Phrases Beginning With G

Phrases Beginning With G

English Phrases, proverbs, and expressions are an important part of everyday English. They come up all the time in both written and spoken English. Because Phrases 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 Phrases is fun, especially when you compare English Phrases to the Phrases in your own language.

Phrases Beginning With G with Meaning and Example

Here’s a list of “Phrases Beginning With G” in English:

Get a grip

• Meaning: To take control of one’s emotions.
• Example: You need to get a grip and calm down before we can discuss this rationally.

Give a hand

• Meaning: To help someone.
• Example: Can you give me a hand with these boxes?

Go against the grain

• Meaning: To do something contrary to what is generally accepted.
• Example: His decision to quit his high-paying job and travel the world goes against the grain.

Get away with murder

• Meaning: To do something wrong or bad without being punished.
• Example: He gets away with murder because his parents never discipline him.

Give the benefit of the doubt

• Meaning: To assume someone is innocent or telling the truth because you have no evidence to the contrary.
• Example: I didn’t see him do it, so I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt.

Go down in flames

• Meaning: To fail spectacularly.
• Example: The project went down in flames after the funding was cut.

Go for broke

• Meaning: To risk everything in an attempt to achieve something.
• Example: They decided to go for broke and invested all their savings into the new business.

Give it a shot

• Meaning: To try something.
• Example: I’m not sure if I’ll like it, but I’ll give it a shot.

Get cold feet

• Meaning: To become nervous or afraid to do something planned.
• Example: She got cold feet just before the wedding.

Go the extra mile

• Meaning: To make a special effort.
• Example: She always goes the extra mile to ensure her clients are satisfied.

Get out of hand

• Meaning: To become difficult to control.
• Example: The party got out of hand after the police were called.

Give someone the cold shoulder

• Meaning: To ignore someone deliberately.
• Example: After their argument, she gave him the cold shoulder for a week.

Go off the deep end

• Meaning: To become very angry or emotional.
• Example: He went off the deep end when he found out about the betrayal.

Get up on the wrong side of the bed

• Meaning: To wake up in a bad mood.
• Example: She must have gotten up on the wrong side of the bed because she’s been grumpy all morning.

Give up the ghost

• Meaning: To die or to stop working.
• Example: After years of service, the old truck finally gave up the ghost.

Go with the flow

• Meaning: To accept things as they happen.
• Example: Instead of making plans, let’s just go with the flow today.

Get your act together

• Meaning: To start behaving properly.
• Example: You need to get your act together if you want to succeed in this job.

Give it a whirl

• Meaning: To try something.
• Example: I’ve never tried skiing before, but I’ll give it a whirl.

Go out on a limb

• Meaning: To take a risk.
• Example: She went out on a limb to support the new policy.

Get in on the ground floor

• Meaning: To be involved at the beginning of something.
• Example: He got in on the ground floor of the startup and made a lot of money when it succeeded.

Give a run for one’s money

• Meaning: To be a strong competitor.
• Example: She gave the champion a run for her money in the final match.

Go to the dogs

• Meaning: To deteriorate.
• Example: Since the new management took over, the company has gone to the dogs.

Get wind of

• Meaning: To hear about something.
• Example: He got wind of the surprise party and pretended to be surprised.

Give an inch and they’ll take a mile

• Meaning: If you give someone a little, they will take advantage and want more.
• Example: If you give an inch to him, he’ll take a mile and never stop asking for favors.

Go bananas

• Meaning: To become very excited or angry.
• Example: The crowd went bananas when the band came on stage.

Get under one’s skin

• Meaning: To irritate someone.
• Example: Her constant complaining really gets under my skin.

Give someone a piece of one’s mind

• Meaning: To tell someone how angry you are with them.
• Example: I’m going to give him a piece of my mind for being so rude.

Go through the motions

• Meaning: To do something without enthusiasm or commitment.
• Example: He wasn’t really interested in the job and just went through the motions during the interview.

Get the ball rolling

• Meaning: To start something.
• Example: Let’s get the ball rolling on the new project as soon as possible.

Give a wide berth

• Meaning: To avoid someone or something.
• Example: I give that area a wide berth because it’s known to be dangerous.

Go to great lengths

• Meaning: To make a great effort to achieve something.
• Example: She went to great lengths to ensure her guests were comfortable.

Get the hang of

• Meaning: To learn how to do something.
• Example: Once you get the hang of it, skiing is really enjoyable.

Give a leg up

• Meaning: To help someone achieve something.
• Example: The mentor gave him a leg up in his career by introducing him to key people in the industry.

Go off on a tangent

• Meaning: To start talking about something unrelated to the main topic.
• Example: During the meeting, he went off on a tangent about his weekend plans.

Get the short end of the stick

• Meaning: To receive the worst part of a deal.
• Example: He always seems to get the short end of the stick when it comes to dividing chores.

Give someone a break

• Meaning: To stop criticizing or to help someone out.
• Example: Give him a break; he’s new to the job and still learning.

