gain ground
- go forward, make progress
The toy company is gaining ground in their effort to sell more products.


a game that two can play
- a strategy that competing sides can both use
The insults from my boss are a game that two can play and if she wants to do it then so can I.


gang up on (someone)
- attack someone in a group
The children tried to gang up on the boy but he ran away.


gas up
- fill up a gas tank
We should gas up before we leave on our holiday tomorrow.


gear up for (something)
- prepare for something
The city is gearing up for the Olympic games.


gee whiz
- used as an exclamation to show surprise or other strong feelings
"Gee whiz! Are we really going to go to France for our holiday?"


generous to a fault
- too generous
My friend was generous to a fault and sometimes gave away too much money.





get a bang out of (someone or something)
- receive special pleasure from someone or something
My father gets a bang out of the funny birthday cards that we send him.


get a break
- get an opportunity or good deal
I got a break when my friend sold me his car for a cheap price.


get a bright idea
- a clever thought or idea occurs to someone (often used as sarcasm)
My father got the bright idea that he should buy a motorcycle.


get a checkup
- have a physical examination by a doctor
I go to the doctor every year to get a checkup.


get a clean bill of health
- 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)
- get frowned at by someone
I got a dirty look from the man who was sitting next to my child.


get a feel for (something)
- become accustomed to something and learn how something works
I am beginning to get a feel for my new job.


get a fix on (something)
- 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/toehold (somewhere)
- a starting point
The new political party is beginning to get a foothold in the big cities.


get a grasp of (something)
- understand something
I am beginning to get a grasp of how to operate the new computer system.


get a grip of oneself
- take control of one`s feelings
He got a grip of himself and calmed down.


get a head start (on someone or something)
- start earlier than someone or something
We tried to get a head start on our holiday.


get a kick out of (someone or something)
- enjoy someone or something
My father got a kick out of seeing his old school friend.


get a load of (someone or something)
- see/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
- sit down and relax
I sat down for awhile and tried to get a load off my feet.


get a load off (one's) mind
- say 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 conflict.


get a lot of mileage out of (something)
- get much use from something (like a car)
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
- 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
- hurry up
"Please get a move on. We are already three hours late."


get a raw deal
- receive unfair or bad treatment
The secretary got a raw deal when she had to work late everyday.


get a rise out of someone
- tease/have fun with someone by making him or her angry
We got a rise out of the teacher when we opened the windows while it was raining.


get a slap on the wrist
- receive a light punishment for doing something wrong
The judge gave the boy a slap on the wrist and decided not to punish him severely for his crime.


get a whiff of (something)
- learn about something (almost by chance)
Whenever the media gets a whiff of a scandal they become excited and start asking questions.


get a wiggle on
- hurry up, get going
"Get a wiggle on. I want to arrive at the party before the other guests."


get a word in
- find a chance to say something when others are talking
The customer couldn`t get a word in while talking to the salesman.


get a word in edgewise
- manage to break into a conversation
I couldn`t get a word in edgewise so I left the meeting.


get across
- explain, make something understood
I tried to get across the importance of taking care of one's computer discs.


get after (someone) to do (something)
- urge someone to do something he should do but has neglected
I`ll get after him to fix the computer as soon as he returns.


get ahead
- advance or be successful
She works hard at her job in order to get ahead.


get ahead of (oneself)
- do or say something sooner than you should
I was getting ahead of myself when I started asking questions about the job that I didn't have.


get ahold of (someone or something)
- make contact with someone, obtain something
I have been trying very hard to get ahold of my old high school teacher.


get along
- leave
It`s late so I must get along now.


get along in years
- grow older
My parents are getting along in years but they are still very healthy.


get along on (a small amount of something)
- manage on a small amount of something
He is able to get along on very little money.


get along on a shoestring
- manage with very little money
I had to get along on a shoestring during university.


get along with someone
- have a good relationship with someone
I don`t get along with the woman who I work with.


get an earful
- hear much talk/criticism/complaints
Our boss got an earful when he asked the employees if they had any complaints.


get around
- go to different places, move about
He really gets around and has been to many different cities.


get around to (something)
- finally find time to do something
The apartment manager finally got around to fixing the bath.


get at (someone or something)
- attack or hit someone or something
Our dog tried to get at the other dog which was tied up.


get at (something)
- mean
I don`t know what he was trying to get at during the meeting.


get away
- succeed in leaving, escape
I was able to get away from work early so I went shopping.


get away from it all
- go on a holiday
We want to get away from it all this summer and relax somewhere.


get away with murder
- do something very bad without being caught or punished
The child was able to get away with murder while the substitute teacher was in the school.


get away with (something)
- do something one shouldn`t and not get caught
The criminal got away with stealing the money and was never caught.


get back
- return
We got back from London early yesterday afternoon.


get back at (someone)
- do something bad to someone who has done something bad to you
She is angry at her boyfriend and is getting back at him by not answering the telephone.


get back to (someone)
- find out something and then tell it to someone
We were very careful that our complaints did not get back to the school principal.


get behind
- go slow while doing something, be late
If you get behind with your homework you will never pass the course.


