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单词 get
释义
getget /ɡet/ ●●● S1 W1 verb (past tense got, past participle got /ɡɒt $ ɡɑːt/ British English, gotten /ˈɡɒtn $ ˈɡɑːtn/ American English, present participle getting) Entry menu
MENU FOR getget1 receive2 obtain3 bring4 buy5 money6 have a feeling/idea7 have/experience8 illness9 achieve10 receive a punishment11 arrive12 reach a point13 get (somebody) somewhere/anywhere/nowhere14 move15 make something move16 travel17 become18 make somebody/something become something19 be hurt/broken etc20 make something happen to somebody/something21 make something do something22 make somebody do something23 understand24 cook25 radio/television26 answer the door/telephone27 catch somebody28 hurt/kill somebody29 trick somebody30 on the telephone31 get doing something32 get to do something33 get to like/know/understand somebody/something34 you get something35 you’ve got me (there)36 it/what gets me37 get thisPhrasal verbsget aboutget acrossget aheadget alongget aroundget around to somethingget at somebody/somethingget awayget away from somebody/somethingget away with somethingget backget back at somebodyget back to somebodyget behindget byget downget down to somethingget inget in on somethingget in with somebodyget into somethingget offget off on somethingget off with somebodyget onget onto somebody/somethingget outget out of somethingget overget roundget round to somethingget throughget (something) through to somebodyget to somebody/somethingget togetherget upget up to something
Word Origin
WORD ORIGINget
Origin:
1200-1300 Old Norse geta
Verb Table
VERB TABLE
get
Simple Form
PresentI, you, we, theyget
he, she, itgets
PastI, you, he, she, it, we, theygot
Present perfectI, you, we, theyhave got (BrE), got (AmE), gotten (AmE)
he, she, ithas got (BrE), got (AmE), gotten (AmE)
Past perfectI, you, he, she, it, we, theyhad got (BrE), got (AmE), gotten (AmE)
FutureI, you, he, she, it, we, theywill get
Future perfectI, you, he, she, it, we, theywill have got (BrE), got (AmE), gotten (AmE)
Continuous Form
PresentIam getting
he, she, itis getting
you, we, theyare getting
PastI, he, she, itwas getting
you, we, theywere getting
Present perfectI, you, we, theyhave been getting
he, she, ithas been getting
Past perfectI, you, he, she, it, we, theyhad been getting
FutureI, you, he, she, it, we, theywill be getting
Future perfectI, you, he, she, it, we, theywill have been getting
Examples
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
  • "Do you understand?" "Yeah, we've got it," one of the drivers replied.
  • Getting the money for the house wasn't easy.
  • Barbara Howell and her husband, Kenneth (Barbie and Ken, get it?) run a bed-and-breakfast inn.
  • By the time we got to New York, it was snowing.
  • Can someone get the door - I'm in the shower!
  • Can you get the bags out of the car?
  • Could you get me my keys from the kitchen?
  • Did you get my message?
  • Did you get the job?
  • Did you hear? Stuart got a new job
  • Did you remember to get the bread?
  • Dinner's ready. Can you get Jo?
  • Don't worry about me getting lost, I'll find it.
  • Forget the cooking, let's go get takeout.
  • Go and get your father. He's in the garden.
  • Guess what he got her for her birthday - an iron!
  • He thinks he got the cold from someone in the office.
  • Here's the card I got from Jane.
  • Hi, I'm trying to get the customer services department.
  • How much are you getting a week?
Thesaurus
THESAURUS
[not in passive] to get something by finding it, asking for it, or paying for it: · I’ve been trying to get some information.· She went to the bank to get some money.
formal to get something: · Maps and guides can be obtained from the tourist office.· The newspaper has obtained a copy of the letter.
formal to get something – used about knowledge, skills, or something big or expensive: · The course helps older people to acquire computing skills.· He acquired the property in 1985.
to get someone’s money or property after they die: · Jo inherited a lot of money from her mother.
to get something useful or necessary, such as knowledge or experience: · I’ve gained a lot of useful experience.· The research helped us gain an insight into how a child’s mind works.
to get something because you deserve it: · He had earned a reputation as a peacemaker.· She earned a lot of respect from her colleagues.
informal to get something that is rare or difficult to find: · I’m trying to get hold of a ticket for the game.
informal to get something that you want very much or that you have spent a lot of time looking for: · I read every book I could lay my hands on.
Longman Language Activatorto get something by buying it, asking for it, or finding it
· I don't feel like cooking -- let's go get a pizza.· I still haven't gotten a birthday present for Sherri.get something from somebody/something · I got a really nice coat from Hudson's.· We had to get permission from the landlord before painting the apartment.get a job · Did you hear? Stuart got a new job.
formal to get something: · Maps and guides can be obtained at the tourist office.obtain something from somebody/something: · Scientists in Brazil are obtaining medicines from plants.
to get the money, time, energy etc that you need to do something: · If I can find the money, I'll come to the theatre with you.· I haven't found the time to read Morrison's latest novel yet.
formal to get something very big or expensive, or to get more knowledge or skills: · It took him a long time to acquire the skills he needed to become a professional artist.· The Boston Museum of Fine Arts has recently acquired several paintings by Salvador Dali.
to be given something
to be given something without having to ask for it or pay for it: · What did you get for your birthday?· You get a free CD with this magazine.get something from somebody: · Here's the card I got from Jane.
formal to be given something, especially officially: · Did Caroline receive an invitation?· You will receive your credit card in approximately two weeks.receive something from somebody/something: · She received an honorary degree from Harvard in 1990.
to be given something, especially by someone in authority: · He was given a ten-year jail sentence.· Why shouldn't disabled people be given the chance to compete in the Games?· Sarah was given the opportunity to study at the Cooper Union School of Art.
to be given a prize, especially by an important organization, for something that you have achieved: · The restaurant was awarded four stars in the 'Good Food Guide'.· Yasunari Kawabata was the first Japanese writer to be awarded the Nobel Prize for literature.
to be given someone's money or property after they die: · Who will inherit the house when he dies?· The ten richest women in the UK all inherited their wealth.inherit something from somebody: · She inherited the money from her mother.
to succeed in getting something, especially something that is difficult to get
· Getting the money for the house wasn't easy.· If I get first prize it'll be a miracle.
informal to get something that is rare or difficult to find: · Do you know where I can get hold of a German--Japanese dictionary?· These kids have very little difficulty getting hold of illegal weapons.
informal to get something that you want or need very much, or have been trying hard to get: · I bet he can't wait to lay his hands on all that money.· When Ted was a kid, he read every book about space that he could get his hands on.
: land a job/contract/interview etc to get a job etc that was difficult to get - use this especially when someone was very lucky to do this: · A French company has landed a contract to supply computers to China.land yourself something British: · He's managed to land himself an amazing job in advertising.
: win somebody's support/trust/confidence etc to get someone's support, trust etc, especially by working hard to achieve this: · It will take time to win her trust.· Gandhi won the support of many liberals in England.
: clinch a deal/contract/championship etc to finally succeed in making a deal, winning a contract etc after trying very hard: · We finally clinched the contract by offering them a lower price.· Mitchell phoned from Chicago to say that he was close to clinching the deal.· Germany scored twice in the last ten minutes to clinch the championship.
informal to get something, especially something that is difficult to get, by using clever and often slightly dishonest methods: · "They're sending me to Paris next weekend.'' "How did you manage to wangle that?''wangle it so that: · Gail has wangled it so that we can get in without tickets.
formal to succeed in getting official permission for or agreement about something, especially when this was difficult: · France was able to secure the release of two of its hostages.· Schiller secured funds for the special education project.
to get a letter/phone call/message
· Did you get my message?get something from somebody · We get so many calls from salespeople.· I got an e-mail from a friend who lives in Bangkok.
formal to get a letter, phone call, or message: · I'm sorry I didn't call earlier, but I've only just received your message.· We received your letter the 1st of March.receive something from somebody: · He says he never received the fax from us.
if telephone calls, messages, letters etc come in , they arrive at a place where people are waiting for them: · Reports are coming in of an explosion in the centre of Paris.· Several calls have come in from people who think they can identify the two men.
if letters, calls, messages etc pour in or flood in , a very large number of them are received: · Letters of support have been pouring in since we began our appeal.· According to reports, contributions to Roe's campaign are flooding in.
formal if someone does something on receipt of a letter, sum of money etc, they do it when they receive it - used especially in official letters, instructions etc: · Upon receipt of a complaint, the department will investigate the problem and, if necessary, take appropriate measures.· The Department of Social Security can only issue benefits on receipt of your claim form.
to get a score, grade etc in a game, test etc
to get a particular result in a test or examination: · I only got 35% in my history test.· Pam's really smart. She got straight A's in high school.
to get a particular number of points in a sports game, or in a test or examination: · The test was difficult, and no-one scored more than 45 points.· AC Milan scored a record number of goals this season.
American to get a particular grade in a text or for a piece of work at school: · I made an A on the test today.· Allison's going to Auburn University? She must have made good grades in high school.
to get more of something over a long period of time
to gradually get more and more money, possessions, knowledge etc over a period of time: · Watkins said he has accumulated more than $100,000 in legal bills.· By the late 1950s scientists had already accumulated enough evidence to show a clear link between smoking and cancer.· I just don't know how we've managed to accumulate so much junk!
to gradually collect a very large amount of something such as money or properly: · The Lewins amassed their art collection over more than 40 years.· Over the years he had amassed an absolute fortune.
formal to gradually get more of a useful skill or a good quality: · It took her a long time to gain enough confidence to speak in public.· She stayed in the job for five years, gaining valuable experience.· His ideas are gaining a lot of support.
someone who expects to get something without doing anything to earn it
someone who does not work, but still expects society to provide them with money, food, a home etc: · You shouldn't feel sorry for these people - they're just parasites.· Most government employees had become parasites, expecting to retain their positions through friendship or political favor.
someone who regularly takes money from another person, from the government, etc with no intention of doing anything to earn it or change the situation: · Ms. Louis' attorney characterized her ex-husband as a freeloader, looking for the easy life.· The freeloaders are leaving a bad impression on the public, making it hard for those who genuinely need the government's help.
British someone who always expects other people to give them money, food etc, especially because they are too lazy to earn money or get things for themselves: · You're such a scrounger - buy your own cigarettes!· Far from being "scroungers", unemployed people are usually desperate to earn money for themselves.
to get a large number of things from several different places or people
to get things of the same type from different places and bring them together: · I've been collecting samples of the different types of rock which occur in this area.· Historians are skilled in collecting facts and interpreting them.· Organizers have already collected 650 signatures.
to search for and get things of the same type from different places: · Many of the plants in the gardens were gathered on trips to Japan and China.· Some of the men gathered firewood while others made a fire.· Computers make it far easier to gather information.
to get and put together something such as proof or information in an organized way: · We will let you have the report as soon as we have assembled all the data.· When all the evidence is assembled, it will be clear that Michael is innocent.
to get so many things to do that you cannot deal with them
· Susan is always swamped with work this time of year.· Since we started the advice service we have been swamped with requests from people who need help.
to get so many telephone calls, offers, answers etc after a statement or request has been made, that it is difficult to deal with them all: · Cameron claims he has been inundated with film offers.· Our Houston office has been inundated with calls in the last few days.
to get something from someone by using force or threats
informal to make someone give you something such as money or information by persuading them, tricking them, or threatening them: · They won't stop till they've succeeded in squeezing every last penny out of you.· The police did everything they could to get the name of his accomplice out of him, but he wouldn't talk.
to illegally force someone to give you money by frightening or threatening them: · The terrorist groups have been extorting hundreds of millions of dollars.extort money from/out of somebody: · The Mafia makes most of its money from prostitution and extorting money from small businesses.
to get back something that you had before
to get back something that you had before, especially something that belongs to you: · Susanna has my lecture notes - I won't be able to get them back until Monday.get sth back from: · I need to get the tape recorder back from her.
to get back an ability or quality that you have lost, for example your authority or confidence: regain power/control: · Republicans hope to regain control of the House of Representatives.· The army is struggling to regain control over the southern part of the country.regain your confidence/faith/trust etc: · I don't know if I can ever regain my faith in him after what he's done.regain your strength (=become healthy and strong again): · Bill spent two weeks in the hospital regaining his strength after the operation.
to get back something such as an ability that you have lost, or something that has been stolen from you: · The bank is planning to sue the company in order to try and recover it's money.· It took the rest of the winter for her to recover her health.
formal to get back something after you have put it somewhere: · I had left my bag at the railroad station and went back to retrieve it.retrieve something from: · She bent down and retrieved the map from under the car seat.· If you want to retrieve a file from the computer, press FIND and then enter the name of the file you want.
to get back money or profits that you have spent or lost: recoup your losses: · She put $50 on the next race in an attempt to recoup her losses.recoup something from somebody: · The dentist gives treatment for free and then recoups the cost from the government.
to get back something that belongs to you that someone else has taken or that you have let them have: · You can reclaim tax if you find you have paid too much.· A British woman is waiting to hear how she can reclaim a family estate inside the former Soviet Union.reclaim something from: · China reclaimed Hong Kong from Britain in 1997.
to succeed in getting someone or something back by trying hard: win back somebody/something: · The airlines are trying to win back passengers by offering special low fares at certain times.· Debra sued the company and won back her job and $144,000 in damages.win somebody/something back: · Jack could see no way of winning his wife back.
to not get something that you could get
to not get something such as a job, contract etc because it is given to someone else instead: · It's simple -- unless you make an effort you're going to lose out.lose out to: · In the end we lost out to a French company because they could do the job cheaper.lose out on: · Time and time again, women seem to lose out on promotions and career opportunities.
to not get something or be able to enjoy something because you are not in the right place to do this: · Where were you last night? You missed out.miss out on: · She was so busy studying at university that she missed out on all the fun.· Get to the sales early to avoid missing out on all the best bargains.
if a chance or enjoyable experience passes you by , you do not get it because you do not make an effort or pay enough attention to it: · Sometimes I feel that all the best things in life are passing me by.· Seize opportunities while you can -- don't let them pass you by.· He ended up a bitter old man who felt that life had somehow passed him by.
to answer when someone asks you a question or speaks to you
to say something to someone when they have asked you a question or spoken to you: · Julie thought for a long time before answering.· I said hello to her, but she didn't answer.· "Why don't you just leave?" "I'd like to," she answered, "but I have nowhere else to go."· How much did you spend? Come on, answer me!answer a question: · You don't have to answer the question if you don't want to.answer that: · When questioned about the robbery, Hughes answered that he knew nothing about it.
to answer someone when they have asked you a question or spoken to you - used especially in written English to report what someone said: · I waited for Smith to reply, but he said nothing.· "I'm so sorry," he replied.reply to: · The jailers refused to reply to the prisoners' questions about where they were being taken.reply that: · We asked Jane to help, but she replied that she was too busy.
to answer someone, especially someone who has criticized you or disagreed with you, in a clear and detailed way: · The waitress waited a moment and then responded.· "I'd be there if I could," Bill responded.respond to: · How do you respond to the allegation that you deliberately deceived your employers?· The meeting will give administrators a chance to respond to the community's questions and concerns.respond by saying/telling/asking etc: · His father usually responds by telling him to be quiet.
to answer someone by telling them what you have decided or by providing them with the particular piece of information that they have asked for: · They're offering us a new contract and we have to give them a definite answer by the end of the month.· He didn't give me a very satisfactory answer
if you say or do something in reply to what someone has said, you say or do it as a way of answering their question, request, remark etc: · "Where are we going?" Jill asked. The driver only lifted his hand in reply, as if to silence her.· "That won't be necessary," Wilson said in reply to the question.· In response to your question, no, I don't think a meeting is necessary.
to answer someone at a later time especially by telephoning them, usually because you need to think about their question or find out more information before you can give an answer: · She's promised to get back to me as soon as she hears any more news from the hospital.· Tell you what, let me talk it over with the guys and I'll get back to you.
written to answer someone angrily, especially because they have annoyed you or criticized you: · "You're not afraid?" Brenda asked. "Of course not," he retorted angrily.retort that: · Republicans retorted that the amendment is necessary to balance the budget.
to answer the telephone/the door
to pick up the telephone and speak when it rings, or go to the door and open it when someone knocks: · I knocked on the door for a long time, but no one answered.answer the telephone/a call/the door: · A strange man answered the door.· She still isn't answering my calls.
to answer the telephone, or go to the door when someone knocks: get the phone/door: · I'll get the phone. I think it's for me.· Can someone get the door - I'm in the shower!get it spoken (=answer the phone/door): · The phone's ringing. Do you want me to get it?
to speak to someone on the telephone because the person that they want to speak to is not available: · I was out that day, and my mother took the call.· Do you want to take the call in your office?take a call for: · Someone wants to speak to Professor Welch, but I can't find him. Would you take the call for him please.
spoken to answer a phone and talk to the person who is calling: · Come on Bob, pick up! I know you're there.pick up the phone: · Just pick up the phone and tell her to stop calling you here.pick it/the phone up: · After the phone had rung twice, Joyce picked it up and said hello.
to arrive somewhere
if someone or something arrives , they get to the place they were going to: · What time do you think we'll arrive?· Did my package arrive?· Give me a call to let me know you've arrived safely.arrive at: · It was already dark by the time they arrived at their hotel.arrive in: · The British Prime Minister arrived in Tokyo today.arrive from: · When Uncle Guy arrived from Dublin he brought them an enormous box of chocolates. arrive here/there/back/home: · When I first arrived here none of the other students would talk to me.
informal to arrive at a place: · It'll take us about half an hour to get to the airport.· Turn left, and walk down the street until you get to some traffic lights.get back to (=return to): · I'll call her when I get back to Chicago.get there/here/home: · What time do you usually get home in the evening?· I want to get there before the store closes.
if someone or something comes , they arrive at the place where you are waiting for them: · When the visitors come, send them up to my office.· Has the mail come yet?· My mother's saying she won't come if Richard's here.come home/back: · What time is Dad coming home?
to arrive at a place, especially after a long or difficult journey: · It took more than three days to reach the top of the mountain.· Snow prevented workers from reaching the broken pipeline.
spoken use this to say that someone has arrived at the place where you are waiting for them: · Susan, your friends are here.· Is Andy here yet?· Here they are. Go and open the door, will you?
informal to arrive -- use this about someone you are expecting to arrive, especially when they arrive late: · Steve turned up half an hour late as usual.· Some of the people I invited never showed up.· If Tina shows up, tell her we waited as long as we could.
informal to arrive somewhere in time for something, when you were not sure you would: · If we don't make it on time, start without us.make it to: · We just made it to the hospital before the baby arrived.
informal if someone rolls in , they arrive somewhere later than they should and do not seem worried about it -- often used humorously: · Chris finally rolled in at about 4:00 am.· Rebecca usually rolls in around noon.
to arrive home, especially when you are later than expected or usual: · What time did you get in last night?· Mark just got in a few minutes ago.
a plane, ship, train, bus etc arrives
· What time does his flight arrive?· The train isn't due to arrive until 4.30.arrive at/in/from · Our flight arrived in Osaka two hours ahead of schedule.· Supply ships have started arriving at ports along the East coast.
to arrive -- use this when you are talking about the time when a train, ship, or plane arrives: · What time does your flight get in?· Hopefully the bus will get in by 8 o'clock.get in to: · The ferry gets in to Harwich around noon.
if a plane lands , it arrives at an airport: · Despite severe weather conditions, the Boeing 727 landed as scheduled.land at: · When the plane landed at JFK, it was three hours late.land in: · Before landing in Algiers, we circled the airport several times.come in to land (=go down towards the ground at an airport): · There's a plane coming in to land now.
if a plane, ship, or train comes in , it arrives in the place where you are waiting: · Has the Air India flight come in yet?· Crowds had gathered at the harbour to watch the ship come in.
if a ship docks , it arrives at a port: dock at/in: · When the ship docked at Southampton its cargo was immediately inspected.· We finally docked in Portland, Maine, happy to be on dry land again.
if a train, car, or bus pulls in , it arrives at the station or the place where you are waiting: · Finally the bus pulled in, forty minutes late.· Just as the train was pulling in, there was a shout and someone fell onto the track.
if you say that a plane, train or ship is in , it has arrived at the airport, station etc where you are waiting: · Their plane's in, but it'll take them a little while to get through customs.· As her train wasn't in yet, she went to the bookstall and flipped through the magazines.
: incoming plane/flight/train etc a place, train etc that is arriving somewhere rather than leaving: · All incoming flights are being delayed by fog.· The crash occurred when a freight train collided with an incoming passenger train.
to ask a professional person to do some work for you
to ask someone who has special skills or knowledge to come and deal with a problem: call in somebody: · They called in a private investigator to help them find their son.· Eventually the teenager's behaviour got so bad that the police had to be called in.call somebody in: · When she threatened to sue, we had to call our own lawyer in.
formal to ask a professional person or professional service to come and help you do something because you do not have the knowledge yourself: · You'll have to send for the plumber to mend this leak.· When he started vomiting blood, they sent for the doctor.· The women refused to cooperate with store detectives, and we had to send for the police.
British informal to ask someone who provides a professional service to come to your home to do something: get somebody in: · They got the electrician in because the central heating had stopped working.· It would be much easier if we got somebody in to do all the catering.get in somebody: · After the party we can get in professional carpet-cleaners to do the job.
if someone, especially an organization, brings in a particular service or professional person, they ask them to come and help with a difficult situation or process: bring somebody in: · Everyone was a little surprised by the board's decision to bring Bob Rice in as CEO.· As the crisis worsened, the government had no choice but to bring troops in.bring in somebody: · Many schools are now bringing in private contractors to do the cleaning.
to avoid doing something that you should do
· You can't go on avoiding your responsibilities forever.· Import duties on some goods can be avoided if you know how.avoid doing something · Do you think he's gone away to avoid talking to the police?· She's a good manager, because she never avoids dealing with the problems of her staff.· You may be able to avoid paying income tax on the money that you save.
informal to avoid doing something that you should do or that you have promised to do: · I was supposed to stay at home with my baby sister today, but I'll try to get out of it.get out of doing something: · He always manages to get out of paying for the drinks.
informal to avoid doing something that you have to do or have promised to do especially in a way that makes people not like or respect you: · It's illegal for these companies to duck out of their responsibilities by changing their names.duck out of doing something: · Miller has been widely criticized for trying to duck out on paying back the loans.
also weasel (your way) out of American to avoid doing something you should do by making up excuses: · He's somehow managed to wriggle out of watching the kids again.· Beth's trying to worm her way out of helping with the party.· You promised you'd take me, so don't try to weasel out of it.
also get round British: get around a law/rule/regulation etc to find a legal way of not obeying a law or rule that prevents you from doing what you want to do: · Isn't there any way of getting round these regulations?· He gets around the fire codes by claiming the building is a private club and not a business.
informal to avoid paying tax or obeying a law, in a way that is illegal or dishonest, or to avoid doing something that it is your duty to do: · Clever businessmen often manage to evade taxes.· Politicians have come up with many tricks to evade campaign spending limits.
informal to avoid paying something or doing something, especially in a dishonest way: · Through the help of powerful Senators, the firm has successfully dodged most federal environmental regulations.· During the Vietnam war, he moved to Canada to dodge the draft.
to avoid something bad that could happen to you
to make sure that something bad does not happen to you, either by doing something or by deliberately not doing something: · You can avoid a lot of problems if you use travellers' cheques.· The book is intended to help students avoid common errors.· The driver of the car said he tried to brake to avoid the accident, but it was already too late. · Police were anxious to avoid any ugly scenes when the two boys made their first appearance in court nine days ago.
also get round something British informal to find a way of avoiding a difficult or unpleasant situation, so that you do not have to deal with it: · There's no way of getting around it - you're going to have to tell her the truth.· If we can get round these difficulties, we'll be able to discuss the really important points.
: escape death/injury/punishment to avoid being killed, hurt, or punished: · Somehow he managed to escape serious injury.· Many young offenders escape punishment completely.narrowly escape something (=almost not escape): · The train ran out of control, and the passengers narrowly escaped death.
with adjectives
if you become rich, famous, worried etc, you start to be rich, famous, worried etc: · Julian's book was a big success and he quickly became rich and famous.· The weather was becoming warmer.· After a while my eyes became accustomed to the dark.become aware/certain/convinced etc that: · Slowly she became aware that there was someone else in the room.it becomes clear/evident/obvious etc that: · It soon became clear that the fire was out of control.
to become: · It normally gets dark at about 8.30 p.m.· The man in the shop got annoyed and started shouting at me.· The situation doesn't seem to be getting any better.· I think I'm getting too old for this kind of thing.· You'll need to take out insurance, in case anything gets damaged in the move.
: grow old/tired/worse/larger etc to slowly and gradually become old, tired etc: · As we grow old, we worry more about our health.· I'd been waiting for forty minutes and I was beginning to grow uneasy.· The sound of footsteps grew louder.· Fiona was growing tired of being treated in this way.
to become - only use go with these words: go grey/white/red/dark etc: · Her face went bright red with embarrassment.go mad/wild/crazy: · Your dad'll go crazy when he finds out.go quiet/silent: · As soon as the band started playing, the crowd went silent.go bad/sour/cold: · My coffee's gone cold.
to become - only use turn with these words: turn red/white/blue etc: · It was late autumn and the leaves were slowly turning golden.turn nasty/mean: · When I said that I was not prepared to help him, he suddenly turned nasty.turn sour: · Their friendship was beginning to turn sour.turn cold/warm: · Just when we were all getting our summer clothes out, it turned cold again.
what you say to someone when you do not believe them
spoken informal say this when you are very surprised by what someone has just said and cannot believe that it is true: · They got married! You're kidding!· "When he sat down, the chair just collapsed." "You're joking."
/come on spoken informal say this when you cannot believe what someone has said, and you think they do not really believe it themselves: · "He kind of reminds me of myself at that age." "Oh come off it. When you were that age all you wanted to do was have fun."· Oh come on Keith - do you really expect me to believe that?
spoken informal say this when you do not believe something that someone has said, and you think they are deliberately telling you something that is not true: · "I really wanted to come, but I overslept." "Yeah, right. Then why didn't you set your alarm?"
spoken say this when you think someone is telling you something that they know is not true: · "I was going to pay the money back as soon as I saw you." "Yeah. Likely story!"
British spoken say this when it is very clear that someone is not telling you the truth or that they are trying to trick you: · Oh, pull the other one, John. You can't seriously expect me to believe that!
American spoken say this when you think that something is very surprising or that someone is not telling you the truth or is trying to trick you: · "I got the car for just $350 dollars." "Get out of here!"
spoken say this when you think someone is lying to you and you want to show them that you are not stupid enough to believe it: · You can't expect me to trust you after all the other promises you've broken, you know. I wasn't born yesterday.
to buy something
to pay money for something so that you can own it: · I bought a new dress today at Macy's.· John makes his living buying and selling used cars.· The painting was bought by a museum in New York.buy somebody something: · Keith was going to buy me a ring, but now he says he wants to buy me a watch instead.buy something for somebody: · If you don't have enough money for the pen, I'll buy it for you.buy something from somebody: · I wouldn't buy anything from him - I don't trust him.buy something for $10/£200 etc: · The ranch, which was originally bought for $20,000, is now valued at over $2 million.
especially spoken to buy something, especially ordinary things such as food, clothes, or things for your house: · Let me get the drinks. It's my turn to pay.· Did you remember to get the bread?get somebody something: · Guess what he got her for her birthday - an iron!get something for somebody: · I'm going to get one of those video games for Hillary.get something for £20/$50 etc: · What do you think of this leather jacket? I got it for $40 on sale.
formal to buy something - used in business and legal contracts: · Foreign investors are not permitted to purchase land.· If this product does not give complete satisfaction, please return it to the manufacturer stating when and where it was purchased.
to buy something immediately, especially because it is very cheap or you want it very much, and you are worried that someone else might buy it first: snap up something: · Readers have snapped up nearly 200,000 copies of the book.· The best bargains tend to be snapped up immediately.snap something up: · If you see one for under $100, snap it up!
to buy something that you have found by chance, especially something that is unusually cheap: pick up something: · He's hoping to pick up a few bargains at the sales.· It's just a little thing I picked up when I was in Kathmandu.pick something up: · That picture? Oh, I picked it up last week at a little shop downtown.
British splurge (on something) American to buy something you want such as an expensive meal, dress etc, which you would not usually buy because it is too expensive: · We splashed out on a bottle of champagne to celebrate her promotion.· Let's splurge and have the steak.
formal to become the owner of something such as land, a company, or a valuable object: · In 1998 the business was acquired by a Dutch company.· The statue was acquired at great expense by the City Corporation.· Robinson spent $20 million to acquire the symphony hall.
when the police catch a criminal
· Police say they are determined to catch the killer.· A lot of thieves never get caught.
if a police officer arrests someone they catch them, tell them officially that they have done something illegal, and take them away: · Police arrested twenty-six demonstrators.· Nine men were arrested in drug raids, Saturday.arrest somebody for something: · Wallace was arrested for assault.· Dwayne has been arrested for drunk driving again.
especially British to catch and punish someone for something illegal they have done: · They still haven't got the man who did it.
informal to catch someone and prove that they are guilty of a crime: · Police use radar to nail speeding drivers.nail somebody for something: · Myers was nailed for selling marijuana.
if the police take someone into custody , they take that person and put them in prison until they appear in court, because they think the person is guilty of a crime: · Officers took three suspects into custody Friday morning.· As soon as the plane landed, the men were taken into custody by waiting FBI agents.
to succeed in contacting someone by telephone
to succeed in contacting someone by telephone after trying several times: · Where have you been? I've been trying to get hold of you all week.· It's no use trying to phone Linda at work -- she's impossible to get hold of.
to succeed in contacting someone by telephone, especially after a delay or technical problem: · I finally got through, but it took several minutes.get through to somebody: · By the way, did you get through to Sharon?· I hate dealing with the bank over the phone. It takes ages to get through to the right person.
to contact someone by telephone - use this especially when you are saying whether you can or cannot contact them: · You can reach me here through Friday. I leave for Denver Saturday.· Have you been able to reach Neil?
to write to, talk to, telephone etc someone
to write to, telephone, email etc someone, especially someone you do not see very often: · I really ought to get in touch with Paula. It's been months since we last spoke.· I've been trying to get in touch with my sister for several days.· You can get in touch with me at home, or at the office if necessary.
to write to, phone, email etc someone especially for the first time, in order to give or ask for information: · I was given the names of three government officials to contact.· After they received the bomb threat, school officials immediately contacted the police.
