[go for a spin]{v. phr.} To go for a ride in a car. •/Billy has invited us to go for a spin in his new car./
[go for broke]{v. phr.}, {slang} To risk everything on one big effort; use all your energy and skill; try as hard as possible. •/The racing car driver decided to go for broke in the biggest race of the year./ Compare: ALL-OUT.
[go for nothing] also {formal} [go for naught] {v. phr.} To count for nothing; be useless; be wasted. •/What the teacher said went for nothing because the pupils did not pay attention./ •/I hope that all your good work doesn’t go for naught./ Compare: IN VAIN.
[go from bad to worse]{adv. phr.} To change from a bad position or condition to a worse one; become worse. •/Dick’s typing went from bad to worse when he was tired./ •/Jack’s conduct in school has gone from bad to worse./ Compare: OUT OF THE PRYING PAN INTO THE FIRE.
[go from strength to strength]{v. phr.} To move forward, increasing one’s fame, power, or fortune in a series of successful achievements. •/Our basketball team has gone from strength to strength./
[go-getter]{n.} A person who works hard to become successful; an active, ambitious person who usually gets what he wants. •/The governor of the state has always been a go-getter./ •/The best salesmen are the go-getters./
[go-go]{adj.}, {slang}, {informal} 1. Vigorous youthful, unusually active. •/Joe is a go-go kind of guy./ 2. Of a discotheque or the music or dances performed there. 3a. Unrestrained. 3b. Very up-to-date, hip. •/Mary wore handsome go-go boots to the discotheque last night./
[go great guns] See: GREAT GUNS.
[go halfway] or [go halfway to meet one] or [meet one halfway] {v. phr.} To give up part of what you want or to do your share in reaching an agreement with someone. •/Our neighbors are willing to go halfway to meet us and pay their share for a fence between our houses./ •/Bob wants to make up after your fight and you should meet him halfway./ •/If you’re willing to go halfway with us, we’ll be friends again./ •/Bill met Mary halfway after their argument./
[go halves]{v. phr.}, {informal} To share half or equally become partners. •/The boys went halves in raising pigs./ •/The men are going halves in a new business./ •/The girl bought a box of candy and went halves with her roommate./
[go hang]{v. phr.}, {slang} 1. To stop being of interest or importance; be forgotten. — Usually used with "let". •/Mr. Johnson let his business go hang after his wife died./ 2. To leave you alone; not bother. •/When the neighbor told Father how to manage his children, Father told him to go hang./ Compare: TELL WHERE TO GET OFF.
[go hard with]{v. phr.} To be painful, troublesome, or hard for; happen or result badly for. — Used after "it". •/It will go hard with you if I catch you smoking./
[go haywire]{v. phr.}, {informal} Mixed-up, out of order, not in regular working condition. •/My electric typewriter has gone all haywire; I have to call the repair man./
[go hog wild]{v. phr.}, {slang} To become extremely agitated and go out of control. •/After the soccer game was won, the fans went hog wild./
[go in a circle] or [go in circles] See: IN A CIRCLE.
[go in for]{v. phr.}, {informal} To try to do; take part in; take pleasure in. •/Most girls do not go in for rough games./ •/Mrs. Henry goes in for simple meals./ Compare: GO INTO(3), TAKE UP(5b).
[going and coming] See: COMING AND GOING.
[going for one]{adj. phr.} Working to help; in one’s favor. •/The young woman surely will get the job; she has everything going for her./
[going on]{adv. phr.} Almost; nearly. •/Joe is going on six years old./ •/It is going on six o’clock./
[going through changes]{v. phr.}, {slang}, {informal} To be in trouble, to have difficulties, to be trapped in unfavorable circumstances. •/"What’s the matter with Joe?" — "He’s going through changes."/
[going to] Can be expected to; planning to. — Used after "is" (or "was", etc.), with an infinitive, in the same way "will" is used, to show future. •/Some day that big tree is going to rot and fall./ •/Look at those dark clouds. It’s going to rain./ •/The boys are going to practice football this afternoon./ •/For a minute Ben thought the car was going to hit him./ •/I was going to attend the meeting, but after supper I forgot about it./ — Sometimes used without the infinitive. •/That worn rope hasn’t broken yet, but it’s going to./ •/"Put some more wood on the fire." — "I’m going to."/ Compare: ABOUT TO(1).
[go in one ear and out the other]{v. phr.}, {informal} To be not really listened to or understood; be paid no attention. •/The teacher’s directions to the boy went in one ear and out the other./ •/Mother scolded Martha, but it went in one ear and out the other./
[go into]{v.} 1a. To go or fit inside of; able to be put in. •/The table is too big to go into the closet./ 1b. To be able to be divided into; be divisible into. •/Two goes into four two times./ 2. To enter a state or condition of; pass into. •/John went into a fit of temper when he didn’t get his own way./ •/The sick man went into a coma./ •/The country went into mourning when the king died./ 3. To be busy in or take part in; enter as a job or profession. •/The mayor went into politics as a very young man./ •/Mr, Johnson is going into business for himself./ •/Bill wants to go into law when he gets out of school./ Compare: GO IN FOR, TAKE UP(5b). 4. To start to talk about; bring up the subject of; examine. •/We’ll talk about the dead mouse after dinner, Billy. Let’s not go into it now./ •/The teacher went into the subject of newspapers today./ Compare: LOOK INTO.
[go into a huddle]{v. phr.} 1. To gather close together as a team in a football game, usually to find out your team’s next play. •/The football team which has the ball goes into a huddle before every play to get orders on what play they will use./ 2. {informal} To talk together privately about something; discuss something where others cannot hear. •/The man went into a huddle with his lawyers before answering the question./ •/The doctors went into a huddle and decided to operate./
[go into a nose dive] See: GO INTO A TAIL SPIN.
