English Idioms - Alphabetical list G-H

	Idiom	Meaning
G	The gift of the gab	To say that somebody has the gift of the gab means that they are able to speak confidently and clearly. "As a politician, not only is he competent, but he has the gift of the gab!"
	Give the game away	If you give the game away, you reveal a secret or a plan, often unintentionally.
	Play the game	If you play the game, you accept to do things according to the rules laid down by others.
	Gatecrash	If someone gatecrashes, they attend a private social event without being invited. "We need volunteers to to keep an eye out for gatecrashers tonight."
	Gather dust	An idea, plan or project which gathers dust is in fact stagnating or has not attracted attention for some time. "Just before the elections, the outgoing mayor produced plans for a new bridge which had been gathering dust for several years."
	All his geese are swans	This expression refers to someone who constantly exaggerates the importance of somebody or something. "Don't let him impress you. He always exaggerates; all his geese are swans!"
	Get away with murder	To say that someone gets away with murder means that you think they can do something unacceptable without being punished or criticized. "She has no control over her kids. They get away with murder!"
	Get cracking	When you get cracking, you start doing something immediately. "I'd better get cracking or I'll never get my homework done."
	Get down to brass tacks	When people get down to brass tacks, they start to discuss the essential aspects of a problem or situation. "The situation was so serious that after a few polite exchanges, they immediately got down to brass tacks."
	Get something off the ground	If you get something off the ground, you put it into operation after having organized it. "After a lot of hard work, we finally got the campaign off the ground.
	Get off the hook	If you do something wrong and manage to get off the hook, you avoid punishment or blame. "Barry was questioned by the police but his lawyer managed to get him off the hook."
	Get on your high horse	If you get on your high horse, you start behaving in a haughty manner, as though you should be treated with more respect. "He got on his high horse when he was asked to show his membership card."
	Get the better of someone	If someone or something gets the better of you, they defeat you "She went on a diet but it didn't last long - her love of chocolate got the better of her!"
	Get to the bottom of something	If you get to the bottom of a problem or mystery, you solve it by finding out the true cause of it. "We have a problem of goods disappearing during transport. Hopefully the investigation will get to the bottom of it."
	Get wise to something	If you get wise to something, you learn something that you were unaware of before. "He finally got wise to the fact that children were stealing apples from his garden."
	Give someone a run for their money	If you give someone a run for their money, you present strong competition in circumstances where the other person expects to win easily. "We didn't win the match but we gave the other team a run for their money."
	Give somebody the slip	If you give somebody the slip, you manage to hide or get away from someone who is following you. "The police were on his trail, but he managed to give them the slip."
	Give up the ghost	If someone or something gives up the ghost, they die or stop working. "My mother's old TV set has finally given up the ghost; I'm off to buy her a new one!"
	Go against the grain	If something goes against the grain, it is difficult to accept because it is very different from what is considered normal or natural. "Having to import apples in an apple-growing region really goes against the grain!"
	Go down well	If something, such an idea or a proposal, goes down well, it is well accepted. "The new timetable went down well with the employees."
	Go for a song	If something goes for a song, it is sold at an unexpectedly low price. "I was able to buy the car simply because it going for a song."
	Go haywire	If something goes haywire, it becomes disorganized or goes out of control. "The photocopier has gone completely haywire. It's only printing half of each page!"
	Go into overdrive	If someone or something goes into overdrive, they begin to work very hard or start to perform intensely. "At the start of every new collection, my imagination goes into overdrive."
	Go through the motions	If someone goes through the motions, they do something because they have to, but without enthusiasm. "After his wife died, he tried to continue life as before, but he just went through the motions."
	Go to pieces	If you go to pieces, for example after a terrible shock, you are so upset or distressed that you cannot lead your life normally. "Jack nearly went to pieces when his son died in a plane crash."
	Go with the flow	If you go with the flow, you follow the general tendency and go along with whatever happens. "When my colleagues organize an office party, I just go with the flow when it comes to the details. "
	Golden handshake	A golden handshake is a generous sum of money given to a person when they leave a company or retire (sometimes given to encourage early retirement).
