American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms

The word gospel, which comes from the Old English god spel, "good news," has been used to describe something that is thought to be as true as the biblical gospel (that is, undeniably true) since the 13th century. The current idiom originated in the 1600s, when it referred to biblical truths, and has been applied to truth of a more general nature since the late 1800s. Also see

TAKE AS GOSPEL.

go stag

Go unaccompanied by a person of the opposite sex to a social event, as in John decided to go stag to his roommate's party, or Some of the girls are going stag to the dance. Although this term originally applied only to men attending an event without a woman companion, it is now applied to women as well. [c. 1900]

go steady

Date one person exclusively, as in Parents often don't approve of their children's decision to go steady. This usage may be obsolescent. [Slang; c. 1900] Also see GO TOGETHER, def. 2; GO

WITH, def. 1.

go straight

Become a law-abiding person; abandon crime. For example, Once he got out on probation, he swore he would go straight. The use of straight in the sense of "honest" dates from the 1500s and probably alludes to the opposite of crooked, used in the sense of "dishonest" from the 13th century on.

got a thing going

hand. see HAVE A THING GOING.

go the distance

Carry through a course of action to completion. For example, He said he's willing to go the distance with this project. This expression originated in boxing, where it means "to last for all the rounds that have been scheduled." In baseball the same term means "to pitch an entire game." For a

synonym, see ALL THE WAY, def. 1.

go the limit

hand. see GO WHOLE HOG.

go the way of all flesh

Die, as in Our dog's gone the way of all flesh and I'm not sure we'll get another. This expression is actually a misquotation from the Bible, which has it to go the way of all the earth (I Kings 2:2; Joshua 22:14), also meaning "to die."

go through

1. Examine carefully, as in I went through all the students' papers. [Mid-1600s] 2. Experience,

undergo, suffer, as in We went through hell trying to find an answer. [Early 1700s] 3. Perform; also, rehearse for performance. For example, I went through the sonata in ten minutes, or Let's go through the third act again. [Mid-1700s] 4. Use up, complete, as in The children went through all the milk we bought in one day. [Mid-1900s] 5. Succeed, be approved, as in I'm sure this new deal will go through. [Late 1800s] 6. go through with. Complete, carry out, as in They got engaged last year, but I'm not sure they'll go through with the wedding. [Mid-1500s]

go through channels

Use the correct procedure, especially in a hierarchy or bureaucracy. For example, You'll have to go through channels for approval of this expenditure. This term uses channel in the sense of "a conduit." [Mid-1900s]

go through one

1. Use as an intermediary, as in Bob can't release that; you'll have to go through the main office.

Also see GO THROUGH CHANNELS. 2. Also, go right through one (like a dose of salts). Be rapidly excreted without being digested. For example, I don't know why, but Thai cooking goes right through me, or That banana drink went through Dad like a dose of salts.

go through the mill

hand. see THROUGH THE MILL.

go through the motions

Do something perfunctorily, or merely pretend to do it. For example, The team is so far behind that they're just going through the motions, or She didn't really grieve at his death; she just went through the motions. [c. 1800]

go through the roof

1. Also, hit the ceiling or roof. Lose one's temper, become very angry, as in Marge went through the roof when she heard she'd been fired. [Colloquial; first half of 1900s] 2. Reach new or unexpected heights, as in After the war, food prices went through the roof. [Colloquial; first half of 1900s]

go through with

hand. see GO THROUGH, def. 6.

got it

hand. see under GET IT.

go to

1. See GOING TO. 2. Also, go toward. Contribute to a result, as in Can you name the bones that go to make the arms and legs? or The director has a good eye for

