Browsing
Idioms starting with G
616 expressions
gagging for it
Having a strong desire for something; especially sex.
gain momentum
Synonym of gain ground (to further the progress of; to obtain an advantage)
gain time
To cause a delay by a circuitous mode of procedure in order to obtain more time than is av…
gall and wormwood
bitterness and resentment
gallows humor
A form of comedy that still manages to be humorous in the face of, and in response to, a t…
game face
The expression of one who is prepared for or is facing a lot of difficult and/or undesirab…
game out
To run through scenarios to determine what will happen given certain decisions; to play ou…
game plan
Any strategy devised to reach a given objective.
game, set, match
An expression indicating finality, announcing that a series of events—usually involving so…
gandy dancer
A railway laborer, especially a member of a crew which carries rails and affixes them to t…
gang up
To join together, as a gang.
gang up on
To join together in a group in order to overpower someone else.
gapers' block
A traffic jam resulting from motorists slowing to look at a motor vehicle collision or oth…
garden variety
An ordinary, standard kind.
Gary Glitter
The anus, especially in the context of anal sex.
gas and air
An equal mixture of nitrous oxide and oxygen, used as a mild analgesic and anaesthetic, pa…
gateway drug
A typically legal or less harmful substance, such as marijuana, whose use is statistically…
gather rosebuds
To enjoy life's immediate pleasures; to behave in a relaxed, carefree manner.
gather way
To begin to move
gavel to order
To initiate or restore the orderly functioning of (a meeting or function or assembly or co…
gear up
To prepare for an activity.
gender bender
A person who dresses in the clothes of another sex, or in clothes which make their gender …
genetic lottery
The concept that any advantageous or disadvantageous genetic traits and abilities that a p…
gentle as a lamb
Very caring and calm.
gentle giant
A person or animal of a great size or strength, yet who is of a friendly nature and not ag…
gentle sex
Women generally.
genuine article
An authentic thing, as opposed to an imitation.
German goiter
A protruding stomach, especially one supposed to be indicative of excessive consumption of…
German virgin
A poker hand in Texas hold 'em, consisting of two nine cards.
get a charge out of
To derive excitement, entertainment, or pleasure from.
get a clue
To become aware of the obvious reality of a situation, often used as a command to indicate…
get a fix
To obtain something necessary, especially a dose of an addictive drug or anything else com…
get a grip
To come to one's senses and become more rational after having experienced a strong emotion…
get a kick out of
To be delighted by; to be amused by.
get a leg up
To get a boost or a lift.
get a life
To begin having a more interesting, eventful, or worthwhile existence.
get a line on
To obtain information about someone or something.
get a move on
To hurry up, to get moving.
get a pair
Synonym of grow a pair.
get a rise out of
To obtain a reaction from (someone), especially one of annoyance.
get a room
Used to instruct a couple to stop displaying romantic or physical affection in public.
get a wiggle on
To hurry up.
get a wriggle on
To hurry up.
get ahead of oneself
To focus excessively on one's plans or on prospective future events without paying adequat…
get along
To interact or coexist well, without argument or trouble.
get amongst it
To throw oneself into doing something, especially a leisure activity or something physical…
get away with
To escape punishment for doing something objectionable.
get back at
To retaliate against; to take revenge on.
get back on the horse
To return to an activity after a period of abstaining from the activity.
get back on the horse that bucked one
To return to something that previously caused harm.
get bent
Used to dismiss a person or what they are saying, and end the conversation.
get bent out of shape
To take offense; to become angry, agitated, or upset.
get better
To recover from illness or other incapacitation.
get blood out of a stone
To do something difficult, frustrating, or pointless.
get busy
To have sex.
get by
To subsist; to succeed, survive, or manage, at least at a minimal level.
get changed
To change one's clothing (usually for a specific purpose).
get down to bedrock
Synonym of get down to brass tacks.
get down to brass tacks
To (start to) consider or deal with the most important details or facts about something.
get down to business
To commit oneself to a task or activity that is employment-related or that requires seriou…
get down to cases
Synonym of get down to brass tacks.
get even
To inflict trouble or harm on another in return, typically the same as that inflicted on o…
get fresh
To flirt.
get grey hair from
To acquire great frustration, confusion, or anxiousness from (something or someone).
get high
To intoxicate oneself with drugs or other substances.
get in
To secure membership at a selective school.
get in the boat and row
To make a substantial effort, especially in cooperation with others in a group; also, to p…
get ink
To receive publicity.
get into one's stride
To become familiar with something
get into someone's pants
To have sex with someone, especially for the first time.
get into the act
To participate in an activity, especially a successful or attractive one.
get into the wrong hands
To fall into the wrong hands.
get it
To receive a negative thing: to receive punishment; to receive a retaliation; to receive a…
get it how one lives
To achieve wealth or success by any means necessary.
