his company and he does not want anyone to get wind of this.

The teacher got wind of the secret plans of the students.

get wise to (someone or something)

- to learn about something that is a secret

The man got wise to the fact that someone was stealing his money.

get with it

- to pay attention, to get busy

I told my friend to get with it or he would have problems with his boss.

get worked up about/over (something)

- to get excited or angry about something

My friend always gets worked up about his problems at work.

get worse

- to become worse

The boy is very sick and is getting worse.

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getup

- fancy dress or costume

"What was that strange getup that your friend was wearing the other day?"

ghost of a chance

- very little chance, the smallest chance

The boy does not have a ghost of a chance to finish his homework before class.

gift of the gab

- the ability to talk well

My friend has the gift of the gab and is much fun at a party.

Give Idioms

give a little

- to compromise, to show flexibility when negotiating

My friend is easy to travel with because she will always give a little when we have a dispute.

give a wide birth to (someone or something)

- to keep away from someone or something, to keep a safe distance from someone or something

I usually give a wide birth to my boss when he is angry.

give-and-take

- sharing, giving and receiving between people, compromise

You must be willing to give-and-take if you want to have a good marriage.

give away (a secret) or give (a secret) away

- to let a secret become known

I do not want my friend to give away my plans to go to Mexico for a holiday.

give away (something) or give (something) away

- to give something to someone

I will give away my bicycle because I do not need it anymore.

give away the farm

- to offer too much during a negotiation

I tried not to give away the farm during the negotiation.

give birth

- to have a baby

The woman gave birth to a baby boy last night.

give chase to (someone or something)

- to chase or run after someone or something

The police gave chase to the man who robbed the store.

give credence to (someone or something)

- to believe someone or something, to credit someone or something

We did not want to give credence to the man's statement so we did not respond to it.

give credit where credit is due

- to acknowledge or thank someone who deserves it

We gave credit where credit is due and thanked the cook for her hard work.

give free rein to (someone or something)

- to allow someone to be completely in charge of something, to give someone or something the freedom to do something

The man was given free rein to do what he wanted in his new job.

give ground

- to move back, to retreat, to stop opposing someone

Our boss refused to give ground on his plan to change the system of office management.

give in to (someone or something)

- to surrender, to give someone his or her own way, to stop opposing or resisting someone or something

The company gave in to the union`s demand for more money.

give it to (someone)

- to punish or scold someone

The father gave it to his son when the boy came back late with the car.

give it to (someone) straight

- to tell something to someone directly

My boss gave it to me straight about my chance to get a promotion.

give off (something) or give (something) off

- to release a smell or something, to produce a smell or heat or smoke or light

The garbage was beginning to give off a bad smell because of the hot weather.

The water began to give off steam when it started to boil.

The small heater does not give off a lot of heat.

The new light bulb does not give off much light.

give one's eye teeth (to do something) or (for something)

- to want to do something very much, to want something very much

The little boy would give his eye teeth to have a little puppy.

give one`s right arm (for something or to do something)

- to give something of great value

I would give my right arm to be able to go to Italy with my friends.

give oneself away

- to show guilt, to show that you have done wrong

The girl gave herself away when she said that she had not been downtown although her boyfriend had seen her there.

give oneself up

- to surrender, to stop hiding or running away

The robbers gave themselves up when the police surrounded the house.

give oneself up to (something)

- to let oneself enjoy something, to not hold oneself back from something

The man gave himself up to enjoy the party although he was feeling sick.

give or take (a certain amount of something)

- plus or minus a small amount of something

I think that the man is about 40 years old give or take five years.

give out

- to fail, to wear out

We went hiking last week but my legs gave out so we had to return early.

give out

- to be gone, to finish

We went camping for a week but our food gave out after only three days.

give out (a sound)

- to utter a sound

The girl gave out a loud scream when she saw the spider.

give out (something)

- to give something to people, to distribute something

We gave out more than six hundred balloons at the shopping center.

give rise to (something)

- to cause something

The problems with the heating system gave rise to several other problems.

give (someone) a big hand

- to clap one's hands in applause, to applaud someone

The audience gave the performer a big hand.

give (someone) a black eye

- to hit someone near the eye so that it becomes dark, to harm someone's reputation

I bumped into the door and it gave me a black eye.

