Idioms/G

Idioms beginning with G. Select an idiom for more details.

a gut feeling

If you have a gut feeling, you sense something about a person or a situation, without knowing why, but you're sure what you sense is true.

get a look in

If you get a look in, you get a fair chance to do something.

get a word in edgeways | edgewise

If you can't get a word in edgeways, you can't say anything because someone else is talking so much.

get away from it all INFORMAL

If you get away from it all, you go somewhere to escape from your usual daily routine.

Get cracking! INFORMAL

You can say "Get cracking!" if you want someone to hurry up and do something faster.

get it off your chest

If you get it off your chest, you tell somebody about something that's been bothering you and you've been thinking about a lot.

get off on the wrong foot

If you get off on the wrong foot, you start something poorly, or begin with a mistake.

get to the bottom of

If you get to the bottom of something, you find out its real cause or the true story behind it.

get your act together

If you get your act together, you greatly improve your attitude and performance in relation to something such as your work, or to life in general.

give it a shot | give it a whirl INFORMAL

If you give something a shot, or give it a whirl, you try doing something for the first time, usually for fun.

give it your all

If you give (it) your all, you try as hard as you can to succeed in something.

give someone a hard time

If you give someone a hard time, you bother them or make trouble for them.

give the green light

If you give something the green light, you give permission for it to be done, or allow it to happen.

go down a treat British English

If something goes down a treat, it's a great success and everyone enjoys it.

go for broke

If you go for broke, you risk everything, or use all your resources and energy, in order to achieve something.

go out of business

If a company goes out of business, it stops trading and closes down.

go out on a limb

If you go out on a limb, you put yourself in a risky position in order to support someone or something.

go over your head

If someone goes over your head, they go to someone with more authority than you in order to get something that you would normally grant, possibly because they think you won't give it to them.

go overboard

If you go overboard, you do something too much or you do it with excessive enthusiasm.

go through the motions

You go through the motions when you do something without putting any real effort or thought into it.

go with the flow

If you go with the flow, you relax and go along with whatever is happening.

going down American English INFORMAL

If you know what's going down, you know what's happening in a situation.

going great guns

If you're going great guns, you're going really well in whatever you're doing.

grease someone's palm INFORMAL

If you grease someone's palm, you pay them a bribe.

grin and bear it

If you grin and bear it, you accept a difficult situation and try not to let it upset you.

the gift of the gab | the gift of gab

If you've got the gift of the gab, or the gift of gab, you have the natural ability to talk in a way that people find entertaining or persuasive.

Contributor: Matt Errey