get it on
To hurry up; to get a move on; to start.
get late
To approach nighttime.
get life
To receive a life sentence.
get lost
To exit from the scene.
get misty
To get tears in someone's eyes; to feel sentimental.
get moving
To start hurrying to undertake a task.
get off lightly
To end up with a mild punishment, or without serious harm.
get off one's chest
To relieve oneself psychologically or emotionally by speaking to someone.
get off one's high horse
To stop acting in an imperious, overbearing or bossy manner.
get off the ground
To succeed or begin to succeed.
get off the mark
To score one's first points
get on someone's grill
To enter someone's personal space in an aggressive or hostile manner.
get on someone's nerves
To annoy or irritate someone; to bother someone.
get on the end of
To connect with.
get on the stick
To get started; to begin working; to become active.
get one's act together
To become serious, organized, worthwhile, etc.
get one's ass in gear
To exert effective effort; to get going; to get moving; to start producing.
get one's bowels in an uproar
to become upset
get one's butt somewhere
Go somewhere, especially quickly.
get one's claws into
To have a controlling influence over.
get one's claws out
To prepare to attack or retaliate
get one's clock cleaned
To be thoroughly defeated.
get one's feet wet
To begin gaining experience; to tentatively try something new.
get one's fill
to be satisfied, to have enough of something.
get one's finger out
To proceed with the matter in hand.
get one's fingers burnt
To suffer relatively minor, adversive, and unexpected harm.
get one's foot in the door
To initiate contact or a relationship; to gain access, especially to an entry-level job.
get one's freak on
To have sex.
get one's fuck on
to have sex
get one's hands dirty
To get involved with the unpleasant parts of a task, such as manual labor or unethical act…
get one's head straight
To clear one's mind; to think clearly.
get one's hopes up
To become enthusiastic about something that is not yet guaranteed to happen.
get one's juices flowing
To inspire creativity and thought.
get one's kicks
To enjoy oneself, to have a good time.
get one's knickers in a knot
Synonym of get one's knickers in a twist.
get one's knickers in a twist
To become overwrought or unnecessarily upset over a trivial matter.
get one's marching orders
To be dismissed disgracefully.
get one's monkey up
To make someone angry, annoyed or irritated.
get one's panties in a bunch
Synonym of get one's knickers in a twist.
get one's panties in a pretzel
Synonym of get one's knickers in a twist.
get one's panties in a wad
Synonym of get one's knickers in a twist.
get one's priorities right
Synonym of get one's priorities straight.
get one's priorities straight
Synonym of get one's act together.
get one's shine box
Used as an insult.
get one's shirt out
To become angry or annoyed; to lose one's temper.
get one's shit together
To organize oneself in order to be able to deal with or achieve something; to mature.
get one's shorts in a knot
Synonym of get one's knickers in a twist.
get one's skates on
To start doing something quickly; to stop procrastinating; to hurry up.
get one's tits in a wringer
To get into trouble.
get one's undies in a bundle
Synonym of get one's knickers in a twist.
get one's way
To obtain the circumstances one wishes for.
get one's wires crossed
To get confused or mixed up about another person's intentions; to misunderstand one anothe…
get oneself together
Alternative form of pull oneself together.
get out of bed on the wrong side
To start the day in a bad mood for no apparent reason.
get out of Dodge
To leave, especially to leave a difficult or dangerous environment with all possible haste…
get out of here
An exclamation of disbelief.
get out of jail free card
A certain privilege or advantage that provides relief from an undesirable situation or imm…
get out of my face
Stop bothering or harassing me; go away.
get out of my sight
Stop bothering or harassing me; go away.
get out of someone's hair
To manipulate somebody into quit pestering somebody else.
get out the vote
To increase voter turnout, typically in a highly partisan way.
get out while the getting's good
To sell all or part of one's holdings in stocks, real estate, a business, etc. while condi…
get outta here
Indicating disbelief or requesting confirmation.
get over
To overcome.
get over oneself
To cease to be vain and self-obsessed.
get rid of
To rid oneself of; to cause oneself to be free of or released from.
get right
To become rectified: to straighten oneself out; to straighten out one's life or practices …
get some air
To invigorate oneself by breathing refreshing outdoor air, especially after departing from…
get someone's back up
To annoy or anger someone.
get someone's dander up
To anger or annoy someone.
get someone's goat
To annoy or infuriate someone.
get someone's neurons firing
To stimulate brain action; to make someone think a lot.
get something over with
To proceed to do something as soon as possible, especially so as to have something unpleas…
get started
To cause (someone) to start talking about something in length.
get straight
Synonym of clarify: to make clear, to reach an understanding.
get stuck in
To dedicate a large amount of effort towards.
get taken in
To be fooled; to fall for.
get the ball rolling
To begin; to start some action; to set in motion.
get the band back together
To reunite a group of people or other entities.
