English Idioms and Idiomatic Expressions
Alphabetical List of Idioms - G, page 6
from: 'glutton for punishment'
to: 'go the extra mile'
- glutton for punishment
- If you say that someone is a glutton for punishment,
you express your surprise that they continue to do something which they find unpleasant or difficult.
"You get seasick but you're going to travel by boat - you're a glutton for punishment!"
- If you say that someone is a glutton for punishment,
you express your surprise that they continue to do something which they find unpleasant or difficult.
- gnomes of Zurich
- This is a disparaging term for Swiss bankers who control
a lot of money, are said to be uninterested in the provenance of funds and protect their clients' identity.
"The gnomes of Zurich refuse to cooperate with the investigating officials."
- This is a disparaging term for Swiss bankers who control
a lot of money, are said to be uninterested in the provenance of funds and protect their clients' identity.
- go against the grain
- If something goes against the grain, it is difficult
to accept because it is very different from what is considered normal or natural.
"Having to import apples in an apple-growing region really goes against the grain!"
- If something goes against the grain, it is difficult
to accept because it is very different from what is considered normal or natural.
- go against the tide
- If you go against the tide (or the stream),
you refuse to conform to current trends, or the opinions or behaviour of other people.
"Bill can be difficult to work with; he constantly goes against the tide."
- If you go against the tide (or the stream),
you refuse to conform to current trends, or the opinions or behaviour of other people.
- go all out
- If you go all out to achieve or obtain something, you
make a great effort, using all possible strength and resources
"The candidate went all out to obtain the nomination."
- If you go all out to achieve or obtain something, you
make a great effort, using all possible strength and resources
- go along for the ride
- If you join a group of
people who are doing something, just for pleasure,
without wanting to participate in the activity or
become involved in it, you go along for the ride.
"Not all the protesters were active in the movement - some just went along for the ride."
- If you join a group of
people who are doing something, just for pleasure,
without wanting to participate in the activity or
become involved in it, you go along for the ride.
- go bananas
- If someone becomes very emotional and starts behaving in a crazy way, they go bananas.
"If you announce that you are going to drop out of school, your parents will go bananas!"
- If someone becomes very emotional and starts behaving in a crazy way, they go bananas.
- go ballistic
- When someone goes ballistic, they become very angry.
"My dad went ballistic when he saw the state of the garden after the barbecue."
- When someone goes ballistic, they become very angry.
- go belly up
- If a business or project goes belly up, it is unsuccessful or goes bankrupt.
"The restaurant went belly up before the end of the first year."
- If a business or project goes belly up, it is unsuccessful or goes bankrupt.
- go down the rabbit hole
- If you go down the rabbit hole, you start searching for something specific
and then find yourself with information that keeps leading you to more and more areas to explore.
"It’s easy to go down the rabbit hole when you start surfing on the Internet."
- If you go down the rabbit hole, you start searching for something specific
and then find yourself with information that keeps leading you to more and more areas to explore.
- go down in flames
- If something goes down in flames, it fails spectacularly and disastrously.
"The project went down in flames when it was discovered that it was being funded by illegally-obtained money".
- If something goes down in flames, it fails spectacularly and disastrously.
- go down in history
- This expression refers to an event that is so important or unusual that it will be recorded in history.
"The recent discovery will go down in history"
- This expression refers to an event that is so important or unusual that it will be recorded in history.
- go down well
- If an idea or proposal goes down well, it is well accepted.
"The new timetable went down well with the employees"
- If an idea or proposal goes down well, it is well accepted.
- go downhill
- When something goes downhill, it deteriorates or gets worse little by little.
"His health has been going downhill since the last operation."
- When something goes downhill, it deteriorates or gets worse little by little.
- go for a song
- If something goes for a song, it is sold at an unexpectedly low price.
"I was able to buy the car simply because it was going for a song."
- If something goes for a song, it is sold at an unexpectedly low price.
- go the extra mile
- If you go the extra mile, you do more than what is expected of you.
"You can count on Tom; he's always willing to go the extra mile."
- If you go the extra mile, you do more than what is expected of you.
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