English idioms - Alphabetical list G

	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!"
	The game/the cake is not worth the candle	To say that the game (or the cake) is not worth the candle means that the advantages to be gained from doing something are not worth the effort involved. "He recorded an album but sold very few copies; the cake wasn't worth the candle!"
	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!"
	Gentleman's agreement	When an agreement is neither written nor signed, because the two parties trust each other completely, it is called a gentleman's agreement. "It was a gentleman's agreement. I can't change my mind now!"
	Get into gear (also: crank into gear)	When a person or activity *gets (or cranks) into gear, they start to work or become effective. "Immediately after the announcement, a group of protesters got (or cranked* into gear."
	Get one's act together	If you get your act together, you organize your affairs better than you have done previously and manage to deal with things more efficiently. "Jack's plan won't work unless he gets his act together."
	Get the axe/be given the axe	If someone gets the axe, they lose their job. "When a company is restructured, senior staff are often the first to get the axe."
	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 your ducks in a row	This expression means that you are trying to get things well organized. "We need to get our ducks in a row if we want our project to succeed."
	Get your fingers burnt	If you get your fingers burnt, you suffer as a result of an unsuccessful action and are nervous about trying again. "He got his fingers so badly burnt in the last elections that he decided to withdraw from politics."
	Get a grip on yourself	If you get a grip on yourself, you make an effort to control your feelings so as to be able to deal with a situation.. "After the initial shock, Lisa got a grip on herself and called an ambulance."
	Get your hands dirty	If you get your hands dirty in your job, you become involved in all aspects of it, including work that is physical, unpleasant or less interesting. "His willingness to get his hands dirty won the respect and approval of the whole team.
	Get/give the low down	If you get or give the low-down, you get or give complete information or facts about something. "I'll call you after the meeting and give you the low-down."
	Get on in years	Someone who is getting on in years is growing old. "My grandmother is getting on in years. She's no longer able to prepare Christmas dinner without help."
	Get a rise out of somebody	If you make someone react angrily by jokingly saying something that you know will irritate them, you get a rise out of them. "He gets a rise out of his daughter by asking about her latest diet."
	Get it down to a fine art.	When you learn to do something perfectly, you get it down to a fine art. "Entertaining her husband's business associates is not a problem; she's got that down to a fine art!"
	Get a second bite/ two bites at the cherry	This expression means that you get a second opportunity to do or try something. "He was eliminated in the semi-finals but he'll get a second bite at the cherry next year."
	Get the message	If you get the message, you understand what someone is trying to tell you, even if it is expressed in actions or gestures rather than words. "When Tony pointed at his watch, I got the message - it was time to leave for the airport."
	Get the sack	If someone gets the sack, they lose their job, usually because they have done something wrong. "Charlie got the sack when his boss caught him stealing."
	Get something down to a fine art	When, through practice or experience, you learn how to do something perfectly, you get it down to a fine art. "She's got the use of social networking down to a fine art."
	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 one's just deserts	When someone gets their just deserts, they are rewarded or punished according to what they deserve. "Liz got her just deserts when she was excluded from the committee; she is totally unreliable."
	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 a move on	If someone tells you to get a move on, they are asking you to hurry up. "You'd better get a move on or you'll miss the bus!"
	Get out of hand	If a person or a situation gets out of hand, they cannot be controlled any longer. "During the student demonstration, things got out of hand and several shop windows were broken."
	Get the show on the road	If you manage to put a plan or idea into action, you get the show on the road. "OK! We've got all we need, so let's get the show on the road!"
	Get your skates on	If you tell someone to get their skates on, you want them to hurry up. "You'd better get your skates on or you'll be late! "
	Get someone's drift	To tell someone that you get their drift means that you understand in a general way what they are trying to say. "'I didn't understand every word but I got the drift."
	Get/have someone by the short hairs (also: by the short and curlies)	If you get or have someone by the short hairs, you put them in a difficult situation from which they cannot escape, so you have complete control over them. "They are in no position to refuse; we've got them by the short hairs!"