British spoken to phone, write to, email etc someone in order to complain, explain, or ask for something: · I'm afraid I can't help you. You'd better get onto the foreign office.· I'll get onto Eddy and see if I can find out what's going on.
to succeed in contacting someone, especially when this is difficult: · The pilot finally managed to make contact with the control tower.· I've managed to make contact with most of the people on the list.
to contact someone that you do not know or have not contacted before, in order to offer them something or ask them for something: · Nash has already been approached by several pro football teams.approach somebody about something: · The company confirmed that it had been approached about a merger.
to continue doing something
to not stop doing something that you are already doing: · The project's organizers hope the government will continue funding it next year.· Sometimes she just couldn't see the point of continuing.· NASA continues its efforts to communicate with intelligent beings in outer space.continue doing something: · They continued arguing long after everyone else had gone to bed.· Turn the steaks over and continue broiling for 4 to 5 more minutes.continue to do something: · She continued to live in the same house after the death of her husband.· Despite all the warnings, many people continue to smoke.continue with: · My teacher advised me to continue with my studies.
also carry on British to continue doing something that you have started without allowing anything to stop you: · The baby started crying at ten and went on all night.· It was almost too dark to see properly, but he carried on anyway.go on/carry on doing something: · When I tried to interrupt, he ignored me and went on speaking.· If you have been taking malaria tablets while abroad, you should carry on taking them for a month after you return.go on with: · The delegates decided to go on with the meeting instead of breaking off for lunch.· Don't stop! Carry on with your work.
to continue to do something for a long time - use this especially when it happens for so long that it is tiring or annoying: · That man keeps staring at me. I wish he'd stop it.· We were all tired, but we knew that we had to keep moving.· If you keep on trying, you'll get better at it.· Keep going till you come to a crossroads.
to continue doing something when you could have stopped: · We drove on, passing fewer and fewer houses.· Jones had injured his foot, but played on despite the pain.· Paul grabbed her hand and they ran on, hand in hand.
an expression meaning to continue to do something as well or with as much effort as you have been doing until now, used especially to encourage someone: keep it up: · You're doing a good job, boys. Keep it up.keep up something: · The enemy kept up the attack all through the night.· Scott kept up a constant barrage of calls and faxes until he got the answers he wanted.keep up the good work spoken: · "Keep up the good work," Harry said, patting Davy's shoulder.
especially British to continue talking about something, especially in a boring or annoying way: go on about: · I wish you'd stop going on about work all the time.go on and on: · He went on and on until we were all half asleep.
especially British, spoken to continue doing a piece of work and avoid talking or doing anything else: · Get on with your work, please. There's a lot to do.· Get on with it! We don't have all day.· I need to get on with my homework.
formal to continue doing an activity or trying to achieve something over a long period of time: · The US intends to pursue vigorous programs in space science.· A good reporter will pursue a story until he or she knows all the facts.
formal to continue to do something, especially something bad that you have been warned not to do, or something difficult that other people do not want you to do: persist in doing something: · He persisted in smoking even after having a heart attack.· American students of Spanish often persist in pronouncing words such as "presidente" in the same way as similar English words.persist in: · The White House persisted in its efforts to pass the bill, despite the opposition of Congress.
to cook something
to prepare food or a meal by heating it, boiling it, frying it etc: · I'm just too tired to cook after work.· Prick the potatoes with a fork before cooking them.cook lunch/supper/a meal etc: · I usually cook a big meal on Sundays.cook (something) for somebody (=cook a meal for someone): · The last time she cooked a meal for us we really enjoyed it.
to make a meal or dish or type of food, either by cooking it or by preparing it in some other way: · My mother used to make delicious strawberry jam.· I think I'll make fish pie for supper.· I'll make the salad if you'll make the pasta.make lunch/dinner/supper etc: · When I got home, Martin was in the kitchen making lunch.make somebody something: · I'll make you some sandwiches to take with you.
especially British, spoken to cook or prepare a meal: · Sit down and let me get dinner.· Joey was downstairs getting the kids their breakfast.
especially American to make a meal or dish - use this about meals you make quickly, not about big, formal meals: fix breakfast/lunch/dinner etc: · I have to fix lunch now.fix somebody something: · If you're hungry, I can fix you some scrambled eggs.
to make a meal quickly using whatever food you have available: · She managed to rustle up a delicious meal with just a little salad and some eggs.rustle something up: · "I don't think there's any food in the house.'' "Don't worry, I'm sure we can rustle something up.''
written to make a meal, especially something that needs time, effort, or skill: · Prepare a vinaigrette dressing with olive oil, white wine vinegar, and mustard.· Some French dishes take hours to prepare.· Mrs Fujimoto prepared a delicious meal for them.
spoken informal to make a particular kind of food: do something: · I was thinking of doing fish tonight.do somebody something: · I could do you an omelette.
to make an unusual or unpleasant drink, dish, or medicine, by mixing together several different things: concoct something: · For the party, they had concocted a special cocktail containing, among other things, rum and vodka.concoct something out of: · Whenever I had a cold, my grandmother would concoct a remedy out of herbs, ginger, lemons and garlic.
to make a drink by mixing two or more liquids or substances together: · If they sell cocktails would you ask the bartender to mix a Harvey Wallbanger?· You can leave the meal cooking while you mix a drink for your guests.
: put the dinner/potatoes/vegetables etc on to start cooking something: · Can we put the dinner on? I'm starved.· They'll be here soon. You'd better put the steaks on.
if food is on , it is being cooked: · The soup is on, so dinner will be ready in about twenty minutes.· Okay, the chicken is on. What can I do now?
to criticize someone or something unfairly
to criticize things that are wrong with someone or something, especially small and unimportant things: · No-one enjoys working for a boss who always finds fault with their work.find fault with somebody for something: · The report found fault with the police department for its handling of the case.
especially British, informal to criticize small details in someone's ideas or plans - use this about someone who seems to be deliberately looking for problems and mistakes: · As soon as she stopped talking, Janet's colleagues began to pick holes in the idea.
to criticize someone, their work, or their performance in an unfair and annoying way: · It's hard to knock Gordon because he always works so hard.· Critics knocked his latest film for its portrayal of women.don't knock it!: · Hey, don't knock it! It's the only suit I've got!
to make someone feel unimportant or stupid especially by criticizing them in public: put down somebody: · Television programs always seem to put down people from the South.put somebody down: · She enjoys putting me down in front of other people.
British informal to criticize someone, especially in a nasty and unfair way: slag off somebody: · She spent the whole evening slagging off her ex-boyfriend.slag somebody off: · When the team isn't winning everyone starts slagging them off.
informal to make nasty remarks about someone when that person is not there: · People in our office are always bitching about each other.
informal to keep criticizing someone by making remarks about their behaviour or habits, especially in an unkind or annoying way: · I try not to take it personally -- he gets at everyone on the team.get at about: · My mother keeps getting at me about the state of my room.
informal the annoying habit of criticizing someone about unimportant details, especially in someone's work: · I've had enough of your constant nit-picking. Why can't you say something encouraging?
to deal successfully with a difficult situation
to deal successfully with a fairly difficult but ordinary situation: · "How did you manage while you were unemployed?'' "Luckily, I had some savings.''· I'll be away for a week, do you think you can manage on your own?· Helen was always a difficult child. None of her teachers knew how to manage her.· The seminar discusses typical work-related problems and strategies to manage them.
to succeed in dealing with difficult problems in your life, your job, or your relationships: · It's a tough job but I'm sure he'll cope.cope with: · When I got back from holiday, I had an enormous backlog of work to cope with.cope emotionally/financially/psychologically etc: · The kids were very young and it was difficult to cope financially.cope well/successfully/nicely etc: · People who cope successfully with difficult situations usually look ahead and anticipate the circumstances.
to live through an unhappy or unpleasant time in your life, and deal with the problems that it brings: · Her friends helped her to get through the first awful weeks after Bill died.
to be dealing successfully with a difficult situation at the moment: · The police have the situation under control.be under control: · The flight was very bumpy but the pilot assured us that everything was under control.bring something under control (=start to deal with it successfully): · The disease is spreading so fast that it is going to take years to bring it under control.keep something under control: · During the 1990s low oil prices helped to keep inflation under control.
especially spoken /overcome especially written to deal successfully with a problem so that it no longer exists or is not as bad: · I've always wanted to overcome my fear of spiders.· It's perfectly normal to be a bit nervous. I'm sure you'll get over it once you start your presentation.· The school overcame the problem of funding by getting local firms to sponsor them.
to consider, understand, and deal with a very difficult or important problem or situation: · The residents of the small town are still struggling to come to grips with the tragedy.· Teachers must be prepared to spend time getting to grips with new technology.· No country has really got to grips with the problem of nuclear waste.
to deal successfully with a sudden, unexpected situation or problem by trying especially hard: · We are calling on all our employees to rise to the occasion and become more efficient and productive.· The team rose to the challenge and fought back to produce another goal.rise to the challenge of something: · Naylor was one of those men who rise to the challenge of danger.
to deal with an unexpected or difficult problem calmly and confidently: · Liz seems to be taking the divorce in her stride.· Most kids get teased a bit at school - they have to learn to take it in their stride.· Nigel smiled and took the criticism in his stride.
to deal with a problem or difficult situation, by being able to ignore or forget about it: · Kate rose above all the trouble at home and did well in her classes.· Immigrants to the country were struggling to survive and rise above the poverty that surrounded them.
to do something after a delay or pause
especially British, spoken to start doing something that you should have started already, or continue doing something that you have stopped doing for a short time: · I'm glad the guests are gone so I can get on with my work.· Heavy rain is preventing rescue teams from getting on with the search.get on with it: · Stop messing around - just get on with it!
also get round to British to finally do something that you have been intending to do for a long time, but have been too busy or too lazy to do: · I was going to fill out an application, but I never got around to it.get around/round to doing something: · I must get round to painting the kitchen some day.
spoken to start doing something, especially when you should have started already: · We've got so much to do - let's get going.get going on: · You need to get going on that report. It's due tomorrow.
to do something that is bad or wrong
informal if someone is up to something they are probably doing something bad, but you do not know exactly what: · I know he's lying - what do you think he's up to?be up to something: · The kids have been whispering and giggling all day - I think they're up to something.be up to no good (=be doing something bad): · She was beginning to suspect that the handsome stranger was up to no good.
British to do something that other people disapprove of, especially because you think it is funny or because you enjoy it: · She peeped into the bedroom to see what mischief her grandson was getting up to.· When we were students, we used to get up to all sorts of things.
to do something that is a crime, especially a serious crime: commit a crime/murder/robbery etc: · Women commit far fewer crimes than men.· The murder must have been committed between 7 and 10pm.
to do something that you enjoy, even though there is a reason you should not do it: · I was downtown, so I decided to indulge in a little shopping.· Most people indulge in harmless fantasies to relieve the boredom of their lives.
to do something that you know is morally wrong because you think it is the only way that you can achieve what you want to achieve: · "She even tried to get him fired." "I can't believe she'd stoop to that."stoop to doing something: · They ended up stooping to hair-pulling and name-calling.· His lawyers even stooped to using the children to gain public sympathy.
to get money for your work
to be paid a particular amount of money for your work, especially over a period of time - earn is more formal than make or get: · At the peak of his career, Rogers was earning more than seven million dollars a year.· It's not uncommon nowadays for women to earn more than their husbands.earn £15,000 per year/$15 an hour etc: · Alan earns $30,000 a year.
to be paid a particular amount of money for your work, especially a lot of money: · Ella makes a lot of money.· How much to you think he makes?make $500 a week/£25,000 per year etc: · Some models make millions of dollars a year.
informal to earn a particular amount of money every hour, week etc: get £10 per hour/$350 dollars a week etc: · My sister gets $22 an hour at her new job.· How much are you getting a week?get $25/£15 etc for doing something: · I got £5 for washing Nick's car.
to earn money when you work for an employer and not for yourself: be paid £50/$200 etc: · City maintenance workers are paid around $250 a week.· We get paid every two weeks.
British informal to earn a particular amount of money each year: · Claire's on a very good salary.· In January, I'll be on £23,350.· How much were you on in your last job?
especially American to earn a particular amount of money each year, before tax has been taken away - use this especially to talk about companies or businesses making money: · Jack grosses $58,000 a year, but he has to pay taxes and health insurance out of that.· Walmax, a California superstore, grosses more than eight million dollars annually.gross over/more than: · If you gross over $100,000, you should consult a good tax accountant.
to enter a place
· It was getting cold, so we went in.· There was a man at the door trying to stop people from going in.· Don't go in my room - it's a mess.go into something · Make sure you wipe your feet before you go into the house.
if someone comes in , they enter a room or building that you are in: · That must be Nina coming in right now.· As soon as Adrian came in, everyone stopped talking.· Why don't you come in the house for a little while and get warmed up.come into something: · When you first come into the building, you'll see the elevators just across the lobby.
formal to go or come into a room, building, or area: · You need a ticket to enter.· The army entered the city from the north.· As soon as he entered the room, he knew there was something wrong.
to succeed in entering a place, especially when this is difficult or takes a long time: · We queued in the rain for two hours and still didn't get in.· You usually have to wait a while before you can get in the club.get into something: · You shouldn't have any trouble getting into the concert - they've only sold half the tickets.
formal to succeed in entering a place or being allowed to enter, especially when this is difficult or takes a long time: · Brown gained admission by claiming to be a newspaper photographer.gain admission to: · We had to talk to several guards to gain admission to the courtyard.
to suddenly and noisily enter a room: · Two men with guns burst in and told us to lie on the floor.burst in on: · I ran back to Iris's and burst in on Polly who was ironing in the kitchen.burst into something: · Lotty burst into the room waving a letter in the air.
to suddenly enter a room where you are not wanted, for example because you are interrupting someone: · I was studying when Ben suddenly barged in.barge in on: · It's impossible to concentrate when people keep barging in on you.barge into something: · Some of the strikers came barging into the meeting and demanded to speak with the directors.
to enter somewhere in a way that makes the people who are already there notice you: · I waited until everybody was sitting quietly before making my entrance.make a grand entrance: · She walked slowly down the staircase, making a grand entrance.
to enter a place confidently and calmly, especially when other people would be a little nervous or embarrassed to enter: · Katie breezes in at eleven o'clock each morning, two hours late.breeze into something: · Giles just breezed into the office, used the phone, and then breezed out again.
to enter a place illegally or by using force
· A man was arrested for trying to enter the actress's Beverly Hills home.enter through/by etc · It appears the burglars entered through a back window.
to succeed in entering a room, building, or area which is locked or difficult to enter, especially by using force or by finding an unusual way in: · How did you get in? I thought the door was locked.· Some animals hadn't gotten in the shed and made a mess.get into something: · Thieves had apparently got into the apartments by posing as electricians.
to enter a building by using force, in order to steal something: · If anyone tries to break in, the alarm will go off.break into something: · Thieves broke into the gallery and made off with paintings valued at over $2 million.
if someone, especially criminals or the police gain entry or gain access , they succeed in entering a locked building or room, especially by using force: · The police gained entry by smashing down the door.gain entry/gain access to: · Somehow the woman had gained access to his dressing room and was waiting there when he came off the stage.
to enter a building or room by using force, especially when someone is trying to stop you: · They've blocked the door. We'll have to force our way in.force your way into something: · Police eventually forced their way into the building and arrested the gunman.
the crime of entering a place illegally, especially with the intention of stealing something: · You can't just go into his apartment when he's not there - that's breaking and entering.· He was caught in the school at night and has been charged with breaking and entering.
to illegally enter or be on someone's land or in a building without permission from the owner: · Get out of the yard! Can't you see the sign? It says "No Trespassing."trespass on: · Carlson was fined $1000 for trespassing on government property.
to enter an area that is well guarded or dangerous to enter - used especially in a military context: · The barbed wire fences and security shields made the air base very difficult to penetrate.
to succeed in escaping from someone who is chasing you
to succeed in escaping from someone who is trying to catch you: · It looks as if they've escaped. They're probably over the border by now.· So far the terrorists have managed to escape the police.escape from: · He ducked down an alley to escape from the mob that was chasing him.escape into/across/over etc: · Criminals generally know their neighborhood well, so it's not difficult for them to escape into the back streets.
to escape from someone who is chasing you, especially when there is no chance that you will be caught afterwards: · How could you let him get away!· Police believe the gunmen got away in a white Ford pickup.get away from: · Follow that car and don't let it get away from you.get clean away (=get away completely): · Detectives followed the man as far as the harbour, but then he jumped into a speedboat and got clean away.
informal to escape from someone who is chasing you by tricking them or doing something unexpected: · Watch him very carefully - he might try and give us the slip.· I wanted to talk to her before she left the hotel, but she gave me the slip.
to escape from someone who is chasing you or trying to find you by cleverly doing something that makes it impossible for them to know where you are: · He made the calls from different pay phones around the city to throw the police off the scent.
to escape from someone, especially someone who has been chasing you for a long time, for example by hiding or by going faster than them: shake off somebody: · Mailer disappeared into a dark basement, hoping to shake off the gang.shake somebody off: · You're going to have to drive faster if you want to shake them off.
to successfully escape after a crime, leaving no signs to show where you are: · Police have found the helicopters that the terrorists used to make their getaway.make a clean getaway (=to escape leaving no signs to show where you are): · The robbers hopped into a waiting car and made a clean getaway.
formal to cleverly avoid being found or caught by someone, especially for a long time: · Despite a $25,000 reward on his head, he continues to elude the authorities.elude capture: · Lt. Forney managed to elude capture by enemy forces for several weeks.
to escape from somewhere where you are in danger
to get away from a place, country etc where you are in danger, especially when it is difficult to do this because someone is trying to catch you or stop you leaving: · Only four people managed to escape before the roof collapsed.· The refugees have crossed miles of desert to escape civil war and famine.escape from: · Josie managed to escape from her attacker and call the police.escape into/through/over etc: · Some people were able to escape over the border into Tanzania.· When the army began killing civilians in the town, he was able to escape through the jungle.
to escape from a place or country when there is a serious risk that something bad will happen very soon: · Eventually we realized there was no way of getting out.· A few people managed to get out before the government crackdown.get out of: · All US tourists and journalists are being advised to get out of the country as soon as possible.get out alive: · The whole building was on fire - we were lucky to get out alive!
to try to escape from someone by running away: · Don't run away - I'm not going to hurt you.· Delia managed to get away from the man and ran off screaming.run away/run off from: · If you run away from the bull, it's almost certain to attack you.run away/run off into/down/across etc: · He jumped out of the car and ran off into the woods.
to suddenly run away very quickly, as soon as you have a chance, especially because you are very frightened: · One of the horses got into a panic and bolted.· When police approached him to ask him some questions, he bolted.bolt across/into/out etc: · Before I could say a word, she turned and bolted out the front door.
informal to suddenly run away very quickly because you are in danger of being caught, especially when you are doing something illegal: · Somebody's coming. Quick, run for it.· There's no way we can beat them - we're going to have to make a run for it.
to escape as quickly as possible because you are in great danger - used especially in newspapers: · When police arrived, the two men fled.flee from/to/into etc: · Most of the women there were Somalis fleeing from the civil war.· Up to five million political refugees have fled to other countries.flee the country/the city etc: · Rollins tried to flee the country but was stopped at the airport.
to escape from a place or a dangerous situation, especially when you do this quickly and secretly, as soon as you have a chance: · He made his escape by climbing through the window and down the fire escape.· The hostages spent days waiting for the opportunity to make their escape.
to escape by running away very quickly - used especially in stories: · The kids immediately took to their heels as Mrs Brewster appeared around the corner.· He jumped off the train, took to his heels, and was quickly out of sight.
to escape from someone who is holding you: · She wanted to break away, but his grip was too strong.· With a violent twist he broke free and ran out of the room.break free/break away from: · Then Tammy broke free from Judd and ran for the door screaming.
to escape from an aircraft that is going to crash: · The pilot bailed out of the aircraft just in time and was only slightly injured.
to express what you think or feel
to let someone know what you are thinking or feeling, by using words, by your behaviour or the look on your face, or through art, music, films etc: · Many of his films express the fears and anxieties of the post-war years.express concern/satisfaction/annoyance/sympathy etc: · Parents have expressed concern about the amount of violence in some children's shows.express your feelings: · My grandfather found it hard to express his feelings about the war.express something by/through something: · It is the story of a middle-aged businessman, who starts going to tango lessons, and learns to express himself through dance.· Workers traditionally express their discontent by going on strike.
to express something about what you or other people are feeling or thinking, especially without stating it directly, but using touch, the sound of your voice, the way something looks etc: · His tone conveyed an unmistakable warning.· I tried to convey my sympathy by touching her hand.· His office conveyed an impression of efficiency and seriousness.
to manage to express what you think or feel with words, movements, or by the way you behave: · Andrea smiled at Jamie, communicating her affection for him with her eyes.communicate something to somebody: · She tried to communicate her fears to her mother.· You can communicate your mood to your baby without realising it.
if someone's behaviour, appearance, or something they produce says something, it expresses their feelings, attitudes etc: · This painting says so much in such a simple way.· What do you think the writer is saying in this passage?say it all (=to explain something in a very short form ): · One look said it all -- Richard knew that Sally wouldn't marry him.· When Joshua walked across the room for the first time, the smile on his face said it all.say a lot about (=express something very clearly): · The fact she didn't invite her mother to her wedding says a lot about their relationship.
British /get something across American to express an idea or feeling to someone, especially something that is difficult to explain, so that they can understand: · I always try to get this idea over to my students.get something over to somebody: · Gina felt trapped and insecure but found it difficult to get this over to her husband.
to express your feelings or ideas clearly in words, especially when this is very difficult to do, and you have to try very hard to think of the right words: · She tried to put these feelings into words, but it all came out wrong.· He could not find the words to say that he was leaving.
to find out something new or something that was secret
· He just had to hope he'd get away with it and that nobody would find out.· She doesn't want people to find out her age.· You read her diary? Just make sure she never finds out!find out what/why/how etc · Dad was furious when he found out where I was living.find out about · It's a surprise party, so I don't want her to find out about it.find out (that) · It was three months before my parents found out I'd been going out with Peter.find somebody out (=find out someone's secret) British · It won't work. Someone's bound to find you out eventually.
to find out information that has been deliberately kept secret, especially while you are studying or examining a particular subject: · Detectives have uncovered a plan to smuggle illegal weapons into the country.· Lawyers unearthed evidence that he held several bank accounts.
to find out information by searching carefully for it, especially information about someone's past that they have deliberately tried to keep secret: dig something up/dig up something: · I wanted to dig a few more facts up for my article.dig up dirt on somebody (=find out something bad about someone): · Politicians try to dig up dirt on their opponents.dig something up on somebody: · He wanted as much evidence as could be dug up on the girl.
to find something out, especially the truth about a situation, or facts that someone has tried to hide: · It's hard to get at the facts when people are afraid to speak out.· He was a good reporter, who wanted to get at the truth and present it without bias.
informal to find out about a situation or something that is going to happen, especially when it is supposed to be secret: · Reporters somehow got wind of the fact that Carr was going to be arrested.
informal to find out about something such as a trick or an illegal activity: · The police parked an empty patrol car there to reduce speeding, but drivers got wise to it pretty quickly.
when something is found out
if something that people knew nothing about comes out , people find out about it, especially as a result of an official inquiry: · The truth about the scandal came out long after he had left office.· A few new facts came out at the trial.it comes out that: · During the hearing it came out that she had tried to commit suicide.
if new information or a new fact comes to light or is brought to light , people find out about it: · Fresh evidence has come to light since the report was published.· Some serious problems have been brought to light by the latest report on health and safety.it comes to light that/it is brought to light that: · It came to light that the CIA knew he was a security risk.
if facts emerge from a meeting or an inquiry, people find out about them: · More details of the plan emerged at yesterday's meeting.it emerges that: · During the court case it emerged that both men had convictions for terrorist offences.
if someone within a government or organization leaks official information, they secretly tell the public or a newspaper about it: · Someone at the Pentagon leaked a letter from the Secretary of Defense.· Information on the merger had been leaked to the press.
if a piece of information gets out , people find out about it even though other people have tried very hard to keep it secret: · If any of this gets out, we'll be in serious trouble.word/news etc gets out: · If word gets out that Jordan is here, we'll be mobbed.it gets out that: · If it gets out that we knew about this, we'll lose all our clients.
formal if it transpires that something is true, people find out that it is true: · It now transpires that the prime minister knew about the deal all along.
to find out information from someone
to find out information from someone by asking them questions or by forcing them to tell you: find out something: · "Did you find out her views on the subject?" "No, she wouldn't tell me."find out what/how/when etc: · He asked me to find out what your plans are after you leave.find something out: · Will you see if you can find anything out about Sandy?
informal to find out a particular piece of information from someone, especially by forcing them to tell you: · Jed admitted he'd been at the scene, but that's all I could get out of him.· We'll get the truth out of her sooner or later.
to find out something from a person, a book, the Internet etc: · To get more information, telephone or contact us on our website.· You will be able to get most of the information you need from the school library.get information about/on: · I've written to the tourist information centre to get some information about the area.
formal to find out information from someone who does not want to give it, by asking them questions or by using physical force: · Police questioned the prisoner for several hours, but were unable to extract any further information.extract something from somebody: · The court ruled that her confession had been unlawfully extracted from her.
to find out information from someone who is unwilling to give it, especially by being clever, making them feel they can trust you etc: · He didn't want to tell me her name but I managed to worm it out of him.
to get information from someone who does not want to tell you it, especially by asking a lot of questions: · If she doesn't want to tell you, there's no point in trying to drag it out of her.
to be someone's friend
if two people are friends , they like each other and they enjoy doing things together: · Bill and I used to be good friends, but we don't see each other much now.be friends with: · I've been friends with Andrea for about 10 years.
also get on British if two or more people get along or get on , they find it easy to talk and agree with each other, and so they feel relaxed when they spend time together: · I used to argue a lot with my parents, but now we get along fine.get along with: · Julie's nice, but I don't really get on with her brother.· He's a nice boy - very easy to get along with.
to have a good relationship with someone, even though you may not spend a lot of time together: · Her family became very friendly with their neighbors, the Mayers.· I used to be very friendly with a girl from Boston.
to get on a bus, plane etc
to go onto a bus, train etc at the beginning of a journey: · The train stopped in the middle of the night in Nogales. No one got on or off.· We got on the train at Lime Street Station.· Get on a number 73 bus at the corner. That will take you to Islington High Street.· She's old and needs help getting on and off the bus.
to go into a small vehicle, for example a car or boat: · "Can you give me a lift into town?" "Sure. Get in."· Be careful getting into the boat.· I got in a taxi and went to the hospital immediately.
to get on a particular bus, train, or plane in order to go somewhere: · Stephen caught the 6.15 to Birmingham.· If we're quick, we should still be able to catch our train.· Jonathan looked at his watch. "I've got a plane to catch," he said.
informal to get on a bus, train, plane etc, or get into a car, taxi etc, especially after suddenly deciding to: · Karl hopped on the first plane back to Germany.· "Hop in," shouted Lucy, throwing open the door of her van.· She hopped into a cab and told the driver to go to King's Cross.· "Why not hop in the car and come with us?" Myrtle asked with a sly smile.
formal to get on a ship, plane, or train: · A week later he boarded a ship bound for New York.· Before boarding the plane, Jenny tried once more to call home.
formal to get on a ship - use this especially when a large number of people do this: · A large group had assembled at the pier, waiting to embark.embark for: · Their training completed, the regiment embarked for the war zone.
to climb onto a horse: · Can you help Shelly mount?· He mounted the pony and rode off.
if you get on board or aboard a ship or plane, you get onto it: · It was time to get on board the ship.· A group of men, some in military uniform, climbed aboard the plane.· The ship's crew saluted the President as he came aboard.
to get off a bus, plane etc
to : · Tell the driver you want to get off at Greene Street.· Lennox got off the plane and made his way through customs.· At the foot of the hill, she got off her bicycle and began to push it.· Do you know where we're supposed to get off?
to come out of a car, boat, or train: · Most of the passengers got out at Oxford Circus.get out of: · She got out of the car and slammed the door.· The farmer got out of his car to open the gate.
to get off a train or ship on which you have been travelling - used especially in official notices or messages: · When you leave the train, please make sure that you have all your belongings with you.· Passengers leaving the ship at Alexandria should proceed to the immigration office.
formal to get off a ship or plane - use this especially when a large number of people do this: · We weren't allowed to disembark until an hour after the ship had docked.· The only one to disembark at Tiree was me.
to get down off a horse: · They dismounted and led their horses through the forest.
to go for a holiday somewhere
British /go on vacation American to go away from your home, especially for a holiday: · We used to go on holiday in Scotland when we were kids.· Make sure you get insurance before you go on holiday.· Most families go on vacation during the summer.
to go away from your home, especially for a holiday: · We're going away for two weeks in June.· Martha and Tom are going away this weekend.
to spend time away from your home - use this especially about someone who goes on holiday for a rest from their normally busy life: · We managed to get away for a week in August.get away from it all (=spend time away from all the things you usually have to do): · Yosemite is a great place to get away from it all.