	Golden opportunity	A golden opportunity is a favourable time or excellent occasion which should not be missed.
	Good walls make good neighbours	This expression means that respecting one another's privacy helps create a good relationship between neighbours.
	Have goose pimples	If you have goose pimples, you are so cold or so afraid that your skin is temporarily raised into little lumps. "I was so scared that I had goose pimples all through the film!"
	A wild goose chase	If you say that you were sent on a wild goose chase, you mean that you wasted a lot of time looking for something that there was little chance of finding. "They tried to find out who sent the anonymous complaint, but it turned out to be a wild goose chase."
	Play gooseberry	If you play gooseberry, you join or accompany two people who have a romantic relationship and want to be alone. "They invited me to join them but I didn't want to play gooseberry."
	Sour grapes	To say that someone's attitude is sour grapes means that they are making complaints or accusations because they are jealous.
	Grass roots	The term grass roots refers to the ordinary people who form the main body of an organization.
	Not let the grass grow under your feet	If someone does not let the grass grow under their feet, they do not delay in getting something done. "As soon as he received the permit, he started to build. He never lets the grass grow under his feet!"
	Grease somebody's palm	If you accuse someone of greasing somebody's palm, you are accusing them of giving money to someone in order to gain an unfair advantage, or to obtain something they want. "In some countries, it is common practice to grease government officials' palms."
	Green fingers	To have green fingers means to be good at gardening.
	Green with envy	Someone who is green with envy is a person who is very envious.
	Grey area	To refer to something as a grey area means that it is not clear or easy to define, and is therefore difficult to deal with. "The law concerning email is still a grey area in some countries."
	Grey existence	To have a grey existence is to lead a dull, monotonous life.
	Grey matter (U.S.: gray)	Grey matter refers to the brain, or the grey colour of brain tissue.
	Grin and bear it	When faced with a difficult or unpleasant situation, if you say that someone will have to grin and bear it, you mean that they will have to accept it without complaining. "The only seat available is on a low-cost flight. You'll just have to grin and bear it!"
	Grin from ear to ear	If somebody is grinning from ear to ear, they look very satisfied and happy. "When we saw Paul grinning from ear to ear, we knew he had passed the exam."
	Keep your nose to the grindstone	A person who keeps their nose to the grindstone is someone who concentrates on working hard at his job.
	Grit your teeth	When you are determined to do something in spite of the difficulties involved, you grit your teeth. "To reach safety I had to wade through the mud, so I just had to grit my teeth."
	Groan inwardly	If you groan inwardly, you feel like expressing despair, disapproval or distress, but you remain silent. "On his return, when Pete saw the pile of files on his desk, he groaned inwardly."
	Prepare the ground	To prepare the ground means that you try to make it easier for a future event or action to happen.
	Nurse/bear/hold a grudge	If you nurse a grudge against someone or something, you have a feeling of resentment or ill-will towards them. "Ever since I got a promotion, he's been nursing a grudge against me. "
	Guinea pig	People who are used as guinea pigs are people on whom new methods, treatment or ideas are tested.
H	Old habits die hard	This expression means that people are often reluctant to change the way they do something, especially if they have been doing it for a long time. "My grandfather refuses to use a mobile phone - old habits die hard!"
	Get in someone's hair	If you are getting in somebody's hair, you are annoying them so much that they can't get on with what they're doing. "I'd finish the report more quickly if my colleague wasn't getting in my hair all the time!"
	Let one's hair down.	If you suggest that someone should let their hair down, you are telling them to relax and enjoy themselves. "Come on! We' re not in the office now. You can let your hair down!"
	Split hairs	If you split hairs, you pay too much attention to differences that are very small or not important. "If we start splitting hairs, we'll never reach an agreement!"
	In safe (good) hands	If something is in safe (or good) hands, it is being looked after by a reliable person or organization, and is therefore at no risk. "I'll look after Jamie while you go shopping. Don't worry - he'll be in safe hands."
	The upper hand	If a person or organization gets or gains the upper hand, they take control over something.
