English idioms, proverbs, and expressions are an important part of everyday English. They come up all the time in both written and spoken English. Because idioms don’t always make sense literally, you’ll need to familiarize yourself with the meaning and usage of each idiom. That may seem like a lot of work, but learning idioms is fun, especially when you compare English idioms to the idioms in your own language.
Idioms Beginning With G with Meaning and Example
Here’s a list of “Idioms Beginning With G” in English:
Get a kick out of
Meaning: To derive enjoyment or amusement from something.
Example: “She gets a kick out of solving difficult puzzles.”
Get a leg up
Meaning: To receive assistance or an advantage.
Example: “His internship gave him a leg up in securing a full-time job.”
Get a load of
Meaning: To see or observe something.
Example: “Get a load of that new sports car!”
Get a move on
Meaning: To hurry up or start moving quickly.
Example: “We need to get a move on if we want to catch the train.”
Get a rise out of
Meaning: To provoke a reaction from someone, often for amusement.
Example: “He tried to get a rise out of his sister by teasing her.”
Get a second wind
Meaning: To regain energy or motivation after feeling tired.
Example: “After a short break, he got a second wind and continued working.”
Get a word in edgewise
Meaning: To find an opportunity to speak in a conversation where others are talking a lot.
Example: “It was hard to get a word in edgewise during the heated debate.”
Get away with
Meaning: To escape punishment or consequences for something.
Example: “He thought he could get away with skipping class, but the teacher noticed.”
Get back at
Meaning: To take revenge or retaliate against someone.
Example: “She got back at her brother for hiding her phone by hiding his.”
Get back on the horse
Meaning: To resume an activity after a failure or setback.
Example: “After losing the game, the team vowed to get back on the horse and train harder.”
Get bent out of shape
Meaning: To become upset or annoyed over something.
Example: “He got bent out of shape when he realized he had lost his wallet.”
Get cold feet
Meaning: To become nervous or hesitant about doing something.
Example: “She got cold feet and decided not to go skydiving.”
Get cracking
Meaning: To start or begin something promptly.
Example: “We need to get cracking on this project to meet the deadline.”
Get down to brass tacks
Meaning: To focus on the essential aspects or details.
Example: “Let’s get down to brass tacks and discuss the budget for next year.”
Get down to business
Meaning: To start dealing with the main or important matters.
Example: “Enough small talk, let’s get down to business and talk about the proposal.”
Get even
Meaning: To retaliate or seek revenge.
Example: “He wanted to get even with his neighbor for playing loud music late at night.”
Get hitched
Meaning: To get married.
Example: “They’ve been together for years and finally decided to get hitched.”
Get in on the ground floor
Meaning: To become involved at the beginning of something.
Example: “He invested in the company early and got in on the ground floor of its success.”
Get in someone’s hair
Meaning: To annoy or bother someone.
Example: “The kids were getting in her hair while she was trying to work.”
Get in the groove
Meaning: To become proficient or comfortable in a situation.
Example: “After a few weeks, he got in the groove of his new job.”
Get in touch
Meaning: To contact or communicate with someone.
Example: “I’ll get in touch with you next week to discuss the project.”
Get into hot water
Meaning: To get into trouble or a difficult situation.
Example: “He got into hot water for arriving late to the meeting.”
Get laid off
Meaning: To lose one’s job due to economic reasons.
Example: “Many employees were getting laid off as the company downsized.”
Get lost
Meaning: To go away or leave.
Example: “He told the annoying salesperson to get lost.”
Get off on the wrong foot
Meaning: To start a relationship or activity in a problematic way.
Example: “They got off on the wrong foot and had a hard time working together.”
Get off your high horse
Meaning: To stop acting arrogantly or pretentiously.
Example: “He needs to get off his high horse and listen to other people’s opinions.”
Get on one’s nerves
Meaning: To annoy or irritate someone.
Example: “Her constant humming was getting on my nerves.”
Get on the ball
Meaning: To start performing well or effectively.
Example: “After the initial confusion, they got on the ball and completed the project on time.”
Get one’s act together
Meaning: To organize oneself and start behaving responsibly.