American informal to go on holiday, especially somewhere exciting or far away: take off for: · Carlos just took off for Venezuela for three weeks.
to start to have an illness
to start to have an illness: · I feel all hot - I think I'm getting flu.· Smoking increases the risk of getting cancer.get something from/off someone (=get an infectious disease from someone else): · He thinks he got the cold from someone in the office.
to get a disease from someone else: · Luke has measles. I hope I don't catch it.catch something from/off somebody: · I think I must have caught the flu from Sarah.
also go down with something British spoken to start to have an illness, especially one that is not serious: · I'm afraid we can't come this weekend - the baby's gone down with a sore throat.
to get a not very serious illness such as a cold, a stomach problem etc - use this especially to say where you got it: pick up something: · I picked up a stomach bug on holiday in Turkey.pick something up: · Brendan has a cold. He must have picked it up at school.
to gradually become ill with a particular illness, but not by catching it from someone else: · After her family brought her home from hospital, she developed pneumonia.· It is possible to develop diabetes in adulthood.
to get a serious illness - used especially in formal or medical contexts: · Orwell contracted tuberculosis during the war and eventually died from the disease.· Dr Chalmers is trying to find out how many people may have contracted the disease in her area.
to become interested
· "Really?" he said. He was obviously getting interested.get/become interested in · When did you first get really interested in baseball?· Early in his career, Piaget became interested in children's development.
especially spoken, informal to start to become interested in something: · I never used to like jazz but I've been getting into it recently.· A lot of teenage boys suddenly get into fitness and weight-training.
informal to become interested in something, so that you want to do it a lot: get the gardening/travel/golf etc bug: · Since my college days I've always had the travel bug.· As soon as the kids got out on the slopes, they were bitten by the skiing bug.
to leave after doing something wrong or illegal
to leave after doing something wrong or illegal without being caught: · Police surrounded the building, but somehow the gunman managed to escape.escape from: · He was one of nine men who escaped from prison in July.escape through/by etc: · Four prisoners escaped through a hole in the fence.escape with: · Thieves escaped with jewelry and $130,000 in cash.
to succeed in leaving after doing something wrong or illegal, especially after being chased: · We ran after the mugger as fast as we could, but he got away.· He got away down a back alley.get away with: · Thieves got away with silver and several valuable paintings, including one by Picasso.
to leave quickly after a crime, especially in a way that you have arranged: · The robbers made their getaway in a stolen car, which was waiting for them outside the bank.
to become stronger, angrier etc than before
· As the days passed, Martha became more worried. · As you get older, your joints and muscles tend to get weaker.· I knew that if I resisted, he would get even angrier.· The mysterious phone calls were becoming more frequent.
to gradually get more of a useful or valuable quality: · The festival has been growing in popularity.· The business has continued to grow in productivity and profitability.· She gradually gained in self-confidence and ability.
use this to show that there is more of a quality or feeling than at another time: · It will gradually become more cloudy later in the day.more ... than: · I guess Marlene is more neurotic than she used to be.a lot/much/far more: · Everything was much more difficult than it is these days.more and more: · The train went more and more slowly, and finally stopped completely.· We became more and more determined to succeed.
if someone or something is becoming increasingly difficult, important etc, they are continuing to become more difficult, more important etc as time passes: · As she watched him, Jody felt increasingly sure that she had made the right choice.become/get increasingly: · It is getting increasingly difficult for the US to remain competitive in consumer products.
heightened feelings are felt more strongly: · heightened concerns about crime and violence in schools· A heightened awareness of healthy eating may lead to considerable benefits.
to gently persuade someone to do something
British /get around American to persuade someone to do something that you want them to do by being very nice to them, making them laugh etc: · I managed to get round him by saying he could borrow my car on Saturday.· She can always manage to get around her dad.
to persuade someone to do something that they do not want to do by talking to them gently for a long time until they agree to do it: · "Oh come on, Vic," she coaxed, "We need you, don't let us down."coax somebody to do something: · The U.S. is trying to coax both sides to take part in talks.coax somebody into doing something: · The children had to be coaxed into coming with us.
informal to say nice things to someone, especially things that are not true, in order to persuade them to do something for you: · You can sweet-talk me all night long, but I'm not going home with you!sweet-talk somebody into doing something: · She sweet-talked him into lending her the money.
to persuade someone to do something that they do not want to do by being nice to them, praising them etc until they agree to do it: · Ed cajoled and pleaded, but couldn't get her to change her mind.cajole somebody into doing something: · She cajoles the kids into doing their best.cajole somebody to do something: · He managed to cajole Hayden to take part in the program.
to persuade someone to do something
to make someone agree to do something, by giving them reasons why they should do it: · Neil didn't want to come at first, but we persuaded him.persuade somebody to do something: · I tried to persuade his ex-girlfriend to talk to him, but she said no.· Teachers need ways to persuade more parents to attend parent-teacher evenings.persuade (that): · He was convicted of the murder, but he is still trying to persuade the public that he's innocent.
things that you say in order to persuade someone to do something: · They hope to end the conflict using persuasion rather than threats.persuasion to: · The Republican leader used every means of persuasion to get senators to vote against the bill.take persuasion: · It took a lot of persuasion to get Dad to agree to the idea.gentle/friendly persuasion (=persuading someone without using threats): · Until the law was passed, the agency could only use gentle persuasion to get industries to reduce waste.powers of persuasion (=skills used for persuading): · The fate of the bill in Congress will depend on Brady's powers of persuasion.
informal to make someone do what you want them to do, especially by trying to persuade them over a long time: · I'm sure I can get Eddie to do it.· My girlfriend is always trying to get me to stop smoking.· Parents learn ways to talk to and carry a baby to get it to stop crying.
to affect what someone decides to do, but without directly persuading them: · I hope you weren't influenced by anything that your brother said.· Do TV programs influence children's behaviour?· Judges should not be influenced by political motives.
to try to persuade someone to do something, because you think it will be good for them: encourage somebody to do something: · Her parents encouraged her to cook and even paid her to make dinner twice a week.· Patricia encouraged me to apply for the job.· We want to encourage more children to use the library.
informal to persuade someone to do something that they do not want to do: talk sb into doing something: · I managed to talk them into paying me more money.· Officers said they tried to talk Wilson into leaving the bar, but he started to struggle.talk somebody into it: · I didn't really want to go to the party, but Dave talked me into it.
to persuade someone to do something wrong or stupid, especially when they would not have thought of doing it themselves: · We want to know why they did it and if anyone put them up to it.· Did someone put you up to this?
to not be punished
informal if a criminal gets off , they get little or no official punishment for their crime: · If he gets off, it's because he has a smart lawyer.get off easy: · You got off easy; you should have been expelled.get off scot-free (=escape punishment completely): · Despite the evidence against him, Heston got off scot-free.
to do something wrong and not be caught or not be punished for it: · He probably got away with about a dozen crimes before he was finally arrested for one.get away with it: · He was the only child in the class who could be rude to the teacher and get away with it.get away with murder informal (=to be allowed to do anything you want and not be punished for it): · Ronnoe lets his kids get away with murder.
American informal to avoid being punished after breaking the law, especially because you cannot be proved guilty: · Frye was arrested on state and federal charges, but he managed to beat the rap.
if someone is able to do something wrong or illegal with impunity , they can do it without any risk of being punished: · If you see others breaking the law with impunity, you may be tempted to do the same.· The previous regime was corrupt, and government officials were able to flout the law with impunity.
if bad behaviour, crime etc goes unpunished, the person who behaved badly or did something wrong is not punished for it: · Guards involved in drug deals went unpunished.· Hate crimes will not be tolerated and will not go unpunished.
to not be punished severely enough
to only receive a small punishment, especially when you deserve a much more severe one: · If you're lucky you'll get off with a warning, if you're not you'll have to pay a fine.· It's appalling that rapists can get off with such short prison sentences.get off lightly (=only receive a small punishment): · Phil kept complaining that the $500 fine was unfair, but I think he got off lightly.
informal a much smaller punishment that you deserve: · The fine was so low, it was little more than a slap on the wrist.· In the past, officers who mistreated prisoners often received a mere slap on the wrist.
to reach a place that you are travelling to
to arrive at a place, especially after a long or difficult journey: · We didn't reach the hotel until midnight.· Some letters are taking up to two weeks to reach their destination.· In winter, parts of Northern Canada can only be reached by plane.
especially spoken if you get to a place, you reach it: get to: · By the time we got to New York, it was snowing.get home/here/there: · What time did you get home last night?get as far as: · We only got as far as the end of the road, then the car broke down.
especially spoken to arrive at a place, especially when you were not sure that you would be able to get there: · The roads were so bad that I wasn't sure we would make it.· If we run, we should be able to make it before the bus leaves.make it to/across/home etc: · Even though he couldn't swim, he managed to make it to the riverbank.· Thousands of refugees made it across the border.
to succeed in reaching a place, especially by a particular time: · We'll be lucky if we make San Fernando by nightfall.· The team aimed to make the South Pole and back in a month.
to succeed in reaching a particular place, after much danger and difficulty: · Heavy rains have prevented food supplies from getting through.get through to: · Rescue teams finally got through to the survivors by digging a tunnel.
easily reached, especially by car, boat, plane etc: easily accessible: · We chose to live in this area because both New York and Boston are easily accessible from here.· The banks of the River Holbeck are easily accessible to walkers and anglers.accessible by boat/plane etc: · Because of the snow, many parts of the countryside are only accessible by helicopter.
when someone can reach something
to be able to touch something or take hold of it, by stretching your arm or moving your body: · Can you get that book down for me? I can't reach.· There's no point in having a shelf so high that you can't reach it.
to be able to reach something that you need by stretching your arm, moving your body etc, especially after you have been hurt: · She had fallen and broken her ankle and couldn't get to the phone.· Can you get to your coffee, if I put it here?
to become strong or happy again after a period of problems or unhappiness
to become strong or happy again after experiencing problems or unhappiness: · Losing my job was a terrible blow, and it took me quite a while to recover.recover from: · Mark never really recovered from the shock of his father's death.· It took a long time for the British economy to recover from the effects of the war.
to recover from a particular problem or from a difficult or unhappy time: · It took Joe quite a long time to get over the divorce.· Don't worry about Henry - he'll soon get over it.· Children seem to get over things very quickly.
informal to recover quickly and easily after problems or an unhappy period of time: bounce back after: · Liverpool's footballers hope to bounce back after their defeat in Europe last week.bounce back from: · We are confident the business will bounce back from the recession.
to become healthy again after an illness or accident
to become healthy again after you have had an illness, injury, or operation: · My mother's been very ill, and is still in hospital recovering.· Sammy needed to recover a little before they could move him to a hospital nearer his home.recover from: · He never really recovered from the operation.fully recover (=completely recover): · It was several months before John had fully recovered from his heart attack.
especially spoken to become healthy again after you have had an illness, injury, or operation: · I hope you get better soon.· My back has been quite bad recently, but it's getting better slowly.· I didn't remember anything about the accident, but little by little, as I got better, memories started coming back to me.
to recover completely, fully, well, or slowly: · The disease has been caught early, and the doctors say she should make a complete recovery.· Thomas is making a good recovery, although he is still quite weak.make a remarkable/amazing recovery: · Joe has made a remarkable recovery from the injuries he sustained in the accident.
to recover from an illness, especially one that is not very serious: · Mark hasn't got over the flu yet. He still feels pretty weak.· I've had a nasty cold, but I'm getting over it now.· The doctor told Mum it was only a stomach upset, not food poisoning, and she would get over it in a day or two.
to recover from an illness - use this especially when you are encouraging someone to recover: · Get well soon -- we all miss you!· I hope you get well quickly.
to feel less ill than you did before: · I hope you feel better soon.· My father's been quite ill, but he's starting to feel a bit better now.
if you or your health improves, you become less ill than you were before but not completely well. Improve is more formal than feel better: · Susie's improving gradually with this new treatment.· My health finally began to improve when I changed to a less stressful job.· She was told to go back to the doctor in two weeks if she hadn't improved.
if someone is on the mend , they are definitely showing signs of getting better after an illness or injury: · I'm glad to see you're on the mend again.· Kathy's been quite ill with flu, but I think she's on the mend now.
to manage to recover from an illness such as a cold or an infection, which you have had for a fairly long time: shake something off: · Towards the end of the year he caught flu, and he couldn't shake it off.shake off something: · It seems to be taking me a long time to shake off this cold.
to have a good relationship
when two people or groups are friendly towards each other and work well together: · My boss and I have a very good relationship.have a good relationship with: · It's important that the school have a good relationship with the students' parents.· The president has a good working relationship with this Congress.
also get on British if two or more people get along or get on , they have a friendly relationship with each other: · I don't understand why you two girls don't get along.get along with: · He's very easy to get along with.· Martin was chosen because he is a good administrator who gets along with everyone.get along/on well: · We all get on really well, so we're going to share a flat next year.get along/on like a house on fire (=extremely well): · I wasn't sure whether David and Ann would like each other, but they got on like a house on fire.
if people are on good terms , they have a polite relationship and they can work well together, but they are not close friends: · They divorced several years ago, but they're still on good terms.be on good terms with: · We're on good terms with all our neighbours except the couple upstairs.· Taylor has managed to remain on good terms with his former employers.
if two or more people are close , they like each other very much, and can talk to each other about their feelings, their problems etc: · Dad and I have always been very close.close to: · She was never very close to her stepmother.close friend: · It turns out that Julie is a close friend of my cousin Kelly.
to have a bad relationship
also not get on British if people do not get along or do not get on , they have a bad relationship and they often argue and disagree with each other: · Barney and I just don't get along.not get along with: · Troy doesn't get along with the coach, so he's thinking of quitting the team.· She never got on with her father and she hates her new stepmother.
also fall out British if friends or relatives have a falling-out or they fall out , they have an argument and stop being friendly with each other: · They fell out last year, and they won't even speak to each other now.· The three children had an enormous falling-out over their inheritance when their father died.have a falling-out with: · He's fallen out with his girlfriend again.· Daly had a falling-out with her boss, which led to her being fired.
people who are incompatible cannot have a good relationship with each other because they are completely different in their characters, interests etc: · We're completely incompatible - she's a neat freak, and I hate to clean.· They've always seemed so incompatible - no wonder they're getting a divorce.
if something drives a wedge between two people or groups, it has a bad effect on their relationship: · The war had driven a wedge between the President and his liberal supporters.· Romley's lawsuit drove the wedge even farther between the two former friends.
to remove dirt from a piece of clothing or material
to remove a mark from a piece of clothing or material: get something out of something: · What can I use to get these wine stains our of the tablecloth?get something out: · It's a pity about the mark on your shirt. Dry cleaning will probably get it out.
British informal to remove a mark which is difficult to remove from a piece of clothing or material: · I've washed the tablecloth three times, but I can't seem to shift these stains.· Blood stains are very difficult to shift.
if dirt or a mark comes out , it is removed by washing or cleaning: · Use plenty of washing powder otherwise mud and grass stains won't come out.
if dirt or a mark washes out , it is removed by washing: · A lot of hair dyes are designed to wash out after three or four washes.
to remove something from inside something else
to take something from inside a container or place: take out something: · She opened her briefcase and took out a letter.· I need to get to a cash machine and take out some money.· We'll have to take out the engine to fix the gearbox.take something out: · Roland reached inside his jacket and took his passport out.take something out of something: · She took a few coins out of her purse.
to take something from inside something. Remove is more formal than take out , and is used especially in writing: · Cut the fruit in half and remove the seeds.· He opened the torch and removed the bulb.remove from: · Someone had removed some papers from the file.
to remove something from deep inside something else, often when this is difficult: get something out: · The spare wheel was right at the back of the boot under a load of suitcases, so it took me ages to get it out.get something out of something: · It's important to get all the dirt out of the wound.get out something: · If you want to get out the old photo albums, you're going to have to dig in the bottom of that trunk.
to remove a natural substance from the ground or from a plant, or to take out someone's tooth: · 42 tons of gold were extracted at the mine in 1987.· She had to have three teeth extracted.extract something from something: · The nuts are crushed in order to extract the oil from them.· The bird uses its long beak to extract nectar from the flowers.
to remove something from the inside of something else, using a knife: cut out something: · Make sure you cut out any tough, gristly parts before you cook the meat.cut something out: · I knew I would have to cut the bullet out before the wound became infected.
to suddenly take something out from a place where it cannot be seen, for example from a pocket, bag etc: pull out something: · The man pulled out a gun and fired three shots.pull something out: · She pulled a notebook out and scribbled a few notes.
to remove something such as paint, dirt etc from a surface
: take off something · She was told to go to the washroom and take off her lipstick.take something off something · A standard detergent should take most of the grease off the surface.take something off · Paintstripper is the easiest way to take old paint off.
to remove something such as paint, dirt, or marks from a surface: get something off: · I don't know how I'm going to get this old varnish off.get something off something: · How do you get mold stains off the wall?
to take something off a surface, especially dirt, marks, or something that should not be there: · You can use lemon juice to remove the grease.remove something from something: · Remove any dirt from the negative before printing the photograph.
to remove something from a surface by wiping it or rubbing it with a cloth: wipe/rub something off: · I wiped the paint off with my handkerchief.wipe/rub something off something: · Mitchell tried to rub the dirt off the nameplate with his gloved thumb.· He wiped the dust off the piano.wipe/rub off something: · She picked up one of the shoes and carefully wiped off the mud.
to remove something from a surface by rubbing it with something sharp such as your fingernail or a knife: scrape/scratch off something: · We started by scraping off the old wallpaper.· It took a long time to scrape off all the dirt and bits of food from the top of the cooker.· Someone had scratched some of the paint off my car.scrape something/it/them off: · The car was covered in rust and Joey had to scrape it off with a knife.· Lottery cards have silver panels which you scratch off to see if you have won a prize.
to remove something such as the skin of a fruit or a piece of paper from a surface, by gently pulling it: peel off something: · Slice each avocado in half, then peel off the skin.peel something off: · When I peeled the label off I discovered that the old price was $2 cheaper.
to remove something that is covering the whole of a surface: · We stripped the doors down to the bare wood.strip something off: · I think we should strip the old varnish off and see what the wood's like underneath.
to go to the place where you were before
· I left my hometown 12 years ago, and I have no desire to go back.go back to · When will you be going back to Japan?go back for · We'll have to go back for the tickets - I think I left them on the desk.go back in/out/inside/downstairs etc · It's cold out here - shall we go back inside?· The phone started ringing again as soon as I went back upstairs.go back the way you came · Part of the trail was flooded, so we had to go back the way we had come.go back home · Frank's gone back home to visit his parents and won't be back for a week.
if someone comes back , they return to the place where you are: · Rachel's left me, and I don't think she'll ever come back.come back to: · When will you be coming back to London?come back from: · He's just come back from a vacation in Miami.come back for: · Whoever left the gloves will probably come back for them tomorrow.
to go back or come back to the place where you were before. Return is used more in written or formal contexts than go back or come back: · I left early, but promised to return the next day.return to: · He had to return to India to look after his mother.return from: · Alastair returned from the office late that night.return home: · As the soldiers returned home, their wives had to readjust to living with them again.
to return to your home or to the country where you were born: · It's late - I should go home now.· John used to go home once a month when he was at college.go home to: · I've enjoyed my time in Europe, but I'm really looking forward to going home to America.
to return to the house where you live: · What time did you get in last night?· I usually get home about 7:30 - you can try calling me after that.get in/get home from: · He hasn't had anything to eat yet. He just got home from work.
to be in the place where you were before you went away: · Jack! What a surprise! How long have you been back?· Carol is away on business, but she should be back next week.· We'll get together when you're back from vacation.
: run/drive/fly/walk etc back go back to where you were before by running, driving etc: · We took the train to Paris, but flew back.back to/from etc: · We cycled back from the beach in the evening.· It was a beautiful day, so I decided to walk back to the office.
to punish someone because they have harmed or offended you
to do something to punish someone who has harmed you, your family, or your friends: take/get revenge on: · Gayle took revenge on her husband by cutting up all his best clothes.take/get revenge for: · He was determined to get revenge for the murder of his sister.take/get your revenge: · During the riot inmates took their revenge on prison guards.
if you do something in retaliation for something that someone has done to you, you do it to make them suffer even more than you did: · Ross said he feared that he might be fired in retaliation.in retaliation for: · The President ordered the bombings in retaliation for the attack.
if you do something in revenge for something that someone has done to you, you do it to get revenge: · When she learned of her husband's affairs, she turned to another man in revenge.in revenge for: · They murdered Gillespi in revenge for the death of their brother.
also get your own back (on) British informal to do something which causes problems for someone, because they have done something that causes problems for you: · Dad won't let me go to the concert, but I'll get back at him.· Even if it took me ten years, I was determined to get my own back.· He kept looking for a chance to get his own back on Freddie.get back at for: · He wanted to get back at his supervisor for criticizing him in front of the other workers.
if you do something unpleasant or unkind to someone in order to get or pay them back , you do it in order to punish them because they have done something unkind or unpleasant to you: · So then I told everyone one of her secrets to pay her back.get/pay sb back for: · Someday I'll get you back for this!· John's being difficult about the divorce just to pay me back for leaving him.
informal if you get even with someone, you get revenge by doing something equally bad to them, in order to make yourself feel satisfied: · He decided to get even by letting the air out of her tires.get even with: · What can I do to get even with him?· Hamilton's supporters later tried to get even with Jefferson by calling him an adulterer.
if you avenge an action that someone has done to you, you do something unpleasant or unkind in order to get revenge - used especially in literature: · It was an insult which only Cassio's death could avenge.· The soldiers wanted to avenge their humiliating defeat the previous year.
spoken say this when someone has done something unpleasant to you and you are saying that you will get revenge: · I'll get you for this, you little brat.· Did you hear what he just said to me? I'll get him for this!
to make someone feel sad
· Something at school was making her unhappy, but she didn't want to talk about it.it makes somebody sad/unhappy to do something · It made me sad to see her looking so old and ill.
to make someone feel sad and want to cry: · I'm sorry if I upset you - I didn't mean to.· The idea of having to change school seemed to upset him more than we thought it would.it upsets somebody to do something: · Her father died when she was ten, and it still upsets her to think about it.
if a situation or event saddens someone, it makes them feel sad, especially because they think that this type of situation or event should not happen: · Everyone was saddened by the news that housing is to be built on the fields beside Cliff Lane.· Those of us who knew him are shocked and saddened by his death.it saddens somebody to do something: · Sometimes it saddened him to think that he was no longer young.it saddens somebody that : · It saddens me that there are people who go around vandalizing public places like this.
to make someone feel very sad or unhappy, especially so that they feel that only bad things happen and they cannot change the situation: · Listening to the news can really depress you, if you let it.· Shaun decided to leave. The way the others were behaving was beginning to depress him.it depresses somebody to do something: · It depressed me to think that five years ago I was earning more than I do now.
informal to gradually make someone feel unhappy and tired over a period of time: · The endless rain was beginning to get him down.· You can tell me if there's anything that's worrying you or getting you down.
to make someone very sad and upset, especially because a relationship has ended or because they are very disappointed: · When Annie left him, it broke his heart.it breaks somebody's heart (that): · It breaks my heart that his career has been ruined.it breaks somebody's heart to do something: · It would break her heart to leave the lovely old stone house where she'd lived for so long.
spoken if something is a downer , it makes you feel unhappy, especially because it is not good or successful: · I thought the movie was going to be a total downer, but it wasn't.on a downer: · The home team concluded its season on a big downer with a 2- 0 defeat.
to make someone feel very unhappy and without hope - use this especially when a bad situation is continuing and they cannot see how to change it: · There were times when the endless arguments drove him to despair.· By the time I was 17, the atmosphere at the school was driving me to despair.
to get points in a game or sport
to get points in a game, competition, or sport: · San Francisco scored twice in the last ten minutes of the game.score a point/goal: · Tottenham scored the first goal of the game.· In Scrabble you score points by making words on the board.
informal to score points in a game, competition, or sport: · When you get a total of 5 points it's your turn to throw the dice.· Stevens got only 10 goals in 41 games, and decided to leave the Boston Bruins.
especially American to score points in a game, competition, or sport: · Jordan made 34 points to put his team into the lead.· He ran 30 yards to make his second touchdown of the quarter.
to get a point or points by hitting a ball etc: · The batter hit a home run.· Greg Davis didn't disappoint his teammates, hitting six field goals in six attempts.
to send a letter, message, parcel etc
· Send a cheque for £50 with your order.· How many Christmas cards did you send?send somebody something · Perhaps I should send him a note of apology.· She sent him a furious email.send something to something · He sent a dozen red roses to his girlfriend on her birthday.· MI5 intercepted a message sent from a business firm in Paris to The Hague.
British /mail especially American to send a letter, package etc by putting it in a letter box or taking it to the post office: · I must remember to post Joey's birthday card.· You may choose not to mail the payment until the due date.post/mail something to somebody: · Could you mail those photographs to me?· Tickets will be posted to you unless otherwise requested.post/mail somebody something: · I mailed my dad a postcard from Alaska.
to send someone a copy of a document or message electronically down a telephone line, using a fax machine: · Shall I fax the report or mail it?fax something to somebody: · The order will be faxed directly to the manufacturer.fax somebody something: · They've agreed to fax us their proposals tomorrow.
to send a message directly from one computer to another computer, using the Internet: · You can email Richard in Sydney.email somebody something: · I'll e-mail you his address when I get home.email something to somebody: · She spent the next hour e-mailing her resume to prospective employers.
to send something somewhere so that it can be dealt with: send something off: · I must send this film off to be processed.send off something: · When did you send off your application form?
to send something to an organization by mail, so that it can be dealt with: send something in: · We've sent our passports in to get them renewed.send in something: · The final date for sending in completed application forms is July 3rd.· Almost 1000 questionnaires have already been sent in.
to send something to a lot of people: send out something: · The club sends out a monthly newsletter to all its members.· Officials are sending out information packs to 4000 firms in the area.send something out: · We posted the wedding invitations in batches, rather than sending them all out at the same time.
to send a letter or written message to each person in a group in order to make sure that everyone receives the information you want them to receive: · While Shelley was still at school, he circulated a pamphlet attacking religion.circulate something around/to/through etc: · Sneed had circulated a letter round the department explaining the new pay cuts.· A list of well-known fraudsters was circulated to all local police chiefs.be widely circulated (=circulated to a lot of people): · The results of the survey were widely circulated.
formal to send something to someone, especially something they have ordered or are expecting: · The seller had agreed to dispatch the goods free of charge.dispatch something to something: · The proofs were then despatched to London for printing.
informal to send something by mail, especially when it is urgent: · She managed to get all the letters off before five o'clock.get sth off to: · I'll get this off to you first thing in the morning.
British to put a letter, parcel etc into a post box or take it to a post office to be sent: · I'll put a cheque in the post for you tonight.
to speak a little of a foreign language
to speak enough of a language to be able to buy things, ask for help etc: · He went to Tokyo and within a few weeks knew enough Japanese to get by.get by in: · I've just bought a book called 'Get By In Portuguese'.
to be able to speak a few words of a language: · "Do you speak Korean?" "I only know a few words."know a few words of: · I used to know a few words of German but I've forgotten them all.
to be able to speak a small but useful amount of a language: · Martin is fluent in French, and also has a smattering of Swedish.
: broken English/French etc English, French etc that is spoken slowly and badly by someone who only knows a little of the language: · The two students, one Chinese, the other Greek, communicated in broken English.
to stand after sitting or lying down
to stand after you have been sitting, bending, or lying down: · She got up and turned off the TV.· I can't get up. Give me a hand, will you?· I watched how slowly he got up, how stiff he seemed.get up from a chair/seat/sofa etc: · Max got up from his chair and shook her hand.· When Maura came in, he got up from the table and poured the coffee.get up off the floor/ground/grass etc: · One of her friends helped her to get up off the floor.· I got up off the grass and strolled over to where Rob was sitting.get up to do something/get up and do something: · I was left with Maria when the others got up to dance.
to stand after you have been sitting: · "I have to go now," she said, standing up.· Could you all stand up please.· He stood up to shake Mel's hand.· Abruptly she stood up, and got ready to leave.
to stand up, especially slowly or when it is difficult for you: · He got to his feet, and we shook hands.· My attorney got slowly to his feet, breathing heavily.
formal to stand up - use this especially in descriptions of events and formal ceremonies: · The old woman rose stiffly and held out her hand.· The congregation rose as the bride entered the cathedral.rise from your seat/the table/a chair etc: · The chairman had already risen from his seat and was beginning his speech.rise to your feet: · Audience members rose to their feet, cheering and clapping.
to stand up in order to do something, especially at a special event or formal occasion: · The Senate stood to welcome the new President.· Would you all please stand to sing hymn 106?
to start doing something
· We can't start until Carol gets here.· I'm starting a new job next week.· Have you started that book yet? (=started reading it)start doing something · I've just started learning German.· It was getting dark so we started looking for a place to stay the night.start to do something · Halfway through the performance, she started to feel a little faint.· Outside, it was starting to rain.
to start doing something. Begin is more formal than start and is used especially in written English: · Once the children were quiet, the teacher began.· They began their holiday in Italy, and then went on to Greece.begin to do something: · More and more people are beginning to do their shopping on-line.· "What do you mean?" she said, beginning to laugh.begin doing something: · The audience suddenly began shouting and cheering.
to finally start doing something, especially work, after you have been avoiding doing it or after something has prevented you from doing it: · Come on Sam - it's time you got down to some homework.get down to to doing something: · When the summer comes, we must get down to painting the outside of the house.get down to business: · OK, can everyone take a seat now, and we'll get down to business.
to start a piece of work that will take a fairly long time: · The exam was almost over and I hadn't even started on question 3.· It was time to start on all those little jobs around the house that he'd been putting off.· We can't start on the building work until planning permission comes through.
to start a long and fairly difficult piece of work, especially in an energetic and determined way: · Philip set about the task with a great deal of energy and enthusiasm.· Why don't we set to work really early, and try to get it finished in one day?set about/set to work doing something: · If there is a serious problem, it's far better to admit it and set about tackling it.set to work to do something: · Workmen had already set to work to clear the fallen trees.set to work on something: · Once in power, the government set to work on major reforms to the tax system.
to start doing something after you have finished doing something else: · Martin marched into the shop and proceeded to hurl abuse at the girl behind the counter.· After listening carefully to my advice, she proceeded to do the exact opposite!
to start doing something after a delay or interruption that has stopped you giving it your full attention: · After lunch the children settled down to finish their science projects.settle down to to doing something: · It was two o'clock before I could finally settle down to writing the next chapter.
to suddenly start a long speech or story, especially if you are criticizing something or giving an entertaining description of something: · Annie arrived late and immediately launched into a lengthy description of the terrible traffic on the roads.· At that point the young man stood up and launched into a passionate party-political speech.
to start a large piece of work or an important activity, especially one that will be difficult or will take a long time: · In the 1950s China embarked on a massive program of industrialization and mechanization.· After leaving his office job, he embarked upon a highly successful writing career.
to gradually start to like, fear, expect etc something over a period of time: · Rowling's latest book is full of all the magic and excitement that her young readers have come to expect.· At first I thought he was a bit strange, but I grew to like and respect him over the years.· My teacher said that this wasn't the kind of work that she'd come to expect of me.
spoken informal to start doing something immediately, because you are in a hurry or there is a lot to do: · Come on! - get cracking. I want this whole house clean by the time I get back.· You'd better get cracking if you want to get to the airport by ten.
to be successful in your work
also be a success to earn a lot of money or to become well known and respected, because you do your job very well: · Five years ago he started his own business and now he's very successful.· I'm glad we appointed Cyril - he's proved to be a great success.· In order to be successful as a dancer, you need flair and stamina.· He's leaving the company, despite having been a big success as marketing manager.· People who are successful in their careers have found out what they like and do well.
to be successful in your job, especially because you work hard: · Gail seemed so anxious to do well, and she worked really hard.· When the players do well, I praise them -- but there are no rewards for coming second.· Neither of the kids was doing well in school.· Most of his tutors expected him to do well at Harvard.· My friend left college and went into law, and he's doing very well for himself.