GO ALL THE WAY, def. 2. 2. go to bed with the chickens. Retire very early, as in She made the children go to bed with the chickens. The chickens here alludes to the fact that domestic fowl generally go to sleep at sundown. 3. Also, get in or into bed with. Form a close association with, as in There's always the danger that the inspectors will get in bed with the industries they're supposed to be inspecting. This usage simply extends the sexual relationship of def. 1 to broader use. 4. go to bed. Start printing a newspaper or other publication. The allusion here is that the morning newspaper is usually printed sometime during the night before. For example, It's too late for your story; the paper went to bed half an hour ago. [Mid-1800s]

go together

1. Be mutually suitable, appropriate, or harmonious, as in Pink and purple can go together well, or

I don't think champagne and meatloaf go together. [c. 1600] 2. Date on a regular basis, keep company. For example, Are Bill and Ann still going together? [Late 1800s] Also see GO STEADY;

GO WITH.

go to hell Also, go to the devil or dickens. Go to everlasting torment, ruin, or perdition. For example, Nancy did not mince words but simply told him to go the devil, or Go to hell, Tom, I won't give you another cent. These phrases are often uttered as angry imperatives to order someone to go away. Hell, devil, and dickens (a euphemism for "devil") all refer to the underworld, the residence of the devil, from which a person would never return.

go to it

hand. see GO TO, def. 3.

go too far

1. Lose a conflict, be defeated; also, yield. For example, In spite of their efforts, they went to the wall, or When it's a matter of family versus friends, friends must go to the wall. [Late 1500s] 2. Fail in business, go bankrupt. For example, First one branch and then another did poorly, and the store finally went to the wall. [First half of 1800s] 3. Take an extreme position, hold out to the end. For example, The President went to the wall to defend his choice to head the FBI. For a synonym,

see GO TO THE MAT.

go to town Also, go to town on. 1. Do something efficiently and energetically. For example, She really went to town, not only developing and printing the film but making both mat and frame. [Early 1900s] 2. Act without restraint, overindulge, as in He went to town on the hors d'oeuvres, finishing nearly all of them. [Early 1900s] 3. Be successful, as in After months of hard work, their business is really going to town. [Mid-1900s]

go to waste

Fail to be used or taken advantage of. For example, I hate to see such talent go to waste, or We bought so much food that some will be going to waste. [c. 1500]

got to

hand. see HAVE TO.

go under

1. Suffer defeat or destruction; fail. For example, We feared the business would go under after the founder died. [Mid-1800s] 2. Lose consciousness. For example, Ether was the first anesthetic to make patients go under quickly and completely. This usage dates from the 1930s. 3. Submerge, sink, as in This leaky boat is about to go under.

go up

1. Be put up, as in New buildings are going up all over town. 2. Rise; increase. For example, His temperature is going up at an alarming rate, or The costs of construction are going up all the time.

[Late 1800s] 3. Also, be gone up. Be destroyed, ruined, done for; also, die, be killed. For example, If we're not back in a week, you'll know we've gone up, or In spite of our efforts, the plans for a new library are gone up. [Slang; mid-1800s] 4. Forget one's lines on the stage or make a mistake in performing music. For example, Don't worry, you know your part and you won't go up, or He went up in the last movement of the sonata. [Slang; 1960s] Also see the subsequent idioms beginning with GO UP.

go up in flames Also, go up in smoke. Be utterly destroyed, as in This project will go up in flames if the designer quits, or All our work is going up in smoke. This idiom transfers a fire to other kinds of destruction. [Early 1900s]

go west

Die, as in He declared he wasn't ready to go west just yet. This expression has been ascribed to a Native American legend that a dying man goes to meet the setting sun. However, it was first recorded in a poem of the early 1300s: "Women and many a willful man, As wind and water have gone west."

go whole hog Also, go the limit. Do something completely or thoroughly; proceed as far as possible. For example, Instead of just painting the room, why not go whole hog and redecorate it completely? or Let's go the limit and dig up the entire garden. Although the precise source of whole hog is disputed, this colloquialism was first recorded in 1828 (in Japhet by Frederick Marryat) as go the whole hog. Today the article is usually omitted. Go the limit, also a colloquialism, dates from the mid-1900s. Also see ALL OUT.