get behind (a person or idea)
- support, help
They decided to get behind the candidate who promised to cut taxes.


get better
- improve
The little boy is getting better at riding his bicycle.


get by (on something)
- satisfy your needs or demands (usually related to money)
He is able to get by on his salary because he doesn`t spend much money.


get carried away
- be overcome by emotion or enthusiasm
I got carried away yesterday and cleaned all of my apartment.


get close to (someone)
- become close friends with someone
The woman tried very hard to get close to her youngest daughter.


get close to (something)
- be almost as good as something, almost reach or arrive at a goal
The charity is getting close to the amount of money that they expect to collect.


get cold feet
- become afraid at the last minute
He got cold feet and cancelled his plan to go to China.


get cracking
- hurry up, start moving fast, get started
We must get cracking on this job if we want to finish it before dinner.


get down to brass tacks
- begin discussing/doing the essential matters of something immediately
"Let`s get down to brass tacks and finish this job."


get down to business
- begin to get serious
When the meeting started everyone got down to business and began to discuss the issues.


get down to (something)
- get started to do something
"Let`s get down to work so we can go home early."


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


get even (with someone)
- get revenge
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 didn't like the way that the new manager acted.


get going
- become excited/angry
Once the man gets going he will never stop complaining.


get hold of (someone)
- find a person so 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)
- get possession of something
"If you get hold of a dictionary could you please let me borrow it for a few minutes."


get in on (something)
- become involved in something
My friend wants to get in on the planning of the summer barbecue.


get in on the ground floor
- start at the beginning (in hopes of future gain)
I was able to get in on the ground floor of the new company.


get in (someone's) hair
- bother or irritate someone
The woman complained that her young child was always getting in her hair.


get in touch with someone
- contact someone
I plan to get in touch with my friend when I arrive in New York in August.


get into
- to enter, to go into something
I do not want any water to get into my car.


get into
- to secure a place in a college or university or course
My friend wants to get into a good university.


get into a stew over (someone or something)
- be worried or upset about someone or something
My aunt didn't phone last week and my mother is now getting into a stew over that.


get into hot water
- get into trouble or difficulty
We got into hot water when they found us in the building after it had closed.


get into the act
- try to be part of whatever is going on
Everybody at the party wanted to get into the act and join with the singers.


get into the swing of things
- adapt to a new environment or situation
My friend got into the swing of things after the party started.


get involved with (someone)
- become associated with someone (often romantically)
The bank teller got involved with the bank manager several months ago .


get it
- understand something, understand a joke
Everybody was laughing at the joke but I didn't get it.


get it all together
- be in full control of oneself
He finally got it all together and applied for the job at the supermarket.


get it through one`s head
- understand/believe something
He has got it through his head that he will get a job without making any effort.


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)
- become angry with someone or something
I often get mad at my friend when he is late.


get married
- become married
We got married in June of last year.


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


get nowhere fast
- make no progress
We are getting nowhere fast in our effort to convince our boss to give us a holiday.


get off
- escape or avoid punishment
The criminal got off with a very short sentence from the judge.


get off
- leave or exit from a bus or train etc.
We decided to get off the train at the next station.


get off easy
- escape a serious punishment
The criminals got off easy after they robbed the bank.


get off on the wrong foot
- make a bad start
I got off on the wrong foot with my boss and our relationship is not good.


get off one`s back
- leave someone alone and not bother them
I wish that my supervisor would get off my back.


get off one`s butt
- get busy, start working
My friend should get off his butt and try and find a job.


get off one's high horse
- become less arrogant
The manager was forced to get off his high horse and act better towards the employees.


get off the ground
- make a successful beginning
His new business never got off the ground and he must look for a new job.


get off the hook
- free oneself from an obligation
I got off the hook and I didn't have to clean the classroom after school.


get off to a flying start
- 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
- become older
He is getting on in years and is not very healthy.


get on one`s high horse
- behave with arrogance
Our boss likes to get on his high horse and give orders to everyone.


get on one`s nerves
- irritate someone
His constant complaining is beginning to get on my nerves.


get on (someone) to do (something)
- ask/pressure someone to do something
I will get on my friend to bring your book back tomorrow.


get on the good side of (someone)
- get in someone's favor
I took my aunt to a nice restaurant in order to get on her good side.


get one's act together
- become more organized
My sister finally got her act together and was able to find a new job.


get one's bearings
- 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
- get the punishment 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
- become angry
You shouldn`t talk to him early in the morning or you will get his dander up.


get one's ducks in a row
- put one's affairs in order, get things ready
I got my ducks in a row and was able to get the job easily.


get one`s feet wet
- begin something, do something for the first time
He was able to get his feet wet in the publishing business and is now ready to start his own business.


get one's fill of (someone or something)
- receive enough of someone or something
I have got my fill of fresh corn and I don't want to eat any for awhile.


get one's foot in the door
- begin to do something that you hope will lead to future success (often used with jobs/careers)
I got 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)
- 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
- get in control of one's situation (often money problems)
When I get my head above water I will be able to spend less time working.