The bad products gave the company a black eye.

give (someone) a blank check

- to give someone the freedom or permission to do what they think is necessary

The new coach was given a blank check by the university to try and improve the team.

give (someone) a break

- to give someone a chance, to provide someone with another opportunity or chance

We decided to give the woman a break and not complain about her bad manners.

give (someone) a bum steer

- to make a misleading suggestion

The store owner gave the police a bum steer when he told them where the robber may have gone.

give (someone) a clean bill of health

- to declare that someone is healthy (usually done by a doctor)

My doctor gave me a clean bill of health during my recent checkup.

give (someone) a dirty look

- to frown or make an angry face at someone

I gave the woman a dirty look when she began talking loudly on her cell phone.

give (someone) a fair shake

- to treat someone fairly

Our company tries to give everyone a fair shake.

give (someone) a free hand (with something)

- to give someone complete control over something

The city gave the homeowners a free hand to plan the new playground.

give (someone) a hand

- to help someone do something

"Please give me a hand to move this piano."

give (someone) a hard time

- to tease someone, to make trouble for someone

The girl gave her friend a hard time about her new haircut.

The new supervisor is giving me a hard time.

The boy's family gives him a hard time about the courses that he is studying at university.

give (someone) a head start

- to allow someone to start earlier than others

We gave my friend a head start in the treasure hunting contest.

give (someone) a leg up

- to give someone an advantage, to help someone succeed

My friend got a scholarship to study which gave her a leg up at university.

The man's family gave him a leg up with his new business when they gave him some money.

The computer course helped to give the students a leg up when they were looking for a job.

give (someone) a piece of one's mind

- to scold or become angry with someone

When I met my friend yesterday, I gave her a piece of my mind.

give (someone) a ring/buzz

- to call someone on the telephone

I plan to give my friend a ring when I get home tonight.

give (someone) a run for their money

- to make it difficult for someone to win a contest or game

The small team gave the stronger teams a run for their money during the championship finals.

Our science project is very good but the other teams will give us a run for our money.

I want the job but the other candidates will give me a run for my money.

give (someone or something) a second chance

- to try to save a relationship by forgiving and welcoming the other person back (usually after a fight or a breakup)

The girl's boyfriend left her for several months but when he came back she was happy to give him a second chance.

give (someone) a start

- to startle or surprise someone

The dog gave me a start when it suddenly appeared.

give (someone) a taste of his or her own medicine

- to do something bad to someone after the other person has done something bad to you

I gave my friend a taste of her own medicine after she made me wait for her. I made her wait for me.

give (someone) a tongue-lashing

- to give someone a severe scolding

The mother gave her daughter a tongue-lashing when the daughter returned from school.

give (someone) an earful

- to scold someone, to tell someone much information (usually in an angry way)

I gave my sister an earful when she phoned me.

give (someone) an inch and they will take a mile

- if you give someone a little they will want more, some people are never satisfied

If you give the children an inch they will take a mile so you should be strict sometimes.

give (someone) carte blanche

- to let someone do whatever they want in a particular situation (carte blanche is French for a blank piece of paper or a blank card)

The movie director has carte blanche to make the movie the way that he wants.

The company gave the group carte blanche to do the project.

give (someone) credit for (something)

- to acknowledge or thank someone for something that they have done

Everybody gave the man credit for saving the life of the girl.

give (someone) enough rope and he or she will hang themself

- give someone enough time and freedom to do what they want and they will make a mistake or get into trouble and be caught

"Don`t worry about trying to fight him. If you give him enough rope he will hang himself."

give (someone) free rein

- give someone the freedom to make decisions and do something (you use the reins to control a horse that you are riding and if you give the horse free rein then you let the horse run freely)

The manager will usually give the employees free rein to do their jobs.

The woman was given free rein to change her working hours.

give (someone) one`s word

- to make a promise to someone

My friend gave me his word that he will meet me at the library.

The girl gave her parents her word that she would finish her project today.

I gave my friend my word that I will help him this weekend.

give (someone) pause to think

- to cause someone to stop and think

The accident on the highway gave everyone pause to think.

give (someone) pause for thought

- to cause someone to think carefully or hesitate before doing something

The experiment was not a success which gave the researchers pause for thought.

The advice of the coach gave the players pause for thought.

The president of the company suddenly quit which gave everyone pause for thought.

give (someone) the ax

- to fire an employee

We gave the new employee the ax because he was always late for work.

give (someone) the benefit of the doubt

- to assume or believe that someone is right or innocent of something

I gave the man the benefit of the doubt but I think that he is lying.

give (someone) the boot

- to fire someone from a job, to force someone to leave a place

The manager gave the man the boot when he began yelling in the restaurant.

give (someone) the brush-off

- to send someone away, to ignore someone

I gave the woman the brush-off when I saw her in the supermarket.

give (someone) the bum's rush

- to make someone leave a place quickly

The club owner gave us the bum's rush when we began to make too much noise.

give (someone) the cold shoulder

- to be unfriendly to someone

I gave the woman the cold shoulder at the party.