	Get the hang of something	When you get the hang of an activity, you now know how to do it correctly.
	Have your hands full.	If you have your hands full, you are very busy or you have a lot to do.
	Have one's hands tied	If a person has their hands tied, something, such as an agreement or a rule, is preventing them from doing what they would like to do. "Mark deserves to earn more, but the manager's hands are tied by the recent salary agreement."
	A show of hands	A show of hands is a method of voting in which people give their opinion by raising a hand. "How many people agree? Could we have a show of hands please?"
	Wash your hands off something.	If you wash your hands off a problem or situation, you refuse to deal with it any longer.
	Handle someone with kid gloves	If you handle someone with kid gloves, you treat them very carefully or tactfully, either because they are very important or because they are easily upset. "He is so determined to obtain her agreement that he is handling her with kid gloves."
	Happy-go-lucky	If you are a happy-go-lucky person, you are cheerful and carefree all the time. "He's a happy-go-lucky sort of guy - always in good humour."
	Hard of hearing	If you are hard of hearing, you can't hear very well. "You'll have to speak louder to Mr. Jones. He's a bit hard of hearing."
	Hard as nails	A person who is hard (or 'tough') as nails is unsentimental and shows no sympathy. "Don't expect any sympathy from him. He's as hard as hails."
	To be hard up	If you are hard up, you have very little money. "We were so hard up we had to sleep in the car."
	Hard and fast	Something which is hard and fast cannot be changed. "Unfortunately there are no hard and fast rules related to English spelling"
	Have a hangover	To have a hangover means to suffer from the unpleasant after-effects of drinking too much alcohol.
	Have your back to the wall	If you have your back to the wall, you are in serious difficulty. "With his back to the wall, the supplier had to accept the deal."
	Have you gone out of your mind?	If you ask someone if they've gone out of their mind, you think they are crazy, foolish or insane. "You're going to ask for a 100% increase in salary? Have you gone out of your mind?"
	Have something on the brain	If you have something on the brain, you think or talk about it constantly. "Stop talking about golf. You've got golf on the brain!"
	Run with the hare and hunt with the hounds	This expression refers to someone who wants to stay on friendly terms with both sides in a quarrel. "Bob always wants to keep everyone happy, but I'm afraid he can't run with the hare and hunt with the hounds this time - the issue is too important."
	Keep something under one's hat	To keep something under one's hat means to keep a secret. "My boss has promised me a promotion, but it's not official yet, so keep it under your hat."
	Take one's hat off to somebody	You say this to express admiration for something someone has done. "I take my hat off to the chef. The meal was wonderful."
	Bury the hatchet	The expression " bury the hatchet" is used when people who have had a disagreement decide to forget their quarrel and become friends again. "I don't get on well with my mother-in-law, but to keep my wife happy, I decided to bury the hatchet."
	Make hay while the sun shines	This expression is used as an encouragement to take advantage of a good situation which may not last. Successful sportsmen are advised to make hay while the sun shines.
	Be head and shoulders above	To say that a person or thing is head and shoulders above the others means that they are much better that the rest of their kind. "The award-winner was head and shoulders above the others."
	Bury one's head in the sand	If you bury your head in the sand, you refuse to face the unpleasant reality by pretending that it doesn't exist. "It's no good burying your head in the sand. We've got a problem on our hands."
	In over your head	If you are in over your head, you are involved in something that is too difficult for you to handle. "I accepted to organize the festival, but I quickly realized that I was in over my head."
	Keep one's head above water	To keep one's head above water means to try to survive by staying out of debt, for example a small business.
	Off the top of your head	To say something off the top of your head means that you are giving an immediate reaction and not a carefully considered opinion, and so it might not be correct.
	Look the picture of health	To look the picture of health means to look completely or extremely healthy.
	Heard it through the grapevine	If you hear of something through the grapevine, you learn about it informally, for example through friends, colleagues or acquaintances. "How did you hear that? Oh, through the grapevine as usual!"
