English Idioms & Idiomatic Expressions

Good shape

If something's in good shape, it's in good condition. If a person's in good shape, they are fit and healthy.

Good spell

A spell can mean a fairly or relatively short period of time; you'll hear weather forecasts predict a dry spell. Sports commentators will say that a sportsperson is going through a good spell when they're performing consistently better than they normally do.

Good time

If you make good time on a journey, you manage to travel faster than you expected.

Good to go

Someone or something that meets one's approval. 'He is good to go.' 'The idea you had is good to go.'

Good walls make good neighbours

Your relationship with your neighbours depends, among other things, on respecting one another's privacy.

Good-for-nothing

A lazy person who doesn't do anything useful is a good-for-nothing.

Goody two-shoes

A goody two-shoes is a self-righteous person who makes a great deal of their virtue.

Grab the bull by its horns

If you grab (take) the bull by its horns, you deal head-on and directly with a problem.

Grain of salt

If you should take something with a grain of salt, you shouldn't necessarily believe it all. ('pinch of salt' is an alternative)

Grandfather clause

An existing condition, usually in a contract or other agreement, that cannot be changed, even if the conditions are changed for others.

Grasp the nettle

(UK) If you grasp the nettle, you deal bravely with a problem.

Grass may be greener on the other side but it's just as hard to mow

'The grass may be greener on the other side but it's just as hard to mow' is an expression used to mean a person's desire to have that which another person has in the belief it will make their life easieris false as all situations come with their own set of problems.

Grass roots

This idioms is often used in politics, where it refers to the ordinary people or voters. It can be used to mean people at the bottom of a hierarchy.

Grass widow

A grass widow is a woman whose husband is often away on work, leaving her on her own.

Graveyard shift

If you have to work very late at night, it is the graveyard shift.

Gravy train

If someone is on the gravy train, they have found and easy way to make lots of money.

Grease monkey

A grease monkey is an idiomatic term for a mechanic.

Grease someone's palm

If you grease someone's palm, you bribe them to do something.

Grease the skids

If you grease the skids, you facilitate something.

Greased lightning

If something or someone moves like greased lightning, they move very fast indeed.

Greasy pole

(UK) The greasy pole is the difficult route to the top of politics, business, etc.

Great guns

If something or someone is going great guns, they are doing very well.

Great minds think alike

If two people have the same thought at the same time, one of them might say "Great minds think alike."

Great Scott

An exclamation of surprise.

Great unwashed

This is a term used for the working class masses.

Great white hope

Someone who is expected to be a great success is a great white hope.

Greek to me

If you don't understand something, it's all Greek to you.

Green around the gills

If someone looks green around the gills, they look ill.

Green fingers

(UK) Someone with green fingers has a talent for gardening.

Green light

If you are given the green light, you are given approval to do something.

Green thumb

(USA) Someone with a talent for gardening has a green thumb.

Green with envy

If you are green with envy, you are very jealous.

Green-eyed monster

The green-eyed monster is an allegorical phrase for somebody's strong jealousy

Greenhorn

A greenhorn or someone who is described simply as green lacks the relevant experience and knowledge for their job or task

Grey area

A grey/gray area is one where there is no clear right or wrong.

Grey Cardinal

Someone who is a Grey Cardinal exerts power behind the scenes, without drawing attention to himself or herself.

Grey cells

'Grey cells' means 'brain' Eg: Use your grey cells to understand it

Grey matter

Grey/gray matter is the human brain.

Grey pound

(UK) In the UK, the grey pound is an idiom for the economic power of elderly people.

Grey suits

The men in grey suits are people who have a lot of power in business or politics, but aren't well-known or charismatic.

Grin and bear it

If you have to grin and bear it, you have to accept something that you don't like.

Grin like a Cheshire cat

If someone has a very wide smile, they have a grin like a Cheshire cat.

Grinds my gear

Something that is very annoying grinds your gear.

Grist for the mill

Something that you can use to your advantage is grist for the mill. ('Grist to the mill' is also used.)

Grow in the telling

The more you tell it, the larger, wilder, better, etc. the story gets.

Growing pains

If a business is going through some growing pains, it is experiencing the typical problems that arise when a company becomes stronger and bigger.

Guinea-pig

If you are a guinea-pig, you take part in an experiment of some sort and are used in the testing.

Gunboat diplomacy

If a nation conducts its diplomatic relations by threatening military action to get what it wants, it is using gunboat diplomacy.

Gung ho

If someone is gung ho about something, they support it blindly and don't think about the consequences.

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