to be successful in your job, especially because you have a very strong desire to succeed: · The people who get on are the ones who create their own opportunities.· My father's experience taught me a memorable lesson in how to get ahead.get on in life/the world: · You may not like having to agree with everything the boss says, but often that's the way to get on in life.· If you want to get ahead in this world, kid, never take 'no' for an answer.
informal to become successful, especially in the sports or entertainment business: · He was a talented football player and I knew he'd make it.· We've fought long and hard to get where we are, and we deserve to make it.make it big (=become very successful): · Many actors move to America, hoping to make it big in Hollywood.make it on your own (=without any help from anyone): · Get as much advice from colleagues as you can - it can be difficult trying to make it on your own.
to become successful in your job by doing it well and continuing to work at it for a fairly long time: · People who have had setbacks are often the ones who are really driven to succeed.· a strong desire to succeedsucceed as a teacher/actor/musician etc: · If you don't change your attitude, you will never succeed as a manager in this firm.succeed at: · My parents always told me I'd succeed at anything I chose to do.succeed in: · A lot of people doubted that I could succeed in business for myself.
to get better and better jobs in a company, organization, or profession so that eventually you have one of the most important jobs in it: · Those who rise to the top in advertising can expect to earn in excess of $100,000.· I think we all like to believe that if someone is made of the right stuff, they will rise to the top.· A consummate professional, he rose to the top of the most competitive organization in the country.
to work very hard in your job so that eventually you reach an important and high position: · While she was working her way up from dishwasher to chef, she was studying at night school to improve her grades. work your way up to the top: · He started two years ago as an admin assistant, and worked his way up to the top.
to be successful in your job so that people notice you and respect your ability, especially because of a particular piece of work you have done: · In his early twenties, Terry was the typical ambitious graduate, full of ideas and eager to make his mark.· She instantly made her mark with a series of award-winning ad campaigns for high-profile clients.
to gain more important and better paid jobs in your chosen area of work, especially by doing things that will get you noticed by more important people that you work with: · First, take a look at what you personally can do to advance your career.· In recent weeks, Janet has become aware that her colleague Alan has been using her to further his own career.
to continue to live a normal life even though you have very little money
· When I look at how much we spend on food, I wonder how unemployed people are able to survive.survive on £100 a week/a small income etc · It's really difficult to survive on £120 a week in London.· I don't know how they expect me to survive on my salary.
to have enough money to buy the things you need to live: · We don't have a lot of money to spend on luxuries, but we get by.get by on $5 a day/a small income etc: · When I was at college I used to be able to get by on $20 a week.
if someone lives on a particular amount of money, this is all the money that they have to buy everything that they need: · How much do you need to live on?· $35,000 a year sounds like a lot of money, but it's scarcely enough to live on in New York.
if it is difficult for you to make ends meet , it is difficult for you to pay for the things that you need in order to live: · Old people on pensions are finding it hard to make ends meet.· My mother had to work 12 hours a day in a factory just to make ends meet.
to have just enough money to pay your debts or to avoid closing your business: · I'm just a pensioner, trying to keep my head above water.· Schools throughout the county are struggling to keep their heads above water.
formal if someone subsists on a very small amount of money or a very small amount of food, this is all they have to live on: · They subsist on eggs and beans most of the time.subsist on a dollar a day/a small income etc: · The workers are expected to subsist on a dollar a day.
to get just enough food or money to live on by doing a particular kind of work: · She eked out a living by selling firewood.· Farmers eked out a primitive existence on the dry, stony land.
to continue to live your normal life in spite of problems
· The program provides homeless kids with the basics they need to survive: food, shelter, and health care.· Liz Taylor has survived several broken marriages, as well as periods of drug and alcohol addiction.· I don't think I could survive another year as a teacher. It's just too stressful.
someone who is used to dealing with great personal problems and difficulties and is able to survive them: · As more is revealed, the audience begins to see Wendy as a survivor rather than a victim.a born survivor (=someone who seems to have a natural ability to survive difficulties): · Although she's had an extremely hard life, Tina Turner is a born survivor.
to successfully deal with a very difficult problem or experience and be able to continue with your normal life after it: · She's had problems before and she's always come through.· Some children come through their parents' divorcing better than others.
to succeed in reaching the end of a very difficult period or experience: · It was not an easy time for Tracy but her friends helped her get through.· "Oh Jane, how will I ever get through this?" she said, and the tears started flowing again.
to go to a place and take someone or something from there
to go to the place where someone or something is, and bring them back, or tell them to come back: · I'll get my coat and then we can go.· Dinner's ready. Can you get Jo?· I've got to get the kids in a few minutes.get somebody something (=get something for someone): · Could you get me my keys from the kitchen?· I'm going to get myself a beer, does anyone else want one?go (and) get somebody/something: · Go and get your father. He's in the garden.· Forget the cooking, let's go get takeout.
to go to a place where someone or something is waiting for you or ready for you, and take them with you: pick somebody/something up: · Do you want me to come back and pick you guys up?· Nadia will pick you up at the airport.· Can you pick some milk up from the shop on your way home?pick up somebody/something: · "Where's Diana?" "She just left to pick up the kids from school."· I'll pick up the tickets on my way home from work.· Hi, I've come to pick up a suit I left on Tuesday.
British to go to the place where someone or something is waiting for you, and bring them back: · I'm at the station. Can you come and collect me?· We'll have to eat later, I'm collecting Grandma from the hospital this evening.· I've got a parcel to collect from the post office.
British to go to get someone or something that you need and bring them back: · Jim's gone to fetch the police.· Where's your mug? Go and fetch it.· Martha fetched a towel from the bathroom.fetch somebody something: · Could you fetch me a screwdriver?
to speak to someone by telephone
· To find out more, call 555-1972.· Can you call Becky before six?· She called about twenty minutes ago.call for · I'll call for a taxi now.call roundBritish /around American (=call several people or organizations, especially to get information) · I called round to see if anyone knew where Tom was.· His secretary started calling around to find out where the commission was meeting.
also ring British · I'll phone you if there's any news.· Shall I ring Sarah to see if she wants to come out with us?· Did anyone ring while I was out?· Jill phoned to tell you she'll see you tonight.phone for · Let's phone for a pizza tonight.phone/ring round British (=telephone several people or organizations, especially to get information) · You'd better ring round some travel agents to get some prices.
to speak to someone by telephone . Telephone is more formal than phone or call , and is used especially in writing: · About five o'clock, a woman telephoned Bernstein.· For details of your nearest tourist office telephone 4127.· Mr Dodd telephoned this morning.telephone for: · Write or telephone for more information.
British /call up American to speak to someone by telephone, especially in order to have a friendly conversation with them or to ask for information: · Your uncle rang up about an hour ago.· "I don't know what time the last train is." "Well, phone up and find out."ring/call/phone up somebody: · Why don't you call up Jackie and apologize?· She uses the office phone to phone up her friends in Sweden.ring/call/phone somebody up: · John called him up to make sure of the date of the graduation ceremony.· I might phone him up at home.
also give somebody a ring British spoken to speak to someone by telephone - use this especially when you are telling someone that you will telephone them, or when you are asking them to telephone: · Just give me a call if you need anything.· Why don't I give you a ring later and find out when you'll be free?
to use the telephone to speak to someone: · Diana made a quick call to Munich before the meeting.· There's a pay phone in the lobby if you need to make a telephone call.· Limit the number of personal phone calls you make at work.
to be speaking to someone on the telephone: · Rosie's still on the phone.· There's someone on the phone for you.be on the phone to: · He was on the phone to a friend when he noticed the smoke.be on the phone with: · How long are workers on the phone with customers?talk/speak on the phone: · Marie and I talk on the phone at least once a week.have somebody on the phone (=to have someone calling you): · Mr Rogers, I have Anita Payne on the phone for you.
informal also give somebody a bell British informal to telephone someone: · I'll give Larry a buzz. Maybe he'll want to go too.· Can you give Mary a bell? She rang earlier.· Give me a ring if you decide you can come.
to succeed in reaching someone by telephone: · I tried calling my parents, but I couldn't get through.get through to: · Did you get through to Mr McWhirter?
to pass a test
to reach a high enough standard to succeed in an examination or test: · "I'm taking my driving test today." "Do you think you'll pass?"· New recruits have to pass a physical fitness test.pass with flying coloursBritish /colors American (=pass a test or examination with very high marks): · She was so nervous about her examination results, but in fact she passed with flying colours.
especially British to pass all the examinations that you need in order to become a doctor, lawyer, engineer etc: · After qualifying, she joined the NatWest Bank as a corporate advisor.qualify as: · She wanted to improve her English so she could qualify as a translator.
to pass all your final examinations at university or college, and get a degree. In the US, graduate also means to successfully complete your high school education: · What are you going to do after you graduate?graduate from: · Mitch graduated from Stanford in 1998 with a degree in biochemistry.graduate in history/French/medicine etc British: · She graduated in modern languages and now works as an interpreter.
especially British, informal to only just pass an examination, by getting only a few marks more than are necessary: · Daniel scraped through the entrance exam.· I scraped through my exams with marks just good enough to keep my place in the school of pharmacy.
to pass a difficult test or examination: · The entrance exam is very difficult and only a small minority of candidates get through.get somebody through something: · Reading that book at the last minute was the only thing that got me through the history exam.
informal to pass a test or examination very easily: · "How'd his exams go?" "He breezed through - no trouble at all.sail/breeze through something: · She sailed through her driving test the first time.
· My teacher told me she passed me only because she knew I'd had a really hard year.· I didn't think the candidate deserved to be given a pass but the other examiners disagreed.
to travel to a lot of different places
also travel round British to travel to a lot of different places, especially when you do not plan exactly where you are going: · David travelled around a lot in the '60s and '70s.travel around Europe/the North/Canada etc: · I'd love to have a job that let me travel around the world.· She's been traveling around the country trying to get big companies interested in her ideas.
British to travel to a lot of different places within a particular area or country, especially for pleasure and interest: · For our summer vacation this year we're touring Spain in a camper.· We shall tour the city for two hours and then meet back at the bus.
spoken to travel to a lot of different places in a particular area, especially as part of a holiday: · Last year we did the Greek Islands but we were thinking of the USA this year.· There's not a whole lot to see, so you can do the city in two or three days.
also get round British to travel to a large number of places, usually in a short time: · The metro system in Mexico City is very good. It makes it really easy to get around.get around London/Europe/the Midwest etc: · You can use free shuttle buses to get around the city.
to travel to many different places in a particular area, because you are interested to find out more about them: · We'll be in Istanbul for three days, so there will be plenty of time to explore.· Whenever possible, she and Flynn would go off and explore the countryside, taking a picnic with them.
to travel around to different places all over the world so that you get the experience of living in other countries: · After leaving college and earning some money he set off to see the world.
if you do something on your travels , you do it while you are travelling to different places: · I picked up a few words of Chinese on my travels, but I don't speak it fluently.on your travels to: · Corbett met a number of his contacts on his travels to Taiwan.
to understand a situation, idea, or what someone is telling you
· She spoke slowly and clearly so that everyone could understand.· I didn't understand the teacher's instructions.· When he's old enough to understand, we'll tell him he's adopted.understand what/why/how etc · Ben asked a few questions to make sure he understood what to do.· You don't need to understand how a computer works to use it.understand that · The witness said he understood that he was swearing to give true and correct information.easy/difficult to understand · Computer manuals should be written in a way that is easy to understand.understand perfectly (=understand completely) · Don't worry. I understand perfectly.fully understand (=understand completely) · Doctors still do not fully understand the process by which the disease is transmitted.
to understand what someone is telling you, especially if they have not expressed it very clearly: · I don't think your audience is going to know what you mean by this.you know what I mean? (=say this to check that someone understands you): · He seems really sad, you know what I mean?I know what you mean (=say this to show that you understand): · "It's a thing you hold pieces of wood in when you're doing woodwork." "Oh, I know what you mean -- a vice."
especially spoken to understand the truth about a situation, or understand the reasons for something: see what somebody means: · Try it for yourself, and you'll see what I mean.see why/how/what etc: · I can see why people don't like him.I see (=say this when you understand what someone has told you): · "It goes in the red box, here." "Oh, I see."you see (=say this when you are explaining something): · Well, you see, he's not really ready to read a book this difficult.see (that): · Well, I can see that the logic is somehow wrong, but I don't know why exactly.see any reason: · Can you see any reason why it shouldn't work?see the point (=understand why something is important): · At fourteen, he couldn't see the point of staying in school.see somebody's point (=understand the main idea or importance of what someone is saying): · I didn't like his attitude, but I could see his point.see the joke British (=understand why something is funny): · He's just one of those people who never seem to see the joke.
spoken to understand what someone says, what is happening, or why or how something happens: get it: · "Do you understand?" "Yeah, we've got it," one of the drivers replied.· Barbara Howell and her husband, Kenneth (Barbie and Ken, get it?) run a bed-and-breakfast inn.I don't get it: · Why did you turn down such a fantastic job? I don't get it.get a/the joke (=understand why something is funny): · John told me one of his stupid jokes, and it took me about five minutes to get it.get the point (=understand the main idea or importance of something): · I don't think you get the point. Legally, you must give us this information.get the idea: · The students should get the idea that this is a complex issue, with no easy answers.get what/why/how etc: · I just couldn't get what he meant.
formal to understand something that is complicated or difficult to understand: · Take the time to read, comprehend, and evaluate the report.· God cannot truly be seen or comprehended by the human mind.fully comprehend (=understand something completely): · The significance of the disappearance of the buffalo and the passenger pigeon was not fully comprehended until much later.
to fully understand a fact or an idea, especially one that it is important or difficult to understand: · Obviously, she had barely grasped the subject.· Science lessons should be taught in a way that makes the material easier to grasp.hard to grasp: · Fame has come suddenly, and Peyton is finding it hard to grasp.grasp that: · The army had failed to grasp that their mission was to protect the navy's ships, not vice versa.
to understand something that is not clear or easy to understand, especially by spending time thinking about it: · Police are trying to make sense of a bizarre note left by the murderer.· There is so much information that it is difficult to make sense of it all.
informal to understand what someone is telling you or what they want you to do, especially after they have told you several times: · Even the Democrats got the message: voters are concerned about taxes.get the message that: · He doesn't seem to get the message that he's not welcome here.
spoken to understand a situation or arrangement, especially one that someone is explaining to you: · I get the picture. You want me to say you were at my house last night.· We don't want any trouble tonight. Do you get the picture?
British informal to understand something that is difficult or complicated: · I just couldn't get my head round geometry at school.
to begin to understand something
to slowly begin to understand a situation or someone's feelings, because you get more information or because you experience something for yourself: · I think it will be a long time before we even begin to understand how damaging the effect has been.· Patients are given written information and videos so that they can begin to understand more about their condition.begin to understand that: · I was beginning to understand that being alone could be terribly depressing.begin to understand why/how/what etc: · As we walked up the narrow staircases, we began to understand why the Dutch haul their furniture up the outside of the buildings and through the windows.
informal to begin to understand something that is not easy to understand: · Thomas isn't catching on as quickly as some of the other children.catch on to: · It took Jennifer a long time to catch on to the fact that Mary was taking advantage of her.catch on fast/quickly: · She catches on fast and will soon be promoted.
spoken to finally understand something, especially after it has been explained to you several times: · Okay, I get it. You only get paid if you sell at least ten copies.· "So the plant takes in carbon dioxide and gives out oxygen." "That's it. You've got it."
to think about something until you understand it, especially something complicated: · Horgan thought he had it all figured out, but he hadn't.figure/work something out: · In case you haven't figured it out yet, we've been tricked.figure/work out how/why/what etc: · Detectives are still trying to work out what happened.
British informal to begin to understand a situation by what you see and hear around you, and not by being told directly: · Oh, I get it, I've twigged at last. How much do you want?twig that: · At last I twigged that I was pregnanttwig why/where/what etc: · It took him about two minutes to twig what I was going on about!
informal to begin to understand a situation by what you see and hear around you, and not by being told directly: cotton on to: · It took him a while to cotton on to what was happening.· Large stores have at last cottoned on to the fact that mothers with pushchairs can't cope with stairs.
if something clicks , especially something you are learning, you suddenly begin to understand it: · Just keep working at it, and suddenly it will all click.
if several facts fall into place , you begin to understand how they are connected and why each one is important, so that you understand a whole situation or subject: · Once the police received this new evidence, things began falling into place.
to join together with other people, organizations, or countries
especially written if people, organizations, or countries unite , they start working together or join together as a single unit, for example because they have the same aims as each other: unite to do something: · In 1960, British and Italian Somaliland united to form Somalia.· Various political and religions groups united to oppose the dictatorship.unite against: · Police chiefs called on the local people to unite against the drug dealers.unite behind: · a speech in which he asked America to unite behind the new President
if two or more people team up , they agree to work together, especially in business, music, or theatre: team up with: · I teamed up with a local journalist, and we worked on the story together.team up to do something: · It all started when Paul McCartney and John Lennon teamed up to form a band.
if people or organizations get together , they join together in order to do something, especially in an informal way: · Designers from both countries got together and held a joint exhibition.get together to do something: · The whole family needs to get together to decide what to do about the trip.
to join together and work very closely together so that you succeed in achieving the result you want: combine to do something: · The opposition parties combined to drive the Prime Minister out of office.combine with: · Members of the radical Right combined with communists in holding an illegal meeting.
if people or organizations join forces , they join together in order to work together or to fight against an enemy: join forces to do something: · The two manufacturers, who were once bitter rivals, have now joined forces to develop a new sports car.join forces with: · The socialists hope to join forces with the communists to fight the next election.
if people or organizations come together , especially ones who usually disagree or compete with each other, they join together in order to do something: · Women from the different organizations have been able to come together and agree on certain basic principles about what they, as women, are fighting for. come together to do something: · The Conference called on everyone to come together to resist the government's planned educational reforms.
if two or more organizations amalgamate , for example colleges, unions, or hospitals, they join together to form a single organization: · The two schools amalgamated in 1974.amalgamate with: · The women's association has amalgamated with the men's.amalgamate into: · A and B squadrons amalgamated into a single squadron.
if two companies or organizations merge , they join together to form a single company or organization: · The two banks have announced plans to merge next year.merge with: · In 1969, Cadbury merged with Schweppes, changing the whole character of the company.
ways of saying how many votes are made or received
the total number of votes made in a political election: · 63% of the vote went to the National Party.somebody's share of the vote: · Once again, the Democrats increased their share of the vote.
if a candidate receives or gets a particular number of votes, that is the number of people who have voted for him or her. Receive is more formal than get: · Standord received 50% of the male vote.· The Green Party candidate got only one more vote than the Socialists.
British to receive a particular number of votes in an election: · He polled 23,579 votes.· The Labour candidate polled 52% of the votes.
to get out of bed
to get out of bed, especially in the morning in order to get ready for the day: · What time do you need to get up tomorrow?· Why is it always me who gets up first?get up at 7.00 a.m./dawn etc: · Frank gets up at half past five every morning.get up early/late: · I think we should get up early and leave before breakfast.· She goes to bed late and gets up late.
· I couldn't face getting out of bed this morning.· Isn't it about time you got out of bed?
to be out of bed and doing things: · Is Harry up yet?· I was up at six this morning.· Jake had been up since dawn.be up early: · You're up early!
spoken informal to get up, especially late and after being in bed for a long time: · "Have you seen Cathy?" "No, she hasn't surfaced yet."
to win a race, competition etc
to win a race, competition, election etc, for example by getting more points, votes etc than everyone else or by being the first to finish: · No-one really expected the Socialist Party to win.win a race/game/election etc: · Chang won the first set but lost the next two.· The competition was won by a Nigerian student.win a prize/medal/cup etc: · His book won the Pulitzer Prize for literature.· What would you do if you won $1 million?win by 6 votes/2 goals etc (=win by getting 6 votes etc more than the other person or team): · He went ahead of Nolan, winning by 15 seconds.win 4-2/20-12 etc (=use this to show the final result of a game): · Do you remember our first game of the season? We won 3-1.win at cards/chess/tennis etc: · She always wins at Scrabble.
also come first British to win a race or competition in which more than two people or teams are competing: · Who do you think will finish first?· The British team was first, followed closely by the Americans.· André Etienne came in first, having completed the course in record time.finish first/be first/come in first in: · An Australian runner came first in the marathon.· Sue finished first in two races -- the 50m backstroke and the 100m front crawl.
the position of the person or team that wins a race or competition: in first place: · Johnson finished in first place, narrowly ahead of Green.win first place in: · My greatest achievement was winning first place in the Young Artist competition.
British if a political party gets in , they win an election, and have the right to form a government: · Do you think Labour will get in again at the next election?
WORD SETS
admin, nounadministration, nounadministrative, adjectiveadministrator, nounagency, nounagent, nounbalance sheet, nounbazaar, nounbid, nounbid, verbbig business, nounbook value, nounboss, nounbottom line, nounbranch, nouncapacity, nouncapital, nouncapital assets, nouncapital gains, nouncapital goods, nouncapital-intensive, adjectivecapitalist, nouncard, nouncentralize, verbcompetitiveness, nounconsultancy, nouncontract, nouncontract, verbcost-effective, adjectivecoupon, nouncritical path, noundecentralize, verbdeveloper, noundistiller, noundistributor, noundiversify, verbdownsize, verbeconomics, nounenterprise, nounentrepreneur, nounestablishment, nounfashion, nounfly-by-night, adjectivefold, verbfoodstuff, nounform letter, nounfranchise, verbfranchisee, noungazump, verbgearing, noungeneric, adjectiveget, verbhard sell, nounhaute couture, nounhigh season, nounhigh technology, nounhike, nounhike, verbloss, nounlow-tech, adjectivemaximize, verbMD, nounmerchandise, verbmerchandising, nounmerger, nounmiddleman, nounmiller, nounmission statement, nounmom-and-pop, adjectivemoneygrabbing, adjectivemoneymaker, noun-monger, suffixmonopolistic, adjectivemonopoly, nounnet, adjectivenet, verbniche, nounoff-the-peg, adjectiveopening time, nounoperation, nounoperational, adjectiveoperator, nounoption, nounoutlay, nounoutlet, nounoutput, nounoutwork, nounoverhead, nounoverstock, verbpackage, nounpartner, nounpartnership, nounpatent, nounpayola, nounpercentage, nounpiracy, nounpremium, nounprivate practice, nounprivatization, nounprivatize, verbprofitability, nounproprietor, nounproprietress, nounpurchase price, nounpurchasing power, nounquiet, adjectiveR & D, nounrate of return, nounrecall, verbreject, nounrep, nounresearch and development, nounrestrictive practices, nounrevenue, nounsell, verbservice industry, nounsleeping partner, nounspeculate, verbspeculation, nounspeculative, adjectivestreet value, nounsubtotal, nounswap meet, nounsweatshop, nounsyndicate, nounsystems analyst, nountake, nountender, nountie-up, nounTM, transact, verbtransaction, nounturnover, nounundersell, verbuneconomic, adjectiveunit, noununprofitable, adjectivevideo conferencing, nounwatchdog, nounwheeler-dealer, nounwheeling and dealing, noun
Collocations
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY
 I got a few games free when I bought my computer.
 Shall I go and get the phone book?
 You can get a decent PC for about £500 now.
 It’s a lovely coat, and I managed to get it cheap in the sales.
 He gets £4 an hour for stacking shelves.
 You should get a couple of hundred pounds for your old car.
 Did you get a good price for it?
 She gets a lot of pleasure from her garden.
 Peter got to his feet (=stood up).
 You might get hurt if you stand there. Mind the camera doesn’t get broken. My dad got killed in a car crash.
 She got her foot caught in the wire.
 I don’t get it – it doesn’t make sense.
 There is no getting away from this fact (=you cannot avoid or deny this fact).
 Life was beginning to get back to normal.
 I couldn’t get back to sleep.
 The scheme has proved very successful, and now other local authorities are keen to get in on the act (=become involved in something exciting or interesting).
 What time do you get off work?
 I went to bed but couldn’t get off to sleep.
 How can I get it through to him that this is really important?
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
 Hiring a car was the best way to get from A to B.
 Her eyes quickly became accustomed to the dark.
 There’s nothing like a good horror film to get the adrenalin going (=make you feel nervously excited).
· Both teams tried to get an advantage.
· I decided to get some advice from a specialist.
· One in three children here die before they reach the age of 5.· The number of people living to to the age of 80 has doubled in the last fifty years.
 Getting ahead at work is the most important thing to her at the moment.
· Ethiopia receives less foreign aid than any other developing country.
 an issue that wasn’t given an airing during the campaign
 The new single is already getting airplay.
 We’ve got the all clear for the new project.
 The kids seem to be getting on all right at school.
 Do you get an allowance for clothes?
 He was beginning to get angry.
· She wrote to him but she never got an answer.
· He received a formal apology from the company.
(=succeed in arranging one)· It’s difficult to get an appointment on Monday morning.
· For over twenty years it was impossible for NASA to get approval for this mission.
· She didn’t want to get into another argument about money.· I left to avoid becoming involved in an argument.
(=become late with payments)
 I got arrested for careless driving.
(=do something very well) I’ve got the early morning routine down to a fine art.
· She got no assistance from her family.
· He is the youngest person ever to receive the award.
 Do me a favour and get off my back!
 The bar had a bad name and was avoided by all the locals.
· His wife says he hopes to get bail.
· Then the Cowboys got the ball again.
· Everyone likes to think they are getting a bargain.
 The thief got more than he bargained for, as Mr Cox tripped him up with his walking stick.
· I had to get out of the bath to answer the phone.
· I usually read for a bit after I get into bed.
(=make someone get out of bed)· His mother couldn’t get him out of bed in the mornings.
(also gain/derive a benefit formal)· In this way, students will gain maximum benefit from their classes.
 I hope he gets better (=recovers from an illness) soon.
 We’re all going out to get bevvied up.
· I got on my bicycle and cycled over to Rob’s house.
· He got off his bike and walked with her for a while.
· What did you get for your birthday?
 Sometimes I sit for hours and never get a bite.
(=be blamed)· Sam knew that if something went wrong, he’d get the blame.
 A lot of women get the blues after the baby is born.
 I expect I’ll get a right bollocking from my boss when she finds out.
 The community will get a boost from a new library and recreation center.
· I get bored if I’m at home on my own all day.
(also catch your breath) (=start breathing normally again)· He leant against a tree until he had got his breath back.
 Do you know how the phone got broken (=became broken)?
 Wrap it up well so it doesn’t get broken (=become broken) in the mail.
 They are getting browned off by the situation.
 I tried to be friendly but I just got the brush-off.
· Six out of ten travellers get a stomach bug abroad.
· Can we get a bus from here to Reading?
· Several more passengers got on the bus.
 Davis got busted for drugs.
 Neil gets a buzz from drinking one beer.
(=travel by cab)· Why don't we take a cab to the theater?
· I just saw Fiona getting into a cab.
(also receive a call formal)· At 11 in the evening we got a call from the police.
 Children knew that if they misbehaved they would get the cane.
· The man stopped and she got into the car.
· He got out of the car and went into the newsagent’s.
 If you go back to the city, you’re bound to get caught.
 Her microphone was forever getting caught on her clothes.
(also rise from your chair formal)· He got up from his chair and walked to the window.
· I’d like a job in which I get the chance to travel.
 She used to get meat cheap at the butcher’s.
 She’s got a cheek; she just goes on till she gets what she wants.
· I got a new watch for Christmas.
· I’d like to get married in a church.
 Dad’s upstairs getting cleaned up.
(=understand something properly)· I was trying to get the idea clear in my mind.
 She’ll race if she gets medical clearance from her doctor.
 Over many years, the pipes had got clogged up with grease.
· She moved forward to take a close look at the painting.
· A group of tourists were getting on the coach.
· She’s staying at home today because she’s got a cold.
(=be starting to have a cold)· I think I might be getting a cold.
 You’ll get your comeuppance one day!
· The exhibition has received a lot of compliments from the public.
· Threats must not be used in order to obtain confessions.
(also obtain somebody’s consent formal)· Your solicitor will need to obtain your signed consent.
(=manage to communicate)· Where can I get in contact with you while you are away?
· They won a contract to supply 37 passenger trains to Regional Railways.
· I’ve had a cough for weeks now.
· A lot of people get coughs at this time of year.
· The exhibition has received extensive coverage in the press.
 He seems to have got it cracked.
 One of the swimmers got cramp and had to drop out of the race.
 We got creamed 45–6.
· They bought all their furniture on credit.
(=be allowed to buy something on credit)· The economic situation is making it more difficult for people to get credit.
 Kitty got totally crocked last night.
 She gets cross when he goes out drinking. Sometimes I get very cross with the children.
(=makes you do something that you are trying not to do)· Curiosity got the better of me and I opened her diary.
· She was determined to prevent Mike getting custody of Adam.
· I fell and got a bad cut on my head.
 It gets dark (=night begins) about ten o'clock.
(=buy something at a good price)· He thought he had got a good deal.
· She worked hard and got a good degree.
· You'll get your deposit back when all the bills have been paid.
· If you get depressed, talk to someone about it.
(=experience something bad after you have behaved badly)· I like films where the bad guys get what they deserve.
(=deserve any bad things that happen to you)· She's behaved really stupidly and she deserves all she gets.
· He got up from his desk to welcome the visitors.
 Did you ever get the pictures developed?
(=find yourself in a difficult situation)· Three people were rescued from a boat that had got into difficulties.
 I’m hoping to get my teaching diploma this year.
(=ask someone for directions)· I went into a petrol station to get directions.
· You get a discount if you book more than ten tickets.
 A lot of players get discouraged and quit.
(also contract a disease formal)· He caught the disease while travelling in Africa.
(=become involved)· We don’t want to get into a dispute with them.
(=end your marriage)· Their marriage had never been happy and in the end they got a divorce.
 My parents are getting divorced.
(=arrange for one to come to you)· In the middle of the night we decided to get the doctor.
(=open or close it for someone)· Could you get the door for me?
 Can you wait a minute? I’m just getting dressed.
 The tobacco companies got a severe dressing-down.
(=understand the general meaning of what someone is saying) She didn’t quite get my drift, did she?
(=in a pub or a bar)· It’s my turn to buy you a drink.
informal (=be/get addicted)· She got hooked on drugs, and ended up homeless.
(=stop taking drugs permanently)· It was years before I was able to come off drugs.
 David would get drunk and I would have to take him home and put him to bed.
(=become dry)· Come inside and get dry.
· Your father said he’d be home early.
· Set the alarm for six – I have to be up early tomorrow.
(=prepare or buy some food)· I’m sure you can get something to eat on the train.
(=gain a small advantage over someone or something else)· A well trained workforce is a key factor in gaining a competitive edge over our rivals.
