[go ape] <v. phr.>, <slang> To become highly excited or behave in a crazy way. * /Amy went ape over the hotel and beautiful beaches./ * /The electric door opener malfunctioned and caused the garage door to go ape./
[go around] <v.> 1a. To go from one place or person to another. * /Mr. Smith is going around looking for work./ * /Don't go around telling lies like that./ * /Chicken pox is going around the neighborhood./ * /A rumor is going around school that we will get the afternoon off./ 1b. To go together; keep company. - Usually used with "with". * /Bill goes around with boys older than he is because he is big for his age./ Syn.: GO ABOUT(2b). 2. To be enough to give to everyone; be enough for all. * /There are not enough desks to go around in the classroom./
[go around in circles] See: IN A CIRCLE.
[goat] See: GET ONE'S GOAT.
[go at] <v.> 1. To start to fight with; attack. * /The dog and the cat are going at each other again./ 2. To make a beginning on; approach; tackle. * /How are you going to go at the job of fixing the roof?/ Compare: START IN. Syn.: GO ABOUT(1).
[go at it hammer and tongs] <v. phr.>, <informal> 1. To attack or fight with great strength or energy; have a bad argument. * /Bill slapped George's face and now they're going at it hammer and tongs in back of the house./ * /Helen and Mary have been arguing all day, and now they are going at it hammer and tongs again./ 2. To start or do something with much strength, energy, or enthusiasm. * /The farmer had to chop down a tree and he went at it hammer and tongs./ * /Charles had a lot of homework to do and he went at it hammer and tongs till bedtime./ Compare: IN EARNEST, WITH MIGHT AND MAIN.
[go AWOL] See: ABSENT WITHOUT LEAVE.
[go back on] <v. phr.> 1. To turn against; not be faithful or loyal to. * /Many of the man's friends went back on him when he was sent to prison./ * /The boy's father told him not to go back on his promise./ Compare: BACK DOWN, TURN ONE'S BACK. 2. To fail to do necessary work; not work. * /Grandfather's eyes are going back on him./ Compare: BREAK DOWN(4), GIVE OUT.
[go back on one's word] <v. phr.> To renege; break a promise. * /Patrick went back on his word when he refused to marry Karen in spite of his earlier promise./
[go] or [be on the rocks] See: ON THE ROCKS.
[go] or [be on the wagon] See: ON THE WAGON. Contrast: FALL OFF THE WAGON.
[go bail for] <v. phr.> To advance the necessary money as security in order to release an accused person until trial. * /The arrested driver had no trouble finding someone to go bail for him./
[go begging] <v. phr.> To be not needed or wanted. * /Many old homes in the city go begging./ * /Most of the apples on the market went begging./
[go broke] <v. phr.>, <slang> To lose all one's money; especially by taking a chance; owe more than you can pay. * /The inventor went broke because nobody would buy his machine./ * /Dan had a quarter but he went broke matching pennies with Fred./
[go-between] <n.> An intermediary. * /They expect Mr. Smith to act as a go-between in the dispute between management and labor./
[go bust] <v. phr.>, <slang> To become bankrupt. * /Our company lost a lot of money and went bust./ Compare: BELLY UP.
[go-by] See: GIVE THE GO-BY.
[go by] <v.> 1. To go or move past; pass. * /Bob had to go by the post office on his way to school, so he mailed the letter./ 2. To follow; copy; obey. * /Mother goes by a pattern when she makes a dress./ * /You will find Main Street without trouble if you go by Father's directions./ * /If you ride a bicycle, you must go by the rules of the road./ 3. To be known by; be called. * /Many actors do not go by their real names./ * /Fred goes by the nickname of Chubby./ 4. To pass; be over; end. * /Time goes by quickly on vacation./ * /The horse and buggy days have gone by./ * /The flowers have all gone by. What will I do for a bouquet?/ 5. To stop for a short visit; go to someone's house for a short while. * /"Have you seen Bill lately?" "Yes, I went by his house last week."/ Compare: STOP BY.
