G

gain ground to make progress; to advance;

to become more important or popular.

Our new product is gaining ground against

that of our competitor. Since the gov-

ernment announced the new policies, the

stock market is gaining ground.

The game is up. and The jig is up. The

deception is over.; The illegal activity has

come to an end. When the police were

waiting for them inside the bank vault, the

would-be robbers knew that the game was

up. “The jig is up!” said the cop as he

grabbed the shoulder of the pickpocket.

a game that two can play a manner of

competing that two competitors can use;

a strategy that competing sides can both

use. (Also literal.) The mayor shouted

at the city council, “Politics is a game that

two can play.” “Flattery is a game that

two can play,” said John as he returned

Mary’s compliment.

gang up (on someone) to form into a group

and attack someone. (Usually a physical

attack, but it can also be a verbal attack.)

We can’t win against the robber unless

we gang up on him. All right, you guys,

don’t gang up on me. Play fair!

a gas [someone or something] wild or

funny. You should have been at Susan’s

party last night. It was a gas.  That

movie was such a gas. I haven’t laughed

so hard in ages.

gas up to fill up one’s gasoline tank with

gasoline. (Informal.) I have to stop at

the next service station and gas up. The

next time you gas up, try some of the gaso-

line with alcohol in it.

gather a case (against someone) Go to

build a case (against someone).

gaudy as a butterfly Go to (as) gaudy as

a butterfly.

gear (oneself) up (for something) to prepare

for something; to get into shape for

something. We are gearing up for a very

busy summer season. We are not ready

yet. We have to gear up. Tom is gearing

himself up for his exams.

gear something to someone or something to

cause something to match something else

or some group of people; to create or

adapt something for a specific purpose.

Tim geared his speech to his audience.

The newspaper geared its language to

a fourth-grade reading level.

generous to a fault too generous; overly

generous. My favorite uncle is gener-

ous to a fault. Sally—always generous

to a fault—gave away her sandwiches.

gentle as a lamb Go to (as) gentle as a

lamb.

get a bang out of someone or something Go

to get a charge out of someone or something.

get a bee in one’s bonnet to get an idea

or a thought that remains in one’s mind;

to get an obsession. (Also with have. See

the note at get a big send-off. See also put

a bee in someone’s bonnet.) I have a bee

in my bonnet that you’d be a good man-

ager. I got a bee in my bonnet about

swimming. I couldn’t stop wanting to go

swimming.

get a big send-off to receive or enjoy a

happy celebration before departing.

(Note: Get can be replaced with have.

Note the variation in the examples. Get

usually means “to become, to acquire,

or to cause.” Have usually means “to

possess, to be, or to have resulted in.”

See also give someone a big send-off.) I

had a wonderful send-off before I left.

John got a fine send-off as he left for

Europe.

get a black eye 1. to get a bruise near the

eye from being struck. (The area around

the eye is darkened, not black. Also with

have. See the note at get a big send-off.)

I got a black eye from walking into a

door. I have a black eye where John hit

me. 2. to have one’s character or reputa-

tion harmed. Mary got a black eye be-

cause of her complaining. The whole

group now has a black eye.

get a break to have good fortune; to re-

ceive a bit of luck. (Often with lucky, nice,

etc. Also with have. See the note at get a

big send-off.) Mary is going to get a

break. I wish I’d get a lucky break.

Why don’t I have a lucky break when I

need one? She’s got a lucky break and

doesn’t even know it.

get a bright idea for a clever thought or

idea to occur (to someone). (Also with

have. See the note at get a big send-off.)

Now and then I get a bright idea.

John hardly ever gets a bright idea. Lis-

ten here! I have a bright idea!

get a charge out of someone or something

and get a bang out of someone or some-

thing; get a kick out of someone or some-

thing to receive special pleasure from

someone or something. (Informal.)

Tom is really funny. I always get a kick out

of his jokes. Bill really got a bang out of

the present we gave him. Mary got a

charge out of Bob’s visit.

get a charley horse to develop a cramp in

the arm or leg, usually from strain. (Also

with have. See the note at get a big send-

off.) Don’t work too hard or you’ll get a

charley horse. Poor Tom is always get-

ting a charley horse in his leg. Sally can’t

play. She has a charley horse.

get a checkup to have a physical exami-

nation by a physician. (Also with have.

See the note at get a big send-off.) She

got a checkup yesterday. I going to have

a checkup in the morning. I hope I’m okay.

get a clean bill of health [for someone]

to be pronounced healthy by a physician.