give (someone) the creeps

- to make someone feel uncomfortable

The girl next door is very strange. She gives me the creeps.

give (someone) the eye

- to look or stare at someone (especially in a cold or unfriendly way)

The store manager began to give the boy the eye.

give (someone) the go-ahead

- to give someone permission to begin a project

The sales manager gave us the go-ahead to begin the new sales campaign.

give (someone) the green light

- to give someone permission to begin a project

The city gave us the green light to begin work on the new housing project.

give (someone) the low-down (on someone or something)

- to tell someone the full story or details about someone or something

I gave my friend the low-down on our plans for the weekend.

give (someone or something) the once-over

- to visually examine someone or something quickly

We gave the man the once-over when he walked into the restaurant.

give (someone) the red-carpet treatment

- to give someone very special treatment

The city gave the politician the red-carpet treatment when he came for a visit.

give (someone) the runaround

- to give excuses and delays to someone

We tried to get a refund for our airplane tickets but the company gave us the runaround.

give (someone) the shirt off one's back

- to be very generous to someone

My uncle is very kind and he will give you the shirt off his back.

give (someone) the slip

- to escape from someone

The bank robbers tried to give the police the slip but they were soon caught.

give (someone) the third degree

- to question someone in great detail

The woman gave her son the third degree when he returned home.

give (someone) their due

- to give someone the credit that he or she deserves

You have to give our company president his due. He has saved the company from bankruptcy.

give (someone) what's coming to him or her

- to give someone what they deserve

I gave my neighbor what's coming to her when I complained to the police about her dog.

give (something) a shot

- to try something

I plan to give golfing a shot during my summer holidays.

give (something) a whirl

- to attempt to do something

I decided to give singing a whirl so I joined a singing club.

give (something) one's best shot

- to try very hard

I plan to give the new job my best shot.

give the devil his due

- to give credit to someone who deserves it even if you dislike him or her

I do not like to work with my coworker because he is lazy. However, you have to give the devil his due. He usually gets the job done.

give up

- to abandon or stop something

I have decided to give up my plan to go to university next year.

give up the ghost

- to stop working, to die

My old car finally gave up the ghost so I must buy a new one.

give up the ship

- to stop fighting, to stop trying or hoping to do something

"Please don`t give up the ship and quit this company. You still have a useful role to play."

give voice to (one's feelings)

- to express what one feels or thinks

The man has begun to give voice to his feelings about his job.

give voice to (something)

- to put something into words, to express something

The small organization gives voice to the concerns of poor people in the city.

give way

- to collapse, to fail

The dam gave way and the water flooded the farmland below.

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giveaway

- something that is given away free, an act of giving something away, an unintential betrayal of a secret or repressed feeling or plan

Our supervisor's speech was a giveaway. Now, I know that he is planning to retire.

to be given to understand (something)

- to be made to understand something plainly and clearly

I was given to understand that I could rent an apartment very cheaply in this area.

glad hand

- to shake hands in a friendly way

The politician likes to glad hand people at the shopping center.

gloss (something) over or gloss over (something)

- to try to make what is wrong or bad seem unimportant, to hide something

The accountant tried to gloss over the amount of money that the company lost last year.

glutton for punishment

- a person who likes difficult or unpleasant tasks

My friend is a glutton for punishment and he will always do the most difficult jobs available.

gnash one's teeth

- to grind one's teeth

I often gnash my teeth when I am sleeping.

The man was so angry that he gnashed his teeth.

Go Idioms

go a few rounds with (someone)

- to fight with someone

My friend went a few rounds with his boss yesterday. They had a big argument.

go a long way toward (something)

- to be almost enough, to contribute much to something

The money from the government will go a long way toward building a new library.

go about one's business

- to be busy, to continue working or doing something

People are going about their business after the holidays.

We continued to go about our business while we waited for the meeting to start.

I was going about my business when my friend phoned me.

go after (someone)

- to try to catch someone

The police decided to go after the speeding cars near the school.

go after (something)

- to attempt to get something, to strive for something

Our team will go after the championship again this year.

go against the grain

- to go against the natural direction or inclination of something

The man's unfriendly attitude goes against the grain of the usually friendly company.

go ahead

- to move forward

The cars could not go ahead very quickly.

go ahead (and do something)

- to proceed to do something, to continue with something

"Let`s go ahead and start now. We can`t wait any longer."

go ahead (with something)

- to proceed to do something, to continue with something

The city plans to go ahead with the plan to build a new stadium.

go all out

- to use all of one's energy or enthusiasm to do something

The parents will go all out for their daughter's wedding.

The young man is going all out to try and get the job.

