Idioms Beginning With: 'G'

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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.

Grinning like a shot fox

(AU) If someone is grinning like a shot fox, they are smiling uncomprehendingly or smugly, looking stupid while smiling, showing that they don't really understand what's going on, like the bared teeth on the corpse of a fox.

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.

Gun-shy

If someone is gun-shy, they are overly cautious or scared by something.

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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