Example: “He needs to get his act together if he wants to succeed in this job.”
Get out of hand
Meaning: To become out of control.
Example: “The party got out of hand after midnight.”
Get out of someone’s hair
Meaning: To stop bothering or annoying someone.
Example: “I’ll finish this quickly so I can get out of your hair.”
Get over it
Meaning: To recover from something emotionally difficult.
Example: “It’s time to get over the breakup and move on.”
Get real
Meaning: To be realistic or practical.
Example: “Get real! You can’t expect to win the lottery every week.”
Get rid of
Meaning: To remove or eliminate something.
Example: “I need to get rid of these old clothes.”
Get some air
Meaning: To go outside to get fresh air.
Example: “Let’s get some air and clear our heads.”
Get someone’s goat
Meaning: To annoy or irritate someone.
Example: “Her constant complaining really gets my goat.”
Get the ball rolling
Meaning: To start an activity or process.
Example: “Let’s introduce the project and get the ball rolling.”
Get the hang of
Meaning: To learn or understand something.
Example: “It took a while, but I finally got the hang of playing the guitar.”
Get the last laugh
Meaning: To succeed or win after initial difficulties or challenges.
Example: “Despite all the criticism, she got the last laugh by winning the competition.”
Get the lead out
Meaning: To hurry up or move faster.
Example: “Come on, get the lead out! We’re running late.”
Get the picture
Meaning: To understand a situation.
Example: “After he explained it again, I finally got the picture.”
Get the show on the road
Meaning: To start something, usually an event or activity.
Example: “Let’s stop talking and get the show on the road.”
Get the short end of the stick
Meaning: To receive less favorable treatment than others.
Example: “She always feels like she gets the short end of the stick at work.”
Get the upper hand
Meaning: To gain control or advantage.
Example: “After a shaky start, our team finally got the upper hand in the game.”
Get through to
Meaning: To successfully communicate with someone.
Example: “I’ve been trying to get through to him, but he won’t answer his phone.”
Get to the bottom of
Meaning: To find out the truth about something.
Example: “We need to get to the bottom of this mystery.”
Get under one’s skin
Meaning: To annoy or irritate someone deeply.
Example: “His constant bragging really gets under my skin.”
Get up on the wrong side of the bed
Meaning: To start the day in a bad mood.
Example: “He must have gotten up on the wrong side of the bed today.”
Get up to speed
Meaning: To become fully informed or updated.
Example: “After the vacation, she needed a few days to get up to speed with the project.”
Get wind of
Meaning: To hear or learn about something, often before it is public knowledge.
Example: “She got wind of the surprise party before her birthday.”
Game of Chicken
Meaning: A risky situation where two sides challenge each other, waiting to see who backs down first.
Example: “Their argument turned into a game of chicken, each refusing to apologize.”
Get A Charley Horse
Meaning: To experience a sudden painful muscle cramp, especially in the leg.
Example: “After the marathon, he got a charley horse that lasted for hours.”
Get A Word In Edgewise
Meaning: To find an opportunity to say something, especially in a conversation dominated by others.
Example: “I couldn’t get a word in edgewise during their heated debate.”
Get Along (with Someone)
Meaning: To have a good relationship with someone.
Example: “Despite their differences, they manage to get along.”
Get Bent Out of Shape
Meaning: To become upset or annoyed.
Example: “Don’t get bent out of shape over minor issues.”
Get Carried Away
Meaning: To become overly excited or enthusiastic.
Example: “She got carried away and spent all her savings on the shopping spree.”
Get In on the Ground Floor
Meaning: To be involved in something from the beginning, especially a business opportunity.
Example: “Investors who got in on the ground floor made substantial profits.”
Get in Shape
Meaning: To become physically fit or prepared.
Example: “He started jogging every day to get in shape for the marathon.”
Get Off Scot Free
Meaning: To escape punishment or consequences.
Example: “He was caught cheating but got off scot free because of a technicality.”
Get One’s Ducks in a Row
Meaning: To organize or prepare oneself properly.
Example: “Before the presentation, she made sure to get all her ducks in a row.”