The organizers plan to go all out to have a good tournament.

go along

- to move along, to continue

The man invents his stories as he goes along.

go along with (someone)

- to go with someone, to accompany someone

I plan to go along with my friend to the ice cream parlor.

go along with (someone or something)

- to agree with someone, to accept someone's decision or suggestion

Everybody went along with my idea to have a party on the weekend.

go ape

- to become very excited, to behave in a crazy way

My father went ape when he heard how much money I had spent.

go around

- to have enough of something for the people who are present

We did not have enough plates for everyone at the party.

go around (from place to place or person to person)

- to go from one place or person to another

We will go around to several shops until we find a cheap computer.

go around in circles

- to do something without making any progress

My friend is going around in circles and is not making any progress with his essay.

go around the bend

- to go crazy

The store manager seems to be going around the bend.

go astray

- to be led into error or wrongdoing (a person), to be mislaid (an object)

The young boy went astray after spending time with the older boys.

My calculator has gone astray and I cannot find it.

go at it

- to fight or argue with someone

When I entered the room the two men were going at it loudly.

go at it hammer and tongs

- to fight or argue with great strength or energy

The couple go at it hammer and tongs every evening.

go at it tooth and nail

- to fight or argue with great strength or energy

The men were going at it tooth and nail when the police arrived.

go away empty-handed

- to depart with nothing

The boy went away empty-handed after he asked his father for money.

go back on one's word

- to break one's promise

My supervisor went back on his word when he refused to give me a day off.

go back over (something)

- to review something, to look at something again to try to get new information

I need to go back over my notes before the test.

The newspaper reporter must go back over his interview before he writes a story.

I need to go back over what my friend said in order to understand his problem.

go bad

- to become rotten or bad

The apples will go bad if they are not eaten soon.

go bananas

- to go crazy, to become silly, to become angry

The father went bananas after he discovered that his son had taken the family car.

go begging

- to be unwanted or unused

Much food went begging when fewer people than expected came to the dinner.

go belly up

- to become bankrupt

The small computer company may go belly up soon.

go broke

- to lose all of one`s money

The company went broke and many people lost their jobs.

go by the book

- to follow the rules exactly

Most police officers go by the book when they arrest a criminal.

go cold turkey

- to stop doing something (usually a bad habit) suddenly

I decided to go cold turkey and quit smoking.

go dead

- to stop working or responding

The batteries in my camera went dead yesterday.

The telephone often goes dead when I am talking to my mother.

go door to door

- to go from one house to another house in a neighborhood in order to sell something or for some other reason

The salesman went door to door to sell his product.

go down fighting

- to continue to struggle until one is defeated

The politician plans to go down fighting to try to keep his job.

go down in history

- to be remembered as an important historical event

The concert will go down in history as the biggest in the world.

go down on bended knee

- to show a lot of emotion when you are asking someone for something, to act like a servant

The man had to go down on bended knee to ask for the job.

go down on one's knees

- to show a lot of emotion when you are asking someone for something, to act like a servant

I was forced to go down on my knees and ask my supervisor for a holiday.

go down to defeat

- to fail, to lose, to be defeated

Our team does not want to go down to defeat in the tournament.

If the candidate goes down to defeat, he will continue with his other business.

go down with the ship

- to continue with a project or company right until the end (often in a failing situation)

My company may go bankrupt soon but I plan to stay and go down with the ship.

go downhill

- to become worse and worse

The local economy has been going downhill for many years.

go Dutch

- to each pay for himself or herself (used for two or more people)

The two young people always go Dutch when they go on a date.

go easy on (someone or something)

- to be kind or gentle with someone or something, to use less of something

I told my friend to go easy on my car when he borrowed it.

The student was bad again. The teacher will not go easy on him this time.

The man needs to start to go easy on the amount of salt that he is eats.

go for (an amount of money)

- to be sold at a certain price

The new car is going for a lot of money.

go for broke

- to risk everything on one big effort, to try as hard as possible to do something

We are going for broke to try and win the new contract.

go for it

- to decide to do something in an enthusiastic way, to try for something

We decided to go for it and try to climb the mountain.

go for (something)

- to try to get something, to desire something

I have decided to go for the new job at the computer center.

go from bad to worse

- to get worse, to deteriorate

Things are going from bad to worse in our company.

go-getter

- an ambitious person who works hard to become successful

My friend is a go-getter. He works hard and is very successful.

go great guns

- to do something very fast or with great energy

The workers were going great guns when I saw them this morning.

go halves

- to share the cost of something equally

We decided to go halves to buy a new computer.

I usually go haves with my friend when we go to a restaurant.