(Also with have. See the note at get a big

send-off.) Sally got a clean bill of health

from the doctor. Now that Sally has a

clean bill of health, she can go back to

work.

get a crush on someone to become infatu-

ated with someone. (Also with have. See

the note at get a big send-off.) Mary

thinks she’s getting a crush on Bill. Sally

says she’ll never get a crush on anyone

again. John has a crush on Mary.

get a dirty look from someone to get

frowned at by someone. I stopped

whistling when I got a dirty look from Ann.

I got a dirty look from the teacher. I

don’t know why.

get a feel for something Go to get the feel

of something.

get a fix on something 1. to find out the ex-

act location of something. (Also with

have. See the note at get a big send-off.

See also give someone a fix on something.)

I can’t get a fix on your location. Where

are you? We are trying to get a fix on

your radio transmission. I have a fix on

them now. 2. to begin to understand the

direction of a discussion. I can’t quite

get a fix on what you’re trying to say. I

can’t get a fix on where you’re going with

this argument.

get a foothold (somewhere) and get a toe-

hold (somewhere) an initial position of

support; a starting point. It’s difficult

to get a foothold in the education market

when schools are laying off teachers.

Max’s father helped him get a toehold in

the textile industry.

get a free hand (with someone or something)

to be granted complete control over

something. (Also with have. See the note

at get a big send-off. See also give some-

one a free hand (with something).) I did-

n’t get a free hand with the last project.

John was in charge then, but he didn’t have

a free hand either. I demand to have a

free hand with my own child!

get a frog in one’s throat to get soreness

or something else in one’s throat that pre-

vents one from talking well. (This often

leads to one clearing one’s throat. Also

with have. See the note at get a big send-

off.) The speaker got a frog in his throat

and had to stop talking for a while. Ex-

cuse me. I have a frog in my throat.

get after someone to remind, scold, or nag

someone (to do something). (Informal.

See also keep after someone.) John has-

n’t taken out the garbage. I’ll have to get

after him. Mary’s mother will get after

her if she doesn’t do the dishes.

get a grasp of something to understand

something. (Also with good, solid, and

sound, as in the examples. Also with have.

See the note at get a big send-off.) Try

to get a grasp of the basic rules.

don’t have a good grasp of the principles

yet. John was unable to get a solid grasp

of the methods used in his work, and we

had to let him go.

get a handle on something Go to have a

handle on something.

get a hand with something to receive assis-

tance with something. (Also with have.

See the note at get a big send-off.)

Mary would really like to get a hand with

that. It’s too much for one person. I’d

like to have a hand with this.

get ahead of oneself [for someone] to do or

say something sooner than it ought to be

done so that the proper explanation or

preparations have not been made. I

have to stick to my notes or I will get ahead

of myself in my lecture. When he bought

a new little bicycle before the baby was

born, he was getting ahead of himself.

get a head start (on someone or something)

1. [with someone] to start (something)

earlier than someone else. (Also with

have. See the note at get a big send-off.)

Bill always gets there first because he

gets a head start on everybody else. I’m

doing well in my class because I have a

head start. 2. [with something] to start

something earlier (than someone else).

I was able to get a head start on my read-

ing during the holidays. If I hadn’t had

a head start, I’d be behind in my reading.

get (a)hold of someone or something 1. [with

someone] to make contact with someone;

to call someone on the telephone. (See

also get one’s hands on someone or something;

get in touch (with someone). Also with

have. See the note at get a big send-off.)

I’ll try to get hold of you in the morn-

ing. It’s very hard to get hold of John.

He’s so busy. 2. [with something] to ob-

tain something. I’m trying to get hold

of a glass jar. I need it for school. Does

anyone know where I can get hold of a

spare tire? I have hold of a very large

piece of land. 3. Go to take (a)hold of

someone or something.

get a hurry on and get a move on to start

to hurry. (Informal.) We are going to

leave in five minutes, Jane. Get a hurry on!

Mary! Get a move on! We can’t wait all

get a jump(start) Go to get a start.

get a kick out of someone or something Go

to get a charge out of someone or something.

get a licking and take a licking to get a

spanking; to get beat in a fight. (Folksy.)

Billy, you had better get in here if you

don’t want to get a licking. Bob took a

real licking in the stock market. Tom

took a licking in the fight he was in.

Get a life! Don’t act so stupid!; Get a pur-

pose for existing! (Slang. Usually rude.)

Hey, stupid! You want to get run over?

Get a life! You worthless jerk! Get a life!

get a line on someone or something to get an

idea on how to locate someone or some-

thing; to find out about someone who

can help find someone or something.

(Also with have. See the note at get a big

send-off.) I got a line on a book that

might help explain what you want to

know. Sally has a line on someone who

could help you fix up your apartment.

get (all) dolled up to dress (oneself ) up.