Get One’s Hands Dirty
Meaning: To do hard work, especially manual labor.
Example: “He’s not afraid to get his hands dirty and help with the renovations.”
Get Someone’s Goat
Meaning: To annoy or irritate someone.
Example: “His constant complaining really gets my goat.”
Get To Grips With
Meaning: To understand or become familiar with something.
Example: “It took me a while to get to grips with the new software.”
Get the Ball Rolling
Meaning: To start something, especially an activity or process.
Example: “Let’s introduce the project and get the ball rolling.”
Get the Picture
Meaning: To understand a situation or idea.
Example: “After he explained it again, I finally got the picture.”
Get the Runaround
Meaning: To receive evasive or unhelpful responses.
Example: “He kept getting the runaround when trying to get a straight answer.”
Get the Sack, Be Sacked
Meaning: To be fired from a job.
Example: “He got the sack for consistently being late to work.”
Get the Third Degree
Meaning: To be questioned thoroughly or intensely.
Example: “After the accident, he got the third degree from the police.”
Get Wind of
Meaning: To hear or learn about something, often before it is public knowledge.
Example: “She got wind of the surprise party before her birthday.”
Get With the Program
Meaning: To understand and conform to expectations or requirements.
Example: “He needs to get with the program and start meeting deadlines.”
Go Along (With)
Meaning: To agree or comply with something.
Example: “She decided to go along with the plan despite her reservations.”
Go Ape
Meaning: To become extremely excited or angry.
Example: “He went ape when he found out about the prank.”
Go Ballistic
Meaning: To become very angry or lose control emotionally.
Example: “The boss went ballistic when he saw the report.”
Go Bananas
Meaning: To become crazy or wild with excitement.
Example: “The crowd went bananas when their team scored the winning goal.”
Go Belly Up
Meaning: To fail or go bankrupt.
Example: “After a series of bad investments, the company went belly up.”
Go Berserk
Meaning: To become wildly angry or out of control.
Example: “He went berserk when he discovered his car had been scratched.”
Go Bonkers
Meaning: To go crazy or lose one’s mind.
Example: “The kids went bonkers when they heard school was canceled.”
Go Cold Turkey
Meaning: To quit something abruptly, especially a habit like smoking or drinking.
Example: “He decided to go cold turkey and quit caffeine altogether.”
Go Down in Flames
Meaning: To fail spectacularly or embarrassingly.
Example: “Their new product launch went down in flames due to poor marketing.”
Go Mental
Meaning: To become very angry or lose control.
Example: “She went mental when she saw her phone bill.”
Go Nuclear
Meaning: To escalate a situation drastically, often involving extreme measures.
Example: “The negotiations went nuclear when neither side would compromise.”
Go Nuts
Meaning: To become very excited or enthusiastic.
Example: “They went nuts when they won the lottery.”
Go Off Half-Cocked
Meaning: To act or speak impulsively without being fully prepared.
Example: “He went off half-cocked and made promises he couldn’t keep.”
Go Off the Deep End
Meaning: To react irrationally or lose one’s composure.
Example: “She went off the deep end when she heard the news.”
Go Off The Rails
Meaning: To behave unexpectedly or irresponsibly; to deviate from a plan or expected behavior.
Example: “The project went off the rails when the team lost focus.”
Go Out on a Limb
Meaning: To take a risk or make a speculative statement.
Example: “I’m going out on a limb here, but I think she’ll say yes to your proposal.”
Go Pear-Shaped
Meaning: To go wrong or become a disaster.
Example: “Their vacation plans went pear-shaped when their flight got canceled.”
Go See a Man About a Dog
Meaning: To leave without specifying one’s destination, often as a euphemism.
Example: “He told his friends he had to go see a man about a dog and left the party.”
Go to the Dogs
Meaning: To decline or deteriorate in quality or status.
Example: “The once prosperous neighborhood has really gone to the dogs.”
Go to the Mattresses
Meaning: To prepare for or engage in a serious conflict or battle.
Example: “The two companies went to the mattresses over the patent infringement.”