[go by the board] also [pass by the board] <v. phr.> To go away or disappear forever, be forgotten or not used. * /Tom had several chances to go to college, but he let them go by the board./ * /Grandfather said he was too old to go to the beach. "Those days have passed by the board," he said./ Compare: DOWN THE DRAIN.
[go by the name of] <v. phr.> To be called. * /Adolf Schicklegruber went by the name of Adolf Hitler./
[go chase oneself] <v. phr.>, <slang> Go away and stop being a nuisance. * /John's father was busy and told him to go chase himself./ * /The owner of the store told the boys in front to go chase themselves./ Compare: BEAT IT, GO JUMP IN THE LAKE.
[God] See: IN THE LAP OP THE GODS also ON THE KNEES OP THE GODS, MY GOD or MY GOODNESS, WOULD THAT or WOULD GOD.
[God forbid] <interj.> May God prevent (something from happening); I hope that will not happen or is not true. * /Someone told the worried mother that her son might have drowned. She said, "God forbid!"/ * /God forbid that the dam break and flood the valley!/ Compare: PERISH THE THOUGHT.
[Godfrey] See: GREAT GODFREY.
[God knows] or [goodness knows] or [heaven knows] <informal> 1. Maybe God knows but I don't know and no one else knows. - Often used with "only". * /Do you know where Susan is? God only knows!/ 2. Surely; certainly. * /Goodness knows, the poor man needs the money./ * /Heaven only knows, I have tried hard enough./
[Godmother] See: FAIRY GODMOTHER.
[go down] <v. phr.> 1. To deteriorate in quality. * /This hotel, which used to be one of the best, has gone down during the past few years./ 2. To become lower in price. * /It is said that the price of milk is expected to go down soon./ 3. To sink. * /The Titanic went down with a lot of people aboard./
[go down in history] or [go down in the records] <v. phr.> To be remembered or recorded for always. * /The lives of great men go down in history./ * /Babe Ruth went down in history as a home run hitter./ * /The boy's straight A's for four years of college went down in the records./ * /The President said that the day the war ended would go down in history./
[go down the drain] <v. phr.> To be lost or wasted forever. * /If he doesn't pass the bar examination tomorrow, his best efforts to become a lawyer will go down the drain./
[God tempers the wind to the shorn lamb] <literary> A person who is already helpless will not have more trouble; you will not have more trouble than you can bear. * /After Mr. Smith lost his job, the Smith's house caught fire, but the fire was put out before much harm was done. Mr. Smith said, "God tempers the wind to the shorn lamb."/ Contrast: IT NEVER RAINS BUT IT POURS.
[go Dutch] <v. phr.>, <informal> To go out for fun together but have each person pay for himself. * /High school students often go Dutch to basketball games./ * /Sometimes boys and girls go Dutch on dates./ * /The girl knew her boyfriend had little money, so she offered to go Dutch./ Compare: DUTCH TREAT.
[go easy] See: TAKE IT EASY(1).
[go fly a kite] <v. phr.>, <slang> To go away; leave. Usually used as a command, to show that you do not accept someone's ideas. * /Harry was tired of John's advice and told him to go fly a kite./ * /After Mary stood around telling Sue what was wrong with her dress. Sue told her to go fly a kite./ Compare: DROP DEAD, GO JUMP IN THE LAKE.
[go for] <v. phr.>, <informal> 1. To try to get; aim for; try for. * /Our team is going for the championship in the game tonight./ * /The dog went for Bob's leg./ 2. To favor; support; like. * /Little Susie really goes for ice cream./ * /Bob goes for Jane in a big way./ 3. To attack; begin to fight or argue with. * /The Indian jumped out of the *hush and went for Daniel./ * /Molly went for James about being late as soon as he got home./
[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.