· Some children grow up without receiving any education.
· Within seconds, I got an email confirming the booking.
· Sometimes I get embarrassed, and I start to stutter.
 He became very emotional when we had to leave.
· The men hope to find employment in the construction industry.
(=be given encouragement)· She got a lot of encouragement from her friends.
· The 40 year-old power station has now reached the end of its operating life.
 Have you heard? Sally and Ray are getting engaged.
 Small animals can get entangled in the net.
 fears that the US could get entangled in another war
 They refused to leave and were forcibly evicted (=evicted by force).
 Maria’s starting to get pretty excited about the wedding.
 The food was nothing to get excited about (=not very good or special).
· I don’t get enough exercise.
· He suggested that I should gain some experience in a related industry like travel.
(=ask an expert for information or advice)· Don’t make big financial decisions without first seeking advice from an expert.
 The failure of their marriage has got a lot of exposure recently.
· Your eyesight gradually deteriorates with age.
(=make sure that what you say or believe is correct)· You should get your facts straight before making accusations.
· It’s no use putting together a beautifully-written argument if you get your facts wrong.
 The lake is about 4 miles away, but we probably won’t get that far (=won’t go as far as that place).
 He started to explain, but he didn’t get far (=he did not succeed in saying very much) before Mary interrupted him.
 They had got as far as painting the kitchen.
 You’ll get fat if you eat all that chocolate.
 Anna got fed up with waiting.
 The boys get fidgety if they can’t play outside.
(=become involved in a fight)· The two men got into a fight over a girl.
 Helen got a first in Law.
(=book it)· I’ll be there tomorrow morning if I can get a flight.
· She’d just got off a flight from Buenos Aires.
 She’s got the flu.
 The appeal has got off to a flying start, with over £200,000 raised in the first week.
 I’m going to get the picture framed.
 There was still no news of Jill, and her parents were getting frantic.
 I got an awful fright when I realised how much money I owed.
 I nearly got frostbite.
 He gets frustrated when people don’t understand what he’s trying to say.
· Wait here while I get the car out of the garage.
(=start to giggle)· Now every time he looks at me I get the giggles.
 Don’t worry about all the details as long as you get the gist (=understand the main meaning) of it.
 It’s late! I must get going.
 Generally the action doesn’t get going (=start) until after midnight.
 I’m going to get going on (=start doing) the decorating next week.
 I couldn’t get the pump going (=make it work).
 Don’t I get a go?
· It was great that he got that goal so late in the game.
· He had always gotten good grades.
· You may be able to get a grant to learn a trade.
(=hold something that is hard to hold firmly)· I got a good grip on the rope and pulled myself up.
· The teacher asked the students to get into groups.
(=start doing something regularly or often)· Try to get into the habit of walking for 30 minutes each day.
(=stop doing something regularly or often)· She couldn’t get out of the habit of saying 'sorry'.
 I haven’t had a haircut for months!
 I’d go to university if I got half the chance.
 She’s got a real hang-up about her body.
(=be made to experience problems)· Liz is getting a lot of hassle about the claim from her insurance company.
 Give your children a head start by sending them to nursery school.
(=regularly have a headache)· He often gets headaches at school.
(also somebody's hearing deteriorates)· The medication seemed to make her hearing get worse.
 She didn’t want things to get too heavy at such an early stage in their relationship.
· She gets no help from her husband.
· You will be able to get confidential help from your doctor.
(=be treated as a hero when you arrive somewhere)· The team were given a hero’s welcome when they returned to the city.
 Mike tends to get het up about silly things.
British English, get/have the hiccups American English Don’t drink so fast – you’ll get hiccups.
 You’ll get a good hiding when you come home!
(=take a drug to make yourself high)
(=to understand a hint)· I looked hopefully at the cake, but he didn't get the hint.
(=start holding something)· Wallace took hold of Fred’s jacket and pulled him roughly backwards.
(=arrive at your home) It was midnight by the time we got home. What time are you coming home?
 I know a girl who got hooked on cocaine.
 I got hooked on TV when I was sick.
 If things get too hot (=a situation becomes too difficult or dangerous to deal with), I can always leave.
 She got herself in hot water with the authorities.
 Some customers get huffy when you ask them for their ID.
 If you get hungry, there’s some cold chicken in the fridge.
(=deal successfully with a problem)
 Sometimes players get hurt in training.
 He’s no good for you, Jenny. You’ll only get hurt again.
· She got the idea from an article in a magazine.
· She developed the illness when she was in her 50s.
· What sort of impression did you get of the city?
· The country eventually got its independence in 1960.
 Clean the wound so it doesn’t get infected.
· She got a nasty throat infection which meant she couldn’t sing.
· The government has promised to reduce inflation to 3%.· The government's top priority is to get inflation down to 2%.
· It is vital that people receive the information they need.
informal (=suffer an injury)· He couldn’t take the chance of getting an injury.
(=receive it)· We’ve already had a lot of inquiries about membership of the new sports centre.
· He gets much of his inspiration from the classical poets.
informal:· I'm thinking of getting house insurance.
· He was one of only five people to get an interview out of more than 100 people who applied.
· Did you get an invitation to Janet's party?
 He’s had that job now for about eight years, and he’s starting to get itchy.
· He got out of jail after five years for armed robbery.
· Eventually, Mary got a job as a waitress.
(=understand a joke and find it funny)· She never gets my jokes.
 I hope that he’s caught and gets his just deserts (=is punished in the way he deserves).
 Now that the crisis is over, we must try to get things back on an even keel.
· He got a kick on the ankles from Anne.
 We ought to get some kip.
· Once you've got the knack, you'll never forget how to do it.
 We’re still getting to know each other really.
(also gain/acquire knowledge formal)· He gets all his knowledge about politics from watching the television.
(also draw a laugh British English written) (=be laughed at)· Most of his jokes didn’t even get a laugh.
(=make someone laugh)· I always managed to get a laugh out of my audience.
· If you are charged with breaking the law, you will need to get a lawyer.
 All he wants to do is go out and get laid.
· How much annual leave do you get?
(also receive a letter formal)· I got a letter from my mother.
· New private pilots must fly for at least fifty hours before getting their licences.
 It was seven o'clock and just starting to get light.
 In time, I got to like her (=began to like her).
 I got on the line to (=phoned) the hospital as soon as I heard about the accident.
 I wished he would just get off the line.
 Anybody who steps out of line will be in deep trouble.
 He’s already got a new job lined up.
· She got a loan from the bank.
(=escape) A 34-year-old inmate broke loose from the sheriff’s office yesterday.
British English, be/get lost in the mail American English The parcel must have got lost in the post.
 I got thoroughly lost on the way here.
 We’re running low on gas. Stocks are getting low.
informal (=be lucky)· They’re not a great team - they just got lucky.
· What happens if my luggage gets lost?
 A career was less easy once I was lumbered with a husband and children.
 We get mad at each other sometimes, like any family.
 There’s no need to get mad about it!
· Did we get any mail this morning?
· If no one gets an overall majority, the vote is repeated.
· On this issue he does seem to have received a clear mandate from the electorate.
(=to have a wedding)· Did you know that they are going to get married?
 We got completely mashed last night.
 Sir Ralph was becoming maudlin after his third glass of claret.
(also take somebody’s meaning British English) (=understand what someone is saying in an indirect way)· He’s not like other people, if you get my meaning.
· You get a more accurate measurement holding the tape this way.
(also receive a medal formal)· She received a medal from the Society of Arts.
· This type of research rarely gets a mention in the media.
 You got us into this mess, Terry. You can get us out of it.
(also receive a message formal)· Didn’t you get my message?
 I won’t be coming this evening – I’ve got a migraine.
 Sorry I forgot. I’ve got a lot on my mind (=a lot of problems to worry about) at the moment.
(also make mischief) (=do things that cause trouble or damage)· You spend too much time getting into mischief!
 I must have got the times mixed up.
 My papers got all mixed up.
 The player got a monstering from his manager.
· We couldn't get a mortgage.
(=be unable to pay enough money each month)· He fell behind with the mortgage when he lost his job.
· We got on the motorway near Watford.
 The plan should boost employment and get things moving in the economy.
 Spanish and Italian are very similar and I sometimes get them muddled up.
 Could you just repeat those figures – I’ve got a bit muddled up.
 Get me a packet of crisps – I have the munchies.
 There’s no need to get narked about it!
especially British English (=suddenly start behaving in a threatening way) When Harry refused, Don turned nasty and went for him with both fists.
 city workers who want to get back to nature in their holidays
· Everyone gets nervous before a big game.
· I never get to bed before 11.
(=buy one regularly)· We don’t get a newspaper; we tend to watch the news on TV.
 Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty and work out the costs.
· The film got the nomination for Best Drama.
 I soon realized that being tough was getting me nowhere fast (=was not helping me achieve anything).
 I get very offended when he talks to me like that.
· He received the offer of a place at Cambridge University.
· I decided to go, as I might never get this opportunity again.
 It will take me a few days to get organized.
 Who got the Oscar (=won it) for best actress?
(=go to places where you can meet people) Most teenagers would rather be out and about with their friends.
· I wanted to get an overview of the main environmental concerns.
· If the pain gets any worse, see your doctor.
· There’s no need to get into a panic.
 Malcolm got really paranoid, deciding that there was a conspiracy out to get him.
(=be elected as a member of parliament)· Tony Blair first entered Parliament in 1983.
· I was thrilled when I was told I’d got the part.
· The bus stopped and half the passengers got off.
(also obtain a passport formal)· It took quite a long time to get a new passport.
· They receive the basic state pension.
(also obtain/receive permission formal)· We'll need to get permission to film in the museum.· You must obtain permission from the owners before viewing the property.
· You have to get a special permit in order to visit the Saiq plateau.
· When you get to my age, you get a different perspective on life.
(=judge the importance of something correctly by considering it in relation to other things)· You’ve got to take a wider view and get things in perspective.
(=call them)· We got on the phone to the hospital straight away.
 I got a phone call from someone called Mike.
(=take one successfully)· Did you get some good photos in Greece?
(=take one successfully)· I got some brilliant photographs of the desert.
 She always gets first pick of the videos.
· Scientists have been trying to get a better picture of how the drug works.
 Ring Mum and let her know we got here in one piece.
 And will foreign firms get a piece of the action?
 I’ll have to move because I’m starting to get pins and needles in my foot.
 You get really pissed off applying for jobs all the time.
(also board a plane)· We got on the plane and found our seats.
· Would he ever see her again after they got off the plane?
· Young children get a lot of pleasure from dressing up.
 During the show she managed to put in a plug for her new book.
(=make people understand it)· I think we got our point across.
(=understand or agree with it)· OK, I take your point. But it’s not that easy.
(=talk about the most important thing immediately)· I haven't got much time so let's get straight to the point.
(=understand it)· He didn’t get the point at first.
· You get to the point where ordinary things like climbing stairs are difficult.
informal (=score a point)· Our aim is to get as many points as possible.
(=receive it)· Did you get anything in the post today?
· I'm afraid the cheque must have got lost in the post.
· Women were trying to gain power in a male-dominated world.
· You must get as much practice as possible before the competition.
· His actions did not get the praise they deserved.
informal (=become pregnant)· She got pregnant when she was sixteen.
(=make a woman pregnant, usually without planning to)· At least he didn't get you pregnant.
(=receive a present)· Children soon learn to enjoy giving presents as well as getting them.
(=be paid a particular amount for something)· Farmers now get a decent price for their crop.
 Very little of his poetry actually got into print (=was printed).
· The breakdown services say that women on their own get priority.
· The boy just come out of prison after doing two years for assault.
(also receive a prize formal)· The winner gets a prize.· If your letter is published, you will receive a £5 prize.
(also receive publicity)· Climate change is getting a lot of publicity.· Such studies have received a lot of publicity.
 The ice made it impossible to get a purchase on the road.
British English (also gain/obtain a qualification formal)· I want to get the qualifications so that I can become a doctor.
(=be outside when it starts raining)· Did you get caught in the rain?
 Cleveland always gets a bum rap in the press.
 the story of a couple who quit the rat race
· The Department of Computer Science received a top rating last year.
 It was hard not to get rattled when the work piled up.
 I feel guilty about getting ratty with the children.
· We didn’t know what kind of reaction we would get.
 Why does it take you so long to get ready to go out?
 I’ve got to get a room ready for our guests.
(also receive a warm etc reception formal)· As he came on, Rocky got a great reception from the crowd.
· Younger women artists are now getting wider recognition.
(=fail to pay your rent on time)· You could be evicted if you fall behind with the rent.
 Where can I get my shoes repaired?
(also gain/acquire a reputation formal)· Over the years, the company has gained a reputation for making quality products.· I didn’t want to get a reputation as a troublemaker.
(=be treated with respect)· You get more respect if you dress smartly.
· She got an enthusiastic response to her suggestion.
· You’d better get some rest if you’re driving back tonight.
 The children had been indoors all day, and were getting restless.
· Louise eventually got her revenge by reporting him to the immigration service.
· If you work hard, you will get your reward.
· They just wanted to get rich.· get rich quick schemes
American English:· I left the farm that night, and got a ride into town.
· For once, he got my name right.
 strategies to get round (=solve) the problem
(=develop a fixed order of doing things, or make someone do this)· Try to get your baby into a routine.
 She got run over outside the school.
 He got the sack for stealing.
· She’s now earning a good salary as an interpreter.
 I took a vacation to try to recover my sanity.
(also gain/derive satisfaction from something formal)· I get a lot of satisfaction from teaching.· He derived great satisfaction from knowing his son had followed in his footsteps.
(=start to feel scared)· It was now completely dark and I was getting scared.
 He got into all sorts of scrapes as a boy.
 We spent thousands of pounds getting the house up to scratch.
 I felt awful yesterday. But, thankfully, I’ve found my sea legs now.
 Hal was seasick almost at once.
 He got his second wind and ran on.
 We got most of our furniture second hand.
 You should get that tooth seen to by a dentist.
(also be given a sentence)· She was given a three-year prison sentence.
 On your marks, get set, go (=said to start a race).
 I can’t believe you paid that much. You got shafted.
 If I don’t smoke, I get the shakes.
 I’ve got to get into shape before summer.
 No need to get shirty!
· I got a shock when I saw how thin he had become.
· He hasn’t got over the shock of losing his job yet.
(=get a very big shock)· He got the shock of his life when he found out who I was.
 We’d better get some shut-eye.
(=become ill)· The boy got sick, and he just got worse and worse.
 Don’t get sidetracked by the audience’s questions.
· Reports from the area suggest the situation has worsened.
 I hate touching raw meat. I just get skeeved out.
 We all got completely slaughtered last night.
(=succeed in starting to sleep)· Last night I couldn’t get to sleep.
(=sleep again after waking up)· He shut his eyes and went back to sleep.
(=sleep for a while)· You’d better get some sleep.
 You’re going to get a smack in a minute!
 Don’t get smart with me, young man.
 It’s just an excuse to go out and get smashed.
 Well, don’t get sniffy about it!
 Her shoes got soaked as she walked through the wet grass.
 He’d got soft after all those years in a desk job.
 I’ll be glad to get this misunderstanding sorted out.
 I just want to get everything sorted before I go away.
 If you don’t stop that noise, you’ll get a spanking!
 I hope you can help get me out of a tight spot.
 I’m not getting a square deal here.
 The cake got a bit squashed on the way here.
· We have reached the stage where no-one is safe to walk our streets at night.
(also get rid of a stain) (=remove it)· You’ll never get that stain out.
· She didn’t want to get a stain on her new dress.
 If you stay in the job for more than ten years, you get stale.
 I’d better get started (=start doing something) soon.
 The party was just getting started when Sara arrived.
 He couldn’t get his motorbike started.
 It’s difficult for new lawyers to get started in private practice.
· On your first day at work, you want to get off to a good start.
· I asked the police why they didn’t take a statement from me four years ago.
 I think I should get straight to the point.
 It took me two hours to get the house straight.
 She’s a nice person but she just gets in a strop so easily.
 They got stuck in a traffic jam.
 I’ve got something stuck in my throat.
 If you get stuck on a difficult word, just ask for help.
(=happen to start talking about it)· We somehow got onto the subject of detective stories.
· Somehow I just knew in the end we would get back to the subject of money.
(=make them talk about something else)· It was difficult to get him off the subject of cars.
· The plan drew wide support from parents.
· We got a surprise when we got home and found him waiting for us.
 Don’t worry, I’ve got him sussed.
· I thought at least I’d get some sympathy from you.
· She stood up from her chair and left the table.
 I wish I could get a tan like that.
(also acquire a taste for something formal) (=to start to like something)· At university she developed a taste for performing.
· We took a taxi to the hotel.
· He got into a taxi outside the station.
 I had a telephone call from George this morning.
British English (=people become annoyed)· People were pushing each other, and tempers were becoming frayed.
 Are we going to get there (=arrive) before the banks close?
 There’s still a lot of work to do, but we’re getting there (=coming to the end of the process) slowly.
· As the recession proceeds, things will get worse.
 If you speak to your mother like that again, you’ll get a thrashing.
· I get such a thrill out of skydiving.
(=reach a place after a difficult journey) You’ll never get through – the snow’s two metres deep. Rescue teams have finally made it through to the survivors.
 They didn’t even get through the first round of the contest.
 I tried phoning you, but I couldn’t get through.
 Her performance got the thumbs down from the critics.
· We never get time to do anything together.
 Sam’s got tonsillitis.
 I’ve got toothache.
 We’ll get in touch (=start talking or writing to you) as soon as we know the results of the test.
 Can I have your phone number in case I need to get in touch with you?
informal (=used to say that when a situation becomes difficult, strong people take the necessary action to deal with it)
 It’s time to get tough with drunk drivers.
· I took the first train home.
· At Stoke, another passenger boarded the train.
· He got off the train at Flushing.
· Two boys received treatment for gunshot wounds.
 If you want to get in trim for summer, try aerobics. My job was to keep the garden in trim.
informal (=discover the truth)· The police will eventually get to the truth of the matter.
(=make someone tell you the truth)· I’ll get the truth out of her, whatever it takes!
· Scientists continued to gain a greater understanding of the effects of radiation.
 Your peace will be shattered when the tourist season gets underway (=starts).
 He started to get undressed (=to take his clothes off).
 It’s time to get up (=get out of bed).
 You have to learn to laugh instead of getting uptight about things.
 He only took the job to get vested in the pension fund.
· She had a clear view of the street from her window.
(also contract a virus formal)· He does not know when he contracted the virus.
(also obtain a visa formal)· He was having difficulties getting a visa.
 In France women didn’t get the vote until 1945.
· You’ve got what you wanted, so you might as well leave.
 Sorry, we got waylaid at the bar.
(=become thinner or stay thin)· How can I keep my weight down?
(=become or stay thinner)· I changed my eating habits so I’d keep the weight off.
· He received a warm welcome.
 I hope you get well again soon.
· We both got very wet when we tried to give the dog a bath.
· I didn’t want to get my feet wet.
 As she walked past, I caught a whiff of her perfume.
(=get what you want)· She wanted him to leave, and she got her wish.
 I can’t get the heater to work.
(=start work)· They set to work cutting down trees and brushwood.
 You shouldn’t get so worked up about it.
· You should have called me. I was getting worried.
 Don’t tell Mum about this – she’s got enough to worry about (=she already has a lot of problems or is very busy).
· The recession was getting worse.
· They’ve got their sums wrong.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB
· And we did get along fine.· I took it without a moment of hesitation and we got along very well together.· Wolves and Goblins seem to get along very well, and the two races have thrived together.· Many people get along using the same programs and never move on to new versions.· She said she does not get along well with her children and can not get them to clean.· We got along, all that time.· He has allowed the country to see that it can get along without Washington.· But last spring, they seemed more than players with talents that fit well together and friends that got along comfortably.
· Good thing you got around to it, weighing her down and all that, getting her nice and heavy.· Growers can get around the ban by planting vines for quality wines rather than table wines.· A few news articles eventually appeared; word got around on the East Coast and Midwest.· We never got around to buying a quilt, although Selina knows feathers make me sneeze.· She was forced to rely on a wheelchair to get around.· Julian had never got around to asking, but now he knew that it had been Guy Hanthorpe.· Enter the Internet as a way to get around parental censorship.
· But, somehow, Howey gets away with it.· It took her longer to get away.· Maybe he couldn't get away and, after all, he had been wonderful to her earlier.· And very often, they could get away with that without paying any price at all.· When he is perched precariously on a sandbag at the time, however, you could just about get away with charging extra.· How is it that they are getting away with this fishing expedition among 90 people?· So like many others, my father went to Beirut to get away.
· By the time we got back to the caravan that night we were all whacked.· He got back in the car even though he was nearly killed and partially blinded by a wreck in 1994.· They are saying they want to get back to the point where their hard work brought frequent, real, deep satisfaction.· When the sergeant finished his beer, he returned to the station and got back behind the desk.· It was nice to find it waiting for us when we got back from Telford - a change from all the bills!· Miguel waited for his car to pass by them before he got back into the car, his hands cold and trembling.· Let us get back to the main argument.· You get back into your old routine and convince yourself that it is not as bad as you thought.
· But as the evening moved on she discovered she was getting better at her job.· She still needed hospital care but certainly seemed to be getting better.· I can't help feeling that this will make things worse for most people before they get better.· To keep getting better, you must improve.· The bail arm button at the front is responsive and I found gets better with use.· The only thing we can do is get better.· I just thought I better get something but once these attacks start it's a bit too late to take anything really.· We better get the off before sunset.
· She'd give Gloria a piece of her mind when she got home!· As soon as she got home, the telephone began ringing continually.· Every day I considered myself lucky to get home from school without serious injury.· He waited until we got home before shoving me into the wall behind my bedroom door.· How could I live up to them when I got home?· We got home in record time.· I turn around to ask her if she knows how I can get home.· When I get home at night, I bring out my kanji book and find the characters.
· A word is as much as you will get in edgeways.· At that stage I'd have agreed to anything just to get in.· Fifteen years ago, students came to me with this priority list of questions: Where can I get in?· He or she had taken trouble over the arrangement of the facts and in getting in as much relevant information as possible.· The hammock she had given up weeks ago; she could not have got out of it if she had got in.· Off she's been at nights; couldn't get in quick enough and couldn't get out quick enough.· Get in and outa water when I say.
· Masklin thought: if Dorcas were here, we'd never get him to leave.· But that old squirrel never got far from the next pounce.· They could never get him to tell anything about the life he had lived before he came to Knockglen.· The 17, 248 sheep in attendance never got things to eardrum-shattering decibels, which was both unusual and a relief.· In one swoop the feeling swallowed her up and she had never got rid of it since.· I never got to know Ed that well.· While Stavrogin never gets to see Tikhon, the immediate future holds murder in store for Shatov.· You can never get used to it.
· It's time to s t or get off the pot chaps.· Yet diesel gets off easily when it comes to pollution controls.· A small number of cooperatives and self-managed enterprises have got off to a good start.· It may be so, but we have to get off that shit.· We got off and took cover for a while, then came up and got another bus to Fulham.· And Alice had better get off her high horse and realize there was more to life than mooning over Lester Stoner.· I got on the subway and had to get off because I was feeling sick.· A new crew member arrives at the boat, gets a bad feeling and abruptly gets off.
· The train came in and I got on.· Bush's low-key message is that the important thing is to get on with the job.· He was a cheerful chap and we got on terribly well.· For the time being we got on comfortably, like a couple.· Families are influenced by many factors besides how well individual members get on with each other.· In an earlier world the architect got on with the drawings.· This time, he convinced himself, he would confront his fears and get on with his life.· He wanted to know how I'd been getting on, and who'd been helping me out.
· Rather than inciting its detainees to try and get out, Le Portalet probably taunted them with the impossibility of such a thing.· For I had been planning for years to get out of corporate life-and now I had finally done it.· Buried under debris for hours till he was got out.· Jen handed me the computer and got out so she could see them, too.· I got out silently at the next roundabout.· Just get out there and sing.· We've got to get out!· One day, several weeks before, Harold came running up to me as I was getting out of my car.
· In Chester one shop had one copy left and would save it for me if I could get there that afternoon.· He was to take office just as soon as the snow-clogged streets of Manhattan were cleared enough for him to get there.· When they get there the china cabinet is still in one piece but the budgie is dead.· He walked over to the other agents and said, Hey, you know who you got there?· Religion can be part of the technique you use to get there in an age where technology is supreme.· There were two ways to get there: a 120-kilometer, four-hour drive around the bay, or the ferry.· We looked at some mouldy bread and started to wonder how the mould first got there.· I was up there getting the wood when Ted turned up.
· At any one moment, thousands of users may be trying to get through to the most popular sites.· Officers in the field did on occasion have to struggle to get through to an official's home number.· A glitch in the customer-service software left customers unable to get through to help lines.· But residents say this will make it difficult for emergency vehicles to get through.· At last the message got through.· It was getting through to the readers on a human level that counted.· I had only to get through so many weeks, so many months, and everything would be as it was.
· I got together a bit of money - and there I was, on to the next part of the journey.· We get together, start whining, and then we go on strike.· As a result, record labels and publishers are trying to get together some form of code of ethics on sampling.· Companies that get together no longer need as many accountants or vice presidents of marketing as each had before the merger.· Four times a year Cromadex designates training days when sales people from various centres get together.· On Saturday afternoon, they got together for the fourth time.· Get together a range of things to bash.· Encourage the student to get together with a classmate to work through assignments.
· But the day when he gets up there to 30, it all changes, it really does.· Paradise, get up, the old maestro has come to see you.· I get up early in the morning and read, then go to the lectures, then read again at night.· Alice hurriedly put out the cigarette and got up to empty the ash tray.· She got up and they shook hands.· When the timer goes off, he may get up.· Pat was so incensed he got up at once and hit Jock, and Mrs Lennox screamed.· Finally I got up the nerve to check him into the state treatment center up north.
NOUN
· Don't worry, the police are good at getting solicitors out of bed on Sundays.· And staying awake long enough to get our kids into bed.· On Sunday night Shiona got ready for bed, knowing that by next morning Janice would be gone.· In the hotel, Jen cleaned up and got into bed.· It is much better to get out of bed and return after a short period when you feel more tired.· He also began to get weaker and weaker until he could not get out of bed.· She got ready for bed and then stood on the balcony looking at the moonlit night and the mountains.· As soon as they get an empty bed.
· The clock on St John's kirk struck twelve as she got into her car.· I only got in the car to go to church.· Loyalist killers opened fire as the man was getting out of a car.· Some howled and some just stared at us as we got out of the car.· I honestly don't get this car.· Solution: We set up a station on the ground floor so drivers can pay their fees before getting in their cars.· At eight o'clock he got in his car and went to the office.
· Now the authorities say she has little chance of getting them back.· Does he have a chance to get a medal?· Like the sun's rays, sunbeds accelerate ageing and increase the chances of getting skin cancer.· It is a legacy of his past monogamy: Choose well, for it may be the only chance you will get.· A thousand miles from Bristol for all the chance she had of getting away.· Tuesday afternoon Decide to give the rich a chance to get richer.· Compact aims to improve your chances of getting a worthwhile job, when you want one.· That way, you stand a better chance of getting the impatient reader to absorb the essence of your message.
· The other guard managed to get to his feet, but something was growing in the air in front of him.· I couldn't possibly get the peg in the door before he got his foot in it.· He could get his feet on the ground by filling a lefty bullpen need.· When they saw her, they got quickly to their feet.· There was no call, and both got to their feet and went back to work.· He got to his feet and pulled on his jacket, heading for the front door.· When they started, there wasn't enough water to get their feet wet.
· You get hold of Charles Julian and see if he's got any ideas.· That was how he got the idea about the apple trees for his story.· And get no ideas about wrestling with me, Liu Chang.· He liked to record his music as soon as he got an idea.· They also wanted to get away from the idea of the traditional rock tour.· I definitely get the idea they want to send me home in a box.· In fact, when my Aunt Peg got the idea to scare her friends, she'd forgotten all about Mrs Sugar.· Del Plonka recalls that some one once got the bright idea of pumping water from the Saigon River into nearby tunnels.
· My father had managed to get her a job in a friend's office just off Hatton Garden.· In all cases, the effective use of power was essential in getting the job done.· He didn't get a job for years.· Two of its producers got jobs as food handlers for Food Lion and worked there wearing tiny hidden cameras and microphones.· It was always assumed that they would get a job, a home, a wife and children, in that order.· Every generous inch a military man, Groves made important concessions to Oppenheimer in the interest of getting the job done.· He's got a job and everything going for him, and yet still he teams up with Billy.· The same sponsor then got him a job as the youngest assistant prosecutor in Cook County history.
· Town should be unchanged, but top scorer, Craig Maskell might get a look in.· This visit is only to get a look inside, to stake out the room for future reference.· Nobody else gets much of a look in.· She stopped and glanced up to get a good look at him.· Flush fitting sides mean you get the look of a built in cooker is so desired.· The best nights for getting a first look, weather permitting, will be Thursday and Friday.· Vet was still popular but the other two didn't get a look in among the hundreds of answers.
· They've got the lot, dragged along by singer Patrick, a John Lydon sneer-a-like in an Oxfam suit.· We've got a lot of flushing to do.· I had been getting a lot of this.· I got a lot of stuff for free, a lot of people helped.· The league table shows they've got a lot of work to do though.· A year ago, Mitchell got a lot of work in preseason because Plummer was hurt.· I don't know whether she's changed or not, she's got an awful lot of growing up to do.· I get that way a lot.
· He got one message to me.· The caller gets a recorded message that says you are not receiving blocked calls.· Do you ever wish you could get a message to somebody quickly when they are out and about?· Like I got a message or something for you.· And restaurants are getting the message.· I get fax messages printed out through my phone line in the hospital.· If the Minister has not got the message, perhaps he had better be given it.· And worse, I think he somehow got the message across to you.
· People think that her half-brother sent the man to get money from her, and that he shared the profits.· So you need a good accountant to get the money for you.· It is often possible to get money at much lower cost without risking your home, he said.· Besides, we had to get some money to people, as Judge Moran once said.· If share prices fall over that time, a safety net guarantees you will get your money back.· Q: How did you go about getting the money?· The accused and a couple of friends staged a false robbery to get the money from the victim.· In the second scandal, bail bondsmen were getting their money back from the courts after their customers jumped bail.
· He got into trouble with the police and went away.· Payroll taxes get you into trouble, and withheld payroll taxes get you into big trouble.· I was angry at the system, and at him for getting into trouble.· Those are the kids who get in trouble.· She accused Nanny of making up stories about her and saying bad things to get Frankie into trouble.· First, they are misguided and are likely to get you into trouble.· Mum got you into trouble all right with me, didn't she?· Then he could think of a way to react that would help him get what he wanted without getting him into trouble.