I have to get all dolled up for the dance

tonight. I just love to get dolled up in my

best clothes.

get a load off one’s feet and take a load

off one’s feet to sit down; to enjoy the re-

sults of sitting down. (Informal.) Come

in, John. Sit down and take a load off your

feet. Yes, I need to get a load off my feet.

I’m really tired.

get a load off one’s mind to say what one

is thinking; to talk about what is trou-

bling one; to speak one’s mind. (Infor-

mal.) He sure talked a long time. I guess

he had to get a load off his mind. You

aren’t going to like what I’m going to say,

but I have to get a load off my mind.

get a load of someone or something look at

someone or something. (Informal or

slang.) Get a load of that guy. Have you

ever seen such arrogance? Get a load of

that car. It’s got real wire wheels.

get along (in years) to grow older.

Grandfather is getting along in years.

Yes, he’s really getting along.

get along (on a shoestring) to be able to

afford to live on very little money. For

the last two years, we have had to get along

on a shoestring. With so little money, it’s

hard to get along.

get along (with someone or something) Go to

get on (with someone or something).

get a lot of mileage out of something to get

a lot of use from something, as if it were

a car. Bob always got a lot of mileage

out of one joke. I got a lot of mileage out

of my TV before it broke down.

get a lump in one’s throat to have the feel-

ing of something in one’s throat—as if

one were going to cry. (Also with have.

See the note at get a big send-off.)

Whenever they play the national anthem,

I get a lump in my throat. I have a lump

in my throat because I’m frightened.

get a move on Go to get a hurry on.

get an eyeful (of someone or something) to see

everything; to see a shocking or surpris-

ing sight. The office door opened for a

minute and I got an eyeful of the interior.

Mary got an eyeful of the company’s ex-

travagant spending when she peeked into

the conference room.

get an in (with someone) to develop a way

to request a special favor from someone;

to gain influence with someone. (The in

is a noun. Also with have. See the note

at get a big send-off.) Did you get an

in with the mayor? I have to ask him a fa-

vor. Sorry, I don’t have an in, but I know

someone who does.

get another guess coming Go to get an-

other think coming.

get ants in one’s pants to become nervous

and agitated. (Refers to the agitation

caused by ants crawling into one’s pants.

Slang. Also with have. See the note at get

a big send-off.) I always get ants in my

pants before a test. I wonder if all actors

get ants in their pants before they go on

stage.

get a raw deal to receive unfair or bad

treatment. (Slang. Also with have. See the

note at get a big send-off. See also give

someone a raw deal.) Mary got a raw

deal on her traffic ticket. She was innocent,

but she had to pay a big fine. I bought

a used TV that worked for two days and

then quit. I sure got a raw deal. You sure

had a raw deal.

get a reputation (as a something) to be-

come recognized for being something.

(Can be a good or a bad reputation. Also

with have. See the note at get a big send-

off.) You’ll get a reputation as a cheater.

She once had a reputation as a singer.

Behave yourself, or you’ll get a reputa-

tion.   Unfortunately, Tom’s got a

reputation.

get a reputation (for doing something) to be-

come recognized for doing something.

(Often a bad reputation, as in the exam-

ples. Also with have. See the note at get

a big send-off.) You’ll get a reputation

for cheating. I don’t want to get a rep-

utation. He’s got a bad reputation. I

have a reputation for being honest.

get a rise out of someone to get a reaction

from someone, usually anger or laughter.

(Informal.) Mary really liked my joke.

I knew I could get a rise out of her. I

got a rise out of him by telling him to go

home.

get a rough idea (of something) Go to get

a rough idea (about something).

get around to be experienced; to know a

lot about life. (Informal. Use with cau-

tion—especially with females—since

this can also refer to sexual experience.

See also have been around.) That’s a

hard question. I’ll ask Jane. She gets

around. John knows a lot about New

York City. He gets around.

get around to doing something to find time

to do something; to do something after

a long delay. (Compare this with get

(around) to something.) I finally got

around to buying a new coat. It takes

Sally years to get around to visiting her

aunt. I finally got around to doing the

breakfast dishes.

get (around) to something to manage to deal

with someone or something after a delay.

(Compare this with get around to doing

something.) It was noon before I got

around to the breakfast dishes. The doc-

tor was not able to get to John, even though

John waited for three hours. I can’t get

around to you until tomorrow.

get a run for one’s money 1. to receive

what one deserves, expects, or wants.

(See also give one a run for one’s money.)

I get a run for my money at a high

school football game. I get a run for my

money in the stock market. 2. to receive

a challenge. Bob got a run for his money

when he tried to convince Mary to go to

Bill got a run for his money

playing cards with John.