go wilding Also, go out wilding. Go on a rampage, as in The convention delegates have arrived in town, and after deliberating all day they are ready to go out wilding at night. This term originally referred to teenage gang violence directed against randomly chosen victims, impulsive mugging or rape, and similar terrorizing. It also has been transferred to unruly but less violent outings, as in the example. [1980s]

go with

1. Also, go out with. Accompany; also, date regularly. For example, When I leave, do you want to go with me? or Jerry has been going out with Frieda for two years. [Mid-1500s] 2. Be associated with, as in His accent goes with his background. [c. 1600] 3. Take the side of someone, as in I'll go with you in defending his right to speak freely. [Mid-1400s] Also see GO ALONG, def. 2. 4.

Also, go well with. Look good with, match. For example, This chair goes well with the rest of the furniture, or That color doesn't go with the curtains. [Early 1700]

go without saying

Be self-evident, a matter of course. For example, It goes without saying that success is the product of hard work. This expression is a translation of the French cela va sans dire. [Second half of 1800s]

go with the flow Also, go with the tide. Move along with the prevailing forces, accept the prevailing trend, as in Rather than striking out in new directions, I tend to go with the flow, or Pat isn't particularly original; she just goes with the tide. The flow in the first and more colloquial term, which dates from the late 1900s, alludes to the ebb and flow of tides and probably gained currency because of its appealing rhyme.

gown

hand. see CAP AND GOWN; TOWN AND GOWN.

go wrong

1. Go astray, make a mistake. For example, We made a left turn and somehow went wrong from then on, or You won't go wrong if you follow the directions in the dress pattern. [c. 1300] 2. Take to evil ways, become a criminal, as in As soon as he turned thirteen, Billy fell in with a gang and began to go wrong. [c. 1500] 3. Fail, turn out badly, as in Everything about this party has gone wrong. [Late 1500s]

4. Fail to work properly, as in The car starts fine, but as soon as you put it in gear, the transmission goes wrong. [Late 1800s]

grandstand play, make a

Show off, act ostentatiously, as in His colleagues were annoyed with Tom for constantly making a grandstand play at sales conferences. This expression was first used for a baseball play made to impress the crowd in the grandstand (the section of high-priced seats at ballparks). [Second half of 1800s] For a synonym, see PLAY TO THE GALLERY.

grand tour

A comprehensive tour, survey, or inspection. For example, They took me on a grand tour of their new house, or The new chairman will want to make a grand tour of all the branches. Starting in the late 1600s this term was used for a tour of the major European cities, considered essential to a well-bred man's education. In the mid-1800s it was extended to more general use.

granted

hand. see TAKE FOR GRANTED.

grape

hand. see SOUR GRAPES.

grasp

hand. In addition to the idiom beginning with GRASP, also see GET A FIX ON (GRASP

OF).

grasp at straws Also, clutch at straws. Make a desperate attempt at saving oneself. For example, He had lost the argument, but he kept grasping at straws, naming numerous previous cases that had little to do with this one. This metaphoric expression alludes to a drowning person trying to save himself by grabbing at flimsy reeds. First recorded in 1534, the term was used figuratively by the late 1600s.

grass

hand. In addition to the idioms beginning with GRASS, also see DON'T LET THE GRASS

GROW UNDER ONE'S FEET; PUT OUT TO GRASS; SNAKE IN THE GRASS.

grasshopper

hand. see KNEE-HIGH TO A GRASSHOPPER.

grass is always greener on the other side, the

A different situation always seems better than one's own. For example, Bob always thinks the grass is greener elsewhere, which accounts for his constant job changes. This expression, an ancient proverb cited by Erasmus in the 15th century, is so well known that it is often shortened.