get one's just deserts
- get what one deserves
The apartment manager got her just deserts when she was fired for bothering the tenants.


get one's money's worth
- 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
- 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
- be able to do what you want
He always gets his own way with his younger brothers.


get one`s rear in gear
- hurry up, get going
"Let`s get our rear in gear before it is too late to go to a movie."


get one's say
- be able to say what one thinks
The meeting was over very quickly and everyone got their say.


get one's sea legs
- become accustomed to something (like the movement of a ship)
As soon as we got our sea legs we were able to get up and walk around the boat.


get one's start
- 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
- get fired
The young man got his walking papers for being late too often.


get one's wires crossed
- get confused about something
We got our wires crossed and we both went to different places for our meeting.


get out from under (someone or something)
- escape from a situation that one doesn`t like
I would like to get out from under my boss who is always watching my work.


get out of a jam
- get free from a problem or bad situation
We got out of a jam this morning when enough people came to finish the job.


get out of bed on the wrong side
- be in a bad mood
I think that she got out of bed on the wrong side as she isn't talking to anyone today.


get out of hand
- lose control
The party was beginning to get out of hand so they asked everyone to leave.


get out of the way
- stop obstructing or interfering with someone or something, escape from something
The car was unable to get out of the way of the truck and was hit.


get over (something)
- overcome a difficulty, recover from an illness or shock
She is having trouble getting over her father`s death.


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


get religion
- develop a strong religious belief
My uncle recently got religion and is very peaceful now.


get rid of (something)
- give or throw something away, sell or destroy something, make a cold or fever disappear
I bought a new television set so I want to get rid of the old one.


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


get set
- get ready to start
Everybody is getting set for the wedding ceremony.


get sick
- become ill
I got sick yesterday and didn't go to the movie.


get sidetracked
- become diverted from one's task
I started to watch the news and got sidetracked in what I had planned to do.


get (someone) down
- make (someone) unhappy, cause discouragement
The long commuting time is getting my friend down so she wants to quit her job.


get (someone`s) goat
- irritate someone
My friend is getting my goat and I am tired of him.


get (someone or something) out of one's mind/head
- manage to forget about someone or something
It took me several months to get my old girlfriend out of my mind.


get (something) off one's chest
- talk about something that has been bothering you
I told my father about my problem at work so I could get it off my chest.


get (something) out in the open
- make something public
We had a frank discussion in order to get everything out in the open.


get (something) out of one's system
- 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)
- get some kind of benefit from something
My mother does not understand why my aunt can get anything out of going to an opera.


get (something) out of the way
- take care of some business, do/finish something
We got our work out of the way and began to plan for the weekend.


get (something) over with
- finish something (often something that you don't want to do)
I was very happy to get my exams over with.


get (something) straight
- understand something clearly
I couldn't get straight what my friend was trying to tell me.


get (something) through (someone's) thick skull
- manage to get someone to understand something
I couldn't get it through my friend's thick skull that I was not going to be able to go on a holiday with him.


get the ax
- be fired
He got the ax last week and now has no job.


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


get the benefit of the doubt
- receive a decision in your favor when the evidence in neither for you or against you
I got the benefit of the doubt when I complained about my parking ticket.


get the better of (someone)
- win against/beat/defeat (someone)
My friend got the better of me and won the tennis match.


get the blues
- become sad or depressed
Every winter my neighbor seems to get the blues.


get the boot
- be fired, 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
- be ignored or sent away
I got the brush-off when I asked the girl to dance.


get the cold shoulder
- be ignored or rejected
My friend got the cold shoulder when he went to the expensive restaurant.


get the day off
- 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
- get a good understanding of the facts
I don't believe that our supervisor got the facts straight when she heard about our argument.


get the feel of (something)
- 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
- receive official permission to address an audience
When the principal finally got the floor everybody was ready to go home.


get the go-ahead
- receive a signal to start
The city got the go-ahead to begin work on the new station.


get the goods on (someone)
- find out true but often negative information about someone
I think that I have got the goods on the man and will talk to the police soon.


get the hang of (something)
- 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)
- get ahead of someone
We left home early so that we could get the jump on the other travellers.


get the last laugh
- 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
- hurry
"Get the lead out," I said to my slow friend.


get the low-down on (someone or something)
- receive the full story about someone or something
I met a friend for coffee to get the low-down on our friend who was getting married.


get the message
- clearly understand the meaning of something
I told him three times but I don`t think that he got the message.


get the nod
- get chosen for something
My favorite candidate got the nod to represent our area in the election.


get the once-over
- receive a quick visual examination
I got the once-over when I arrived for the job interview.


get the picture
- understand the whole situation
I didn't get the picture of what my friend was saying about his new girlfriend.


