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Popular Idioms and Usages Part G

By VJ

Though not attracting a wide readership, the series, which is promised to complete in about 26 parts, unless otherwise stated, continues now with the Gth part.

I would like to point out something about the previous entries, which attracted comments from some readers. There is a miscalculation happening, I guess, from my American readers. Some usages, which are not in popular use in American English (which is not the only a form of English in use today) are included in the various parts in the series to their disapproval. But English in many different regions across the world uses them. English is not spoken only in the US for sure. And there are more English speakers in my country than even in the UK. So, it is apt to put all the available usages and idioms in the series whether they are being used or not.

  1. Generation X: The generation of people born during the 60’s and 70’s. It originated from a novel from Charles Hamblett and Jane Deverson in 1960.
  2. Genius is one per cent inspiration and 99 per cent perspiration: It’s a famous Thomas Alva Edison quote.
  3. George raft: Draft.
  4. Get blood out of a stone: Try to do something impossible.
  5. Get lost: Go away!
  6. Get off on the wrong foot: Start off something badly.
  7. Get one’s fingers burnt: Do something inviting unnecessary problems.
  8. Get one’s own back on: Take revenge.
  9. Get rid of: Dispose of.
  10. Get someone’s back up: To annoy someone.
  11. Get the better of: Defeat.
  12. Get the boot: Lose your job.
  13. Get the sack: To be dismissed from the job.
  14. Get the wrong end of the stick: Have the wrong ideas or information.
  15. Get to the bottom of: Solve a mystery.
  16. Get used to it: Accept the fate when something you aspire doesn’t quite happen.
  17. Get wind of: Get clues of a secret.
  18. Ghost of a chance: Little or no chance.
  19. Gift of the gab: Ability to be talkative.
  20. Give someone a wide berth: Avoid someone.
  21. Give color to: Make something such as a fabricated story believable.
  22. Give rise to: Cause.
  23. Give up the ghost: To die or to cease working.
  24. Go by the board: Discard. This one has a naval origin.
  25. Go by the book: Follow the rules.
  26. Go off at half cock: Act hastily.
  27. Go out on a limb: Take a risk to support someone or something.
  28. Go postal: Go berserk. Thought to be originated in the US during the 90’s.
  29. Go without saying: Known without saying.
  30. Gone Dolally: Gone crazy or insane.
  31. Gone with the wind: Disappeared without any trace.
  32. Good riddance: A welcome departure. Comes from Shakespeare.
  33. Grand slam: Winning all the matches in a sports competition.
  34. Grease someone’s palm: Bribe someone.
  35. Green with envy: Very envious with other’s luck.

Thanks to the readers. Please go through these previous posts, which I guess will interest many.

In this previous post about English errors, some comment love or more aptly hatred happened, which I have cleared by quoting some authentic sources. I believe in more of healthy conversation on these topics. Here are some other posts…

Rise of a Disputing Task force: What Exactly is Showing?

Why Superfluity Sustains

The Main Reason Why Your Writing Fails

Semantics of Words

Detect and Fight the Threat of Plagiarism

Copyright © Lenin Nair 2008
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