get the better of
To overwhelm or overcome.
get the boot
To be dismissed from employment.
get the bullet
To be fired from one's employment.
get the chop
To be dismissed from employment.
get the dirty water off one's chest
To get sexual satisfaction, especially after a period of abstinence.
get the door
To open a door to help another person to pass through.
get the drawers
Used to indicate that one has achieved a sexual conquest or succeeded in sexually seducing…
get the drift
To understand, at least on some basic or general level.
get the goods on
To acquire knowledge or develop evidence that reveals the truth about someone's character …
get the hang of
To begin to understand or manage at a basic level; to learn to handle with some skill.
get the lead out
To go faster; to hurry up.
get the memo
To be aware of the current state of affairs.
get the nod
be selected; be approved
get the point
To understand; to interpret correctly.
get the runaround
To be given unclear, evasive, or unhelpful information, often when seeking answers, assist…
get the sack
To be dismissed from employment.
get the show on the road
To begin or launch; to get going.
get the wind up
To become frightened or disturbed.
get the word out
To make some information more widely known.
get thee behind me
Do not tempt or torment me; I reject you, your statements, or your beliefs.
get there
To succeed after a lengthy attempt.
get through one's head
To come to terms with a fact, a state of affairs, etc. that one was previously unable or r…
get to first base
To get as far as the first phase or milestone of a goal.
get to grips with
To deal (with something) decisively, or to confront (it) head on.
get to one's feet
To stand up.
get to the bottom of
To come to understand, discover the truth about, or solve.
get to the fireworks factory
To reach the most interesting, eventful or important part of a storyline.
get to the point
To state (something) directly; as opposed to in a long-winded way.
get together
To start dating; to start being a couple.
get under someone's skin
To irritate someone.
get underneath someone's skin
Alternative form of get under someone's skin.
get up on the wrong side of the bed
To feel irritable; to be in a bad mood; to have a bad day from the start, for no particula…
get up the yard
Get lost!
get up with the chickens
to wake up early
get used
To become accustomed to something; to acclimate; to adjust.
get well
To recover from an illness or injury.
get wet
Of a woman, to become sexually aroused, as indicated by the occurrence of the natural lubr…
get what one asked for
Synonym of get what's coming to one.
get what's coming to one
To experience the consequences of one's actions.
get wind
To be divulged; to become public.
get wind in one's jaws
To have too much to say; talk too much; run at the mouth; to speak one's mind or voice one…
get wind of
To hear about; to learn of, especially with respect to facts intended to have been kept co…
get with the program
To become organized, current, or aware; to adopt the prevailing viewpoint.
get with the times
To become aware of modern trends, words or ideas.
ghetto bird
A police helicopter, specifically in the context of patrolling or searching impoverished, …
ghetto lottery
A financial windfall obtainable by a socioeconomically disadvantaged person.
ghost at the feast
A presence that mars one's enjoyment by causing guilt or reviving unwelcome memories.
ghost from one's past
Something unpleasant from one's past that "haunts" them (makes them feel uneasy) to the pr…
ghost home
A residence intentionally kept vacant by an absentee owner, especially a foreign investor,…
gift from above
Synonym of gift from the gods.
gift from heaven
Synonym of gift from the gods.
gift from the goddesses
Synonym of gift from the gods.
gift from the heavens
Synonym of gift from the gods.
gift horse
An apparent gift, that has substantial associated costs or drawbacks, especially a gift th…
gift of the gab
The ability to talk readily, glibly, and convincingly, especially on trivial matters and s…
gift that keeps on giving
Something with continuous (typically positive) consequences.
gild the lily
To embellish or improve something unnecessarily.
gimme a five
A request to receive a high five.
ginger knob
A male redhead; a ginger-haired male.
ginger up
To make something more interesting, fun, lively, etc.
gingerbread up
Synonym of gingerbread (“to decorate or embellish in an ornate or intricate way”).
gird up one's loins
To prepare oneself for something demanding.
give a damn
To be concerned about, have an interest in, to care (about something).
give a fuck
To care; to give a shit.
give a good account of oneself
To act in a creditable manner.
give a hang
give a hoot; give a damn (to care about; to place value on something)
give a hoot
To care about; to place value on something.
give a light
To care.
give a monkey's
To care; to have an interest or concern.
give a rat's arse
To care a minimum amount; to have or show minimal interest
give a rip
To care.
give a sneck posset
To give someone a cold reception; to close the door on someone; to reject them.
give and take
A process of compromise or accommodation.
give as good as one gets
To behave toward others in a manner resembling or commensurate with their behavior towards…
give away the farm
To pay more than one should have; to pay more than fair market value.
give away the store
To transact, trade, or negotiate badly, by paying, providing, or conceding too much to the…
give back
To contribute money, goods, or, especially, services for charitable purposes, as if in ret…
give birth
To become the source of.