Go for the jugular

• Meaning: To attack someone’s most vulnerable point.
• Example: In the debate, she went for the jugular and questioned his integrity.

Get the upper hand

• Meaning: To gain control or advantage.
• Example: After hours of negotiation, they finally got the upper hand.

Give up the ship

• Meaning: To stop fighting and surrender.
• Example: Despite the challenges, they refused to give up the ship and continued their efforts.

Go from bad to worse

• Meaning: To deteriorate further.
• Example: The situation went from bad to worse when it started raining during the outdoor event.

Get the wrong end of the stick

• Meaning: To misunderstand something.
• Example: She got the wrong end of the stick and thought the meeting was tomorrow, not today.

Give up the fight

• Meaning: To stop trying.
• Example: After years of struggle, they decided to give up the fight and close the business.

Go in one ear and out the other

• Meaning: To be heard but immediately forgotten.
• Example: When I talk to him, it seems to go in one ear and out the other.

Get the show on the road

• Meaning: To begin an activity or journey.
• Example: Let’s get the show on the road; we’ve got a lot to cover today.

Give the green light

• Meaning: To grant permission to proceed.
• Example: The manager gave the green light for the project to start.

Go with the grain

• Meaning: To follow the natural direction or tendency.
• Example: His ideas always go with the grain, aligning with the company’s values.

Get out of dodge

• Meaning: To leave a place quickly.
• Example: With the storm approaching, we decided to get out of dodge.

Give the devil his due

• Meaning: To acknowledge the good qualities of someone who is otherwise disliked.
• Example: I don’t like him, but I’ll give the devil his due; he is a hard worker.

Go under the knife

• Meaning: To have surgery.
• Example: He had to go under the knife to fix his knee injury.

Get down to brass tacks

• Meaning: To focus on the essential details.
• Example: Let’s get down to brass tacks and discuss the budget.

Give up the game

• • Meaning: To stop trying or playing.
• • Example: After years ofcompetition, he finally gave up the game and retired.

Go off the rails

• Meaning: To behave in an uncontrolled or unacceptable way.
• Example: He went off the rails after losing his job and started drinking heavily.

Get off on the wrong foot

• Meaning: To start a relationship or endeavor poorly.
• Example: We got off on the wrong foot, but now we’re good friends.

Give a hoot

• Meaning: To care about something.
• Example: He doesn’t give a hoot about what people think of him.

Go through thick and thin

• Meaning: To endure difficult and good times together.
• Example: They’ve been friends through thick and thin.

Get one’s ducks in a row

• Meaning: To get organized.
• Example: Before the presentation, I need to get my ducks in a row.

Give the shirt off one’s back

• • Meaning: To be very generous.
  • Example: He’d give the shirt off his back to help a friend in need.

Go down in history

• Meaning: To be remembered or recorded in history.
• Example: Her groundbreaking research will go down in history.

Get a kick out of

• Meaning: To enjoy or find pleasure in something.
• Example: I get a kick out of watching old comedies.

Go to the ends of the earth

• Meaning: To do everything possible to achieve something.
• Example: He would go to the ends of the earth to help his friends.

Get back in the saddle

• Meaning: To resume something after an absence.
• Example: After his injury, he’s ready to get back in the saddle and start training again.

Give one’s two cents

• Meaning: To offer one’s opinion.
• Example: Can I give my two cents on this matter?

Go by the book

• Meaning: To follow rules or procedures exactly.
• Example: The new manager insists that we go by the book in all our projects.

Get down to business

• Meaning: To start focusing on the important tasks.
• Example: Let’s get down to business and discuss the budget proposal.

Give credit where credit is due

• Meaning: To acknowledge someone’s contribution or achievement.
• Example: We should give credit where credit is due and thank her for her hard work.

Go overboard

• Meaning: To do something to an excessive degree.
• Example: He went overboard with the decorations for the party.

Get out of town

• Meaning: To leave or escape a situation.
• Example: With all this stress, I just want to get out of town for the weekend.

Give the slip

• Meaning: To evade or escape someone.
• Example: The thief managed to give the slip to the police.

Go the whole nine yards

• Meaning: To do something completely or thoroughly.
• Example: For her birthday, he went the whole nine yards with an elaborate surprise.

Get the boot

• Meaning: To be dismissed or fired.
• Example: He got the boot for consistently missing deadlines.

Give up the chase

• Meaning: To stop pursuing something.
• Example: After months of trying, she decided to give up the chase and moved on.

Go down the drain

• Meaning: To be wasted or lost.
• Example: All our hard work went down the drain when the server crashed.

Get the drift

• Meaning: To understand the general meaning.
• Example: I didn’t catch every word, but I got the drift of his speech.

Give someone a taste of their own medicine

• Meaning: To treat someone in the same bad way they treat others.
• Example: She was always rude, so I gave her a taste of her own medicine.