We will go halves to buy a present for our friend.

go haywire

- to become damaged, to stop working properly

At first, things were going well but later our plans began to go haywire.

go hog-wild

- to behave wildly

The little boys went hog-wild during the birthday party.

go in for (something)

- to choose something as one's particular interest, to occupy oneself with something

My friend is going to university and will go in for medicine.

Many of the students are going in for water sports recently.

go in one ear and out the other

- to hear something but then quickly forget it

Everything that the teacher says goes in one ear and out the other for my friend.

go into action

- to begin to do something very quickly and suddenly

The firefighters are always ready to go into action.

We will have a short break before we go into action and begin the project.

The students are ready to go into action when the contest begins.

go into detail

- to present and discuss the details of something

The lawyer refused to go into detail about the problem.

The official would not go into detail about the accident.

My friend said that he had a problem but he would not go into detail about it.

go into effect

- to become effective (a law or a rule), to start to function

The new parking regulations will go into effect next week.

go into hiding

- to conceal oneself in a hiding place for a period of time

The bank robbers went into hiding after the bank robbery.

go into hock

- to go into debt

I do not want to go into hock in order to buy a new computer.

go into orbit

- to lose one`s temper, to become very angry

The bank manager went into orbit when he learned about the missing money.

go it alone

- to do something by oneself

Nobody would help us so we had to go it alone with the project.

go jump in a lake

- to go away and quit bothering someone

My friend wanted to borrow some money from me but I told her to go jump in a lake.

go like clockwork

- to progress in a regular and dependable way

Everything was going like clockwork when suddenly the lights went out.

go off

- to explode

The firecracker went off before I could put it down.

go off

- to begin to ring or buzz

The fire alarm started to go off just as we entered the building.

go off half-cocked

- to act or speak without thinking

Our boss often goes off half-cocked when he is at a meeting.

go off on a tangent

- to suddenly start talking about or thinking about a totally new subject

The speaker suddenly went off on a tangent and began to speak about something totally different.

go off (somewhere)

- to leave or depart for somewhere

My friend went off on a trip and did not say good-bye.

go off the deep end

- to become angry or emotional

The man went off the deep end when he saw his picture in the paper.

go off the rails

- to no longer work as planned, to begin to behave in a strange and uncontrolled way

The plan seemed to be very good at first but soon it began to go off the rails.

The man is acting very strange. He seems to be going off the rails.

go off without a hitch

- to proceed or be finished with no problems

The opening of the new airport should go off without a hitch.

go on

- to happen

We stopped to see what was going on at the accident.

go on

- to continue

The game will probably go on for an hour after we leave.

go on

- to talk for too long

My friend started to go on about his problems so I decided to leave.

go on

- to be put on something, to fit on something

The top of the jar would not go on so I put it in the garbage.

go on a binge

- to do too much of something

My cousin went on a binge and ate four chocolate bars.

go on a diet

- to start a plan or program to decrease some foods in order to decrease one's weight

I plan to go on a diet at the beginning of the year.

go on a rampage

- to rush around destroying things

The football fans went on a rampage and destroyed many things.

go on a splurge

- to spend much money extravagantly

We went on a splurge last weekend and spent much money.

The woman plans to go on a splurge and buy some clothes.

go on and on

- to continue for a long time

The man went on and on with his speech until finally I fell asleep.

go one`s own way

- to go or act the way one wants

My friend plans to go his own way and start his own business next year.

go out

- to stop burning, to stop functioning

The candle will probably go out after one hour.

The lights went out in the building last night.

go out

- to leave one's home or workplace

I do not plan to go out tonight.

go out for (something)

- to try something (usually a sport)

My friend is going out for rugby this year.

go out of fashion/style

- to become unfashionable

Striped pants have recently gone out of fashion.

go out of one`s way

- to make an extra effort

My aunt went out of her way to help me when I visited her.

go out the window

- to be abandoned, to go out of effect

The school dress code went out the window when the new principal arrived.

go out with (someone)

- to go on a date with someone, to be dating someone

The man would like to go out with his classmate.

I have been going out with a woman from my hiking club for one year.

go over big with (someone)

- to be liked, to be successful

The games went over big at the party.

go over like a lead balloon

- to fail, to do badly

My idea for shorter working hours went over like a lead balloon at the meeting.

go over (someone's) head

- to be too difficult for someone to understand

The explanation of how to operate the machinery went over my head.

go over (someone's) head

- to go directly to someone's superior/boss/supervisor

The clerk was very rude so I decided to go over her head and talk to her supervisor.

go over (something)

- to examine or review something

The accountant will go over the numbers tomorrow.

