SLANG, IDIOMS & EXPRESSIONS
(I periodically add terms.)


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I deliberately have included some rude words, but avoided vulgar terms. These should not be used. Terms with (pronoun) or (noun) indicate that alternate words can be used within the ( ).

Term
Definition
"G"
Gab To chat; speak with (Phil loves to gab with close friends.)
Gag Joke, a (Rob doesn't enjoy gags about his work.)
Game 1. Willing (He needs a new partner? I'm game.)
2. Injured (Orrin's game leg made him walk slowly.)
Game time Time to play (Have fun, everybody. It's game time.)
Gas 1. Fun time (The party should be a gas!)
2. Criticism; opposition (Don't give me any gas at the meeting.)
Gat A pistol (Bobby packed a gat.)
Gather clouds To daydream (Joey is gathering clouds again.)
Gee Expression of mild surprise (Gee, looks like we can't go outside because it's raining.)
Gee-whiz Expression of mild surprise (Gee-whiz, I hope we still can go to town.)
Geek Person who acts silly or is considered unusual
Geez Expression of mild displeasure (Geez, you can't sit there.)
Geezer Old man (That geezer likes to sit in a park.)
General run of Comprehensive (I received a general run of the business.)
NOTE: Many GET expressions can also be used with GIVE. An * indicates both are used.
Get a bang out of To enjoy (Amy gets a bang out of shopping in malls.)
* Get a black eye To discredit (His success gave us a black eye.)
* Get a break An opportunity (I wish the company would give me a break.)
Get a charge out of To enjoy (We got a charge out of seeing the game.)
* Get a hand 1. To help (You better give her a hand with that box.)
2. To applaud (Saul received a big hand from the spectators.)
Get a kick out of To enjoy (Do you really think I get a kick out of seeing you hurt?)
* Get a look To observe (Climb up and see if you can get a look at the enemy.)
Get a move on To move; go (It's time for us to get a move on.)
Get a nibble To have an interested person (We'll probably get a nibble from the advertisement.)
Get a peek To look (Nancy got a peek at Jackie's new dress.)
Get after To admonish (You need to get after that spoiled child.)
Get all the breaks To be very fortunate (It seems that Suzie gets all the breaks.)
Get along To be compatible (Jim and Nora always seem to get along well.)
Get along without Not need (something/someone) (We can get along without your help.)
Get away with To succeed (I think we might get away with using his idea.)
Get behind To support (something/someone) (I intend to get behind your proposal.)
Get by Have or be sufficient to survive (Does that family have enough food to get by this winter?)
Get cracking To begin (It's six in the morning. Time to get cracking.)
Get down to brass tacks To consider the main issue (It's time to get down to brass tacks.)
Get down to business To become serious (Enough joking; let's get down to business.)
Get goat To ridicule (someone) (Arnie hope to get Hiram's goat.)
Get home To return home; to go home (He got home in time to watch a TV show.)
Get in Enter (I invited Bob to get in my new car.)
Get in line Wait to take a turn (Get in line if you expect any service here.)
Get it To understand (No, I don't think you get it yet.)
Get it in gear Get ready; do what you're supposed to.
Get it on To do something; to fight (OK, it's time for us to get it on.)
Get kicks To have fun (Debbie gets her kicks by chasing boys.)
Get lost! Expression of irritation or anger: Go away from me!
Get money's worth Receive a just compensation (I better get my money's worth for this new car.)
Get off 1. To depart (Mr. Ching will get off the train in Chicago.)
2. To be released (Why did you let Jim get off without punishment?)
Get off cheaply To avoid serious consequences (I know we got off cheaply.)
Get off (his) duff Stop being lazy; stand up (Get off your duff and do some work!)
Get off on To criticize (Don't think you can get off on me!)
Get off soapbox Stop preaching (Get off your soapbox and listen to me!)
Get off the boat To resist; not support (If you won't support this, you should get off the boat.)
Get off with To take (Bandits got off with the bank's money.)
Get on the bandwagon To join; participate (Looks like most people will get on the bandwagon.)
Get out To exit; escape (We can get out at the next corner.)
Get over 1. To forget about (something/someone) (You should just get over it.)
2. Move aside (Get over! I'm coming through.)
Get plugged Killed; shot (A villain got plugged in the western movie.)
Get ready To prepare (Everyone should get ready for the trip.)
Get static from Receive criticism (Allen got static from just about everyone.)