[go into a tailspin] or [go into a nose dive] {v. phr.}, {informal} To fall or go down badly; collapse; give up trying. •/The team went into a tailspin after their captain was hurt, and they were badly beaten./ 2. {informal} To become very anxious, confused, or mentally sick; give up hope. •/The man went into a tailspin after his wife died and he never got over it./
[go into orbit]{v. phr.}, {slang} 1. To become very happy or successful. •/Our team has gone into orbit./ Compare: FLY HIGH. 2. To lose one’s temper or control completely; become very angry. •/John was afraid his father would go into orbit when he found out about the car accident./ Compare: HIT THE CEILING.
[go it]{v. phr.}, {informal} 1. To go fast; run hard; not to spare yourself. — Often used as a command. •/The coach yelled to the runner to go it./ •/At the party the girls cheered for their partners to go it./ •/The boys called, "Go it!" to the dog chasing the cat./ 2. To live; continue to do or work. •/John wants to leave home and go it alone./ Compare: ON ONE’S OWN.
[go jump in the lake]{v. phr.}, {informal} To go away and quit being a bother. •/George was tired of Tom’s advice and told him to go jump in the lake./ Compare: GO CHASE YOURSELF, GO FLY A KITE.
[gold] See: HEART OF GOLD.
[golden] See: KILL THE GOOSE THAT LAID THE GOLDEN EGG.
[goldfish bowl]{n.}, {slang}, {informal} 1. A situation in which it is not possible to keep things secret for any length of time. •/Washington Society is a goldfish bowl./ 2. An apartment or place that provides no privacy for its occupant, e.g., an office that has too many windows. •/Joe’s office is a goldfish bowl, that’s why I didn’t let him kiss me there./
[golf widow]{n.}, {informal} A woman whose husband is often away from home playing golf. •/Mrs. Thompson didn’t like being a golf widow./
[go legit]{v. phr.} To start practicing a legitimate business after having been operating outside of the law. •/"The old days are over," the crime boss said to his friends. "We are going legit as of right now."/
[go like clockwork] or [go off like clockwork] {v. phr.}, {informal} To run smoothly and regularly like the workings of a clock; go smoothly and without difficulty; go on time or as planned. •/The car’s motor went like clockwork after Bob fixed it./ •/The birthday party went off like clockwork and everyone had a good time./
[go native]{v. phr.} To behave like a native (said of European Americans in tropical countries). •/Mainlanders often go native in Hawaii./
[gone goose] also [gone gosling] {n.}, {slang} A person for whom there is no hope. •/Herbert’s grades have been so low that he is a gone goose for the year./ •/The man was a gone gosling when a policeman caught him breaking the store window./
[gone with the wind]{adj. phr.} Gone forever; past; vanished. •/All the Indians who used to live here are gone with the wind./ •/Joe knew that his chance to get an "A" was gone with the wind when he saw how hard the test was./ Compare: DOWN THE DRAIN.
[good] See: AS GOOD AS, AS GOOD AS ONE GETS, BUT GOOD, DO ONE GOOD, FOR GOOD, FOR GOOD MEASURE, GET THE GOODS ON, HOLD GOOD, IN GOOD, IN GOOD FAITH, IN GOOD TIME, IN ONE’S GOOD GRACES, IT’S AN ILL WIND THAT BLOWS NOBODY GOOD, MAKE GOOD, MISS IS AS GOOD AS A MILE, NO GOOD, ON ONE’S GOOD BEHAVIOR, ON ONE’S GOOD SIDE, SO FAR, SO GOOD, STAND IN GOOD STEAD, TO THE GOOD, WELL AND GOOD, WITH GOOD GRACE.
[good and ---]{adv.}, {informal} Very; completely. •/John’s father was good and mad when John came home late./ •/Jack knew good and well that Tom had thrown the snowball at him./ •/I pushed Bill good and hard./ •/Susan wouldn’t come out till she was good and ready./ •/I beat Joe good and proper in the game of marbles./
[good as] See: AS GOOD AS.
[good as one’s promise] See: AS GOOD AS ONE’S WORD.
[good as one’s word] See: AS GOOD AS ONE’S WORD.
[good buddy]{n.}, {slang}, {citizen’s hand radio jargon} Salutation used by truckers and automobile drivers who have CB radios. •/What’s the Smokey situation, good buddy?/
[good command] See: HAVE A GOOD COMMAND OF.
[good day]{interj.} Hello or goodbye. — Used as a formal greeting or salute when you meet or leave someone during the day. •/Miss Rogers said, "Good day!" when she met her friend on the street./ •/Mr. Lee said "Good day!" and left the office./
[good deal] or [great deal] {n.}, {informal} A large amount; much. — Used with "a". •/Mrs. Walker’s long illness cost her a good deal./ •/George spends a great deal of his time watching television./ — Often used like an adverb. •/Cleaning up after the party took a great deal more work than the girls expected./ •/Usually it takes Father half an hour to drive to work, but in bad weather it takes a good deal longer./ •/Mother likes the gloves Mary gave her, and she uses them a good deal./ •/George is a good deal like his father; they both love to eat./ Syn.: A LOT, QUITE A LITTLE. Compare: ALL KINDS OF, GOOD MANY. Contrast: A LITTLE.
[good egg]{slang} or {informal} [good scout] {n. phr.} A friendly, kind or good-natured person, a nice fellow. •/Tommy is such a good egg that everybody wants to be his friend./ Syn.: REGULAR GUY. Contrast: BAD EGG.