give chase
To begin chasing or pursuing someone or something, whether on foot or by vehicle.
give curry
To direct abusive language at (someone) angrily.
give dome
Synonym of give head.
give ear
To listen: to devote one's attention to an auditory event.
give face
To perform cunnilingus.
give head
To perform oral sex on another person.
give heed
To pay attention; to heed.
give in
To relent, yield, surrender or admit defeat.
give it one's best shot
To make one's best effort or attempt; to try as hard as possible.
give it the big one
To behave in an arrogant or self-important manner; to boast.
give it the gun
To cause a specific vehicle to accelerate; to open the throttle of an engine.
give life to
To render something into active use; to provide an impetus to something.
give lip
To speak to someone rudely or without respect.
give notice
To announce one's intent to leave a job; to inform an employer that one is leaving.
give one's all
To lose one's life while making the utmost effort with full commitment.
give one's head a shake
To reassess the common sense of one's behaviour, ideas, etc.
give oneself airs
To act pretentiously, or in a snobbish manner; to swagger.
give out
To complain, sulk, chastise.
give pause
To give somebody cause for concern.
give someone a bloody nose
To defeat or frustrate someone, but without doing any permanent damage.
give someone a break
To stop harassing or demanding from someone.
give someone a hand
To help, aid, or assist.
give someone a hard time
To cause difficulty or make trouble for someone.
give someone a piece of one's mind
To express one's opinion strongly; to voice one's disagreement or dissatisfaction, especia…
give someone a ring
To place a telephone call to someone.
give someone a shout
To contact or get in touch with someone.
give someone a speaking to
To scold a person.
give someone an earful
To scold someone loudly.
give someone an inch and someone will take a mile
Alternative form of give them an inch and they'll take a mile.
give someone beans
To scold or reprimand someone severely.
give someone enough rope
To allow one to function unhindered, or without further overbearing oversight.
give someone grey hair
To give someone great frustration, confusion, or anxiousness.
give someone grief
To hassle or abuse someone.
give someone Hail Columbia
To scold someone severely.
give someone hell
To castigate someone; to dress them down.
give someone line
To allow a person more or less liberty until it is convenient to stop or check him/her.
give someone something to think about
To threaten or provide a challenge to.
give someone the bag
To disappoint (someone).
give someone the boot
To fire, sack, or eject someone.
give someone the brush-off
To rebuff, snub or curtly reject someone.
give someone the business
To treat someone harshly or in a wrongful manner, such as by abusing, deceiving, or manipu…
give someone the chair
To sentence a person to execution by means of the electric chair.
give someone the cold shoulder
To snub, resist or reject somebody; to regard somebody distantly.
give someone the creeps
To give someone a feeling of uneasiness or mild fright.
give someone the eye
To show flirtatious signs or sexual interest/attraction with one's eyes.
give someone the heave-ho
To fire, expel or break up with someone.
give someone the old heave-ho
Alternative form of give someone the heave-ho.
give someone the runaround
To delay, dodge, or frustrate (someone), especially by providing useless information or di…
give someone the slip
To evade, escape, or get away from somebody.
give someone their cards
To dismiss someone from employment; to fire or make redundant.
give someone their flowers
To praise someone or to acknowledge their work or accomplishments.
give someone their head
To allow (someone) to act without constraint: to give (someone) free rein.
give someone time
To grant an individual a sufficient amount of time to finish doing something; especially, …
give someone to understand
To tell someone, especially indirectly; to insinuate.
give someone what for
To punish; to rebuke.
give someone what-for
To admonish or berate; to speak angrily at somebody.
give someone wood
To cause someone to have an erection, usually due to sexual arousal.
give something a go
To try or attempt.
give something a miss
To forgo something.
give something a try
To try or attempt something.
give something a whirl
To try, test or attempt.
give the axe
To fire (dismiss from employment).
give the devil his due
To acknowledge the positive qualities of a person who is unpleasant or disliked.
give the game away
To mistakenly reveal a secret.
give the lie
To respond to an insult, accusation, or falsehood by saying the offender is lying, particu…
give the lie to
To reveal or prove (something) to be false; to refute.
give the royal treatment
To treat (someone) extremely well.
give the sack
To dismiss from employment
give the time of day
To acknowledge someone; to give someone respect or attention; to tip one's hat.
give up the ghost
To cease clinging to life; to die.
give weight
To attach importance to.
give what for
To scold; to punish, especially verbally.
give zero fucks
To not care; to not give a shit.
glad tidings
good news
glass ceiling
An unrecognized or unwritten barrier to further progression or promotion, in employment an…
glory be
Used to express surprise.
gloss over
To cover up a mistake or a crime; to hush up or whitewash.
gloves are off
Expressing that people are arguing or competing without regard to propriety, restraint, fe…
glutton for punishment
One who persists in an effort in spite of harmful or unpleasant results.