We plan to go over the question tomorrow.

go over (something) with a fine-toothed comb

- to search through something very carefully (fine-tooth comb is also correct)

We went over the room with a fine-toothed comb while looking for the earring.

go over well with (someone)

- to be liked, to be successful

I think that my idea will go over well with my friends.

go over with a bang

- to succeed in a spectacular way

The opening ceremony went over with a bang and everybody was very happy.

go overboard

- to do something in excess

The man went overboard with the birthday party preparations.

go places

- to have a good future

The young man will go places with his good looks and good education.

go sky-high

- to reach a very high price or level

The price of gasoline has gone sky-high recently.

go so far as to say (something)

- to put something into words

The company president went so far as to say that he may be leaving very soon.

go (someone) one better

- to do something better than someone else, to do more than someone

I decided to go my friend one better and I bought a more expensive present for my girlfriend.

go stag

- to go to an event by oneself (without a date - usually used for men)

I decided to go stag to the wedding.

go steady with (someone)

- to date one person regularly (not so common recently but at one time this expression was used often by teenagers)

The two students have been going steady for three years.

go stir-crazy

- to become anxious because one is confined to a small space

After many days of rain I began to go stir-crazy because I could not leave the house.

go straight

- to become an honest person, to lead an honest life

The man was in prison for two years but now he wants to go straight.

go the distance

- to do the whole amount of something, to finish something

I was able to go the distance and finish my project without any help.

go the extra mile

- to do more than one is required to do to reach a goal

I always try to go the extra mile and help my friends when they need help.

go the limit

- to do as much as possible

I plan to go the limit and try to get the job.

go through

- to be approved, to pass, to be agreed upon

The new law will probably go through next week.

go through (an experience)

- to experience or suffer something, to live through something

The man went through some hard times after he lost his job.

go through changes

- to be involved in changing circumstances

The woman has gone through many changes recently.

go through channels or go through the proper channels

- to use the proper procedures to do something (especially in a hierarchy or bureaucracy)

We must go through the proper channels to get anything done with the city.

go through (someone)

- to have contact with someone (often to get permission or approval from someone with power or authority)

Everybody has to go through the accountant to get money for his or her expenses.

go through (something)

- to examine something carefully, to search carefully for something

The police went through the house to look for a weapon.

I plan to go through my old clothes and give some of them to my friend.

go through (something)

- to discuss something, to look at something, to do something

The teacher will go through the questions after the test.

go through (something)

- to use something completely, to spend or waste money

The man went through his savings very quickly.

We only had a small amount of cooking oil and we went through it very quickly.

go through the mill

- to experience a difficult situation

My friend has gone through the mill with her many recent problems.

go through the motions

- to do something insincerely

The manager went through the motions of apologizing but he was not sincere.

go through the roof

- to go very high

The price of oil is going through the roof.

go through (trouble or something)

- to endure something, to experience something

I had to go through much trouble to get my new passport.

go through with (something)

- to finish something, to do something as planned or agreed

My friend has decided to go through with his plans to finish university.

go to any length

- to do whatever is necessary

The man will go to any length to get what he wants.

go to bat for (someone)

- to support or help someone

I will always go to bat for my friend when he has a problem at work.

go to great lengths

- to work very hard to accomplish something

The movie director always goes to great lengths to produce a great movie.

The teacher goes to great lengths to make sure that the students understand the lessons.

The company is going to great lengths to make the employees happy.

go to one`s head

- to become conceited

The man's new position has gone to his head and he will not speak to us now.

go to pieces

- to lose one's self-control

The woman went to pieces when she learned about her father`s death.

go to pot

- to deteriorate

Our business has gone to pot since the new manager came.

go to rack and ruin

- to reach a very bad state of repair

The building has gone to rack and ruin since the new owners bought it.

go to seed

- to become worn-out or uncared for

The area around the post office is going to seed.

go to (someone's) head

- to make someone too proud

The girl won the beauty contest and now it has gone to her head.

go to the dogs

- to deteriorate, to become bad

Many things in our city have gone to the dogs during the last ten years.

go to the ends of the earth/world to do something

- to do everything possible in order to achieve/do something, to go to the most distant place on earth

I went to the ends of the earth to try and find the part for my computer.

The man will go to the ends of the world to help his friends.

go to the expense (of doing something)

- to pay the cost of doing something

We had to go to the expense of buying a new tent for camping.

go to the trouble (of doing something)

- to make an extra effort to do something

My aunt went to the trouble of buying a new bed for her guests.

go to town

- to work fast or hard, to do something with much energy

We went to town last night and finished painting the bedroom.

go to waste

- to be wasted, to be unused

I did not want the extra food to go to waste so I invited my friend to visit.

go toe-to-toe (with someone)

- to be in close and direct confrontation or competition with someone, to be in close combat with someone

The two men went toe-to-toe in their debate.