	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 something out of your system	This expression means that you get rid of a strong emotion or desire by expressing it openly or trying to fulfil it. "Tell your parents how you feel - it's better to get it out of your system!"
	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."
	Get worked up (about something)	If you get worked up about something, you become upset, annoyed or excited, often unnecessarily. "It's his first day at school tomorrow and he's all worked up about it!"
	Give as good as you get	This expression means that you are prepared to treat people as badly as they treat you, and fight for your beliefs.
	Give it a rest!	If someone tells you to give it a rest, they are asking you to stop doing something such as complaining or talking continuously. "All you talk about is politics - give it a rest...please! "
	Give the game away	If you give the game away, you reveal a secret or a plan, often unintentionally. "He hoped nobody in the hotel would recognize him, but an employee gave the game away."
	Give the once-over	If you give someone or something a quick visual examination, to see what they are like or to check if everything is all right, you give them the once-over. "She gave the living-room a quick once-over before opening the door to the visitors.
	Give someone a piece of your mind	If you tell someone exactly what you think, in a very angry manner, you give them a piece of your mind. "Jack was so irritated by his neighbours' behaviour that he decided to give them a piece of his mind."
	Give the (rough) of one's tongue	If you give the (rough) edge of your tongue, you scold someone severely or speak to them very aggressively or rudely. "My boss was so angry that I really got the rough edge of his tongue."
	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!"
	Give or take (a quantity)	This term is used when expressing an amount or estimate that is not exactly right. It means 'plus or minus', 'more or less', 'approximately'. "The town is about 100 miles from here, give or take a few miles.
	Gizmo	The term gizmo refers to a gadget or any small technological item which is unusual or novel, and for which the proper term is unknown or forgotten.
	Glass ceiling	This term refers to a discriminatory barrier perceived by women and minorities that prevents them from rising to positions of power or responsibility "Claire knew she would never break through the glass ceiling and rise to a senior management position."
	Glowing terms	If you speak about something in glowing terms, you talk about it in a very positive way. "Mary talks about her home town in glowing terms; it must be a wonderful place."
	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 against the tide (or stream)	If you go against the tide, you refuse to conform to current trends, or the opinions or behaviour of other people. "Bill can be difficult to work with; he constantly goes against the tide."
	Go all out	If you go all out to achieve or obtain something, you make a great effort, using all possible strength and resources. "The candidate went all out to obtain the nomination.
	Go along for the ride	If you join a group of people you find interesting, without wanting to take an active part in their action, you go along for the ride. "Not all the protesters were active in the movement- some just went along for the ride."
	Go bananas	If someone becomes very emotional and starts behaving in a crazy way, they go bananas. "If you announce that you're going to drop out of school, your parents will go bananas!
	Go belly up	If a business or project goes belly up, it is unsuccessful or goes bankrupt. "The restaurant went belly up before the end of the first year."
	Go down in history	This expression refers to an event that is so important or unusual that it will be recorded in history. "The recent discovery will go down in history."
	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 downhill	When something goes downhill it deteriorates or gets worse little by little. "The restaurant has been going downhill since the arrival of the new owner."
	Go the extra mile	If you go the extra mile, you do more than what is expected of you. "You can count on Tom; he's always willing to go the extra mile."
	Go to extremes	People who go to extremes behave in a way which lacks moderation. "My parents tend to go to extremes. They live on a tight budget and then they go on expensive holidays."
	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 great guns	If someone or something is going great guns, they are doing very well. "Fred's night club is going great guns. It's becoming hard to get in!.
	Go hand in hand	If two or more things go hand in hand, they are associated or often happen at the same time. "In big cities poverty and violence often go hand in hand."
	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 hell for leather	If you go hell for leather, you go somewhere or do something very fast. "I saw Tom going hell for leather towards the station."
	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 off the deep end	If a person goes off the deep end, they become so angry or upset that they cannot control their emotions "Mary will go off the deep end if her kids leave the kitchen in a mess again. "
	Go off on a tangent	If somebody goes off on a tangent, they change the subject completely in the middle of a speech or conversation. "Sometimes, when he's teaching, he goes off on a tangent and starts talking about his dog!"