	Have one's heart in one's mouth	A person who has their heart in their mouth feels extremely anxious or nervous faced with a dangerous or unpleasant situation. "Emma had her heart in her mouth when she saw her 2 year-old son standing in front of the open window."
	Your heart misses a beat	If your heart misses a beat, you have a sudden feeling of fear or excitement. "When the lights suddenly went out, her heart missed a beat."
	Your heart sinks	If your heart sinks, you feel very unhappy and despondent "My heart sank when I saw the amount of work waiting for me."
	Hedge your bets	If you hedge your bets, you choose two or more courses of action in order to reduce the risk of loss or error. "The company hedged its bets by developing a second line of products."
	All hell broke loose	To say that all hell broke loose means that there was a sudden angry, noisy reaction to something. "All hell broke loose when it was announced that the plant was going to close down."
	Come hell or high water	To say that you will do do something come hell or high water means that you will do it in spite of difficulties involved. "Come hell or high water, I've got to be on time for the interview."
	Hell-bent on something	If you are hell-bent on doing something, you are recklessly determined to do it, even if it's dangerous or stupid. "Although he is still weak, he's hell-bent on playing the match."
	Help a lame dog over stile	If you help a lame dog over stile, you help someone who is in difficulty or trouble. "You can trust him - he always helps a lame dog over a stile."
	Herding cats	This expression refers to the difficulty of coordinating a situation which involves people who all want to act independently. "Organizing an outing for a group of people from different countries is like herding cats!
	Neither here nor there.	Something which is neither here nor there is considered has no effect on the situation.
	High and dry	If you are left high and dry, you find yourself in a difficult situation without help or resources "When her husband walked out on her, Amanda was left high and dry with two kids to raise."
	Hit the road	When you hit the road, you begin a journey. "It's getting late and we've got a long way to go. Let's hit the road."
	Hit the sack/hit the hay	To hit the sack or hit the hay means to go to bed.
	Hitch one's wagon to a star	Someone who hitches their wagon to a star has great ambitions and is very determined to reach their goal. "At an early age she decided to hitch her wagon to a star and become rich and famous."
	Hold your breath	If someone is holding their breath, they are waiting excitedly or anxiously for something to happen. "I went for second interview today - now I'm holding my breath!"
	Home truths	If you tell somebody some home truths, you tell them some unpleasant facts about themselves which are often difficult to accept. "David needs to be told a few home truths, whether he likes it or not!"
	By hook or by crook	If you say that you will do something by hook or by crook, you mean that you will succeed in doing it in whatever way is necessary, whether it is honest or not. "I'll get my revenge, by hook or by crook!"
	Couldn't give a hoot!	To say that you don't or couldn't give a hoot, means that you don't care at all about something. "She wears eccentric clothes but she's couldn't give a hoot about what others think."
	A hop, skip and a jump	To say that a thing or place is only a hop, skip and a jump away from another means that they are very close to each other. "The school's just a hop, skip and a jump from our new house."
	A dark horse	If you refer to a person as a dark horse, you mean that they are secretive, or that little is known about them.
	I could eat a horse.	To say that you could eat a horse means that you are very hungry. "Let's get something to eat. I'm starving. I could eat a horse!"
	Beat (or flog) a dead horse	To say that someone is beating a dead horse, you mean that they are wasting time and effort trying to do or achieve something that is not possible.. "Mark is beating a dead horse trying to get his money reimbursed. The company has gone bankrupt!"
	Straight from the horse's mouth	If you learn something straight from the horse's mouth, you hear about it directly from a person closely connected with the source of the information. "How do you know Jack has resigned?" "I got it straight from the horse's mouth - he told me himself!"
	Hot under the collar	If you get hot under the collar, you feel annoyed, indignant or embarrassed. "If anyone criticizes his proposals, Joe immediately gets hot under the collar."
	Hot potato	To refer to a subject as a hot potato means that it is a very sensitive and controversial matter which is difficult to deal with. "The new Prime Minister hasn't been confronted with any hot potatoes yet."
	Get on like a house on fire	Two people who get on like a house on fire have similar interests and quickly become good friends.