VERB
· Let's hope he doesn't get eaten after mating.· For a couple of years, the board kept quiet about our financial situation, hoping that it would get better.· In the 70's we had one of the best pitches in the league, so let's hope it gets sorted out.· They hoped he would get used to the texture, smell, and taste of the apple.· They congregate off campus before and after school and during lunch, hoping not to get busted by passing teachers and administrators.· If you don't know these things how can you hope to get anything right?
· If Madreidetic's anything like as unpleasant as their language, why should I let them get away with piracy?· Jody keeps her in. Let her get it out of her system, Jody thinks.· Unroll the carpet and let it get acclimatised to the room's atmosphere and temperature overnight before laying.· Munro never lets you get away with a facile, one-dimensional take.· I pressed her to me and let her get it over with.· I did not let the silver bowl get dull.· She was a fool to let anyone get round her.· It is time to let some one else get in and have their run at it.
· I stood watching Harvey, trying to get beyond his moods to the man underneath.· I try to get other players to help him out, and he seems to be a very good learner.· Yes, he was trying to get a divorce but he couldn't.· We are trying to break the speech patterns of these children, trying to get them to speak properly.· There was a resolution he tried to get passed every year, condemning the invasion and calling for a withdrawal.· He was trying to get a grip on the world.· Meg tried to get up to see, but with a gentle pressure he pushed her back down.· And if we were lawyers we could spend all our time trying to get to the truth.
· I didn't want to get into trouble.· I definitely want to get back in.· I thought years ago that you could go as far as you wanted, if you got a big enough rock.· They know Ijust want to get the job done.· He wanted to get away to think clearly.· You want to get the boat and the treasure to the surface of the water so that you can see it better.· I didn't want to get you involved in the fighting.· If you want water, get it.
Phrases
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRYget somebody backget behind somebody
  • The endless rain was beginning to get him down.
  • You can tell me if there's anything that's worrying you or getting you down.
get something ↔ downget something down (somebody)get something ↔ inget something ↔ inget somebody ↔ inget something inget something ↔ in
  • Annie A very nice symbolic action, but on its own it gets us exactly nowhere.
  • Anxiety will get you nowhere, wrote Harsnet.
  • Continual moaning and criticism of others gets you nowhere.
  • Everyone has got to start somewhere.
  • It doesn't get you anywhere.
  • Looks like he hated Albert more than anything-but he never would let him get a job anywhere else.
  • New York gave you freedom, indulged tastes and vices that could get you hanged somewhere else, but at a price.
what’s got into somebody?
  • Bournemouth hopefully won't get off the floor.
  • He meant to get off, I think, but was petrified.
  • Not only do we punish those who get off welfare, we require little of those who stay on.
  • Now there was a solution, that is, if it ever got off the drawing board.
  • Oh yes, they're very good at theory but no bloody good at getting off their bums and looking for themselves!
  • Perhaps he could get off the hook by saying he would go in the morning?
  • We got to get off this here hill.
  • I'll get this off to you first thing in the morning.
  • She managed to get all the letters off before five o'clock.
  • And I said, well, but do they get it off?
  • Firms with shorter names like Boeing do not get chopped off.
  • He then got up off the floor and threatened to hit the labour master with his boots in his hand.
  • I see Chapman got sent off for Portsmouth.
  • Nathan gets and goes off in search of somewhere quiet, clutching a toilet roll and anxious anticipations.
  • Pick your head up to look too far down the road and get it lopped off.
  • Sometimes, a few cues from Deborah got them off and running.
  • To climb back into the presidential race, he must get abortion off the agenda.
  • And I said, well, but do they get it off?
  • Firms with shorter names like Boeing do not get chopped off.
  • He then got up off the floor and threatened to hit the labour master with his boots in his hand.
  • I see Chapman got sent off for Portsmouth.
  • Nathan gets and goes off in search of somewhere quiet, clutching a toilet roll and anxious anticipations.
  • Pick your head up to look too far down the road and get it lopped off.
  • Sometimes, a few cues from Deborah got them off and running.
  • To climb back into the presidential race, he must get abortion off the agenda.
  • And I said, well, but do they get it off?
  • Firms with shorter names like Boeing do not get chopped off.
  • He then got up off the floor and threatened to hit the labour master with his boots in his hand.
  • I see Chapman got sent off for Portsmouth.
  • Nathan gets and goes off in search of somewhere quiet, clutching a toilet roll and anxious anticipations.
  • Pick your head up to look too far down the road and get it lopped off.
  • Sometimes, a few cues from Deborah got them off and running.
  • To climb back into the presidential race, he must get abortion off the agenda.
  • And I said, well, but do they get it off?
  • Firms with shorter names like Boeing do not get chopped off.
  • He then got up off the floor and threatened to hit the labour master with his boots in his hand.
  • I see Chapman got sent off for Portsmouth.
  • Nathan gets and goes off in search of somewhere quiet, clutching a toilet roll and anxious anticipations.
  • Pick your head up to look too far down the road and get it lopped off.
  • Sometimes, a few cues from Deborah got them off and running.
  • To climb back into the presidential race, he must get abortion off the agenda.
get off to a good/bad etc start
  • Bournemouth hopefully won't get off the floor.
  • He meant to get off, I think, but was petrified.
  • However, when at last she got off he was nowhere to be seen, and she felt another thrill of triumph.
  • Not only do we punish those who get off welfare, we require little of those who stay on.
  • Now there was a solution, that is, if it ever got off the drawing board.
  • Oh yes, they're very good at theory but no bloody good at getting off their bums and looking for themselves!
  • Perhaps he could get off the hook by saying he would go in the morning?
  • Bournemouth hopefully won't get off the floor.
  • He meant to get off, I think, but was petrified.
  • However, when at last she got off he was nowhere to be seen, and she felt another thrill of triumph.
  • Not only do we punish those who get off welfare, we require little of those who stay on.
  • Now there was a solution, that is, if it ever got off the drawing board.
  • Oh yes, they're very good at theory but no bloody good at getting off their bums and looking for themselves!
  • Perhaps he could get off the hook by saying he would go in the morning?
  • We got to get off this here hill.
  • "Did you give him the money?" "No, I told him where to get off."
get off your butt/assget something on
  • Cal is getting on a bit and doesn't play much golf anymore.
  • Ethel's getting on in years now -- she must be in her late 60s.
  • After numerous attempts I was getting on quite well, managing to get right up on to the bike.
  • And you must be getting on with your exciting adventures.
  • He wondered how she was getting on, she and Violet, and if she was happy in Mitford.
  • It was getting on midnight now, and cold.
  • She knew it was a stupid thing to say, but the presence of Magrat was getting on her nerves.
  • That evening her son returned and came to see how she was getting on.
  • This child was getting on my nerves.
  • You may not want to risk breeding from such a mare, especially if she is getting on in years.
getting on for 90/10 o’clock/2,000 etc
  • Do you think those two are ever going to get it on?
  • Be careful, though, not to get it on eyelashes.
  • Now have you got it on the thing or have you got it on the bottom of the frame?
  • Only he's actually got it on a scooter.
  • Shoot, get it on, get it over with.
  • Should he continue getting it on, then go for her.
  • The point was to get it on, and never mind the fusses and frills.
  • You get it on your hands.
get on with it!let somebody get on with itget somebody outget something ↔ outget something ↔ outget something ↔ out
  • Can you imagine trying to get it out of the pot?
  • Chick had picked the lock on the back door before we'd even got Proteus out of the car.
  • Dominic used to get twenty minutes out of this kind of thing.
  • I love to do things for children because I get a kick out of it.
  • My wife, Ana, and I got married right out of college.
  • Now that we've got that out of the way, we can celebrate the book.
  • So I wanted to get the hell out of there.
  • Can you imagine trying to get it out of the pot?
  • Chick had picked the lock on the back door before we'd even got Proteus out of the car.
  • Come get me out of this contraption.
  • Dominic used to get twenty minutes out of this kind of thing.
  • I love to do things for children because I get a kick out of it.
  • My wife, Ana, and I got married right out of college.
  • Now that we've got that out of the way, we can celebrate the book.
  • So I wanted to get the hell out of there.
get over somethingget over somethingget something ↔ over
  • Gina felt trapped and insecure but found it difficult to get this over to her husband.
  • I always try to get this idea over to my students.
get over somethingcan’t/couldn’t get over somethingget over yourselfget round somethingget round somebody
  • He gets through a couple of bottles a year for chromatography.
  • I will never know how I got through that day.
  • It took nearly two years to get through the formalities for the younger child.
  • Jody sees that the reporter did manage to get through to Dan Williams for a comment.
  • Parents who grapple with the problem from the start seem to get through the adjustments much better.
  • Patrons get through 200,000 bottles of champagne a year.
  • Textiles accounted for just over a third, after a slight increase that got through to profit.
  • Unlike Nelson, we got through without mishap.
  • He gets through a couple of bottles a year for chromatography.
  • I will never know how I got through that day.
  • It took nearly two years to get through the formalities for the younger child.
  • Jody sees that the reporter did manage to get through to Dan Williams for a comment.
  • Parents who grapple with the problem from the start seem to get through the adjustments much better.
  • Patrons get through 200,000 bottles of champagne a year.
  • Textiles accounted for just over a third, after a slight increase that got through to profit.
  • Unlike Nelson, we got through without mishap.
  • He gets through a couple of bottles a year for chromatography.
  • I will never know how I got through that day.
  • It took nearly two years to get through the formalities for the younger child.
  • Jody sees that the reporter did manage to get through to Dan Williams for a comment.
  • Parents who grapple with the problem from the start seem to get through the adjustments much better.
  • Patrons get through 200,000 bottles of champagne a year.
  • Textiles accounted for just over a third, after a slight increase that got through to profit.
  • Unlike Nelson, we got through without mishap.
  • But it's got to pass through this delicate needle.
  • Course is three years, get from Intro through Intermediate if yur under nine.
  • He had a manual of casual jobs - things like grape-picking, which had got him through the summer.
  • He had to get the message through that they must not advance.
  • I at least finished out the year, and it was Abigail who got me through it.
  • Jasper got half way through a bowl of ghoulish-looking chowder.
  • Most consumers with private health insurance get it through their employers.
  • So I got into it through those channels ...
  • But it's got to pass through this delicate needle.
  • Course is three years, get from Intro through Intermediate if yur under nine.
  • He had a manual of casual jobs - things like grape-picking, which had got him through the summer.
  • He had to get the message through that they must not advance.
  • I at least finished out the year, and it was Abigail who got me through it.
  • Jasper got half way through a bowl of ghoulish-looking chowder.
  • Most consumers with private health insurance get it through their employers.
  • So I got into it through those channels ...
  • But it's got to pass through this delicate needle.
  • Course is three years, get from Intro through Intermediate if yur under nine.
  • He had a manual of casual jobs - things like grape-picking, which had got him through the summer.
  • He had to get the message through that they must not advance.
  • I at least finished out the year, and it was Abigail who got me through it.
  • Jasper got half way through a bowl of ghoulish-looking chowder.
  • Most consumers with private health insurance get it through their employers.
  • So I got into it through those channels ...
  • In any case, she had now got to thinking of other things.
  • Then they got to thinking that maybe you were dead.
  • There's blood in your body, and I get to thinking about what would happen if your blood froze.
  • When you've been around guys like Mr. B. awhile, you get to thinking the way they think.
get something ↔ togetherget somebody ↔ togetherget something ↔ togetherget something together
  • Dundela got it together in the second half and it was Dean Smyth's turn to save his side.
  • Engineers apart, there are no students who will ever manage to get it together to decide on pay.
  • I can't seem to get it together at present.
  • Now manufacturers are getting it together and offering brilliant greens, oranges and blues.
  • Some one else had got it together for Adam and there it all was.
  • They must have worked fast to get it together, Charles thought.
  • When we get it together to be so.
  • Why on earth can't they get it together?
  • Any damned fool can get a plane up in the air.
  • He could get caught up in the story, so to speak, and little by little begin to forget himself.
  • I dreaded to think what would happen if the two got mixed up.
  • I fell down, knocked me walking-frame over and I couldn't get meself up again.
  • If you get his/her back up, even if you're right, you're dead!
  • Left unstirred, simmering soup will produce a scum that gets caught up in the eddies.
  • While attached to Camp Pendleton, however, the Gulf War veteran got swept up in an off-base drug scene.
  • Your time and my time ... well they've somehow got all mixed up.
  • More visionary railway schemes were got up in the inter-war years.
  • And she's got it up top, an' all.
  • Energy in one form or another has been invested in it to get it up there.
  • He'd see it raise slightly, but he couldn't quite get it up.
  • Probably a child molester, probably couldn't get it up for anything normal.
  • She won't be able to get it up on her own anyway.
get doing something
  • Do I get to stay up late when Dad comes home from his business trip?
  • I didn't get to sit down all day.
  • Tom gets to go to Disneyland this summer.
  • We actually got to meet the president when he was here last week.
  • A message I've got to work out.
  • But if the case gets to the Law Lords, how could they conclude other than in Mr Straw's favour?
  • I've got to go on studying.
  • I got to the chemist five minutes before closing time and the place was jam-packed with the elderly and respectable.
  • The movie gets to its mysterious combat island with a cool buildup and a sense of wonder.
  • Unfortunately, getting to it remains unclear.
  • When I got to my room, I opened the door and stood there with my eyes closed.
  • You should have seen me-not too pleasant, but the pressure got to me.
  • All I had to do was got to know his taste in food.
  • Come to think of it, he'd seemed rather a decent chap, some one it might be worth getting to know.
  • He got to know Bill Clinton quite well when they were together at Oxford as Rhodes scholars.
  • I would like to get to know customers well 8.
  • It was one of Brian's three daughters, Karen, who got to know Kirsty.
  • Mrs Nowak and Taczek must have got to know most of the truth and stuck by the cover story.
  • She had seen a leaflet about the YCs and thought that this would provide a good way of getting to know people.
  • So I got, I sort of got to know her.
you get somethingyou’ve got me (there)
  • Again, it gets me away utterly from television.
  • But it gets me out of the house for a while.
  • But never mind the niceties: it gets me in.
  • But what gets me most is when somebody dies who hasn't really lived.
  • Heaven knows I've tried talking to him, but it gets me nowhere.
  • Sometimes I can laugh it off but inside it gets me down.
  • That's what gets me about it.
  • The same old thing - cleaning the same things all the time, that's what gets me.
  • And the whole thing only cost - get this - $12.95.
  • For a time after I get this call, I feel bad for him, and for my sister.
  • I get this big feeling again.
  • I always attended their concerts to try and work out how he got this effect.
  • I have often struggled to get this difficult explanation across.
  • I want to get this club turned in the other direction, like we did the last time.
  • My getting this malignancy is the last straw, in her opinion.
  • The point was to get this groove I always had a feel for.
  • We got ta get this show right before we go into New York.
I must/I’d better be getting along
  • And they also get around New York.
  • Either that or there was some way to get around the lock.
  • Fedotenko got around Matthieu Descoteaux and centered to White.
  • He could then expect to get around four pounds ten shillings.
  • Individuals and businesses are obliged to pay $ 49, but many never get around to sending in the check.
  • It would take some time for the news to get around.
  • Julian had never got around to asking, but now he knew that it had been Guy Hanthorpe.
  • So there was no getting around it: the car was dead.
  • How do we get around the new tax laws?
  • If we can get round these difficulties, we'll be able to discuss the really important points.
  • There's no way of getting around it - you're going to have to tell her the truth.
  • And they also get around New York.
  • Either that or there was some way to get around the lock.
  • Fedotenko got around Matthieu Descoteaux and centered to White.
  • He could then expect to get around four pounds ten shillings.
  • Individuals and businesses are obliged to pay $ 49, but many never get around to sending in the check.
  • It would take some time for the news to get around.
  • Julian had never got around to asking, but now he knew that it had been Guy Hanthorpe.
  • So there was no getting around it: the car was dead.
  • But I knew what they were getting at...
  • Half the time it wasn't Clemence she was getting at - it was me.
  • I am sure he is the toad behind the unprecedented negative media coverage we are getting at the moment.
  • I never felt deprived, if that's what Winifred Shalcross is getting at.
  • Let me try to explain what I am getting at.
  • Propaganda could be effective - this was what Eliot was getting at - only by ceasing to be mere propaganda.
  • She wondered what on earth he could be getting at.
  • Try to identify the heart of the matter the question is getting at.
get away!
  • Saucy Cecil Parkinson lets his fingers do the talking about the one that got away.
  • Get away from it all in sunny Barbados.
  • Coe, on the other hand, is getting away from it all with a weeks holiday in Helsinki.
  • His parents let him get away with murder.
  • She lets those kids get away with murder.
  • But the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors is angry that some other local authorities are letting agents get away with murder.
  • He can get away with anything, he could get away with murder and my mom would still love him.
  • I think the women of your time have been allowed to get away with murder.
  • In those days people throughout the organization often got away with murder.
  • Sorcerer thought he could get away with murder.
  • They get away with murder because of their buying power.
  • When we played them last week, the officials let Erik Williams get away with murder.
  • Where are these men when, as you say, there are men literally getting away with murder?
get something ↔ back
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
  • Ever since he'd given her that power of attorney she'd been getting above herself.
  • I was thought to be getting above myself because I refused to sight read a scene.
  • What was Cambridge, after all, but a small town which had got above itself?
  • The police managed to gain access through an upstairs window.
  • Dietary calcium gains access to the organism mostly by transport in the small intestine.
  • Environmentalists fear that many citizens will simply forge documents in order to gain access to the city centre.
  • Joe quickly gained access to the upper reaches of both Washingtons.
  • Once you realise that some blocks need to be matched early, in order to gain access to others, things get tougher.
  • Security is maintained by terminal operators using unique identification and password codes to gain access to the system.
  • There is no evidence that the intruder gained access to the source code for Office or any Windows products.
  • What Renaissance culture was and how we gain access to it increasingly became seen as problematic.
  • You gain access to your data by typing in a user name and password.
  • Democrats want tax cuts - now Republicans want to get in on the act.
  • Movie theater chains are expanding rapidly, and even small local theaters are getting in on the act.
  • Now that our exporting business to Eastern Europe has grown so successful, everyone wants to get in on the act.
  • Produce stands sell exotic vegetables to Asian customers, and now even supermarkets are getting in on the act.
  • As the child gets older, other agencies get in on the act.
  • Even small independents are getting in on the act in a modest way, though.
  • Now we want to get in on the act.
  • The Hague Linker is getting in on the act.
  • The Soviet Army, has also been getting in on the act.
  • They are not anxious for others to get in on the act.
  • With Boro in disarray, even Charlton's defenders got in on the act.
  • Angie could be an excellent photographer, if only she could get her act together.
  • Amateurs are invited to get their acts together for stage shows running the gamut from dance, comedy and music.
  • As for your Suns, there are signs they are getting their act together.
  • At least now they can get their act together.
  • If we couldn't get our act together after all that, then we were never going to.
  • Nevertheless, he was patient and, eventually, I got my act together and spent the night with him.
  • Now, let's get our act together.
  • The Whigs splintered over slavery in the pre-Civil War era and never again got their act together.
  • Then he gets his act together.
  • Depending on the circumstances, I was willing to go along.
  • I went along the colonnade to the corner of the southern front of the house.
  • In the best programs, 3-and 4-year-olds learn social skills, how to share and get along.
  • Rashly volunteering to be a contestant, I went along the previous Saturday to practice.
  • She said she does not get along well with her children and can not get them to clean.
  • She wants to go along too.
  • The countries in the region do not want Kosovo independence, and Washington appears to go along with that view.
  • Why don't you ask Brenda and Belinda to come along to Friday meetings?
  • Ultimately, I decided that this was not getting us anywhere, but I was her last hope.
  • We want young people to be aware that this is something that will not get you anywhere.
  • I'm trying to set up a meeting, but I don't seem to be getting anywhere.
  • A crash diet will leave you hungry, you will binge and you will not get anywhere.
  • But the reality is that 99% of artists working in London will not get anywhere near the shortlist.
  • Still not getting anywhere in Northern Ireland, but then, who is?
  • They were left with the feeling of not getting anywhere.
  • We're not getting anywhere like this.
  • When you're not getting anywhere with some one, you can choose to switch streams.
  • Which makes the documentation all the more poignant when you know the project did not get anywhere.
get off your arseattract/catch/get somebody’s attention
  • We thought he was whining just to get some attention.
  • Alicia Silverstone plays an irascible rich girl who stages her own kidnapping to get attention from daddy.
  • It was a way of getting attention.
  • Moaners get attention but they're not much fun to have around!
  • So do not feel you have to make a fuss to get attention.
  • The Alsops' reporting got attention.
  • They will get attention in connection with the second hypothesis of the theory of determinism of this book.
  • You matter now - you're getting attention and recognition.
  • He treats everyone like children, and that's why he puts people's backs up.
  • It really gets my back up when salesmen call round to the house.
  • At Eagle Butte I stopped and got a clamp, got the pipe back up there some way.
  • He had been around the scene for long enough to know how to manipulate meetings without getting everyone's back up.
  • If you get his/her back up, even if you're right, you're dead!
  • She'd even got Bert's back up proper, over his betting and poor old Floss.
  • Simon naturally put people's backs up.
  • You got to get back up.
  • Electioneering, he had talked tough about getting government off the backs of the people.
  • Even if that had happened, it didn't justify the violence of Steen's attempts to get Jacqui off his back.
  • He had a chance now to tell on Lee, to get him off his back, out of Jubilee Wood.
  • Ian denies all but tells them about Mel sleeping with Phil to get them off his back.
  • It would have been a good excuse to use to get Mr Parnham off his back.
  • Maybe he figured the only way to get her off his back was to confess.
  • She got the revolver off the back seat and put it into the glove compartment with the cartridges.
get in through the back door
  • Sitting there, day in, day out, hardly able to get off his backside.
  • They should get off their backsides and let us see what they intend to do about it.
  • And everyone tried to climb on the bandwagon.
  • And other quick-serve restaurant chains, such as Boston Market, are jumping on the bandwagon.
  • Companies such as Oracle are jumping on the bandwagon, too, with low-priced network computers.
  • Competitors are certain to jump on the bandwagon with rival systems and Nimslo's much-vaunted patents could be unable to stop them.
  • For a while, the seif-centred members of celebrity circles were falling over themselves in their eagerness to jump on the bandwagon.
  • If the petition is advertised, more creditors may jump on the bandwagon.
  • Just a preliminary communication first, without the experimental details, so that nobody can jump on the bandwagon right away.
  • The Communists have climbed on the bandwagon, but only to put the brakes on.
  • She got a real bang out of seeing the kids in the school play.
(get) a bigger/better etc bang for your buck
  • It took her a minute to get her bearings.
  • Ozzie drank his beer and got his bearings.
  • Pausing to get his bearings, he blew furiously on his fingers to cool them down.
  • She stopped for a moment to get her bearings.
  • She was able to get her bearings this way and soon found herself at the back of the house.
  • They are there to allow us to find our bearings and set our calendar.
  • To get their bearings Allen once more climbed.
  • Without stopping to get his bearings, he began walking up Broadway along the east side of the street.
get out of bed on the wrong side
  • Braden's teams always get better as the season goes on.
  • Get some rest and get better, okay?
  • I didn't remember anything about the accident, but little by little, as I got better, memories started coming back to me.
  • I don't mind training hard, because you get better and better all the time.
  • I hope the weather gets better soon.
  • I hope you get better soon.
  • If things don't get better, we may end up having to sell the house.
  • Living conditions may get worse before they get better.
  • My back has been quite bad recently, but it's getting better slowly.
  • The first part of the book is pretty boring, but it gets a lot better as the story goes on.
  • And has it got better or worse?
  • At school I sometimes used to get better marks than him, but that was when he chose not to exert himself.
  • Even Quayle is getting better press than me.
  • Four decades ago in Britain girls were getting better results than boys in the 11-plus exam.
  • He was getting better every day, so much better, and yet business got worse and worse.
  • So the Giants do have to get better, and history suggests rather strongly that better means not staying the same.
  • To keep getting better, you must improve.
  • When you've been blown to bits, as Zimmerman had, you either train hard or you don't get better.
  • Alison Leigh refuses to let circumstances get the better of her.
  • Kramer's temper sometimes gets the better of him.
  • At the same time he said he had had to select his shots wisely to get the better of Chesnokov.
  • Blaise Cendrars witnessed a fight in which she was getting the better of Modigliani.
  • Bored in the isolation of his taxi, curiosity and perhaps hunger got the better of him.
  • But kids have a long tradition of getting the better of adults, going back to the Famous Five and beyond.
  • I allowed my feelings to get the better of me.
  • I run my fingers over this invisible object, and little by little curiosity gets the better of me.
  • So mortals learned that it is not possible to get the better of Zeus or ever deceive him.
  • We killed him, but that really got the better of us.
be/get too big for your bootsget the bit between your teethlike getting blood out of a stone
  • We're trying to get to the bottom of this, and see if she is lying.
  • After a few falls we all managed to get to the bottom of the slope in a snow plough position.
  • Dido doesn't claim to have got to the bottom of what she calls the Canine Predicament.
  • He must get to the bottom of that matter.
  • Or had her efforts to get to the bottom of the rue Roland mystery taken an unexpected toll on her?
  • That co-operation will be vital in getting to the bottom of this matter as soon as possible.
  • They can get to the bottom of a case for me.
  • We decided to get to the bottom of this!
  • When I got to the bottom of the hill and looked up, and I saw that beautiful campus, I cried.
get down to brass tacksget/score/earn Brownie points
  • When you can put bums on seats, then you can come and tell me what flights you want to travel on.
  • A lot of people got burned buying junk bonds.
  • Jo's afraid of getting burned if she gets involved with someone again.
burn your fingers/get your fingers burnedget your butt in/out/over etchave/get butterflies (in your stomach)get/be given your cards
  • Demmons was called on the carpet by the Board of Supervisors to explain his excessive spending.
  • But are we allowing ourselves to be carried away by false vanity?
  • He must not get carried away in this place, he thought.
  • He sometimes would get carried away and invite more than his allotted guests, which generated some irritation among members.
  • I get carried away, but I must learn now it's the big league.
  • It certainly seemed as if their brains got carried away when one type of receptive field was activated.
  • Lets not get carried away with thoughts of another 18 years in the wilderness.
  • So when we listen to music we should allow ourselves to be carried away into the musical paradise.
  • The problem.solver gets carried away by the interest of the idea.
  • OK, OK, just get off my case, will you?
like the cat that got the cream
  • Don't expect to be caught in the rush.
  • He is caught in a storm and crashes.
  • He was caught in the end, trying to bury one of the bodies in the cemetery, in a fresh grave.
  • She was caught in the seducing current, and she could not break free.
  • The actual death toll is much greater because thousands more turtles are caught in fishing nets and suffocate.
  • The Tokyo government is caught in a dilemma, according to Hazelwood.
  • They are caught in this place of denial and unrealized emotion and desire.
  • Worse, he was caught in the cross fire of local conflicts.
  • We get caught up in the commercial aspects of Christmas.
  • And that headdress would get caught up in the overhead wires, you silly boy.
  • I am painfully aware of how we get caught up in our times and become contaminated by our own hypocrisy.
  • I thought at one time it might be caught up in the Christmas post.
  • Kenetech got caught up in that.
  • Landowners who get caught up in this bureaucratic runaround receive no compensation for their economic loss as a result of wetland determination.
  • Rather than just evolving in a gradual, uniform manner, the earth may actually be caught up in a repeating cycle.
  • Some of these girls get caught up in this freedom idea.
  • When this is augmented by oddly tangential keyboard sounds it's an enjoyable little maelstrom to be caught up in.
get no change out of somebody
  • I really get a charge out of watching the kids learn.
  • People are able to get things off their chest in these meetings.
get your claws into somebody
  • Aren't you cold?
  • Come inside before you get cold.
  • But no, he decided, the boss was getting colder and colder and his voice quieter.
  • He was getting cold, too.
  • It was getting cold in the room.
  • My chips will be cold by now.
  • She felt cold and sick and wished she could crawl away and lie down.
  • She was afraid his skin would be cold.
  • Since we were making plans to camp at Mammoth, we expected it to be cold.
  • Unfortunately he, the lover, had got cold feet at the last minute.
  • They later got cold feet and canceled the order.
  • But the prince got cold feet and failed to turn up.
  • He and his neighbors bought a fire truck to protect their area, but the neighbors got cold feet.
  • He gets cold feet and phones his bank manager asking him to stop the cheque.
  • I began to get cold feet, but these other two guys were totally positive and they were absolutely right.
  • Juicy, tender and sinfully rich, I immodestly enjoyed every one when my companion got cold feet.
  • Some are said to be getting cold feet.
  • Unfortunately he, the lover, had got cold feet at the last minute.
  • We are all tired, and have cold feet and hands.
  • A declaration of love, or the cold shoulder.
  • Giving the cold shoulder to his usual tipple, Ian Knight raises his coffee cup to Drinkwise Day.
  • She was sure that at some point she'd given some one the cold shoulder and hurt them badly without noticing.
  • So they have given girlfriends the cold shoulder.
  • Any other old drunk would have got a corner on the fourth page.
  • Come on! - get cracking. I want this whole house clean by the time I get back.
  • Get cracking you people! I want the whole house cleaned by four o'clock.
  • I'm going to the library - I've got to get cracking on this paper.
  • It's time you got cracking with your homework.
  • When Alf arrives we'll get cracking moving the furniture.
  • You'd better get cracking if you want to get to the airport by ten.
  • As far as I was concerned, it was time to shake our toes and get cracking.
  • It was here the Saltwater Fisherman players finally got cracking.
  • Then get cracking, drop me a line with your suggestions.
  • I don't know what happened - we just got cut off.
  • But my time on the Internet can range from only a few minutes to several hours before I get cut off.
  • Hi I was looking for Carolyn I think I got cut off.
  • Some recent columns have gotten readers' dander up.
  • Even a low-cal concoction can make us feel that we're getting our just deserts.
  • From Llewelyn he would get his deserts, and be grateful for them.
  • He was not a spiteful man, but he had enjoyed the sight of Spatz getting his deserts.
  • Now the rich and the proud would get their just deserts.
  • A lot of hard work needs to be done.
  • Call it a freak accident and, hopefully, be done with it and race on.
  • Casting off may be daunting, but it has to be done.
  • If there is any uncertainty about that, a pelvic exam or sonogram may be done.
  • Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
  • To her, some things obviously had to be done, and that was that.
  • Unless this could be done, he asserted, its occupation would be pointless.
  • Where work will be done should not be an assumption; it is a question that must be asked.
  • I got dressed quickly and ran outside.
  • Rob got dressed in a hurry.
  • Sandra's in the bedroom getting dressed.
  • After washing, we wandered around outside the tents drying in the sun and getting dressed.
  • I just wanted to get dressed in peace.
  • It took me fifteen minutes to get dressed.
  • Liz dragged her out of bed and stood over her while she got dressed.
  • Ruta, get dressed, get dressed quick.
  • The nappy changes, the meal times, the endless trips round supermarkets, school times, getting dressed and so on?
  • You got off pretty easy if you only had to pay a $33 fine.
  • Newbill got off easy, but he was about the only one.
  • Rich celebrities are allowed to hire good lawyers and get off easy.
can’t get enough of something/somebody
  • I'll get even with you -- just wait!
  • A sexy female boss hiding dark family secrets from her past and using her street smarts to get even.
  • After Alyssa and Holden hook up, things get even weirder.
  • By the time I had managed to contact mum on the telephone the flooding was getting even worse.
  • If they could get even some of the men in Grantley to take the blood test they would be half way home.
  • The others expected and got little enough: they got even less.
  • When your world falls apart, do you get mad, get out or get even?
  • You need 100 percent gain from $ 25 to $ 50 to get even.
  • Even after his second wife left him in 1991, Thurmond has kept his eye in practice.
  • It all helps to get your eye in and is far better than trying to rely on memory.
  • They play a gritty game, always in your face, always yapping, getting in your face.
  • You get in their face, they get in yours.
get out of my face
  • Q.. Do you think the press has given you a fair shake?
  • By all accounts, she and Uncle Walter got on famously.
  • Dorothy and Amelia got on famously.
  • The ticket woman and I had got on famously.
  • They spoke with me and we got on famously.
be getting/be going nowhere fast
  • Any guilt she many have felt for the loss of her son did not affect her longevity.
  • Did you get a feel for that with those conversations and the two extremes, the shot-gun versus the follow-up?
  • He was here to get a feel for the place.
  • I can get a rhythm, get a feel for the offense.
  • Playing the game itself is lots of fun, once you get a feel for the actual shot settings.
  • Rather we get a feeling for the differences in the island societies through encounters with restaurant owners.
  • Walk around the Tor and on the footpaths of the surrounding levels to get a feel for this legend-full land.
  • Whenever possible I devoured local newspapers, trying to get a feel for the politics and social conditions of each place.
  • As I contemplate the process of separation / individuation I may have feelings and sensations that I can not articulate.
  • As soon as things are really good, I always have a feeling the rug is about to be pulled out from under me.
  • But I have feeling in my hand back.
  • Certainly, younger children show affection and have feelings of liking and disliking.
  • I have a feeling he will win.
  • I have a feeling that there is now more of my past life than my future.
  • I have a feeling we may be wrong about the taxes.
  • I have a feeling you won't need that radio.
get something down to a fine art
  • You could easily finish your essay if you just sit down and pull your finger out!
  • So, come on shoe companies, pull your finger out, deliver the goods you advertise.
  • Compared to this little middle-aged lot, we didn't get to first base!
  • Have you managed to get a fix on the plane's position?
  • I sat there, trying to get a fix on the situation.
  • Another way to get a fix on people is to identify their heroes.
  • He tried to get a fix on it.
  • I sat and stared at him for a while, trying to get a fix on the situation.
  • It may be a little harder to get a fix on calcium.
flattery will get you everywhere/nowhereif you’ve got it, flaunt it
  • But we are reliably informed that Angus will be back on his feet and more importantly that seat tomorrow.
  • He got back on his feet, and they all made another parade around the stage.
  • In those early years, Macey helped Dole literally get back on his feet.
  • It was an inexpensive, safe, stable environment for families while they got back on their feet.
  • Never got back on her feet again, really.
  • The Mirror Group would soon be back on its feet.
  • We can get back on our feet.
  • The kids have been under my feet all day long.
  • That way you will not be under her feet.
start/get off on the wrong/right footget/have/keep your foot in the door
  • Antony rose to his feet and stood gazing intensely at her.
  • He got to his feet, did a 365-degree scan, and moved on.
  • Kay McGovern rose to his feet, cheering appreciatively when the performance ended.
  • The three men turned, facing it, Kao Chen getting to his feet.
  • They got to their feet and consulted; then they disappeared.
  • Zeinab rose to her feet and swept out of the box.
  • Suppose we get a free ride into the land of happiness?
  • The company got a free ride on just about everything.
  • Don't you get fresh with me, son!
  • He started getting fresh with me.
  • But her ill-gotten gains will cripple not only her students, but her young country too.
  • It is too late to crack down on the oligarchs or seize their ill-gotten gains.
  • Sadly, the thief who leaves no clues and is careful disposing of his ill-gotten gains is unlikely to be caught.
  • So that was where Spencer wasted some of his ill-gotten gains, was it?
  • The Justice Department alleges the winnings are ill-gotten gains from a money-laundering scheme.
  • The latter were continuing to draw prestige as well as profit from their ill-gotten gains.
  • Yet bankers and government alike say they do not welcome ill-gotten gains.
somebody got game
  • You better get your ass in gear, you're late.
  • Harry's been involved in the project from the get-go.
  • Co-workers have always been predominantly female, he promoted women to top levels from the get-go.
  • Companies vying for female talent wanted in on the list from the get-go.
  • He made sure from the get-go that the lawyers understood this was not going to be a circus.
  • If something pissed him off, he expected the Hot Smokes to take care of business, from the get-go.
  • At 87, Juran is still able to give as good as he gets.
  • Don't you worry about Tim. He may be small but he gives as good as he gets!
  • It was a tough interview, but I thought the President gave as good as he got.
  • The youngest of three sons, Dave can give as good as he gets.
  • The state utilities commission gave the go-ahead for the water company to raise rates.
  • Relax - don't let him get your goat.
when the going gets tough, the tough get goingbe as good as it gets
  • The two detectives went undercover to get the goods on the Parducci family.
  • It is get the goods on him.
  • I remembered my first time, my trembling hand and Big Frank Connell hissing Get a grip.
  • Pet could, but Wee Charlie ... Get a grip! she admonished herself, dashing her tears away.
  • Why was he shaking and breathless on the corner of some disgusting back street? Get a grip on yourself, Benjamin!
  • At that time, she was still coming to grips with her unexpected plunge into social activism.
  • BInstitutions are just now coming to grips with the consequences.
  • In my view this is an evasion of the teacher's duty to enable pupils to get to grips with academic language.
  • Neither Jantzen nor McFague really gets to grips with the philosophical issues involved.
  • Now he's getting to grips with his injuries.
  • The whole program works very well, I still seem to have problems in getting to grips with some areas.
  • Tutorials on disk are the latest way to get to grips with problem areas.
  • We are still trying to come to grips with the problems identified by the Romantics.
  • Damn you, get a grip on yourself.
  • He must take a grip on himself.
  • I got a grip on myself and made it back to my office.
  • I had to get a grip on myself and put this whole wretched business behind me.
  • I must get a grip on myself, she told herself firmly.
  • She took a grip on herself, physically pushed back the dark, claustrophobic horror at the point of drowning.
  • Construction of the theme park never got off the ground.
  • And the guerrilla strategy for influencing senior partners never got off the ground.
  • But it has taken the project some time to get off the ground.
  • He's been trying to get off the ground since the mid-60s.
  • He laughed, because I was still to get off the ground.
  • High-definition television, still getting off the ground, is sharper but still too poor for text.
  • It never got off the ground.
  • One Tucson businessman announced that he was organizing such an effort in early 1995, but it never got off the ground.
  • The group was slow to get off the ground, despite an encouraging article about the group in the Rotherham Advertiser.
be/get in on the ground floor
  • He can't get in our hair.
  • The best seats in the house are $150, if you can get your hands on a ticket.
  • Besides, Ward's wife will want to get her hands on it.
  • Competitors would love to get their hands on that $ 7 billion.
  • He was an absolute nonreader until Rosalie got her hands on him the year before.
  • I need to get my hands on a big lexicon.
  • Maple Leaf has wanted to get its hands on some of Schneider's operations for years.
  • The company may need all the products and sales techniques it can get its hands on.
  • These days, Parkes finds fans scrapping to get their hands on set lists, drum sticks, and towels.
  • They value everything they can get their hands on.
  • I'd love to get my hands on the guy who slashed my tires.
  • Besides, Ward's wife will want to get her hands on it.
  • Competitors would love to get their hands on that $ 7 billion.
  • He was an absolute nonreader until Rosalie got her hands on him the year before.
  • I need to get my hands on a big lexicon.
  • Maple Leaf has wanted to get its hands on some of Schneider's operations for years.
  • The company may need all the products and sales techniques it can get its hands on.
  • These days, Parkes finds fans scrapping to get their hands on set lists, drum sticks, and towels.
  • They value everything they can get their hands on.
  • It was a practical joke that got a little out of hand.
  • Police were called in when the situation began to get out of hand.
  • Pull or spray garden weeds before they get out of hand.
  • The costs have continued to increase, and now seem to be getting out of hand.
  • But eventually it became clear that things were getting out of hand.
  • But has the Fed failed to prevent the imbalances created by the recent boom from getting out of hand?
  • Hundreds of police were poised to intervene if things got out of hand, but they did not.
  • My mum used to sit nearby and make sure nothing got out of hand.
  • Things started to get out of hand.
  • This was getting out of hand.
  • We let ourselves get out of hand.
get your hands dirty
  • At least they have a handle on what caused the power failure.
  • Daily at five or six a. m. Mr Sammler woke up in Manhattan and tried to get a handle on the situation.
  • From these activities they really get a handle on where I want them to go.
  • Sun had difficulty getting a handle on the actual yield situation because week-to-week data on the silicon lots varied, Gadre said.
  • You figure you've got a handle on all but the most aberrant human behaviour.
  • After that she got the hang of what was news.
  • He side-slipped neatly; he was getting the hang of the thing.
  • I've got the hang of it now.
  • I haven't played it in a week, I was just getting the hang of it.
  • I increasingly got the hang of handling Berni.
  • It can get tough, but you will get the hang of it.
  • Once around the course is all it takes to get the hang of it.
  • She would never get the hang of this new country.
  • Additionally, many students have brought with them to school the chaos that surrounds their life outside school.
  • And then, suddenly, she sees Dieter going off on his own, and decides to have it out with him.
  • She'd have a natter with him if he were, something she often did on her half-days.
  • To have played with them then, and still to be in contact, is a great privilege and pleasure.
  • We would have to deal with it then.
  • What he would have done with it had not other events intruded is problematical.
  • Workers have tinkered with it for nearly 18 months to no avail.
  • You could have come with me as my husband.
  • Helen used to have the house to herself.
  • I have said to myself that that is wrong.
  • I must have been jealous of her life away from me, and wished to have her entirely to myself.
  • Most of the people in the boardinghouse would go home, and he and I would have the house to ourselves.
  • Mummy stopped the car at once, even though the pizza parlour was so crowded that they couldn't have a table to themselves.
  • Of course, the Little Sprouts and the Plumpsters could have kept to themselves.
  • She regrets she is so much in the way of the young people, who really should have some time to themselves.
  • They could; and should have won this match and the players have to look to themselves.
  • He had it coming, and I did him in.
  • Put like that and you might think they had it coming.
  • That pair obviously just had it coming.
I’ve got it
  • But then, Riley, why should I have it in for the nuns?
  • They will have it in for us in a big way.
  • All we have to go on is what other societies do.
  • Expatriates should also take into account any fees that they will have to pay on buying a home.
  • Indeed an inquiry of this sort should not, in my view, have been conducted on adversarial lines at all.
  • It's thought around 70 travellers have been living on the site for several weeks.
  • Maybe Desert Storm should have gone on at least to Basrah, if not indeed to Baghdad.
  • Readers of the Financial Times will have noted reports on the forming of major and powerful consortia.
  • The company has undergone an extensive reorganization since then, so the numbers have changed.
  • We have been on a very high state of alert.
have (got) the TV/radio/washing machine etc on
  • All we have to go on is what other societies do.
  • Expatriates should also take into account any fees that they will have to pay on buying a home.
  • Indeed an inquiry of this sort should not, in my view, have been conducted on adversarial lines at all.
  • It's thought around 70 travellers have been living on the site for several weeks.
  • Maybe Desert Storm should have gone on at least to Basrah, if not indeed to Baghdad.
  • Readers of the Financial Times will have noted reports on the forming of major and powerful consortia.
  • The company has undergone an extensive reorganization since then, so the numbers have changed.
  • We have been on a very high state of alert.
  • All we have to go on is what other societies do.
  • Expatriates should also take into account any fees that they will have to pay on buying a home.
  • Indeed an inquiry of this sort should not, in my view, have been conducted on adversarial lines at all.
  • It's thought around 70 travellers have been living on the site for several weeks.
  • Maybe Desert Storm should have gone on at least to Basrah, if not indeed to Baghdad.
  • Readers of the Financial Times will have noted reports on the forming of major and powerful consortia.
  • The company has undergone an extensive reorganization since then, so the numbers have changed.
  • We have been on a very high state of alert.
  • Another time she seemed to have nothing on under a grass skirt as she danced on a mirrored floor.
  • He realized she must have nothing on.
  • She seemed to have nothing on underneath, which made the wheel in my stomach behave in an entirely crazy fashion.
  • When it comes to conniving, deceptive control freaks, ex-boyfriends have nothing on record companies.
  • Where that girl is concerned I have nothing on my conscience.
  • He simply puts his head down and keeps on scoring goals - lots of them.
  • He was as cranky as a bad-tempered goat, always putting his head down and charging into things that annoyed him.
  • I put my head down and kept stroking.
  • I put my head down into my hands and absented myself mentally.
  • Instead of putting his head down and charging, Balshaw chipped and chased.
  • When I saw him in court he was crying, and so was I.. He put his head down.
  • You chuck down three of them, and then put your head down on your desk.
  • How loan scams operate How homeowners get in over their heads with home equity loans: 1.
  • We had a feeling they might get in over their heads and they did.
get/build up a head of steam
  • Clouds of steam from the dishwasher filled the room when the going got heavy.
  • Don't get heavy, said headvoice.
  • It also offers a very impressive solution to one of guitar recording's biggest problems: getting heavy distortion on to tape.
  • It was time for the regulators to get heavy.
  • Only a dozen or so of the creeps in the black nighties, but they've got heavy weapons.
  • Prices will vary from area to area and if we get heavy rain supplies will fall, forcing prices to rise.
  • Tell Amy to get the hell out of my house.
  • But then I heard some one hollering at me, telling me to get the hell out of there.
  • He had already decided to move, he wanted to get the hell out of there.
  • I think we should get the hell out of here.
  • So I wanted to get the hell out of there.
  • The car turning in the road, getting the hell out.
  • The men wanted to get the hell out as fast as possible - they were concerned about survival.
  • Why on earth didn't I just tell Luke everything and get the hell out?
  • You don't wait to pick up personal belongings, you just get the hell out.
  • All right, all right; don't get on your high horse.
  • Don't get on your high horse with me.
  • Oh, now he gets on his high horse and accuses me of being an anti-Semite!
be/get hip to something
  • He got hitched fifteen years ago to some fashion model.
  • Think about it: How old were your parents when they got hitched?
  • We watched six couples getting hitched in the tranquil setting of the garden gazebo before having their pictures taken on the beach.
get hold of an idea/an impression/a story etc
  • And the first day you arrive you contrive to get hold of this!
  • Could you get hold of the kids, please?
  • I think what happened was that Nick had been hanging around waiting to get hold of her.
  • It was as though something had got hold of her feet and was trying to pull them.
  • Jack wouldn't shoot so long as he'd got hold of him.
  • She was absorbedly prodding the aged melon, which she had somehow got hold of.
  • Then you put a good big handle on it, so that everyone can get hold of it and pick it up.
  • Wherever he was in the world he managed to get hold of all the important rugby results.
  • And the first day you arrive you contrive to get hold of this!
  • Could you get hold of the kids, please?
  • I think what happened was that Nick had been hanging around waiting to get hold of her.
  • It was as though something had got hold of her feet and was trying to pull them.
  • Jack wouldn't shoot so long as he'd got hold of him.
  • She was absorbedly prodding the aged melon, which she had somehow got hold of.
  • Then you put a good big handle on it, so that everyone can get hold of it and pick it up.
  • Wherever he was in the world he managed to get hold of all the important rugby results.
  • People will think they let Charmaine off the hook because she's a woman.
  • And he was at the heart of two of the double plays that got Johns off the hook.
  • And this time there is no second match to get anyone off the hook!
  • Apologising for ourselves Apologising and being self-deprecating can let you off the hook.
  • Home striker Paul Crimmen let them off the hook on a number of occasions and Horsham had two goals disallowed.
  • I emphasize the tense because Congress has the habit of letting itself off the hook when convenient.
  • It could even, in a pinch, get him off the hook for the nightly walk to the monument.
  • Why, she wondered, when she had effectively let him off the hook?
  • You could let them off the hook, or you could reel them in.
  • But they get hot under the collar about trips behind the old Iron Curtain.
  • Read in studio Two leading ice cream manufacturers are getting hot under the collar in a row over trade.
  • Third, people should get hot under the collar when presented with dreary architecture.
  • I think he's got the hots for you, Elaine.
  • But my, what a great body - no wonder Luke's got the hots for you.
  • Well, Big Breakfast's Donna Air seems to have the hots for him.
  • But Apple first must get its house in order.
  • Commissioners are satisfied with the progress it is making to put its house in order.
  • Following numerous complaints the Vicar of Woodford has been told to put his house in order.
  • Henry had set his house in order but had no thoughts about setting off on crusade.
  • Others have called on the council to step in and tell the firm to put its house in order.
  • The Law Society no longer can support equally those who have put their house in order and those who have not.
get on/along like a house on fire
  • As each question is asked each team goes into a huddle and then writes down its answer.
  • As with the highly misleading phrase Stavrogin's Confession, critics and commentators behave as if they had got into a huddle.
  • The meeting was chaotic, but at the end Mr Williams went into a huddle with a group of hauliers.
  • They had gone into a huddle, obviously discussing their captives.
give somebody the hump/get the hump
  • Don't get the wrong idea - the Dixons aren't as arrogant as they sound.
  • A lot of people get the wrong idea.
  • People have got the wrong idea about this one.
  • People often got the wrong idea about Nanny Ogg, and she took care to see that they did.
  • An outside linebacker, Abe enjoys the position because he can be in on every play, pass or run.
  • Even small independents are getting in on the act in a modest way, though.
  • Leese was getting in on the other side, and my cyclic stick moved as he bumped his with his leg.
  • That is neither right or wrong; we both have an interest and both want to be in on the decision.
  • The kind of place not to be in on a Sunday afternoon.
  • We had to make the game all-ticket so no-one came thinking they could get in on the day.
  • At the very least, the outlets which sold the tickets before the official date should never again be involved in distribution.
  • But others were in decent shape and got involved via the telephone with people in other homes.
  • Does he accept that some people prefer to prepare for international emergencies and not necessarily be involved in the local scene?
  • I first got involved when I began collecting old paperbacks for the artwork on the cover.
  • It was not clear from the report which items of library expenditure were to be involved in that figure.
  • Just what was to be involved in the radical realignment of the welfare state was not always clear.
  • The principles of mutual aid are that members should be involved in a reciprocal supportive role.
  • When teens get involved in volunteering, they sense quickly the benefit to both the community and their own souls.
get jiggy
  • The condition of Tam's leather jacket had got beyond a joke.
  • What kind of sick person gets his jollies out of setting fires?
  • I want to get a jump on my Christmas shopping.
  • Admitting defeat, her husband was working Sunday to get a jump on the week.
get your kit off(don’t) get your knickers in a twistget knotted!
  • The mayor's supporters get in a lather over those kinds of accusation.
  • Some guys are just looking to get laid.
  • A: Yes, San Francisco was the place you came to get laid.
  • And, of course, the sexiest man iii the world is never gon na get laid.
  • Guys who want to get laid.
  • I can get laid any day of the week right here at home.
  • I had eight hours to get laid.
  • If you can't get loved, get laid.
  • Marxism can be a way to get rich or get laid.
  • They came to read Dante, drink wine, sit in the sun and get laid.
  • But the only thing he got his leg over was the fence at Peter Pan's Playground.
  • With news like that, you can understand him wanting to get his leg over an old bike and ride all night.
have (got) something lickedget a life!
  • It gets light before 6 a.m.
  • Even earthworms have light-sensitive cells in their skin which tell them whether it is light or dark.
  • I stay there for quite a bit, looking round and that, till it gets light.
  • The texture of it is light but too soft.
  • The women are never outside, and the long low porch remains empty when it is light.
  • I'm letting you off lightly this time, but next time you could end up in jail.
  • Bill Stubbly had got off lightly - so far.
  • But that doesn't mean that the person responsible should be allowed to get off lightly.
  • He'd got off lightly with the men earlier.
  • Mind you, Little Liz got off lightly.
  • Really she was getting off lightly with a few glasses of bleach.
  • Reno got off lightly compared to Curran.
  • You got off lightly in the alley tonight.
  • Have we got any kind of line on that guy Marston?
  • Get a load of Ted's new haircut!
  • And get a load of these turn signals.
  • Did you get a load of that accordionist?
  • I got loads of plants now.
  • I got loads of them now - mostly different colours.
  • Marie's got loads of friends, and they all came to say goodbye.
  • They'd all got loads of money.
  • We've got loads of time.
  • What delight to behave really badly and still get loads of sympathy!
  • Powys & Jones have real promise but can't get a look-in.
  • Torque-steer wouldn't get a look-in.
  • When it comes to the 3,000 metres steeplechase, no other country gets a look-in.
  • It's easy for your main points to get lost in the middle of a long essay.
  • A major issue in hypermedia, however, is the danger of users getting lost among the complex network of multimedia nodes.
  • Discovering the real Tuscany, we had learned, requires getting lost.
  • In spite of all I could do, it was getting tough to keep from getting lost.
  • One could easily get lost in there for ever, Moira F. said.
  • One of them got lost in the corridors and another dropped some important equipment into the sea.
  • The many tracks through the woods make it easy to get lost - but that's never bothered me.
  • We could get lost in those woods at night, paint or no paint.
  • Without my markers I was afraid of getting lost.
  • Nowadays, these people have got it made.
  • Others chimed in, saying those who have it made are pulling up the ladder on those less fortunate.
be given/get your marching orderson your mark(s), get set, go!
  • Booth and Rowntree were more concerned with getting the measure of poverty than with trying to devise a general theory about it.
  • He may have the measure of the John Gosden-trained Anshan, running from stall 15.
  • Booth and Rowntree were more concerned with getting the measure of poverty than with trying to devise a general theory about it.
  • He may have the measure of the John Gosden-trained Anshan, running from stall 15.
  • Even the Democrats got the message: voters are concerned about taxes.
  • He doesn't seem to get the message that he's not welcome here.
  • Hopefully he'll get the message and leave me alone.
  • But some motorists still aren't getting the message.
  • If the Minister has not got the message, perhaps he had better be given it.
  • It was when she took a chunk out of my shoulder and nearly bit my damn ear off that I got the message.
  • Lloyd looked at him, then at the ceiling, sighing as he did so, and Lewis got the message.
  • Paging from Vodapage gives busy people like you the freedom to go about your business and get the message.
  • They got the message and ordered Iron Arrow to begin accepting women.
  • To get the message across Make contact with people sympathetic to your cause.
get/put somebody/something out of your mind
  • At other times, the surroundings helped to take my mind off it.
  • I guess there is nothing that will get your mind off every-thing like golf will.
  • Instead they tried to take their minds off the poster campaign by providing weekend entertainment.
  • It takes your mind off how you feel.
  • Kirsty chattered excitedly throughout the journey, helping to keep Shiona's mind off her anxieties.
  • Letters could take my mind off most things.
  • To take his mind off his worries, I suggested that he wrote out a message for his family.
  • When the other guy thinks you are cheating, it can take his mind off the game.
have you got a minute?
  • A straight-laced Wall Street banker gets mixed up in one ludicrous misunderstanding after another in George Gallo's screwball comedy.
  • Everything else about this journey is starting to get mixed up in my head.
  • He defended me and Eddie when we got mixed up in a couple of scrapes.
  • He had to be mixed up in the Cicero Club.
  • Her son's got mixed up in it, probably demonstrated yesterday with the Socialists outside the Town Hall.
  • I still do not want to get mixed up in any Indochina decision...
  • It was nothing to do with her, and whatever it was she didn't want to be mixed up in it.
  • We weren't going to get mixed up in a job, when we were going home off duty.
  • Answer: She would never have got mixed up with him in the first place.
  • But this all gets mixed up with motivation too: the horse must be motivated to learn.
  • I am beginning to get mixed up with the days of the month.
  • It's an odd business and it seems to be mixed up with Edwin Garland's will.
  • Of all the people you do not want to get mixed up with he is the first and the last.
  • Then Conley got mixed up with Charlie Keating and somehow lost millions of dollars, eventually ending up bankrupt.
  • Trust Auguste to get mixed up with it.
  • We used to get mixed up with the fight.
  • Some publishers feel they haven't been getting their money's worth from the show.
make the most of something/get the most out of something
  • We'd better get moving if we don't want to miss the start of the movie.
  • Alan promises to get moving, but Jody hears nothing for several days.
  • And you'd better get moving if you're going to meet the deadline.
  • Anurag Singh took a little longer to get moving.
  • He would have to get moving before reinforcements arrived.
  • Mr Fineman says that Darden has the financial muscle to hurt its competitors -- if the company ever gets moving.
  • The kids were still there urging Forrest to get moving.
  • This seemed like a good idea until we got moving.
  • You're here to work, so get moving.
it’s time I was moving/we ought to get moving etc
  • Come on Sally, get a move on!
  • Get a move on or we'll be late!
  • I think we'd better get moving, it's only five minutes to boarding time.
  • He'd better get a move on.
  • If Sister doesn't get a move on, they could always content themselves with the shortest children's story ever told.
  • If we didn't get a move on there wouldn't be a route left to do!
  • My brother-in-law began setting up our platform, and I made the mistake of telling him to get a move on.
  • Senior commission officials say that it is up to national governments to get a move on.
  • She had to get a move on if she was going to make it to the city before noon.
  • They keep shifting around and getting moved on and everyone acts like they're a general nuisance.
  • We have heard recently that Trafford is working on the same lines, so we will have to get a move on.
be in a muddle/get into a muddle
  • But the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors is angry that some other local authorities are letting agents get away with murder.
  • He can get away with anything, he could get away with murder and my mom would still love him.
  • I think the women of your time have been allowed to get away with murder.
  • In those days people throughout the organization often got away with murder.
  • Sorcerer thought he could get away with murder.
  • They get away with murder because of their buying power.
  • When we played them last week, the officials let Erik Williams get away with murder.
  • Where are these men when, as you say, there are men literally getting away with murder?
you name it (they’ve got it)!get it in the neck
  • I hope Emma isn't going to be there - she really gets on my nerves.
  • Nick's whining is really starting to get on my nerves.
  • The noise from the apartment upstairs was beginning to get on my nerves.
  • Angry Dear Angry: We can understand how these kids can get on your nerves.
  • As much as they got on her nerves, still she could not bring herself to talk behind their backs.
  • But things now were really getting on his nerves.
  • Everyone was getting on each other's nerves, and there was tension all the time.
  • His son got on his nerves all the time.
  • The noise and the smell were getting on his nerves.
  • They really get on my nerves.
  • This is really starting to get on my nerves.
I’ve got news for younice work if you can get itgive somebody the nod/get the nod from somebody
  • Darren comes to stay with Nikki and is quick to get up the nose of everyone he meets.
  • Even reading your horoscope can get up your nose.
  • I didn't realise it would get up your nose so quickly and so far.
  • I took her to my room, so that her feathers wouldn't get up Mum's nose.
  • It had got up Rufus's nose a bit, though Adam had a perfect right to do this.
be noticed/get (somebody) noticed
  • Flo has been looking for a job but has gotten nowhere.
  • But it's like digging in treacle - you get nowhere.
  • He's got nowhere to go but forward.
  • He goes nowhere in public without enough jewelry to supply a cotillion.
  • I ain't going nowhere near them.
  • I submit those stats and I get nowhere.
  • Indeed, the trading profit went nowhere in 2000.
  • Louis Cardinals out in Bloomington, and getting nowhere.
  • Still, the Raiders will go nowhere until they begin following the rules.
  • I heard him mention something about organs to another guest so I put my oar in and started such a nice conversation.
  • She was talking to me just now, before you put your oar in.
  • We were sorting it out quite nicely until you stuck your oar in.
give (somebody) the OK/get the OKbe one up (on somebody)/get one up on somebodygot it in one!
  • But you can get your own back.
  • By launching the new forum Mr Heseltine is getting his own back on the now weakened Mr Lamont.
  • I've gotta get my own back.
  • I hope you haven't gone and done anything silly to it just to get your own back for me going away.
  • The only way Scott could get his own back was by replacing my voice during the post-production.
  • Tupac stoked the feud, claiming to have slept with Biggie Smalls's wife, Smalls threatened to get his own back.
  • Was that a way of getting his own back?
  • Women get their own back by borrowing their man's razor.
I’ve only got one pair of hands
  • I get the picture. You want me to say you were at my house last night.
  • Oh, I get the picture. You're in love with Muriel, aren't you?
  • We don't want any trouble tonight. Do you get the picture?
  • Designers get the picture John Bell Computer-aided design is a complex technology with complicated effects.
  • Now, however, it seems even the dimwitted Amphi staff is beginning to get the picture.
  • She'd only been married to Gerald for eight months before I started getting the picture.
  • So the museum has gone to law to get the pictures back.
  • Substitute Vince McMahon with Mel Brooks and you start to get the picture.
  • You're probably getting the picture by now - Russan is a typical product of the 80s.
  • You should call her again - I think she's just playing hard to get.
  • And they may not just be playing hard to get.
  • I am not going to suggest that you play hard to get.
  • If it was Viola, she was obviously playing hard to get.
  • It had nothing to do with teasing or playing hard to get.
  • The Government gets its pound of flesh, doesn't it.
get/be given a bad press
  • Because officials are so anxious to get good press, there is often tremendous pressure on the government press agent.
  • Even Quayle is getting better press than me.
  • Even testosterone, so often blamed for aggressive behavior in men, is getting better press.