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


get the runaround
- 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
- be fired from a job
I told him that if he doesn`t change his work habits he will get the sack.


get the shock of one's life
- 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
- end up with 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
- start working on something
"Let`s get the show on the road and begin work for the day."


get the third degree
- be questioned in great detail 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)
- get into a position superior to someone
I got the upper hand in my dispute with the apartment manager.


get the worst of (something)
- be defeated, receive less benefit than someone else
He got the worst of the deal when the salesman sold him the used car.


get through (something)
- to complete something, to finish something
My friend is having trouble getting through her final exams.
I have much reading that I must get through before tomorrow.


get through (something)
- succeed in passing an exam or ordeal
She is having trouble getting through her final exams.


get through to (someone)
- make someone understand something
I tried talking to her but I couldn`t get through to her.


get time off
- receive a holiday from work
I can never get time off in the summer.


get to do (something)
- have a chance or be able to do something
I didn`t get to go to the circus last year.


get to first base
- make a start, succeed
I tried to meet the company president but I couldn`t get to first base.


get to the bottom of (something)
- find out the real cause of something
The government wants to get to the bottom of the financial problems in the company.


get to the heart of (something)
- 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 the problem
- get an understanding of the causes of a problem
The purpose of the meeting was to get to the root of the problem about the money.


get through (something)
- to complete something, to finish something
My friend is having trouble getting through her final exams.
I have much reading that I must get through before tomorrow.


get tough with (someone)
- become firm/strict with someone
The school will soon get tough with students who are late.


get under one`s skin
- bother or upset someone
The woman always gets under my skin although I don`t really know why.


get under way
- start
The festival got under way early this morning.


get up
- get out of bed, get to one`s feet
I got up early today so that I would be able to go fishing with my friend.


get-up-and-go
- energy, enthusiasm, drive
He has lots of get-up-and-go and it is difficult to follow him around.


get up enough nerve (to do something)
- get 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
- be in a bad mood
He got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning and won`t talk to anyone.


get up the nerve to (do something)
- 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)
- become accustomed to someone or something
I am slowly getting used to my new job.


get what`s coming to one
- receive the good or bad that one deserves
The criminal got what was coming to him when he was sent to jail for two years.


get wind of (something)
- hear about something
I got wind of the changes in the company from my friend.


get wise to (someone or something)
- learn about something that is a secret
The man got wise to the fact that they were stealing his money.


get with it
- pay attention, get busy
I told him to get with it or he would get in trouble with his boss.


get worked up about/over (something)
- get excited about something
My friend always gets worked up about his problems at work.


.



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, (not) the smallest chance
He doesn`t have a ghost of a chance to finish his homework before class.


gift of the gab
- be good at talking
He has the gift of the gab and is great at parties.






give a wide birth to (someone or something)
- keep away from, keep a safe distance from
I usually give a wide birth to my boss when he is angry.


give-and-take
- sharing, giving and receiving between people
You must be willing to give-and-take if you want to have a good marriage.


give away (a secret)
- let a secret become known
I tried to stop my friend before she gave away my plans to go to Mexico for a holiday.


give away (something)
- give something to someone
I decided to give away my bicycle because I didn`t need it anymore.


give birth
- bring a baby into the world
My wife gave birth to a baby boy last night.


give chase
- chase or run after someone or something
The police gave chase to the man who robbed the store.


give credence to (someone or something)
- believe someone or something, credit someone or something
We didn't want to give credence to the man's statement so we didn't respond to it.


give credit where credit is due
- acknowledge or thank someone who deserves it
We gave credit where credit is due and thanked the cook for all of the work that she had done.


give free rein to (someone or something)
- allow someone to be completely in charge of something
The man was given free rein to do what he wanted in his new job.


give ground
- move back, retreat, 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)
- give someone his or her own way, stop opposing someone or something
The company gave in to the union`s demand for more money.


give it to (someone)
- punish or scold someone
The father really gave it to his son when the boy came back late with the car.


give it to (someone) straight
- tell something to someone directly
My boss gave it to me straight about my chance to get a promotion.


give off (something)
- send out, let out
The garbage was beginning to give off a bad smell because of the hot weather.


give one`s right arm
- give something of great value
I would give my right arm to be able to go to Italy with the rest of the group.


give oneself away
- show guilt, show that you have done wrong
The girl gave herself away when she said that she hadn`t been downtown although her boyfriend had seen her there.


give oneself up
- surrender, stop hiding or running away
The robbers gave themselves up when the police surrounded the house.


give oneself up to (something)
- let oneself enjoy something, not hold oneself back from something
He gave himself up to enjoy the party although he was feeling sick.


give or take
- plus or minus a small amount
I think that the man is about 45 years old give or take five years.


give out
- give to people, distribute
We gave out more than 600 free baseball caps at the shopping center.


give out
- fail, wear out
We went hiking last week but my legs gave out so we had to return early.


give out
- be finished/gone
We went camping for a week but our food gave out after only three days.


give out
- utter
She gave out a loud scream when she saw the big spider.


give rise to
- be the cause of something
The problems with the heating system gave rise to several other problems.


give (someone) a black eye
- hit someone near the eye so it becomes dark, harm someone's reputation
I bumped into the door and it gave me a black eye.


give (someone) a blank check
- give someone the freedom or permission to do what they think is necessary
The coach of the team was given a blank check by the university to try and improve the team.


give (someone) a break
- give someone a chance
We decided to give the woman a break and not complain about her bad manners.


