English Idioms & Idiomatic Expressions

Go for the jugular

If you go for the jugular, you attack someone where they are most vulnerable.

Go fry an egg

(USA) This is used to tell someone to go away and leave you alone.

Go hand in hand

If things go hand in hand, they are associated and go together.

Go haywire

When something goes haywire, it is completely out of control and erratic.

Go nuts

If someone goes nuts, they get excited over something.

Go off on a tangent

If someone goes off on a tangent, they change the subject completely in the middle of a conversation or talk.

Go over like a lead balloon

(USA) If something goes over like a lead balloon, it will not work well, or go over well.

Go overboard

If you go overboard, you do something excessively.

Go pear-shaped

(UK) If things have gone wrong, they have gone pear-shaped.

Go play in traffic

This is used as a way of telling someone to go away.

Go pound salt

(USA) This means 'Get lost' or 'Go away'('Go pound sand' is also used.)

Go round in circles

If people are going round in circles, they keep discussing the same thing without reaching any agreement or coming to a conclusion.

Go south

If things go south, they get worse or go wrong.

Go spare

(UK) If you go spare, you lose your temper completely.

Go tell it to birds

This is used when someone says something that is not credible or is a lie.

Go the distance

If you go the distance, you continue until something ends, no matter how difficult.

Go the extra mile

If someone is prepared to go the extra mile, they will do everything they can to help or to make something succeed, going beyond their duty what could be expected of them .

Go the whole hog

If you go the whole hog, you do something completely or to its limits.

Go through the mill

If you go through the mill, you have a very unpleasant experience.  If you put someone through the mill, you make them undergo an unpleasant experience.

Go through the motions

When you go through the motions, you do something like an everyday routine and without any feelings whatsoever.

Go to the mat

(USA) If people go  to the mat, they continue to struggle or fight to the end, until they have either won or have finally been defeated.  

Go to bat for

If you go to bat for someone, you support or help him or her when they need it.

Go to seed

If someone has gone to seed, they have declined in quality or appearance.

Go to the wall

If a company goes to the wall, it goes bust or fails.

Go to the wire

If someone goes to the wire, they risk their life, job, reputation, etc, to help someone.

Go to town

Someone who goes to town does something enthusiastically and as completely as possible, especially if this involves spending a lot of money.

Go to your head

If something goes to your head, it makes you feel vain.  If alcohol goes to your head, it makes you feel drunk quickly.

Go under the hammer

If something goes under the hammer, it is sold in an auction.

Go west

If something goes west, it goes wrong. If someone goes west, they die.

Go with the flow

If you go with the flow, you accept things as they happen and do what everyone else wants to do.

Go-to guy

A go-to guy is a person whose knowledge of something is considerable so everyone wants to go to him or her for information or results.

Going concern

A successful and active business is a going concern.

Going Jesse

(USA) If something is a going Jesse, it's a viable, successful project or enterprise.

Going overboard

If you go overboard with something, then you take something too far, or do too much.

Golden handshake

A golden handshake is a payment made to someone to get them to leave their job.

Golden opportunity

A golden opportunity is an usually good chance to do or succeed at something. A chance that should not be missed.

Golden rule

The golden rule is the most essential or fundamental rule associated with something. Originally, it was not a general reference to an all purpose first rule applicable to many groups or protocols, but referred to a verse in the Bible about treating people they way you would want them to treat you, which was considered the First Rule of behavior towards all by all.

Golden touch

Someone with a golden touch can make money from or be successful at anything they do.

Gone fishing

If someone has gone fishing, they are not very aware of what is happening around them.

Gone for a burton

(UK) If something's gone for a burton, it has been spoiled or ruined. If a person has gone for a burton, they are either in serious trouble or have died.

Gone pear-shaped

(UK) If things have gone pear-shaped they have either gone wrong or produced an unexpected and unwanted result.

Gone to pot

If something has gone to pot, it has gone wrong and doesn't work any more.

Gone to the dogs

If something has gone to the dogs, it has gone badly wrong and lost all the good things it had.

Good antennae

Someone with good antennae is good at detecting things.

Good as gold

If children are as good as gold, they behave very well.

Good egg

A person who can be relied on is a good egg. Bad egg is the opposite.

Good fences make good neighbours

This means that it is better for people to mind their own business and to respect the privacy of others.  ('Good fences make good neighbors' is the American English spelling.)

Good hand

If you are a good hand at something, you do it well.

Good offices

Good offices is help and support, especially in mediating  in a dispute.

Good Samaritan

A good Samaritan is a persoon wh helps others in need.

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