Get sticky Dangerous; difficult (Be careful, the situation could get sticky.)
Get stuck with Become caught; cannot get out; must do (Jeremy got stuck with the task.)
Get the goods on To have proof against someone (Investigators got the goods on Jerry.)
Get the lead out Move quickly (Everyone, it's time to get the lead out.)
Get the message Understand your meaning (I hope Joe gets the message. I don't want to see him.)
Get the show on the road To start (Martha wants to get the show on the road.)
Get the show rolling To start (It's past time to get the show rolling.)
Get to bottom of To learn the truth (I think it's time we get to the bottom of this problem.)
Get to first base Succeed at a basic level (John can't even get to first base.)
Get up 1. To arise (What time do you get up this morning?)
2. To organize; to participate in something (Bill got up a game yesterday.)
Get up on the wrong side of the bed Expression to indicate someone is grouchy or irritable.
Get (yours) To receive a just reward or punishment (Just wait and you will get yours.)
* Get the ax To be thrown out; fired (I'm sorry you got the ax today.)
* Get the boot To be thrown out; fired (Malone got the boot last night in a bar.)
* Get the shaft To lose; fired (The company just gave twenty workers the shaft.)
Get-up an outfit; clothing (Sandy wore a new get-up to the party.)
Getting soft To become lenient (Dad is getting soft as he grows older.)
Give a break Be lenient (Will you give us a break?)
* Give a bum steer Tell the wrong thing (He gave the police a bum steer.)
Give a damn To care [rude] (I don't give a damn what you want!)
* Give a buzz To communicate (Give me a buzz on the phone.)
* Give a lift 1. To convey in a vehicle (John gave her a lift.)
2. To encourage (Thanks, your words give a lift to my spirit.)
* Give a once-over Cursory look (George gave it a once-over without seeing a problem.)
* Give a ring To call on a telephone (You can give me a ring tomorrow.)
Give air Help someone to breathe (Keep back and give the man some air.)
* Give credit for To recognize (I give you credit for finding the correct answer.)
Give eyeteeth for To envy (I'd give my eyeteeth for that new car.)
Give free reign To allow independent action (The boss gave me free reign over this project.)
Give it a pass To avoid (I better give it a pass this time.)
Give it a rest Stop being angry (Can you just give it a rest?)
* Give lip To argue; verbal abuse (You better not give me any lip!)
Give me five Expression of friendly support
Give out 1. Stop functioning (Celia's heart can give out at any time.)
2. To distribute (We gave out pamphlets to everyone.)
3. To have sex (I'm afraid that she'll give out to her boyfriend tonight.)
Give right arm To give everything (I will give her my right arm.)
Give room To accommodate (someone) (Bob gave the man some room in his car.)
* Give some sugar To give a kiss [Southern talk] (Come and give your mama some sugar.)
* Give the brush To ignore (Mack decided to give Jane the brush.)
* Give the business To punish (Those thugs gave Bill the business.)
* Give the cold shoulder Snub (Schoolmates gave Matilda the cold shoulder treatment.)
Give the creeps To scare (Live snakes give Evita the creeps.)
Give the time of day To care (I wouldn't give him the time of day!)
Give the air Not date (someone) anymore (Ann gave Samuel the air.)
Give (you) what-for To punish [Southern dialect] (Daddy gave Billy-Bob what-for because he took the truck without permission.)
Glass jaw Weak chin; knocked out easily (Tim is a lousy fighter; he has a glass jaw.)
G-man FBI agent (G-men and local police conducted a joint raid.)
Go about business To take action (He went about his business today.)
Go after To pursue; admonish (Bertha decided to go after Mark because she likes him.)
Go ahead To continue; Give permission to do something (Go ahead, I'll follow you.)
Go along To travel; depart (Grandpa told the boys to go along and he will follow.)
Go along with Agree (Most people will go along with my plan.)
Go ape To act irrationally (Watch out! He might go ape on you.)
Go AWOL Absent without leave (Soldiers are not allowed to go AWOL.)
Go bananas To act irrationally (Megan goes bananas over that new guy.)
Go behind the back To sneak (I hate the idea of going behind someone's back to win.)
Go bonkers Become crazy; very excited (Yumiko is going bonkers about the latest fashion.)
Go bust To fail (I can't afford to go bust in this business deal.)
Go double for To be in agreement with someone (That goes double for me.)
Go downhill To fail (The company went downhill after losing that account.)