gnash one's teeth
To grind or strike the teeth together in anger, signaling extreme rage, frustration, pain,…
gnaw someone's vitals
To deeply trouble (someone).
go a long way
To be adequate or helpful for a significant amount of time.
go against the grain
To defy convention or norms; to do something in a manner that is unusual or out of the ord…
go all around the Wrekin
Take a long time to arrive.
go all out
To reserve nothing; to put forth all possible effort or resources.
go all the way
To continue to the conclusion of a task or project.
go along for the ride
To accompany someone in a passive manner, or to take a relatively passive or detached role…
go along to get along
To conform in order to have acceptance and security.
go along with
To acquiesce to or comply with a proposal, despite lacking a desire or value for it.
go along with the gag
To cooperate in continuing a joke, hoax, or similar phenomenon initiated by others.
go around the houses
Do something (especially talking) circuitously.
go at a good clip
To go fast
go back in time
To talk about history or the past.
go back to the drawing board
To start again; to scrap a previous idea or plan and try again from the beginning.
go ballistic
To become very angry and irrational.
go bananas
To get angry; to go mad.
go batshit
To become completely irrational; to react in an irrationally extreme manner.
go begging
To be available but wasted, unused, or not actualized.
go berserk
To enter a wild and uncontrollable state.
go big or go home
One must either try to go all the way or not try at all; a high-risk, high-reward strategy…
go by the board
To fall or to go overboard; to be cast over the side of a ship.
go by the wayside
To become obsolete or outmoded.
go climb a tree
Go away; a rude dismissal.
go commando
To not wear underwear (chiefly underpants) under one's outer clothing
go down in flames
To fail miserably and with long-term consequences.
go down on
To perform oral sex on (someone).
go down that road
To settle a way of doing something; do decide to do something in a particular way.
go down the drain
Synonym of go down the toilet: to fail.
go down the khazi
Synonym of go down the toilet: to fail; to degenerate rapidly.
go down the pan
Synonym of go down the toilet: to fail; to degenerate rapidly.
go down the road
To employ a way of doing something; to do something in a particular way.
go down the toilet
To fail.
go down the tubes
Synonym of go down the toilet: to fail; to degenerate rapidly.
go down the wrong way
To go down the trachea (windpipe) in one's throat instead of the esophagus (the tube in th…
go downhill
To worsen or degenerate.
go downtown
To perform oral sex.
go Dutch
To pay for one's own food and bills, or split the cost, when eating at a restaurant or goi…
go far
To attain success, especially from humble origins; achieve a great deal.
go fish
No, as a firm negative response.
go fly a kite
To go away; get lost; leave.
go for
To cost.
go for a song
To be sold at a very low price.
go for broke
To try everything possible or do every last thing possible in a final attempt.
go for it
To put maximum effort into achieving something.
go for the gold
To attempt to achieve the maximum result or reward in an endeavour.
go for the throat
To exert an unrestrained, aggressive effort, especially by assailing an opponent's or vict…
go forth and multiply
go fuck oneself; fuck off.
go free
To go or travel where one wishes; to not be kept in custody or confinement.
go from strength to strength
To continue to get stronger, more and more successful.
go from zero to hero
To change from a negative to a positive outcome; to improve one's fortunes significantly.
go Galt
To become a recluse and stop contributing to society, especially in the form of taxes, by …
go great guns
To perform particularly well; to be particularly successful.
go green
To implement certain lifestyle changes designed to help one live in a more ecologically fr…
go halfsies
To share something by splitting it in half.
go halves
To divide equally between two parties.
go hang
To be cursed; to be unworthy of notice or bother.
go hard with someone
To lead to someone suffering; to place someone in difficulty or danger.
go Hollywood
To adapt one's lifestyle in order to pursue fame; especially, to debase oneself by adoptin…
go horribly right
To produce a technically correct result, but with highly undesirable consequences.
go in one ear and out the other
To be heard but not attended to, when a person fails to pay attention.
go in the out door
To engage in anal sex.
go in with
To commit to something with; to partner with.
go into one's shell
To act defensively.
go jump in the lake
Used to tell someone to go away, or that their request will not be met.
go jump off a building
Used to tell someone to go away, or that their request will not be met.
go jump off a cliff
Used to tell someone to go away, or that their request will not be met.
go left
To take a turn for the worse, to go horribly wrong.
go moggy
To go without restraint; to go wild; to be adventurous.
go native
To adopt the lifestyle or outlook of local inhabitants, especially when dwelling in a colo…
go nowhere
To fail to progress, to fail to attain a favorable result or outcome.
go nowhere fast
To fail to make any progress.
go off at score
To break suddenly into a gallop.
go off half-cocked
To take a premature or ill-considered action.
go off into the weeds
To go hopelessly astray.
go off the boil
To lose interest; to pall.