	Go off the rails,	If someone goes off the rails, they go out of control and begin to behave in a manner that is unacceptable to society. "Given the unstable environment, it's a miracle that none of their children ever went off the rails."
	Go (off/over) with a bang	If something, such as an event or a performance, goes (off or over) with a bang, it is very successful. "The party she organized went off with a bang - everyone enjoyed it."
	Go out of business	If a shop, firm or enterprise goes out of business, it closes down or goes bankrupt. "If the new road bypasses the town, a lot of shops will go out of business."
	Go out of your way	If you go out of your way, you take particular care or make a special effort when doing something. "Aunt Betty went out of her way to make us feel comfortable."
	Go/put through the mill	If you go (or are put) through the mill, you experience a very difficult period, or are exposed to rough treatment. "When I was an intern, I was put through the mill. Nothing went unnoticed."
	Go the extra mile	If you go the extra mile, you do more than what is expected of you. "You can count on Tom; he's always willing to go the extra mile."
	Go the whole hog	When you go the whole hog, you do something thoroughly or completely. "They put up a few decorations for Christmas, then they decided to go the whole hog and buy a tree and all the trimmings."
	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 great lengths	When trying to achieve something, if you go to great lengths, you do everything that is possible in order to succeed. "The two parties went to great lengths to reach an agreement."
	Go to (great) pains	A person who goes to great pains to do something makes a great effort to do it well. "He went to great pains to explain the situation as clearly as possible."
	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 up in smoke	If a plan or project goes up in smoke, it is spoiled or ends before producing a result. "When Amy and Tom separated, my mother's dream of a romantic wedding went up in smoke."
	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. "
	Going concern	This expression refers to a business or activity that is dynamic and successful. "They opened a coffee shop that is a going concern today."
	When the going gets tough ...	This expression means that when faced with a difficult or dangerous situation, strong people take action in order to solve the problem. "Tom has a positive attitude. He often says "when the going gets tough, the tough get going".
	Going places	To say that someone is going places means that they show talent and ability that will no doubt lead to a successful future. "Even at college it was obvious that Paul was going places."
	Golden handcuffs	The term golden handcuffs refers to a large sum of money or a generous financial arrangement granted to an executive as an incentive to stay in their job, or to ensure long-term cooperation after their departure.
	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.
	Golden parachute	A golden parachute is a clause in an executive's employment contract stating that the executive will receive certain large benefits if their employment is terminated.
	Gone with the wind	If something has gone with the wind, it has disappeared forever. "I lost everything during the crisis. My savings are gone with the wind!"
	Good as gold	A child who is as good as gold is obedient and well-behaved. "Your children are always as good as gold when I look after them."
	Good riddance!	This expression is used to express relief at becoming free of an unpleasant or unwanted person or thing. "Our horrible neighbour has moved house, and all I can say is 'good riddance'!"
	A good turn	If you do someone a good turn, you act in a helpful way. "Mike is a great guy - always ready to do a good turn."
	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."
	Grab a bite to eat	If you grab a bite to eat, you get something to eat quickly. "We should have time to grab a bite to eat before the show."
	Sour grapes	To say that someone's attitude is sour grapes means that they are making complaints or accusations because they are jealous.
	Grasp at straws	If you are in a desperate situation and you grasp at straws, you try any method, even if it has little chance of success, in an attempt to find a solution. "In his search for a cure, he turned to a faith healer, knowing that he was clutching at straws."
	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!"
	Gravy train	If someone is on the gravy train, they have found an easy way to make money, one that requires little effort and is without risk. "Since the village has become fashionable he charges for every photograph taken of his house - he's on the gravy train!"
	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 light	If you give or get the green light, you give or get a signal or permission to do something. "We're ready to launch the campaign as soon as we get the green light."
	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.
	Gut feeling	If you have a gut feeling about something, you have a strong intuition which you cannot explain, but you are sure that you are right. "As I read the story, I had a gut feeling that the postman was lying ... and I was right!"
	Gutter press	This term refers to newspapers that print a lot of sensational stories about people's private lives. "Of course the gutter press was quick to print a sensational version of the incident! "