Go back to the drawing board

• Meaning: To start over after a failure.
• Example: The proposal was rejected, so it’s back to the drawing board.

Get a second wind

• Meaning: To regain energy after being tired.
• Example: After a short break, I got a second wind and finished the project.

Give a fair shake

• Meaning: To give someone a fair chance.
• Example: Everyone deserves a fair shake in this competition.

Go to bat for

• Meaning: To support or defend someone.
• Example: She went to bat for her colleague during the meeting.

Get away scot-free

• Meaning: To avoid punishment.
• Example: He got away scot-free despite breaking several rules.

Give the runaround

• Meaning: To avoid giving a direct answer or solution.
• Example: The customer service representative gave me the runaround when I called.

Go out of one’s way

• Meaning: To make a special effort to do something.
• Example: He went out of his way to make her feel welcome.

Get the jitters

• Meaning: To feel nervous or anxious.
• Example: She always gets the jitters before a big presentation.

Give up on

• Meaning: To stop trying or believing in something.
• Example: Don’t give up on your dreams, no matter how hard it gets.

Go in circles

• Meaning: To make no progress despite efforts.
• Example: We’ve been going in circles trying to solve this problem.

Get off one’s high horse

• Meaning: To stop acting superior.
• Example: It’s time for him to get off his high horse and listen to others’ opinions.

Give one’s all

• Meaning: To put in maximum effort.
• Example: She gave her all in the competition and won first place.

Go down swinging

• Meaning: To fight until the end, even if defeat is likely.
• Example: They knew they were losing but went down swinging.

Get back at

• Meaning: To retaliate or seek revenge.
• Example: He plans to get back at his rival for the previous insult.

Give someone a hard time

• Meaning: To criticize or harass someone.
• Example: Stop giving him a hard time; he’s doing his best.

Go down without a fight

• Meaning: To surrender easily without resistance.
• Example: They refused to go down without a fight and kept protesting.

Get in the swing of things

• Meaning: To become comfortable or proficient at something.
• Example: It took a while, but I’m finally getting in the swing of things at my new job.

Give rise to

• Meaning: To cause something to happen.
• Example: The new policy gave rise to numerous complaints.

Get a load of

• Meaning: To look at or listen to something surprising or impressive.
• Example: Get a load of that sunset; it’s breathtaking!

Go all out

• Meaning: To put in maximum effort.
• Example: They went all out to ensure the event was a success.

Get a handle on

• Meaning: To understand or control something.
• Example: Once you get a handle on the software, it’s quite easy to use.

Give someone the boot

• Meaning: To dismiss or fire someone.
• Example: After repeated mistakes, he was given the boot.

Go belly up

• Meaning: To fail or go bankrupt.
• Example: The company went belly up after the scandal.

Give a man a fish

• Meaning: Providing temporary help instead of teaching long-term solutions.
• Example: Teach him how to fix the problem instead of doing it for him; don’t just give a man a fish.

Give the benefit of the doubt

• Meaning: To believe someone’s statement without proof.
• Example: I gave him the benefit of the doubt, assuming he was telling the truth.

Down the rabbit hole

• Meaning: To enter into a complicated or confusing situation.
• Example: Researching that topic took me down the rabbit hole of obscure theories.

Go for broke

• Meaning: To risk everything in an attempt to achieve something.
• Example: They decided to go for broke and invest all their savings in the new business.

Go out on a limb

• Meaning: To take a risk.
• Example: She went out on a limb to support her controversial opinion.

Goody two-shoes

• Meaning: A person who is overly good or virtuous.
• Example: Everyone thinks she’s a goody two-shoes because she always follows the rules.

Greased lightning

• Meaning: Very fast.
• Example: That car takes off like greased lightning.

Gathering dust

• Meaning: To be unused or forgotten.
• Example: His old guitar is just gathering dust in the attic.

Get a grip

• Meaning: To take control of one’s emotions.
• Example: You need to get a grip and stop panicking about the situation.

Get bent out of shape

• Meaning: To become angry or upset.
• Example: He gets bent out of shape over the smallest things.

Get off your high horse

• Meaning: To stop acting superior.
• Example: She needs to get off her high horse and start listening to others.

Get over it

• Meaning: To move past a difficult situation.
• Example: It’s been months since the breakup; it’s time to get over it.

Get the ball rolling

• Meaning: To start something.
• Example: Let’s get the ball rolling on this project as soon as possible.

Got a kick out of it

• Meaning: To enjoy something.
• Example: I got a kick out of watching that comedy show.

Got off on the wrong foot

• Meaning: To start a relationship or endeavor poorly.
• Example: We got off on the wrong foot, but now we’re good friends.

Grind to a halt

• Meaning: To stop slowly or gradually.
• Example: The machine began to grind to a halt due to lack of maintenance.

• Guinea pig
  • Meaning: A subject of experimentation.
  • Example: He volunteered to be the guinea pig for the new training program.

List of Phrases Beginning With G

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