give (someone) a bum steer
- 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
- a doctor declares that someone is healthy
My doctor gave me a clean bill of health during my recent checkup.


give (someone) a dirty look
- frown or make an angry face at someone
I gave the woman a dirty look when she talked loudly on her cell phone.


give (someone) a fair shake
- treat someone fairly
The company made a great effort to give the new employee a fair shake.


give (someone) a free hand (with something)
- give someone complete control over something
The city gave the homeowners a free hand to grow flowers along the street.


give (someone) a hand
- help someone do something
Please give me a hand to move this piano.


give (someone) a hard time
- make trouble for someone, tease someone
The girl gave her boyfriend a hard time about his new haircut.


give (someone) a head start
- allow someone to start earlier than others
We gave my friend a head start in the treasure hunting contest.


give (someone) a piece of one's mind
- 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
- call someone on the telephone
I will give my friend a ring when I get home tonight.


give (someone) a run for their money
- give someone a challenge
Our team gave the stronger teams a run for their money during the championship finals.
give (someone) a start
- startle or surprise someone
The dog gave me a start when it suddenly ran out from the trees.


give (someone) an earful
- scold someone, tell someone much information/gossip
I gave my sister an earful when she phoned a week later than she had promised.


give (someone) an inch and they will take a mile
- if you give someone a little they will want more and more, some people are never satisfied
If you give him an inch he will take a mile so you shouldn`t give him any more money.


give (someone) enough rope and they 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 control him. If you give him enough rope he will hang himself."


give (someone) one`s word
- make a promise or assurance
My friend gave me his word that he would meet me at the library.


give (someone) pause to think
- cause someone to stop and think
The accident on the highway gave everyone pause to think.


give (someone) the ax
- fire an employee (usually abruptly)
We gave the new employee the ax because he was always late for work.


give (someone) the benefit of the doubt
- believe someone is innocent rather than guilty when you are not sure
I gave him the benefit of the doubt but I still think that he is lying.


give (someone) the boot
- fire someone, kick someone out of a place
We thought that the manager would give our friend the boot when he started yelling in the restaurant.


give (someone) the brush-off
- send someone away
I gave the woman the brush-off when I saw her in the supermarket.


give (someone) the bum's rush
- make someone leave a place quickly
The club owners gave us the bum's rush when we began to make too much noise.


give (someone) the cold shoulder
- be unfriendly to someone
I gave the woman the cold shoulder at the party.


give (someone) the creeps
- make someone feel uncomfortable
The girl next door is very strange and gives me the creeps.


give (someone) the eye
- look or stare at someone (especially in a cold or unfriendly way)
The man in the store began to give me the eye so I left.


give (someone) the green light/the go-ahead
- give someone permission to go ahead with a project
He was given the green light to begin work on the new housing project.


give (someone) the low-down (on someone or something)
- tell someone the full story about someone or something
I went to the restaurant so that I could give my friend the low-down on our plans for the weekend.


give (someone) the once-over
- visually examine someone quickly
We gave the man the once-over when he walked into the restaurant.


give (someone) the red-carpet treatment
- give someone very special treatment
The government gave the President the red-carpet treatment when he arrived for a visit.


give (someone) the runaround
- give someone excuses and delays
We tried to get the money back from our airplane tickets but the company gave us the runaround.


give (someone) the shirt off one's back
- be very generous to someone
My uncle is very kind and will happily give you the shirt off his back.


give (someone) the slip
- escape from someone
The bank robbers tried to give the police the slip but they were soon caught.


give (someone) the third degree
- question someone in great detail for a long period
The mother gave her son the third degree when he got home.


give (someone) their due
- give someone the credit that they deserve
You have to give him his due. He has successfully saved the company from bankruptcy.


give (someone) what's coming to him or her
- 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
- try something
I plan to give golfing a shot during my summer holidays.


give (something) a whirl
- attempt to do something
I decided to give singing a whirl so I joined a singing club.


give (something) one's best shot
- try very hard
Although he didn`t have much experience he decided to apply for the job and give it his best shot.


give the devil his due
- be fair (even to someone who is bad and who you dislike)
I don`t like to work with him because he is lazy. However, you have to give the devil his due. He always gets the job done.


give up
- abandon, stop
He has decided to give up his plan to work in Hong Kong for a year.


give up the ghost
- stop working, die
My old car finally gave up the ghost so I must buy another one.


(don`t) give up the ship
- (don`t) stop fighting, (don`t) 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)
- express what one feels or thinks
He has begun to give voice to his feelings about his new job.


give way
- collapse, fail
The dam gave way and the water flooded the farmland below.