go on one's merry way
To depart.
go on the mitch
to skip school; to play truant
go on the scout
To go into hiding.
go or blow
Of a car or its engine: to perform either very well or not at all.
go out
To leave one's abode to go to public places, especially for recreation or entertainment.
go out of one's way
To make an extra effort, so as to help or hinder.
go out with a bang
To depart from a place or situation in a grand or dramatic fashion.
go out with the ark
To become obsolete.
go over
To look at carefully; to scrutinize; to analyze.
go over someone's head
To take up an issue with another person's boss or other superior rather than beginning or …
go over to the majority
To die.
go overboard
To go too far; to exceed reasonable bounds.
go pear-shaped
To go awry; to go wrong.
go places
To make progress or achieve success.
go play in the traffic
To go elsewhere and feel free to engage in risky behavior; to get lost.
go public
To make something public; to announce publicly or to the press.
go rogue
To behave in a very unconventional, independent, uncontrolled, or unauthorized way that ig…
go round in circles
To repeatedly do the same thing without making any progress.
go shit yourself
To go away; get lost; leave.
go snake
To act in an erratic or unrestrained manner.
go so far as
To reach an unexpected extent in doing something.
go soak your head
Synonym of get bent.
go south
To become unfavorable; to decrease; to take a turn for the worse.
go straight
To discontinue engaging in criminal acts; to become a law-abiding person.
go the distance
To have the endurance to see a difficult, sustained challenge to its natural end without f…
go the extra mile
To make an extra effort; to do a particularly good job.
go the way of
To end up the same way as; to undergo the same fate as.
go the way of the dinosaurs
To go extinct or become obsolete; to fall out of common use or practice; to become a thing…
go the way of the dodo
To go extinct or become obsolete or defunct; to fall out of common practice or use; to bec…
go the way of the dodo bird
Alternative form of go the way of the dodo.
go the whole hog
To do something as completely or entirely as possible; to hold back or reserve nothing.
go their separate ways
Of two or more people, to cease travelling or spending time together; to depart with diffe…
go through the gears
To gain momentum; to get up to speed.
go through the mill
To experience the suffering or discipline necessary to bring one to a certain degree of kn…
go through the motions
To do something in a mechanical, unreflective manner, especially as a matter of routine an…
go through with
To carry out (something planned or promised); to proceed with or continue with.
go to
To attend classes at a school as a student.
go to bat
To champion, to actively assist, to provide support (for someone).
go to Canossa
To submit to the pope.
go to great lengths
To make a major effort; to be very careful when doing something, especially to an extreme …
go to ground
To hide from public view or sequester oneself, especially when authorities, members of the…
go to Prestwich
To go mad.
go to sea
To become a sailor.
go to sleep
To be affected by paresthesia; to go numb.
go to someone's head
To strongly affect a person, especially to the detriment of his or her senses or mental fa…
go to the bow-wows
To go to the dogs, to decline or deteriorate.
go to the dogs
To decline or deteriorate shockingly.
go to the ends of the earth
To do everything possible to achieve something.
go to the mat
To continue to struggle or fight until either victorious or defeated.
go to the mattresses
To go to war; to use ruthless tactics; to act without restraint.
go to the polls
To vote.
go to the scaffold
To be executed (usually by hanging or beheading).
go to the wall
To make an all-out effort.
go to the well
To draw on a resource or reserve that may be at risk of being exhausted.
go to town
To proceed enthusiastically, vigorously, or expertly.
go to town on
To devour or consume (something); to enthusiastically or assiduously work on (something); …
go to work
To beat up, to batter.
go together
To be in a relationship.
go too far
To exceed an unstated limit, especially of acceptable behaviour.
go towards
To be a contribution to.
go tutti-frutti
To become angry or act crazily.
go under
To collapse or fail, e.g. by going bankrupt.
go up in flames
To catch fire.
go up in smoke
To be completely ruined, devastated, or reduced to nothingness.
go walking
to disappear; to go missing
go wild
To become very noisy and excited.
go with
To choose or accept (a suggestion).
go with one's gut
To trust or follow an intuition or instinct, as opposed to an opinion based on a logical a…
go with the flow
To act as others are acting, conforming to common behavior patterns with an attitude of ca…
go with the flow of traffic
To drive a vehicle at approximately the speed of other vehicles on the road, irrespective …
go with the wind
To follow the direction of the wind.
go without
To forgo (something).
go without saying
To not need to be said or mentioned; to be obvious, apparent, clear, or already establishe…
go wrong
To worsen; to fail or go amiss; to have a bad outcome.
God forbid
indicating that the occurrence of something is very undesirable
God forfend
Don't let it be.