The wrestlers went toe-to-toe for the championship.

go together

- to look or sound or taste good together

The red paint and the green sofa do not go together in the apartment.

go too far

- to do more than is acceptable

The man went too far when he accused his boss of lying.

go under

- to fail

The small company went under after only a few months in business.

go under the knife

- to have surgery

My father will go under the knife on Monday.

go up

- to increase

The price for gasoline has just gone up.

go up

- to be constructed

Many new buildings are going up in our city.

go up in flames/smoke

- to burn or be destroyed by fire, to fail, to not come true (dreams)

The waiter's plans to open a new restaurant went up in smoke after he lost his job.

go up to (someone or something)

- to approach someone or something

The boy was too shy to go up to the man to ask him a question.

go whole hog

- to do everything possible

We plan to go whole hog to make the party successful.

go with (something)

- to go well with something, to match something

My green shirt does not go with my red hat.

go with (something)

- to choose one thing rather than another

We decided to go with the small rental car rather than the big one.

go with the flow

- to do what other people are doing or to agree with other people because it is the easiest thing to do

I usually go with the flow and never disagree with my friends.

We cannot change the situation so we will go with the flow.

The young women usually goes with the flow at her high school.

go without (something)

- to manage to survive or do well without something

We had to go without water for two days in our apartment.

go without saying

- to be so easy to understand that it does not have to be mentioned

The man is a hard worker so it goes without saying that his boss is very happy with him.

go wrong

- to fail

Things began to go wrong soon after our camping trip began.

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goes to show

- something serves to prove a point

The man's success goes to show that hard work will lead to success.

(have something) going for you

- to be or have something as an advantage

The woman should do very well as she has many things going for her.

going rate

- the current rate

The going rate for carpenters is very high and it will cost much money to build the house.

gold mine of information

- someone or something that is full of information

The woman is a gold mine of information and she is very valuable to her company.

golden opportunity

- an excellent and rare opportunity

The hot weather was a golden opportunity for the ice cream seller to make money.

golf widow

- a wife who is left alone much of the time because her husband is playing golf

The woman is a golf widow. Her husband is always playing golf.

gone but not forgotten

- to be gone or dead but still remembered

Our grandfather is gone but not forgotten.

gone to meet one's maker

- to be dead

The car accident was terrible and the driver has gone to meet his maker.

gone with the wind

- to be gone

The woman is gone with the wind and we will probably never see her again.

good deal

- a product of good quality and a cheap price

You can usually get a good deal on stereos at that discount store.

a good deal of (something)

- much of something, a lot of something

We have a good deal of paint remaining after painting the room.

good-for-nothing

- to be worthless

The man is a good-for-nothing and lazy worker.

Good grief!

- used to show surprise (good or bad)

"Good grief! It`s 6:00 and I still have not finished this job."

good old days

- earlier times which everyone remembers as being better than the present

In the good old days people could buy a house easier than today.

good riddance

- used to express happiness when you lose or break something that you do not like or want, used when someone who you don't like leaves

I said good riddance when my old computer stopped working and I had to buy a new one.

good riddance to bad rubbish

- used to show that you are happy that someone or something has been taken or sent away

"Good riddance to bad rubbish! I don't like him and I am glad that he is gone."

good sport

- a person who loses a competition or game without complaining

My friend is a good sport and he never complains about losing.

good together

- to be able to get along well with each other

The couple are good together and nobody has ever seen them argue.

good to go

- to be ready or prepared for something, fixed, healthy

The small shop fixed my phone so now it is good to go.

The player is now healthy so the doctor told him that he is good to go for the next game.

We were good to go so we left for the weekend.

goof off

- to waste time, to fool around, to not work or be serious

The boy has been goofing off all afternoon and has not done any work.

goof up

- to make a mistake, to perform badly

The boy goofed up during his performance.

(one's) goose is cooked

- one has been discovered to have done something wrong and is now in trouble, one is finished, one's chances are ruined

I told a lie to my company. Now my goose is cooked and I am in much trouble.

gospel truth

- the undeniable truth

The man told the gospel truth during the trial.

got a thing going (with someone)

- engaged in an activity with someone (in romance or business)

The man has got a thing going with his neighbor.

grab a bite (to eat)

- to get something to eat

We stopped at a small restaurant to grab a bite to eat.

grace (someone or something) with one's presence

- to honor someone or something by being present

The Queen graced the opening of the hospital with her presence.

grain of truth

- a small amount of truth (a grain is a small piece of sand etc. or a single seed of rice or wheat etc.)