.



giveaway
- unintentionally make something known, a sale where items are sold very cheap
His speech was a giveaway. Now I know that he is planning to retire.


given to understand (something)
- understand something plainly and clearly
I was given to understand that I could rent an apartment very easily here.


glad hand
- shake hands in a friendly way
The politician spent the morning glad handing people at the shopping center.


gloss (something) over
- try to make what is wrong or bad seem unimportant, hide something
The accountant tried to gloss over the amount of money that the company lost last year.


glutton for punishment
- someone who likes difficult or unpleasant tasks
My friend is a glutton for punishment and will always do the most difficult jobs available.


gnash one's teeth
- grind one's teeth
I gnashed my teeth and went in to talk to my boss.



go a long way toward (something)
- be almost enough, contribute much to something
The money from the government will go a long way toward building a new downtown library.


go about one's business
- be busy or start working on something
He is going about his business again after being sick for a week.


go after (someone)
- try to get or catch someone
The police decided to go after the cars that were speeding near the school.


go against the grain
- 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 begin to do something
"Let`s go ahead and start now. We can`t wait any longer."


go all out
- use all of one's energy/resources
We decided to go all out for my sister's wedding.


go along
- move along, continue
The man invents his stories as he goes along.


go along with (someone or something)
- agree, co-operate
Everybody went along with my idea to have a party on the weekend.


go ape
- become very excited or behave in a crazy way
My father went ape when he heard how much money I had spent.


go around
- go from one place or person to another
We decided to go around from one shop to another until we found a cheap price.


go around in circles
- do something without making any progress
He has been going around in circles and hasn`t made any progress with his essay.


go around the bend
- go crazy
The apartment manager went around the bend and began to evict the tenants.


go astray
- be led into error or wrongdoing (a person), be mislaid (an object)
The young boy went astray after meeting the older boys.
My calculator went astray and I couldn't find it.


go at it
- fight or argue with someone
When I entered the room the two men were going at it loudly.


go at it tooth and nail/hammer and tongs
- fight or argue with great strength or energy
They were going at it tooth and nail when the police came to their house.


go away empty-handed
- depart with nothing
The children went away empty-handed when they asked their parents for more money.


go back on one's word
- break one's promise
My supervisor went back on his word when he refused to give me a day off.


go bad
- become rotten/bad
The apples will go bad if they are not eaten soon.


go bananas
- go crazy or become silly
The parents went bananas when they discovered that their son had taken the car.


go begging
- be unwanted or unused
Several plates of food went begging when fewer people than expected came to the dinner.


go broke
- lose all of one`s money
His company went broke and he quickly lost his job.


go by the book
- follow the rules exactly
The police officers always go by the book when they arrest a criminal.


go cold turkey
- stop doing something (a habit) suddenly
I decided to go cold turkey and quit smoking.


go down fighting
- continue to struggle until one is defeated
The politician plans to go down fighting to try to keep his position.


go down in history
- be remembered as an important historical event
The concert will go down in history as the biggest in the world.


go downhill
- become worse and worse
The local economy has been going downhill for many years.


go Dutch
- two people each pay for themselves
We always go Dutch when we go on a date.


go easy on (someone or something)
- be kind or gentle with someone or something
I asked my friend to go easy on my car when he borrowed it.


go for broke
- risk everything on one big effort, try as hard as possible
We are going for broke to try and win the new contract.


go for it
- decide to do something, try for something
We decided to go for it and prepare to climb the mountain.


go for (something)
- try to get something, desire something
I have decided to go for the new job at the computer center.


go from bad to worse
- get worse, deteriorate
Things are going from bad to worse in our company.


go-getter
- an ambitious person who works hard to become successful
He is a go-getter. He always works hard and is very successful.


go great guns
- do something very fast or with great energy
The workers were going great guns when I saw them this morning.


go halves
- share equally
We decided to go halves on buying a new computer.


go haywire
- become damaged, stop working properly
At first things were going well but later our plans began to go haywire.


go hog-wild
- behave wildly
The boys went hog-wild and ate all the cake.


go in for (something)
- decide to do or take part in something
He is going to university and has decided to go in for medicine.


go in one ear and out the other
- something is heard but soon forgotten
Everything that the teacher says goes in one ear and out the other.


go into detail
- present and discuss the details of something
The lawyer refused to go into detail about his client's problems.


go into effect
- become effective (a law or a rule), start to function
The new parking regulations will go into effect next week.


go into hiding
- conceal oneself in a hiding place for a period of time
The bank robbers went into hiding after the bank robbery.


go into hock
- go into debt
I did not want to go into hock to buy a new stereo system.


go into orbit
- lose one`s temper, become very angry
He went into orbit when he heard about the missing money.


go it alone
- do something by oneself
Our boss wouldn't help us so we had to go it alone with our favorite project.


go jump in a lake
- go away and quit bothering someone
She asked me to borrow some money but I told her to go jump in a lake.


go like clockwork
- progress in a regular and dependable way
Everything was going like clockwork when suddenly the lights went out.


go off
- leave, depart
He went off on a trip and didn't bother to phone and say good-bye.


go off
- explode, be ignited
The firecracker went off in his hand before he had a chance to put it down.


go off
- begin to ring or buzz
The fire alarm started to go off just as we entered the building.


go off half-cocked
- act or speak without thinking
He often goes off half-cocked when he is at a meeting.


go off on a tangent
- suddenly change one's line of thought or course of action
The speaker suddenly went off on a tangent and began to speak about something totally different.


go off the deep end
- become angry or emotional
He went off the deep end when he saw his picture in the paper.


go on
- continue
The game went on for an hour after I left.


