Adam Makkai - Словарь американских идиом: 8000 единиц

[get to] {v. phr.} , {informal} 1. To begin by chance; begin to. — Used with a verbal noun or an infinitive. •/ George meant to save his dollar, but he got to thinking how good an ice cream cone would taste, and he spent it. / •/ On a rainy day, Sally got to looking around in the attic and found some old pictures of Father. / •/ I got to know Mary at the party. / •/ I was just getting to know John when he moved away. / Compare: TAKE TO(2). 2. To have a chance to; be able to. •/ The Taylors wanted to go to the beach Saturday, but it rained and they didn’t get to. / •/ Did you get to see the king? / Compare: GET AT(3). 3. See: HAVE TO.

[get to first base]or [reach first base] {v. phr.} To make a good start; really begin; succeed, •/ Joe had a long paper to write for history class, but when the teacher asked for it, Joe hadn’t got to first base yet. / •/ Suppose Sam falls in love with Betty. Can he even get to first base with her? / •/ George wants to go to college and become a teacher, but I’ll be surprised if he even reaches first base. / •/ If you don’t dress neatly, you won’t get to first base when you look for a job. / Compare: FIRST BASE.

[get together] {v.} To come to an agreement; agree. •/ Mother says I should finish my arithmetic lesson, and Father says I should mow the lawn. Why don’t you two get together? /

[get-together] {n.} A party; a gathering. •/ I hate to break up this nice get-together but we must leave. / •/ We manage to have a get-together with our old friends once or twice a year. /

[get to the bottom of] {v. phr.} To find out the real cause of. •/ The superintendent talked with several students to get to the bottom of the trouble. / •/ The doctor made several tests to get to the bottom of the man’s headaches. / Compare: GET TO THE HEART OF.

[get to the heart of] {v. phr.} To find the most important facts about or the central meaning of; understand the most important thing about. •/ You can often get to the heart of people’s unhappiness by letting them talk. / •/ "If you can find a topic sentence, often it will help you get to the heart of the paragraph," said the teacher. /

[get to the point]See: COME TO THE POINT.

[get two strikes against one]See: TWO STRIKES AGAINST.

[get underway] {v. phr.} To set out on a journey; start going. •/ We are delighted that our new Ph.D. program finally got underway. /

[get under one’s skin] {v. phr.} To bother; upset. •/ The students get under Mary’s skin by talking about her freckles. / •/ Children who talk too much in class get under the teacher’s skin. /

[get up] {v.} 1. To get out of bed. •/ John’s mother told him that it was time to get up. / 2. To stand up; get to your feet. •/ A man should get up when a woman comes into the room. / 3. To prepare; get ready. •/ Mary got up a picnic for her visitor. / •/ The students got up a special number of the newspaper to celebrate the school’s 50th birthday. / 4. To dress up. •/ One of the girls got herself up as a witch for the Halloween party. / 5. To go ahead. •/ The wagon driver shouted, "Get up!" to his horses. /

[get up]or [rise with the chickens] {v. phr.} To rise very early in the morning. •/ All the farmers in this village get up with the chickens. / Contrast: GO TO BED WITH THE CHICKENS.

[get-up] {n.} (stress on "get") Fancy dress or costume. •/ Some get-up you’re wearing! /

[get-up-and-go]also [get-up-and-get] {n. phr.} , {informal} Energetic enthusiasm; ambitious determination; pep; drive; push. •/ Joe has a lot of get-up-and-go and is working his way through school. /

[get up on the wrong side of the bed] {v. phr.} , {informal} To awake with a bad temper. •/ Henry got up on the wrong side of the bed and wouldn’t eat breakfast. / •/ The man went to bed very late and got up on the wrong side of the bed. /

[get up the nerve] {v. phr.} To build up your courage until you are brave enough; become brave enough. •/ Jack got up the nerve to ask Ruth to dance with him. / •/ The hungry little boy got up nerve to ask for another piece of cake. /

[get used to]See: USED TO.

[get warmed up]See: WARM UP.

[get what’s coming to one]or {slang} [get one’s] {v. phr.} To receive the good or bad that you deserve; get what is due to you; get your share. •/ At the end of the movie the villain got what was coming to him and was put in jail. / •/ John didn’t think he was getting what was coming to him, so he quit the job. / •/ Mother told Mary that she’d get hers if she kept on being naughty. / Compare: CATCH IT, HAVE IT COMING, SERVE RIGHT.

[get wind of] {v. phr.} To get news of; hear rumors about; find out about. •/ The police got wind of the plans to rob the bank. / •/ The captain didn’t want the sailors to get wind of where the ship was going. /

[get wise] {v. phr.} , {slang} To learn about something kept secret from you; become alert. •/ One girl pretended to be sick on gym days when she had athletics, until the teacher got wise and made her go anyway. / — Often used with "to". •/ The boys got wise to Jack’s fondness for bubble gum. / •/ If you don’t get wise to yourself and start studying, you will fail the course. / Compare: CATCH ON, SEE THROUGH. Contrast: IN THE DARK.