God is in the detail
Expresses the idea that whatever one does should be done thoroughly; i.e. details are impo…
god that failed
A notable let-down or flop; a concept, product, or person that has failed to live up to ve…
God's eye
A decorative diamond-shaped item woven from yarn, associated with Mexican and Central and …
God's gift
Said of someone with an inflated sense of self-importance, or (occasionally) something tha…
God's gift to men
Someone irresistible to men: someone whom all men find attractive; (often) someone ironica…
God's gift to women
Someone irresistible to women: someone whom all women find attractive; (often) someone iro…
God's green earth
The world.
God's honest truth
Unquestionable, absolute truth.
God's work
Any type of work that produces positive or constructive results.
going away
Ahead of the competitors and still increasing the lead.
going rate
The current standard or usual price, rate, or salary for something.
gold in them thar hills
An opportunity for something to be profitable and/or beneficial.
gold mine
A very profitable economic venture.
golden age
A period of happiness, peace, prosperity, and great progress.
golden goose
Something that generates much profit or gives great advantages.
golden handcuffs
Any arrangement or agreement designed to provide extremely favorable benefits or pay, so a…
golden handshake
A generous severance payment, especially as an inducement to leave employment.
golden hello
A payment offered to an employee as an inducement to join, especially if currently working…
golden mean
A position of balance between excess and deficiency.
golden opportunity
Ideal moment to do something.
golden parachute
An agreement between a company and an employee, usually an executive, specifying that the …
golden rule
A fundamental rule or principle.
golden ticket
A qualification, person or thing that can provide positive opportunities.
golden touch
Synonym of Midas touch (“the ability to achieve financial reward (or, more generally, succ…
golden years
Old age; especially, the leisure years in later life after one has retired from employment…
golf widow
A woman who is deprived of her husband's time and attention due to his regular absence in …
gone case
Someone or something that is deemed irredeemable, hopeless and beyond help; a doomed perso…
gone fishing
Unavailable, having taken time off for recreation.
gone north about
Dead, of sailor or seaman whose cause of death was anything except by drowning.
gone with the wind
dead
good and
Very; plenty; exceptionally; quite, utterly.
good books
Favorable regard; personal approval; kindly treatment.
good boy
Well done, to a male.
good coin
Something genuine or trustworthy.
good deal
Large number, amount, or extent.
good doctor
An honorific form of address to a doctor.
good doctors
plural of good doctor. An honorific form of address to a group of doctors.
good drunk
A person who is cheerful and companionable when intoxicated, retaining reasonable control …
good egg
A good person, someone to be trusted; a friend.
good enough for government work
Synonym of close enough for government work.
good enough for jazz
Good enough.
good enough to eat
Supremely beautiful; aesthetically pleasing.
good girl
Well done, to a female.
good God
Expression of surprise, outrage, or horror.
good graces
Favorable regard; personal approval; kindly treatment.
good gracious
Oh my God; expression of surprise.
good head on one's shoulders
intelligent or shrewd; have good sense or judgement
good job
a good thing.
good life
The life that one dreams of living.
good looker
A physically attractive individual, animal, or object.
good run
Success over an extended period.
Good Samaritan
A person who helps someone in distress out of their own good nature.
good sense
Common sense; sensibleness.
good times
Referring to a specific period of time, whether the speaker’s present circumstances or a p…
good turn
A good deed; a thoughtful or selfless act.
good value
Someone who is friendly and easy-going.
good voice to beg bacon
An unpleasant-sounding voice.
good-time Charlie
An affable or happy-go-lucky carefree convivial man.
goodness gracious
Expressing great surprise.
goodness gracious me
Alternative form of goodness gracious.
goodness me
An expression of mild surprise.
goodnight Irene
An involuntary departure.
goon squad
A group of individuals serving as enforcers, bodyguards, assassins, and the like, especial…
gooseberry eye
A prominent, dull eye.
gooseberry season
A period, usually during the summertime, when news media tend to place increased emphasis …
gorilla in the room
A problem or difficult issue that is very obvious, but is ignored for the convenience or c…
got it going on
Be attractive, outgoing (typically of women).
grab and go
To get something quickly
grab by the lapels
To exert control over (something).
grab the bull by the horns
Synonym of take the bull by the horns.
grab the popcorn
Used to express anticipated enjoyment from watching a conflict or argument developing betw…
graceful degradation
The ability of a system to maintain at least some of its functionality when portions are n…
grain of truth
Synonym of kernel of truth.
grammar Nazi
A person who habitually criticizes the grammar and (often) usage in others' speech or writ…
grammar police
One or more people who make negative comments, which are usually unsolicited and unwanted,…
grand poobah
A person who is important or high-ranking.
grand scheme
The totality of the situation approached objectively; the big picture.
grand total
The entire or final sum.
grandstand play
A successful play or other manoeuvre during a sporting competition in which one or more pl…
granny dumping
The abandonment of an elderly relative in a public place, e.g. a hospital.
grapes of wrath
A symbol of impending vengeance, especially in reference to the Last Judgment.