go on
- talk for too long
He started to go on about his problems so I decided to leave.


go on
- put on, fit on
The top of the jar wouldn`t go on so I threw it in the garbage.


go on a binge
- do too much of something
My cousin went on a binge and ate four chocolate bars.


go on a rampage
- rush around destroying things
The football players went on a rampage and destroyed many buildings.


go on and on
- continue for a long time
My friend went on and on with his speech until finally I fell asleep.


go one`s own way
- go or act the way one wants
He decided to go his own way and will start his own business next year.
go out for (something)
- try out for something (usually a sport)
My friend is going out for rugby this summer.


go out of fashion/style
- become unfashionable
Striped pants have recently gone out of fashion.


go out of one`s way
- make an extra effort
She went out of her way to help me when I visited her in October.


go out the window
- be abandoned, go out of effect
The school dress code went out the window when the new principal took over.


go out with (someone)
- date or be dating someone
She went out with her boyfriend for two years before they got married.


go over like a lead balloon
- fail, do badly
My idea for a four-day workweek went over like a lead balloon at the meeting.


go over (someone's) head
- be too difficult for someone to understand
The explanation of how to operate the machinery went over my head.


go over (something)
- to examine or review something
The accountant will go over the books tomorrow.


go over (something) with a fine-toothed comb
- search through something very carefully (also fine-tooth comb)
We went over the room with a fine-toothed comb to look for the earring.


go over well/big with (someone)
- be liked, be successful
I am sure that the party will go over well. You have done a lot of preparation for it.


go over with a bang
- succeed in a spectacular way
The opening ceremony went over with a bang and everybody was very happy.


go overboard
- do something in excess
He went overboard with the birthday party preparations.


go places
- have a good future
The young man should go places with his good looks and good education.


go sky-high
- reach a very high price etc.
The price of gasoline has gone sky-high recently.


go so far as to say (something)
- put something into words
The company president went so far as to say that he may be leaving very soon.


go (someone) one better
- do something better than someone else, do more than someone
I decided to go my friend one better and bought a more expensive present for my girlfriend.


go stag
- 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)
- date the same person all the time
My sister has been going steady with her boyfriend for two years.


go stir-crazy
- become anxious because one is confined to a small space
After three months of rain I began to go stir-crazy because I couldn't leave the house.


go straight
- become an honest person, lead an honest life
He was in prison for two years but now he has decided to go straight.


go the distance
- do the whole amount, finish something
I was able to go the distance and finished the project without any help.


go the extra mile
- 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
- do as much as possible
I plan to go the limit and try to get the job.


go through
- be approved, pass, be agreed upon
The law finally went through last week.


go through (an experience)
- experience/suffer/live through something
He has gone through some hard times since he lost his job.


go through changes
- be involved in changing circumstances
The woman has gone through many changes since her divorce.


go through (something)
- examine or think about something carefully
The police went through his house to look for a gun.


go through (something)
- to discuss something, to look at something, to do something
The teacher decided to go through the exercise before the test.


go through the motions
- do something insincerely
The manager went through the motions of apologizing but was not sincere at all.


go through the roof
- go very high
The price of oil and gasoline is going through the roof.


go through with (something)
- finish, do as planned or agreed
He has decided to go through with his plans to go back to school.


go to any length
- do whatever is necessary
The man will go to any length to get what he wants.


go to bat for (someone)
- support or help someone
I plan to go to bat for my friend if he has problems at work.


go to one`s head
- become conceited
He new position has gone to his head and he won`t speak to us now.


go to pieces
- lose one's self-control
She went to pieces when she received the letter about her father`s death.


go to pot
- deteriorate
The business has gone to pot since the new president came.


go to rack and ruin
- reach a very bad state of repair
The building has gone to rack and ruin since the new owners took over.


go to (someone's) head
- make someone too proud
The girl won the beauty contest and now it has gone to her head.


go to the expense (of doing something)
- pay the (large) cost of doing something
We decided to go to the expense of buying a new truck for camping.


go to the trouble (of doing something)
- make an effort to do something
My aunt went to the trouble of buying a new sofa bed for her guests.


go to town
- work fast or hard, do something with much energy
They went to town last night and finished painting the bedroom.


go to waste
- be wasted, be unused
I did not want the extra food to go to waste so I called my friend to come and visit.


go together
- things that look/sound/taste good together
The red wall and the green sofa do not go together in the woman's apartment.


go too far
- do more than is acceptable
The man went too far when he accused his boss of lying.


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


go under the knife
- have surgery
My father will go under the knife on Monday.


go up in smoke/flames
- burn or be destroyed by fire, fail, not come true (dreams)
His plans to open a new restaurant went up in smoke after he lost his job.


go whole hog
- do everything possible
We plan to go whole hog to make my parent's visit successful.


go with (something)
- go well with something
My green shirt does not go with my red hat.


go with (something)
- choose one thing rather than another
We decided to go with the small rental car rather than the large one.


go with the flow
- proceed in an easy manner with what others are doing
I usually go with the flow and never disagree with my friends.


go without (something)
- manage to get along without something
We had to go without water for two days in our apartment.


go without saying
- be so easy to understand that it doesn`t have to be mentioned
He is a hard worker so it goes without saying that his boss is very happy with him.


go wrong
- fail
Things began to go wrong as soon as our camping trip began.