Go fly a kite! Rude expression: Mind your own business! Don't bother me!
Go for 1. To be in agreement (That goes for all of us.)
2. To date; be attracted to (someone) (I expect Roxanne will go for William.)
Go for broke To attempt completely (This time we'll go for broke.)
Go for free Without payment (The store can't let the food go for free.)
Go free To be independent (You should let the horses go free.)
Go in circles Unsuccessful (I feel like I'm just going in circles.)
Go in one ear and out the other To be ignored; not understood (Don't expect an answer from him. Everything just goes in one ear and out the other.)
Go off half-cocked To anger easily; irrational (Brandon has a tendency to go off half-cocked.)
Go soft on To be lenient (Mother decided to go soft on Billy.)
Go sour To become bad (Unfortunately, their happy marrigage went sour.)
Go to bat for To support (someone) (Wesley when to bat for his sister.)
Go to the dogs To become worse (This city is going to the dogs.)
Go to the head Conceited (John's popularity is going to his head.)
Go to town 1. To become active (We should go to town on this new project.)
2. To have fun (Their coach encouraged the boys to go to town.)
Go under To fail (It looks like his store will go under.)
Go-getter Energetic person (Jack has always been a go-getter.)
Goldbrick Lazy person; to be lazy (We don't want any goldbricks in this office.)
Gold-digger Female who entraps men for money (That gold-digger just hooked another sucker.)
Golly Expression of mild surprise (Golly, I forgot to do that for you.)
Good as dead Certain to be terminated (Your idea is good as dead.)
Good as gold True; trustworthy (Ralph's word is good as gold.)
Good call Correct decision (The baseball umpire made a good call.)
Good egg Good person (We consider Johnny a good egg.)
Good hand Winning cards (She was dealt a good hand.)
Good hands Skillful (Don't worry. He has good hands.)
Good job Statement to indicate that someone has done something well.
Good ole boy Southern boy [Southern dialect] (Nancy-Ann is reluctant to date a good ole boy.)
Good riddance Pleased that someone or something unpleasant is gone.
Good thing To be fortunate (It's a good thing that you don't talk much.)
Goodies Treats (Dad usually gets us goodies when he shops.)
Goods Unspecified objects (Did Jack bring the goods with him?)
Goof 1. Silly person (Betsy is just a goof.)
2. To make a mistake (Bob goofed again.)
Goofy Silly (He's acting goofy today.)
Gosh Expression of mild surprise (Gosh, Charlie is grounded for a whole month.)
Got 1. To become (Steve got lost in the dark neighborhood.)
2. To have (I got ten dollars in my pocket.)
Got guts Brave (People readily admit that Wesley's got guts.)
Got to 1. Must (We have got to go now.)
2. Receive permission; are able to (The boys got to ride in a new car.)
Got you I understand you. ["Speed talk" form = gotcha]
Got (your) number I understand (you) correctly.
Gourd Head; mind (I don't think Willie can get anything into his gourd.)
Grab a bite To eat (We have time to grab a bite before the game.)
Grab with both fists To take fully (Global bankers are ready to grab with both fists.)
Grandstand To be the center of attention (That politician loves to grandstand.)
Greasy spoon Bad restaurant (I won't eat in that greasy spoon again!)
Great Good (It's a great experience.)
Great Thinking That is a good idea.
Grill To interrogate (Police grilled the suspected criminal.)
Grouch Cantankerous person (Don't bother that old grouch.)
Grounded Confined to home (Jane could not see the movie because she was grounded.)
Grouse To complain (Julia has a right to grouse about Bill's bad actions.)
Grub Food (What kind of grub does the restaurant serve?)
Grubbies Clothes for use in dirty work (Wear your grubbies because we'll work in the garden.)
Grunt Low-ranking soldier (Our grunts attacked the enemy's position.)
Gubber Peanut (Roasted gubbers are popular in Mississippi.)
Guff Criticism; nonsense (I won't take any guff from a school bully.)
Gunboats Big shoes (George wears size 16 gunboats.)
Gung-ho Exuberant (The troops are gung-ho about the coming fight.)
Gutter slut Trashy female (That gutter slut just wants money from men.)
Gutter trash Worthless person (The city is full of gutter trash, looking for a handout.)
Guy Fellow [incorrectly used for a girl] (I'll meet the guys later tonight.)
Gyp To cheat (I don't like to be gypped.)

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