[get with it] {v. phr.} , {slang} To pay attention; be alive or alert; get busy. •/ The students get with it just before examinations. / •/ The coach told the team to get with it. / Compare: ON THE BALL.

[ghost]See: GIVE UP THE GHOST.

[ghost of a]Least trace of; slightest resemblance to; smallest bit even of; a very little. Usually used with "chance" or "idea" in negative sentences, or with "smile". •/ There wasn’t a ghost of a chance that Jack would win. / •/ We didn’t have the ghost of an idea where to look for John. / •/ The teacher scolded Harold for drawing a funny picture on the chalkboard, but she had a ghost of a smile. / Compare: FAT CHANCE.

[ghost-writer] {n.} A writer whose identity remains a secret and who writes for another who receives all the credit. •/ It is rumored that John Smith’s best-selling novel was written by a ghost-writer. /

[gift of gab]or [gift of the gab] {n. phr.} , {informal} Skill in talking; ability to make interesting talk that makes people believe you. •/ Many men get elected because of their gift of gab. / •/ Mr. Taylor’s gift of gab helped him get a good job. /

[gild the lily]also [paint the lily] {v. phr.} To add unnecessarily to something already beautiful or good enough. •/ To talk about a beautiful sunset is to gild the lily. / •/ For the beautiful girl to use makeup would be to gild the lily. / •/ Frank’s father is a millionaire, but Frank gilds the lily by saying he is a billionaire. /

[gill]See: FED TO THE GILLS at FED UP, GREEN AROUND THE GILLS or PALE AROUND THE GILLS.

[gilt-edged] {adj.} Of the highest quality. •/ Government saving bonds are considered by many to be a gilt-edged investment. /

[gin mill] {n.} , {slang} A bar where liquor is sold. •/ Rush Street in Chicago is full of gin mills. / Syn.: SPEAKEASY.

[G.I.]or ["government issue"] {n.} An American soldier. •/ After the war many GI’s were able to get a free education. /

[gird one’s loins] {v. phr.} , {literary} To prepare for action; get ready for a struggle or hard work. •/ David girded up his loins and went out to meet the giant Goliath. / •/ Seniors must gird their loins for the battles of life. /

[girl Friday] {n.} A very dependable and helpful female office worker; especially a secretary. •/ Miss Johnson is the manager’s girl Friday. / •/ There was an advertisement in the newspaper for a girl Friday. /

[girl friend] {n.} , {informal} 1. A female friend or companion. •/ Jane is spending the night at her girlfriend’s house. / 2. A boy’s steady girl; the girl or woman partner in a love affair; girl; sweetheart. •/ John is taking his girl friend to the dance. / Contrast: BOYFRIEND.

[give]See: SILENCE GIVES CONSENT.

[give a buzz]See: GIVE A RING.

[give a cold shoulder]See: COLD SHOULDER.

[give a hand]See: LEND A HAND.

[give a hang]or [care a hang] {v. phr.} , {informal} To have any interest or liking; care. — Used also with other words in the place of "hang", such as "damn", "rap", "straw"; usually used in the negative. •/ You can quit helping me if you want to. I don’t give a hang. / •/ Some people don’t care a rap about sports. / •/ Bruce never goes to the dances; he does not care a straw about dancing. /

[give a hard time] {v. phr.} , {informal} 1. To give trouble by what you do or say; complain. •/ Jane gave her mother a hard time on the bus by fighting with her sister and screaming. / •/ Don’t give me a hard time, George. I’m doing my best on this job. / Compare: GIVE FITS. 2. To get in the way by teasing or playing; kid. •/ Don’t give me a hard time, boys. I’m trying to study. / Compare: ACT UP, IN ONE’S HAIR.

[give-and-take] {n. phr.} 1. A sharing; giving and receiving back and forth between people; a giving up by people on different sides of part of what each one wants so that they can agree. •/ Jimmy is too selfish. He has no notion of give-and-take with the other children but wants everything for himself. / •/ There has to be give-and-take between two countries before they can be friends. / Compare: LIVE AND LET LIVE. 2. Friendly talking or argument back and forth. Friendly sharing of ideas which may not agree; also: an exchange of teasing remarks. •/ After the meeting there was a lot of give-and-take about plans for the dance. /

[give an ear to]or [lend an ear to] {v. phr.} , {literary} To listen to. •/ Children should give an ear to their parents' advice. / •/ The king lent an ear to the complaints of his people. /

[give a pain] {v. phr.} , {slang} To make (you) disgusted; annoy. •/ Ann’s laziness gives her mother a pain. / •/ John’s bad manners give his teacher a pain. / Compare: PAIN IN THE NECK.