.



(it/something) goes to show
- something serves to prove a point
His success goes to show that hard work equals success.


(be/have something) going for (one)
- be or have something in one`s favor
She 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 is very effective in her company.


golden opportunity
- an excellent and rare opportunity
The hot weather was a golden opportunity for the ice cream seller to make money.


gone but not forgotten
- gone/dead but still remembered
Our grandfather is gone but not forgotten.


gone to meet one's maker
- dead
The car accident was terrible and the driver has gone to meet his maker.


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


good deal
- good quality and a cheap price
You can usually get a good deal on stereos at that discount store.


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


Good grief!
- used to show surprise (good or bad)
"Good grief! It`s 60 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 everyone could buy a house very easily.


good riddance
- used when you lose/break something and you are happy about it, used when someone that you don't like leaves
He said good riddance when the old computer broke down and he 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 never liked him and I am glad that he has finally left."


good sport
- a person who loses a competition without complaining
He is a good sport and never complains about losing.


goof off
- fool around, not work or be serious
He has been goofing off all afternoon and has not done any work.


gospel truth
- the undeniable truth
The man told the gospel truth at the court trial.


(have) got a thing going
- be engaged in an activity with someone (in romance or business)
He's got a thing going with computer repairs and is making a lot of money.


grab a bite (to eat)
- get something to eat
We stopped at a small restaurant to grab a bite to eat.


grace (someone or something) with one's presence
- honor someone or something by being present
The Queen graced the opening of the hospital with her presence.


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


grasp at straws
- try something with little hope of success
He is grasping at straws and will not find enough money to pay next month`s rent.


grass is always greener on the other side
- something that is far away or different seems better than what we have or where we are
She is always changing jobs because she thinks that the grass is always greener on the other side.


grate on (someone's) nerves
- annoy/bother someone
The woman's singing is beginning to grate on my nerves.


gravy train
- a job that gives one a lot of money compared with what you do
The cleaning contract was a gravy train. We worked for 3 hours but we got paid for 8 hours.


gray area
- difficult to define or put into a particular category
The situation with the two children living in the apartment was a gray area and nobody knew what to do about it.


grease one`s palm
- pay money for some special favor
We had to grease the border guard`s palm in order to enter the country.


greasy spoon
- a small, cheap eating place with basic but not great food
We went to a greasy spoon for breakfast as the other restaurants were closed.


a great deal
- much, a lot
There was a great deal of water in the houses after the flood.


greatest thing since sliced bread
- the best thing there ever was
The new digital cameras are the greatest thing since sliced bread.


(to be) green
- to be inexperienced or immature
The new employee is green and doesn`t know his job very well.


a green thumb
- the skill to make plants grow
He has a green thumb and has a very beautiful garden.


green with envy
- very jealous, full of envy
The little girl was green with envy when she saw her friend`s new bicycle.


grin and bear it
- endure something unpleasant with good humor
I had to grin and bear it when my supervisor became angry with me.


grind to a halt
- slow down and stop (like a machine when it is turned off)
The city ground to a halt when the power was off for five hours.


grist for the mill
- something that can be used for one's advantage
The information was grist for the mill of the salesmen.


grit one's teeth
- grind one's teeth together in anger and determination
I grit my teeth and phoned my father to ask if I could borrow some money.


gross out (someone)
- make someone sick
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.


to ground (someone)
- take away someone's privileges (usually used for teenagers)
The girl was grounded by her parents because she came home late too many times.


grounds for (something)
- the basis for legal action or something similar
The fact that the man stole the money was grounds for his dismissal from the company.


grow on someone
- become commonplace or acceptable to someone
At first I didn't like the strange music but now it is beginning to grow on me.


grow out of something
- abandon something as one matures
The little boy is beginning to grow out of his baby chair.


grow to do/like something
- gradually begin to do something
Little by little I am growing to like the people who live next door to me.


grunt work
- hard and thankless work
I am usually forced to do the grunt work at my company.


guard against (someone or something)
- take care to avoid someone or something
When we go to the beach we are careful to guard against the hot sun.


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
- desperately try to get air or a breath
After falling into the lake the man quickly began gulping for air.


gum up
- cause something not to work, make something go wrong
The computer printer became gummed up just as I was about to print my resume.


gun for (someone)
- look hard for a chance to harm or defeat someone
My supervisor has been gunning for me for a long time and I don`t know why.


gun for (something)
- try very hard to get a prize or promotion etc.
I have been gunning for the sales job for a long time.


gung-ho
- enthusiastic, full of eagerness
She is gung-ho about her new job at the library.


gut feeling/reaction
- a personal/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)
- cheat someone
The woman at the store gypped the man out of some money.

__________________
"A man can be as great as he wants to be. If you believe in yourself and have the courage, the determination, the dedication, the competitive drive and if you are willing to sacrifice the little things in life and pay the price for the things that are worthwhile, it can be done."