Go the Extra Mile
Meaning: To make an extra effort; to do more than what is expected.
Example: “She always goes the extra mile to help her colleagues meet their deadlines.”
Go Under the Knife
Meaning: To undergo surgery.
Example: “He had to go under the knife for knee surgery last week.”
Go Viral
Meaning: To rapidly become widely popular or widely circulated, especially on the internet.
Example: “The video of the baby panda sneezing went viral overnight.”
Go with the Flow
Meaning: To accept a situation without trying to change it; to adapt to circumstances.
Example: “Instead of stressing out, just go with the flow and see where it leads.”
Grab (Take) the Bull by the Horns
Meaning: To face a difficult situation directly and with courage.
Example: “She decided to grab the bull by the horns and confront her fears head-on.”
Grasp (Grab) at Straws
Meaning: To make a desperate attempt at something, usually when all else has failed.
Example: “He’s grasping at straws trying to find excuses for his late submissions.”
Grease Monkey
Meaning: Slang for a mechanic, especially one who works on cars.
Example: “The grease monkey fixed my car’s engine in no time.”
Grease the Wheels
Meaning: To facilitate or make things go smoothly, especially in a bureaucratic or social context.
Example: “A small bribe can sometimes grease the wheels of bureaucracy.”
Greasy Spoon
Meaning: A small, inexpensive restaurant, typically serving fried foods.
Example: “Let’s grab a quick bite at that greasy spoon on the corner.”
Green Around the Gills
Meaning: To look pale or sickly, often due to nausea or fear.
Example: “After the roller coaster ride, she looked green around the gills.”
Green as Grass
Meaning: To be inexperienced or naive.
Example: “She’s green as grass when it comes to negotiating.”
Grind One’s Teeth
Meaning: To gnash or clench one’s teeth, usually due to stress or anger.
Example: “He could hear her grinding her teeth in frustration during the meeting.”
Guilty Pleasure
Meaning: Something one enjoys despite feeling that it is not generally held in high regard.
Example: “Watching reality TV is my guilty pleasure.”
Guinea Pig
Meaning: A person who is used in experiments or tests.
Example: “She volunteered to be a guinea pig for the new drug trial.”
Give and Take
Meaning: Mutually compromising or negotiating; a balanced exchange.
Example: “Successful relationships require a lot of give and take.”
Give ’em Hell (often excl.)
Meaning: To criticize or punish someone severely; to aggressively confront a situation.
Example: “She gave ’em hell for missing the deadline.”
Give Lip Service to
Meaning: To express support or approval verbally without taking any significant action.
Example: “The government gave lip service to environmental protection but did little to enforce it.”
Give One’s Two Cents (That’s My Two Cents)
Meaning: To offer one’s opinion or advice, often on a matter that was not asked for.
Example: “I’d like to give my two cents on the new project proposal.”
Give Someone a Holler
Meaning: To call or contact someone.
Example: “Give me a holler when you’re ready to leave.”
Give Someone a Piece of Your Mind
Meaning: To express one’s anger or dissatisfaction clearly and forcefully to someone.
Example: “After waiting for hours, she gave the manager a piece of her mind about the poor service.”
Give Someone a Run for Their Money
Meaning: To compete or challenge someone strongly, giving them difficulty.
Example: “The new athlete gave the reigning champion a run for his money in the race.”
Give Someone an Earful
Meaning: To give someone a lengthy or angry lecture or criticism.
Example: “He arrived late and his boss gave him an earful about punctuality.”
Give Someone the Cold Shoulder
Meaning: To intentionally ignore or be unfriendly toward someone.
Example: “After their argument, she gave him the cold shoulder for days.”
Give Someone The Old Heave-Ho
Meaning: To dismiss or reject someone, often abruptly.
Example: “They gave the new employee the old heave-ho after just two weeks.”
Give Something a Whirl
Meaning: To try or attempt something.
Example: “I’ve never played golf before, but I’ll give it a whirl this weekend.”
Give the Green Light
Meaning: To give permission to proceed with something; to approve something.
Example: “The manager finally gave the green light for the new project to start.”