grass widow

A woman who is separated from her husband, either by divorce or temporary absence. For example, She's a grass widow these days, with Herb traveling to golf tournaments all over the country. The expression dates from the 16th century, when it referred to the mother of an illegitimate child, grass presumably alluding to the open-air setting of the child's conception.

grave

hand. see DIG ONE'S OWN GRAVE; FROM THE CRADLE TO THE GRAVE; ONE FOOT IN THE GRAVE; TURN IN ONE'S GRAVE.

gravy train, ride the

Experience excessive ease, success, or profit, especially undeservedly. For example, Now that his brother is paying all his bills, Jim is riding the gravy train. The word gravy has long meant ''easy profits," and the term is believed to come from 19th-century railroad slang, although the earliest recorded use dates from the early 1900s. W.C. Handy used it in one of his famous blues songs written in 1914, in which he bemoans falling off the gravy train. Also see EASY STREET.

gray

hand. In addition to the idioms beginning with GRAY, also see GET GRAY HAIR FROM.

gray area

Indeterminate territory, undefined position, neither here nor there. For example, There's a large gray area between what is legal and what is not. This term, which uses gray in the sense of "neither black nor white" (or halfway between the two), dates only from the mid-1900s.

gray matter

Brains, intellect, as in If you'd only use your gray matter, you'd see the answer in a minute. This expression refers to actual brain tissue that is gray in color. Agatha Christie's fictional detective, Hercule Poirot, constantly alludes to using the little gray cells for solving a crime. [Late 1800s]

grease

hand. In addition to the idioms beginning with GREASE, also see ELBOW GREASE; LIKE

GREASED LIGHTNING; SQUEAKY WHEEL GETS THE GREASE.

grease someone's palm Also, oil someone's palm or hand. Give someone money in exchange for a favor; also, bribe someone. For example, If you want your luggage to make the plane, be sure to grease the porter's palm. This term uses grease in the sense of "enrich." [First half of 1500s]

grease the wheels Also, oil the wheels. Make things run smoothly, as in You can count on Ben to grease the wheels so we'll be waited on promptly. This metaphoric expression transfers literal lubrication to figurative. [Mid1600s]

greasy spoon

A cheap restaurant, especially one serving short-order fried foods. For example, College students short of cash tend to eat a lot in that greasy spoon. This expression also implies that the restaurant is not very clean. [c. 1900]

great

hand. In addition to the idioms beginning with GREAT, also see GOOD (GREAT) DEAL;

GOOD (GREAT) MANY; GO TO ANY LENGTH (GREAT LENGTHS); HAVE A GOOD (GREAT) MIND TO; MAKE GREAT STRIDES; NO GREAT SHAKES; SET (GREAT) STORE BY.

great deal

hand. see GOOD DEAL.

greatest thing since sliced bread Also, best thing since sliced bread. An excellent new invention, as in Harry swears that this new program is the greatest thing since sliced bread. This phrase, used either straightforwardly or sarcastically, alludes to the convenience of buying bread that is already sliced. [Mid-1900s]

great guns

1. Very energetically or successfully. This colloquial expression usually occurs in the phrase go great guns, as in They're going great guns with those drawings. The expression comes from British naval slang of the late 1700s, when blowing great guns meant a violent gale. Harry Truman used the term in Dear Bess (1945): "We have been going great guns in the last day or two." 2. great gun. Also big gun. An important person, as in All the great guns came to the reception.

This usage is heard less often today. [Slang; early 1800s] Also see BIG CHEESE. 3. Great

guns! An expletive expressing surprise or astonishment, as in Great guns! You're not leaving now? [Late 1800s]

great many

hand. see under GOOD MANY.

great minds run in the same channel, all

Intelligent persons think alike or come up with similar ideas. For example, I see you brought your tennis racket?

thank goodness for great minds. This term is often uttered (sometimes jokingly) when two persons seem to find the same answer simultaneously, and is frequently shortened. [Late 1500s]

great shakes

hand. see NO GREAT SHAKES.

great white hope