There was not a grain of truth in what the man said.

grand slam home run

- a home run in baseball when there are three players on the bases (the bases are loaded) and therefore four runs are scored

My favorite player got a grand slam home run last night.

grasp at straws

- to try something with little hope of success

The man is grasping at straws with his weak excuse for his bad behavior.

grass is always greener on the other side (of the fence)

- a place or situation that is far away or different seems better than one's present situation

My cousin is always changing jobs because she thinks that the grass is always greener on the other side.

grate on (someone's) nerves

- to annoy or bother someone

The woman's singing is beginning to grate on my nerves.

gravy train

- a job that gives one much money compared with what you do

The cleaning contract was a gravy train. We worked for three hours but we got paid for eight hours.

gray area

- something difficult to define or put into a particular category, something that is not clear

Some of the legal issues were in a gray area.

grease (someone`s) palm

- to pay money to someone for some special favor

We had to grease the border guard`s palm in order to enter the country.

greasy spoon

- a small and cheap eating place with basic but not great food

We went to a greasy spoon for breakfast because the other restaurants were closed.

a great deal of (something)

- much or a lot of something

There was a great deal of water in our house after the flood.

greatest thing since sliced bread

- the best thing that there ever was

The new digital camera is the greatest thing since sliced bread.

green

- to be inexperienced or immature

The new employee is green and does not know his job very well.

green around the gills

- to look sick

My colleague was looking a little green around the gills when he came to work today.

a green thumb

- the skill to make plants grow

The man has a green thumb and has a very beautiful garden.

green with envy

- to be very jealous, to be full of envy

The little girl was green with envy when she saw her friend`s new bicycle.

grin and bear it

- to endure something unpleasant while trying to remain happy

I have to grin and bear it when my boss becomes angry with me.

The weather is terrible for the festival. We will just have to grin and bear it.

Our flight is delayed. There is nothing that we can do except grin and bear it.

grin like a Cheshire cat

- to grin or smile broadly

The little boy was grinning like a Cheshire cat when he entered the room.

grind to a halt

- to slow down and stop (like a machine when it is turned off)

The city ground to a halt when the electric power was off.

grist for the mill

- something that can be used for one's advantage

The information was grist for the mill of the salesman.

grit one's teeth

- to grind one's teeth together in anger or determination or reluctance

I grit my teeth and phoned my father to ask if I could borrow some money.

gross out (someone) or gross (someone) out

- to make someone sick or disgusted

The movie was very violent and grossed out my sister.

ground floor

- the first or best chance (especially in a business)

The video store was a good investment and I was happy to get in on the ground floor.

ground (someone)

- to take away someone's privileges (usually used for teenagers)

The girl was grounded by her parents because she came home late too often.

grounds for (something)

- the basis or reason for legal action or a complaint

The fact that the man stole the money was grounds for his dismissal from the company.

grow on (someone)

- to become acceptable to someone or liked by someone

At first, I did not like the strange music but now it is beginning to grow on me.

grow out of (something)

- to abandon something as one matures or becomes older

The little boy is beginning to grow out of his baby chair.

grow to do/like (something)

- to gradually begin to do something or like someone or something

I am growing to like the people who live next door to me.

The girl is growing to do her homework much better than before.

grunt work

- hard and thankless work

I am often forced to do the grunt work at my company.

guard against (someone or something)

- to take care to avoid someone or something

When we go to the beach we must guard against the hot sun.

guard one's tongue

- to be careful of what one says

I have to guard my tongue when I am speaking with my friend's parents.

guest of honor

- the special person for whom a party or ceremony is held

My father was the guest of honor at the company banquet.

gulp for air

- to desperately try to get some air or a breath

The man began gulping for air after he fell into the lake.

gum up

- to cause something not to work, to make something go wrong

The computer printer became gummed up as I was trying to print my resume.

gum up the works

- to cause something to stop working well, to make a process or activity not proceed smoothly

"The printer paper was not good which caused it to gum up the works. Now, the printer will not work."

"Somebody gummed up the works and our coffee maker will not work."

"The lack of parts has gummed up the works for the small business."

gun for (someone)

- to look hard for a chance to harm or defeat someone

My supervisor has been gunning for me for a long time and I do not know why.

gun for (something)

- to try very hard to get a prize or promotion etc.

I have been gunning for the sales job for a long time.

gung-ho

- to be enthusiastic, to be full of eagerness

My friend is gung-ho about her new job at the library.

gut feeling/reaction

- a personal or intuitive feeling or response

I had a gut feeling that my friend would not get the job that he wanted.

gyp (someone) out of (something)

- to cheat someone

The woman at the store gypped the man out of some money.

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