grasp at straws
To guess randomly or pursue any apparent option, due to a lack of clear choices or informa…
grass tops
People in a position of power or influence at a local level.
gravity's pull
Stress or pressure of a situation acting upon a person.
gravy train
An occupation or situation that generates considerable income or benefits while requiring …
gray hat
A morally ambiguous character; an antihero.
grease monkey
A mechanic, often with the specific connotation of an automobile mechanic.
grease payment
A bribe or extorted money, usually relatively small in amount, provided to a low-level gov…
grease someone's palm
To bribe a person.
grease the skids
To create conditions likely to produce or hasten favorable future developments.
grease the wheels
To create conditions likely to produce or hasten favorable future developments.
greasy spoon
An inexpensive diner or other informal restaurant, especially one specializing in frying o…
great balls of fire
Expressing great surprise.
great beyond
the afterlife.
great deal
Large number, amount, or extent; profusion.
great job
well done; congratulations! (a praise for someone's efforts, possibly to a higher degree t…
great unwashed
The general populace, particularly the working class.
greater of two evils
The most harmful or unpleasant of two undesirable alternatives.
greatest thing since sliced bread
Something amazing, outstanding or praiseworthy, especially a relatively recent invention l…
Greek calends
A time that never occurs; never; when pigs fly.
green about the gills
Ill or unwell, especially as indicated by one's appearance.
green as grass
Inexperienced or naive.
green fingers
A seemingly natural gardening ability.
green handshake
A bribe, or a transfer of money that the interested parties represent as a tip but that di…
green in earth
Of a deceased person, recently buried.
green indigo
Synonym of lokao.
green light
Approval, or permission to proceed.
green old age
A person's elderly years that are active or full of vitality.
green state
A U.S. state perceived as environmentally friendly.
green thumb
A natural skill for gardening.
green with envy
Consumed by envy; envious to the point where it is noticeable to others.
greener pastures
Any place or condition that is more favorable or beneficial.
grey area
An area intermediate between two mutually exclusive states or categories, where the border…
grey cells
Brains; a person's ability to think, especially referring to intelligence.
grey matter
Brains; a person's ability to think.
grey power
The collective political, economic, and social influence of senior citizens, especially wh…
grin and bear it
To endure a difficult or disagreeable situation with good humor.
grind down
To weaken someone's morale over a long period.
grind one's gears
To annoy or irritate one.
grind the corn
To perform the coital alignment technique
grinding machine
A machine tool in which a rotating grinding wheel is moved against the workpiece (or vice …
grist for the mill
Something that is useful or that creates a favorable opportunity.
grist to the mill
Alternative form of grist for the mill.
grit one's teeth
To face up to a difficult or disagreeable situation and deal with it.
ground ball with eyes
A weakly hit ground ball that barely evades the infielders.
ground floor
The initial stage of a project.
ground rule
The basic rules or standards; basic principles.
grow a pair
To be brave; to show some courage, especially in a situation in which one has so far faile…
grow a set
Synonym of grow a pair.
grow a tail
to be nearly about to defecate, to the point of being unable to completely hold it in
grow apart
To gradually become estranged.
grow cold
To wane; to lose interest or enthusiasm for something or someone; to become disenchanted o…
grow on
To become more likeable to someone.
grow out of
To become too physically large for something, especially clothes.
grow some balls
To be brave; to show some courage, especially in a situation where one has so far failed t…
grow up
To stop acting as or like a child (often used as an imperative interjection).
gruesome twosome
A pair of people who go together, such as two friends, siblings, a married couple, etc., e…
grunt level
The lowest, basic, least sophisticated level.
grunt work
Work (especially that which is heavy, repetitive or mindless) that is considered undesirab…
guess what
Used to introduce a surprising outcome or one that the hearer is not expected to try to gu…
guilt trip
A feeling of shame or embarrassment, especially if self-indulgent, unwarranted, exaggerate…
guilty pleasure
Something that brings pleasure but is considered taboo, unadvisable or lowbrow.
gum up
To make non-functional; to interfere with or put into a state of disorder; to ruin.
gun jumping
An act or instance of jumping the gun.
gunboat diplomacy
The pursuit of foreign policy objectives with the aid of conspicuous displays of military …
gunner's daughter
The gun to which sailors were tied to be flogged.
guns blazing
With much force or bravado.
gut check
An honest, reflective appraisal of one's true feelings concerning a matter of concern.
gut factor
The emotional dimension of decision-making. A person's subjective (often almost visceral) …
gut feeling
An instinct or intuition; an immediate or basic feeling or reaction without a logical rati…
gut out
To endure stoically.
gut reaction
A visceral reaction that arises with little accompanying thought or even (sometimes) no th…
gutless wonder
One who lacks guts or courage; a coward.
guts out
To persevere through; to complete in spite of pain, etc.