  • For now Harriet's keener on seeing chess get a better press.
  • Although you are in a seemingly hopeless situation, keep thinking and get your priorities right.
  • Before we talk, I suggest we get our priorities right.
  • Have we got our priorities right?
  • Some people just can't get their priorities right!
get with the programpull the other one (it’s got bells on)give somebody the push/get the push
  • "Get real! He'll never make the team."
  • Nichols found religion during his fifteen years in prison.
  • I look forward to watching Rainbow attempt to get religion in hopes of winning fair lady.
  • I wondered at what point he had got religion.
  • Answerable only to the president, they will suggest solutions to the ministries concerned and ensure they get results.
  • Despite his frailty he represented virility, he got results, he at least reacted mIghtily.
  • Except when he did work, he got results.
  • In short, the record shows that a large percentage of quality improvement training programs do not get results.
  • On the evidence, he was good at getting results.
  • Pollution control is about action in the field and getting results.
  • Self-development can he painful and confronting and getting results takes time.
  • The task was so daunting that Alvarado told Falco and his teachers to do whatever it took to get results.
  • I can never get rid of the lumps in my gravy.
  • It's about time you got rid of that old gas-guzzling car.
  • My mother made me get rid of my dog.
  • They burned the ship to get rid of the evidence.
  • But if we got rid of the old masts, we would be losing at least a quarter-ton of dead weight.
  • But you don't get rid of me like that.
  • Congress never really tried very hard to get rid of Education or any other department.
  • Long before dark, Liz felt she was ready to do anything to get rid of the child.
  • Petrie used a complicated measure of condition to get rid of the effects of size alone.
  • That was the quickest way of getting rid of wolves.
  • They wanted to get rid of her because they thought she was an interfering busybody.
  • You know, turn off the stereo, get rid of any reading material.
  • Bill likes to get a rise out of people, to say things just for effect.
  • After a while it began to sound like Bill was just growing accustomed to getting a rise out of people.
  • That gets a rise out of him every time.
  • At which juncture, Shelford gave his troops a roasting.
  • Chancellor Norman Lamont will today begin hauling in bank bosses one by one to give them a roasting.
  • I don't just want people to get their rocks off.
  • You're a rock group so people get their rocks off.
  • After developing the infrastructure and getting the ball rolling, the mine churned out great quantities of lead and silver.
  • Celtic got the ball rolling with a goal from the impressive Nicholas after just 10 minutes.
  • Early arrivals heard one of our own, the superb John Hurley, get the ball rolling in the upstairs bar.
  • I got the process rolling by talking directly to every person in the wing.
  • If you could get on to Basil, then we can get the ball rolling.
  • Straightening your wheels puts them in the proper attitude to get them rolling again.
  • They were Mo Taylor getting himself rolling consistently toward the basket and dropping in finger rolls and jump shots.
  • To get the ball rolling, here a few for starters ... 1.
what have you got to say for yourself?
  • Johansson got on the scoresheet himself just after the break to give Charlton the lead.
  • The father, be he absentee or abusive, gets off scot-free.
get the shaft
  • Q.. Do you think the press has given you a fair shake?
  • A lot of similar stories, people just wanting to get back into shape, get their games together.
  • And backs off quick, before the long-suffering pimp shows up, and knocks the girl into shape with his jewelled fists.
  • His replacement, former sales manager Nils Sontag, never had enough time to lick the company into shape.
  • Lionesses lick their cubs into shape and life.
  • Nevertheless an heroic effort is being made to lick Expo into shape before Easter Monday.
  • The first two hours knock us into shape, however, as we battle with the boulder-strewn approach to Condoriri.
  • With the BaByliss BodyToner Plus you can treat yourself to wonderful massages and get back into shape at the same time.
have/get the shitsget/be given short shrift
  • Rose had drawn the short straw, and was thus forced to seek Lord Westbourne clasping the Romanov dagger.
have/get somebody by the short and curlies
  • Helen couldn't wait to get shot of me.
  • If you want to get shot of it through DataEase, it depends on what version you're using.
let’s get this show on the road
  • And in our sandwich, the grated cheese, when melted, got lost in the shuffle of the other ingredients.
  • The theory, however, broke down; both customers and employees got lost in the shuffle.
  • If you get on the wrong side of Miss Trunchbull she can liquidise you like a carrot in a kitchen blender.
  • Linda Smith got on the wrong side of the National Rifle Association recently.
  • She was going to find out shortly that she couldn't get on the wrong side of Harry without paying for it.
  • Travis, remind me not to get on the wrong side of you again.
get/put your skates on
  • Kids will say some mean things to try and get under your skin.
  • But this class was dearly getting under his skin.
  • He had got under her skin, and after half an hour she went home alone, not content with second-best.
  • It will not be easy given the Sri Lankan propensity for getting under the skin of the opposition.
  • So, come on you literary types; stop fretting about Orwell and start getting under our skins.
  • Sure he could get under your skin but so would St Francis of Assisi on a job like this.
  • Why did she let him get under her skin like this?
  • Why should there be a surface to get beneath, a skin to get under?
  • Why was she allowing Doreen to get under her skin in this manner?
somebody can’t get it into their (thick) skullnot get a sniff of something
  • Now we're really getting somewhere!
  • After four awful years, I finally felt I was getting somewhere.
  • At last I felt we were getting somewhere.
  • He could therefore be patient, for he was getting somewhere when he did not seem to be moving forward.
  • The children are making decorations to get into the spirit of the season.
  • A good collie enters into the spirit of the hunt, up to a point.
  • Flagellation and other exotic practices formed part of its creed and Rasputin entered into the spirit of these with enthusiasm.
  • He tried hard to get into the spirit of the thing.
  • It all began about 15 years ago when Pat Jackson got into the spirit and decided to decorate her house.
  • Knowing who was servant and who mistress, I entered into the spirit of the farce.
  • Meanwhile, the audience gets into the spirit of the occasion, courtesy of comedian, Bobby Bragg from Banbury.
  • Mercer was entering into the spirit of things, Bambi also but more coolly.
  • Thomas himself got into the spirit.
  • New Woman magazine found that most girls still want to get spliced.
  • Eisenhower would not be stampeded, although the opportunities for action were certainly present.
  • He was furious with Khrushchev for breaking the moratorium, but he refused to be stampeded into a new series of tests.
if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchenbe in a state/get into a state
  • But Dehlavi takes his time getting up steam, leaving a good 20 minutes of surplus slack in these two hours.
  • Cons: Just when the bobsled builds up steam, brakes on the track slow it down.
  • If the economy is picking up steam, the recovery may be nipped in the bud by renewed Fed tightening.
  • Indications the economy may be picking up steam hurt bonds by sparking concern inflation may accelerate, eroding bonds' fixed payments.
  • Millionaire publisher Steve Forbes, who is suddenly picking up steam?
  • The black-out protest is expected to pick up steam after the president signs the bill.
  • We really need to get on the stick and get those trees planted.
  • He doesn't give his stick to just anybody.
get (hold of) the wrong end of the stick
  • I like to get the house straight while the kids are at the youth club.
  • One of these days I'll get this garage straight.
  • The reporter didn't get the details of the story straight.
  • By half-past three, when their lessons were normally over, Hugo felt he was getting into his stride.
  • If this book has a significant weakness, it is simply that it takes three chapters to get into its stride.
  • In some peculiar way he seemed to be getting into his stride.
  • Just as the teacher was getting into her stride, the whole school was plunged into darkness.
  • The first speaker was getting into his stride.
  • The work had scarcely got into its stride before it was interrupted by the outbreak of the Wars of Independence.
  • They were just getting into their stride when they received an invitation from Lila to come to her place.
get stuck in/get stuck into something
  • He obviously had impregnation on his mind, but by now Lydia had lost her temper and she told him to get stuffed.
  • He told me to get stuffed.
  • I doubt if it ever dawned on him that his patient wife would tell him to get stuffed.
  • The Raiders are getting stuffed because the defensive line is penetrating.
  • Under his breath, the Vice President was telling him to get stuffed.
  • As the afternoon wears on, Paul Merton gets into the swing of things.
  • But once you get into the swing of it, the anatomy takes care of itself.
  • In the evening a fun event will be held to get into the swing of things.
  • I couldn't get the feelings of guilt out of my system.
  • And when several events air live simultaneously, some of them have to be taped.
  • It should have been taped for a campaign training film; it was too perfect.
  • Several other infinitely more damaging conversations involving him have been taped over the past few weeks.
be/get tarred with the same brushtart yourself up/get tarted uptell somebody where to go/where to get off
  • Gave it ten out of ten.
give somebody a thick ear/get a thick ear
  • If they think it's going to be an easy game, they've got another think coming!
get/go/run through somethingget on somebody’s tits
  • The blokes all put on frocks, like, an' the chicks get togged up in strides.
  • What's happened to all your brains, Frankie boy? Cat got your tongue?
  • I couldn't get my tongue around the consonants.
  • But meanwhile, her new role as fashion supremo is something she can really get her teeth into.
  • Once the gila monster gets its teeth into its prey it will not let go.
  • That O'Neill man isn't going to let up now he's got his teeth into it.
  • We were both the sort of people who just can't let go once they have got their teeth into something.
get on top of somebody
  • Accelerate smartly so that you can get into top gear as quickly as possible.
  • It was ready to move into top gear at very short notice.
  • Meanwhile Pistol Packer was getting into top gear on the stands side, and Caro and Arlequino were not done with.
  • I'm finally able to get in touch with who I am.
  • Be still for a moment to get in touch with your own breathing.
  • He thought that we get in touch with the world and others through meaningful work.
  • He tried to get in touch with Spider.
  • HomePro.com HomePro aims to make it easier for homeowners to get in touch with true trade professionals.
  • Insurance companies can get in touch with the site and negotiate a price for their return.
  • Is that getting in touch with nature?
  • No-one could get in touch with you.
  • Then get in touch with me.
  • After debating, I decided that I should not get off the track.
  • I almost wet in my pants before I got off the track to relieve myself.
  • I guess it's time to get trucking.
  • Zach's not used to such spicy food.
  • Could it be used to predict the mating system of species that had not been studied?
  • He walked like an old man trying to get used to new glasses.
  • In housing, the market can not be used to move to the market.
  • Left: Scenes shot on telephoto appear to have compressed perspectives which can be used to good effect.
  • The bulldozer would be used to load them.
  • The password which will be used to limit access to the packages created.
  • The threat of this ex ante can then be used to ensure adherence to the agreement.
  • This money would be used to provide education, job-training assistance, childcare and program administration beginning later this year.
  • Barkeley gets my vote for sexiest man of the decade.
  • Pans and scans: Rowdy Gaines gets my vote as best analyst at these Games thus far.
give somebody/get a walloping
  • And efforts are under way to develop new types of technology that may be better suited to remote communities.
  • However, once the project is under way, no personnel changes will be allowed. 27.
  • More serious basketball is under way next door.
  • Repeat trials in conjunction with Silsoe Research Institute are under way to confirm that potential.
  • Secret negotiations are under way with jailed mobsters to bring him down.
  • Shooting exercises were under way nearby; their presence was verboten.
  • The administration had now returned to its official residence, and the business of government was under way.
  • The army also confirmed that a fresh effort to take Lunsar was under way.
  • As a result, Allan says, politics gets in the way of devising economically and environmentally logical policies.
  • But, hey, never let the truth get in the way of political grandstanding.
  • George then shot Lennie because he was angry at Lennie for getting in the way of his dreams coming true.
  • He got himself upright again and never let his disapproval get in the way of our friendship.
  • I get in the way of his religion.
  • She got in the way of their passionate preoccupations.
  • Thinking these thoughts gets in the way of my learning about sines and cosines.
  • You cut off all the old you that gets in the way of the maker you.
  • Monica's so spoiled - she always gets her own way.
  • Basilio still gets his way in the end because he marries his daughter to money.
  • For two and a half years, the company can have its way.
  • Our genes will take care of that, anyway, and it is natural to let them have their way.
  • She mostly managed to get her own way with him.
  • She remembered those days when they had played together as children, too, he always getting his own way.
  • They both push you and have their own ways of motivating you.
  • Under the genial exterior lay a considerable vanity, and a desire to have his own way.
  • When some one or something stops them from getting their own way, their frustration can build up to explosion point.
  • The women had got into the way of going up on the deck every evening.
  • Ultimately, it just gets on your wick.
put the wind up somebody/get the wind up
  • By February the local press had got wind of the affair.
  • Certainly the last thing she wanted was for Max to get wind of it all.
  • First it needs to boost its efforts to get wind of military-useful technology at an early stage.
  • If she were to get wind of this.
  • So, if she gets wind of Der Vampyr and wants to do it, you can believe it will get done.
  • The extension director and the Wyoming dean of agriculture finally got wind of what I was up to.
  • The notion of compulsion met a storm of controversy when mental health charities first got wind of the government's thoughts.
  • When Johnny misbehaves, parents get wind of it by e-mail before he gets home.
get your wingsnot get a wink of sleep/not sleep a wink
  • We got our wires crossed and I waited for an hour in the wrong place.
  • Somewhere along the line, some one had got their wires crossed, that much was clear.
  • But it seems doubtful if theologies would be wise to regard that importance as the beginning and the end of their business.
  • Confidence just got wise and the guys it got wise to are wondering where it has gone.
  • He's not and would be wise to bite his tongue.
  • It is wise to remember that these men were competing at a time when the black presence was of only tiny significance.
  • Perhaps it would be wiser to run now and ask questions later.
  • Still, it always is wise to hedge our bets about the future.
  • The old tramp has served his purpose, but beyond this point it would not be wise to go.
  • With ear-shattering shrieks echoing around the square, I decided it would be wise to wonder elsewhere.
  • He found that even if he could get a word in edgewise it was encircled and cut off right away.
  • He told her it had not been easy to get a word in.
  • No one else can get a word in edgeways.
  • She barely got a word in.
  • So did Jim, although he said they'd never get a word in if he came.
  • Usually Aunt Sarah had a job to get a word in edge ways.
  • I should not have exasperated him for I always have the worst of it.
get a wriggle on
  • If you get on the wrong side of Miss Trunchbull she can liquidise you like a carrot in a kitchen blender.
  • Linda Smith got on the wrong side of the National Rifle Association recently.
  • She was going to find out shortly that she couldn't get on the wrong side of Harry without paying for it.
  • Travis, remind me not to get on the wrong side of you again.
get on the wrong side of the law
  • We just got off on the wrong foot the other day.
  • Unfortunately, Pope got off on the wrong foot with his new troops.
  • We got off on the wrong foot the other day and it was my fault.
  • Maybe I got the wrong end of the stick. I thought she was leaving him, not the other way round.
  • A crossed cheque therefore gives some protection against fraud if it falls into the wrong hands.
  • And images of Kurds on tape could fall into the wrong hands.
  • But some gun dealers have stopped selling replicas, because they're worried about them falling into the wrong hands.
  • Cards falling into the wrong hands cost the industry three hundred pounds every minute.
  • I will never allow Kirsty to fall into the wrong hands.
  • Pentagon officials say they have already had some success reducing the risk that nuclear materials will fall into the wrong hands.
  • Voice over Mr Foulkes is seeking Government safeguards to prevent Rayo from falling into the wrong hands.
  • I've been here a year now, and my boss still gets my name wrong!
  • Once again, the government has got it wrong.
  • You've got your facts wrong, mate - he doesn't work here any more.
  • You must have gotten the directions wrong.
  • Don't get me wrong - I like Jenny, but she can be a little bossy.
  • Don't get me wrong, I love my family, I just don't want to be with them all the time.
  • I like Jenny, don't get me wrong, but I do think she acts a little childishly at times.
somebody is not getting any youngercatch/get some Z’s
1receive [transitive] to receive something that someone gives you or sends you:  She got loads of presents. What did you get for Christmas? We get a lot of junk mail.get something from somebody We got a letter from Pam this morning.get something off somebody spoken informal I got it off my Dad. I got a few games free when I bought my computer.2obtain [transitive] to obtain something by finding it, asking for it, or paying for it:  We need to get help quickly! It would be a good idea to get professional advice. You may be able to get a grant from the local authority. He cleared his throat to get our attention.get something for somebody I want you to get some information for me.get somebody something His father managed to get him a job at the local factory.3bring [transitive] to bring someone or something back from somewhere:  Run upstairs and get a pillow. I went back into the office to get a pen. Shall I go and get the phone book?get somebody/something from something She’s just gone to get the kids from school.get something for somebody I’ll get a towel for you.get somebody something I’ll get you a chair. see thesaurus at bring4buy [transitive] a)to buy something:  Where did you get that jacket?get something for somebody Joe’s going to get tickets for all of us.get somebody something While you’re out, could you get me some batteries?get yourself something He’s just got himself a new van.get something from something I usually get vegetables from the supermarket.get something for $20/£100/50p etc You can get a decent PC for about £500 now. It’s a lovely coat, and I managed to get it cheap in the sales. b)spoken to pay for something for someone else:  I’ll get these drinks. c)to buy a newspaper regularly:  My parents always used to get the ‘Daily Telegraph’. see thesaurus at buy5money [transitive] a)to receive money for doing work:  Hospital doctors get a minimum of £50,000 a year.get £2,000/$4,000 etc for doing something He gets £4 an hour for stacking shelves. b)to receive money when you sell somethingget £100/$200 etc for something You should get a couple of hundred pounds for your old car. Did you get a good price for it? see thesaurus at earn6have a feeling/idea [transitive] to start to have a feeling or an idea:  She began to get an uncomfortable feeling that she was being watched. I got a terrible shock when I saw how ill he looked. I got the impression that everyone was fed up with us.get pleasure from/out of something She gets a lot of pleasure from her garden.7have/experience [transitive] to have, do, or experience something:  You don’t get enough exercise. I never get time to read these days. The west of the country gets quite a lot of rain. We might get the chance to go to America this year.8illness [transitive not in passive] to catch an illness:  I got flu last winter and was in bed for three weeks. She was worried she might get food poisoning.9achieve [transitive] to achieve something:  I got 98% in my last maths test. the person who gets the highest score10receive a punishment [transitive] to receive something as a punishment:  He got ten years in prison for his part in the robbery.11arrive [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] to arrive somewhere:  What time will we get there? We didn’t get home until midnight.get to We got to Paris that evening. see thesaurus at arrive12reach a point [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] to reach a particular point or stage of something:  I’ve got as far as chapter 5. I couldn’t wait to get to the end of the book. Where have you got up to in the story? It was disappointing to lose, having got this far in the competition.13get (somebody) somewhere/anywhere/nowhere if you get somewhere, or if an action gets you somewhere, you make progress:  I think we’re getting somewhere at last. We didn’t seem to be getting anywhere. I’ve tried arguing, but it got me nowhere.14move [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] to move or go somewhere:  Get out of my house! We managed to get past the guards. They shouted at us to get back. Peter got to his feet (=stood up).15make something move [transitive always + adverb/preposition] to make something or someone move to a different place or position, especially with some difficulty:  I couldn’t get the disk out of the computer. Could you help me get the wardrobe up the stairs? We must get food and emergency aid into the area as quickly as possible.16travel [transitive] to travel somewhere on a train, bus etc:  You can get a bus to the station. I got the 9.15 from London to Edinburgh.17become [linking verb] to change to a new feeling, situation, or state SYN  become:  Don’t get upset. She soon got bored with the job. He calmed down as he got older. Eat your dinner before it gets cold. This is getting silly.get to be something informal It’s getting to be a problem. see thesaurus at becomeGRAMMAR: Linking verbsIn this meaning, get is used as a linking verb. It links the subject of the sentence with an adjective: · I’m getting tired now.· It soon got dark.18make somebody/something become something [transitive] to make someone or something change to a new feeling, situation, or state:  Sometimes she gets me so angry! Don’t get the children too excited. He was terrified of getting her pregnant. It took them 15 minutes to get the boat ready.19be hurt/broken etc [linking verb, transitive] used to say that something, especially something bad, happens to someone or somethingget hurt/broken/stolen etc You might get hurt if you stand there. Mind the camera doesn’t get broken. My dad got killed in a car crash. I knew I would get shouted at if I was late home. This is a question we very often get asked.get something caught/stuck etc She got her foot caught in the wire.20make something happen to somebody/something [transitive] a)to accidentally make someone or something experience something:  You’re going to get us all killed! Mind you don’t get yourself burned. b)to do something, or arrange for it to be done:  I need to get the washing machine fixed. We must get this work finished on time.21make something do something [transitive] to make something do a particular thingget something to do something I couldn’t get the engine to start.get something doing something We got the lawn mower working again eventually.22make somebody do something [transitive] to persuade or force someone to do somethingget somebody to do something I’ll get Terry to check the wiring for me. We couldn’t get him to sign the agreement.get somebody doing something In the end, we got the children clearing the playground.23understand [transitive] informal to understand something:  I don’t think she got the joke. I don’t get it – it doesn’t make sense.get what/how/who etc I still don’t get how she knew about the meeting.GRAMMARIn this meaning, get is not used in the progressive. You say: · I get it. Don’t say: I’m getting it.Grammar guide ‒ VERBS see thesaurus at understand24cook [transitive] to prepare food or a meal:  She’s just getting lunch.get somebody something Shall I get you a sandwich?25radio/television [transitive] to be able to receive a particular radio signal, television station etc:  Can you get satellite TV here?26answer the door/telephone [transitive] informal to answer the door or telephone:  Can you get the phone?27catch somebody [transitive] to catch someone:  The police got him in the end.28hurt/kill somebody [transitive] informal to attack, hurt, or kill someone:  The other gang members threatened to get him if he went to the police. I’ll get you for this!29trick somebody [transitive] informal to deceive or trick someone:  I got you that time!30on the telephone [transitive] if you get someone on the telephone, they answer the telephone when you have made a call, and so you talk to them:  I tried phoning him at work, but I just got his secretary.31get doing something to begin doing something:  We got talking about the old days. I think we should get going quite soon. What are we all waiting for? Let’s get moving!32get to do something informal to have the opportunity to do something:  We got to meet all the stars after the show. She gets to travel all over the place with her job.33get to like/know/understand somebody/something to gradually begin to like, know, or understand someone or something:  It’ll take a while for you to get to know everyone. After a while, I got to like him. have got at have1SPOKEN PHRASES34you get something used to say that something happens or exists:  I didn’t know you got tigers in Europe.35you’ve got me (there) used to say you do not know the answer to something36it/what gets me used to say that something really annoys you:  It really gets me the way he leaves wet towels on the bathroom floor. What gets me is their attitude.37get this especially American English used to draw attention to something surprising or interesting that you are about to mention:  And the whole thing only cost – get this – $12.95.GRAMMAR: Using the passiveGet is not usually used in the passive. If you want to use a passive verb, it may be better to use obtain, which is often used in the passive. You say: · Most of our electricity is obtained from nuclear power. Don’t say: Most of our electricity is got from nuclear power.THESAURUSget [not in passive] to get something by finding it, asking for it, or paying for it: · I’ve been trying to get some information.· She went to the bank to get some money.obtain formal to get something: · Maps and guides can be obtained from the tourist office.· The newspaper has obtained a copy of the letter.acquire formal to get something – used about knowledge, skills, or something big or expensive: · The course helps older people to acquire computing skills.· He acquired the property in 1985.inherit to get someone’s money or property after they die: · Jo inherited a lot of money from her mother.gain to get something useful or necessary, such as knowledge or experience: · I’ve gained a lot of useful experience.· The research helped us gain an insight into how a child’s mind works.earn to get something because you deserve it: · He had earned a reputation as a peacemaker.· She earned a lot of respect from her colleagues.get hold of something informal to get something that is rare or difficult to find: · I’m trying to get hold of a ticket for the game.lay your hands on something informal to get something that you want very much or that you have spent a lot of time looking for: · I read every book I could lay my hands on.get about phrasal verb British English1to go or travel to different places:  She’s 80 now, and doesn’t get about much anymore. He’s got an old van which he uses for getting about.2if news or information gets about, it is told to a lot of people:  I don’t really want this to get about.get across phrasal verb to succeed in communicating an idea or piece of information to someone, or to be communicated successfullyget something ↔ across It took him ages to get his point across. We must get across the simple fact that drugs are dangerous. The message isn’t getting across.get across to It is important that we get this message across to voters.get ahead phrasal verb to be successful and do better than other people in a job or work:  She soon found that it wasn’t easy to get ahead in the movie business.get along phrasal verb1if two or more people get along, they have a friendly relationship:  We’ve always got along quite well.get along with They seem to get along with each other.2to deal with a job or situation or to make progress:  How’s Sam getting along at university?get along without Don’t worry, we’ll get along without you.3 I must/I’d better be getting along spoken used to say that it is time for you to leave, for example because you have something else to doget around phrasal verb1get around (something) to go or travel to different places:  We had to use public transport to get around. It’s quite easy to get around London.2if news or information gets around, it is told to a lot of people:  News of the accident soon got around. Word got around that the department might be closed.3 get around something to avoid something that is difficult or causes problems for you:  I think we should be able to get around most of these problems. She was always very clever at getting around the rules.get around to something phrasal verb to do something that you have been intending to do for some time:  I meant to phone her yesterday, but I never got around to it.get around to doing something We finally got around to clearing out the garage.get at somebody/something phrasal verb1criticize to keep criticizing someone in an unkind way:  Why is he always getting at me? He felt he was being got at by the other students.2be getting at something to be trying to say something in a way that is difficult for other people to understand:  What are you getting at, Helen? Do you see the point I’m getting at?3reach to be able to reach something:  We had to move the washing machine out to get at the wiring behind it.4information to discover information, especially the truth about a situation:  I was determined to get at the truth.5threaten informal to use threats to influence the decision of people who are involved in a court case:  Do you think some of the jury have been got at?get away phrasal verb1leave to leave a place, especially when this is not easy:  The meeting dragged on, and I didn’t get away until seven.get away from I like to get away from London at the weekend.2on holiday informal to take a holiday away from the place you normally live:  Will you manage to get away this summer?get away to We’re hoping to get away to Scotland for a few days.3escape to escape from someone who is chasing you or trying to catch you:  The three men got away in a stolen car.get away from We knew it wouldn’t be easy to get away from the police.get away with The thieves got away with jewellery worth over £50,000.4get away! British English spoken used to say you are very surprised by something or do not believe it5the one that got away something good that you nearly had or that nearly happenedget away from somebody/something phrasal verb1to avoid something that is difficult or unpleasant for you, or something that limits what you can do in some way:  I needed to get away from the pressures of work. She wanted to get away from the traditional ideas of what theatre is about. There is no getting away from this fact (=you cannot avoid or deny this fact).2to begin to talk about other things rather than the subject you are supposed to be discussing:  I think we’re getting away from the main issue.3get away from it all to have a relaxing holiday:  You need to get away from it all for a couple of weeks.get away with something phrasal verb1to not be caught or punished when you have done something wrong:  Watch Frank – he’ll cheat if he thinks he can get away with it. No one insults my family and gets away with it!2get away with murder informal to not be punished for doing something wrong:  Some of those children get away with murder!3to receive only a small punishment for something:  The charge was reduced to manslaughter, and she got away with three years in prison.4to do something without experiencing any problems or difficulties, even though it is not the best thing to do:  At school he had always got away with doing the bare minimum amount of work. The colour’s not quite right, but I think you’ll get away with it.get back phrasal verb1return to return to a place:  I’ll talk to you when I get back.get back to He got back to the office just before lunchtime.2do something again to start doing something again or talking about something againget back to Let’s get back to the main point of the discussion. Well, I must get back to work.get back into Have you ever thought about getting back into teaching?3be in a state again to change to a previous state or condition againget back to Life was beginning to get back to normal. I couldn’t get back to sleep.get back together Do you think they’ll get back together (=start having a relationship again)?4get something again get something ↔ back to get something again after you have lost it or someone else has taken it:  Did you get your books back?5punish somebody get somebody back informal to do something to hurt or harm someone who has hurt or harmed youget back for I’ll get you back for this!get back at somebody phrasal verb to do something to hurt or harm someone who has hurt or harmed you:  He’ll probably go out with her just to get back at me.get back to somebody phrasal verb informal to talk to someone or telephone them later in order to answer a question or give them information:  I’ll find out the prices and get back to you.get behind phrasal verb1if you get behind with a job, payments, rent etc, you do not do or pay as much of it as you should have by a particular timeget behind with I don’t want to get behind with my work. You can always catch up later if you get behind.2get behind somebody informal to support someone:  The crowd really got behind them and cheered them on.get by phrasal verb to have enough money to buy the things you need, but no more:  I don’t earn a huge salary, but we get by.get by on Sometimes they had to get by on very little.get down phrasal verb1make somebody sad get somebody down to make someone feel unhappy and tired:  His lack of social life was beginning to get him down.2write something down get something ↔ down to write something, especially something that someone is saying:  He was followed by a group of reporters trying to get down every word he said. It’s important to get things down on paper.3eat/drink get something down (somebody) to eat or drink something, or persuade someone else to eat or drink something:  I knew I’d feel better once I’d got some food down. Get that tea down you. He still says he’s not hungry, and I can’t get anything down him.4after a meal British English to leave the table after a meal – used by children or when you are talking to children:  Please may I get down?get down to something phrasal verb to start doing something that is difficult or needs a lot of time or energy:  It’s time we got down to work. We need to get down to some serious talking.get down to doing something I always find it hard to get down to revising.get in phrasal verb1enter to enter a place, especially when this is difficult:  We managed to get in through a window. The theatre was already full, and we couldn’t get in.2arrive if a train, plane etc gets in at a particular time, it arrives at that time:  What time does the bus get in?get in to We get in to Heathrow at ten o’clock.3get home to arrive home:  We didn’t get in until late. What time do the boys get in from school?4be elected to be elected to a position of political power:  The Conservatives have promised to increase spending on health and education if they get in.5college/university to be allowed to be a student at a university, college etc:  I applied to Bristol University, but I didn’t get in.6buy a supply get something ↔ in to buy a supply of something:  I must remember to get some food in for the weekend.7crops get something ↔ in to gather a crop and bring it to a sheltered place:  The whole village was involved with getting the harvest in.8ask for worker get somebody ↔ in to ask someone to come to your home to do a job, especially to repair something:  We’ll have to get a plumber in.9give something to somebody get something in to send something to a particular place or give it to a particular person:  Please can you get your essays in by Thursday. It’s best to get your insurance claim in as quickly as possible.10do something get something ↔ in to manage to do something even though you do not have much time:  We’re hoping to get in a game of golf over the weekend.get in on something phrasal verb informal to become involved in something that other people are doing or planning:  Quite a few companies would like to get in on the project. The scheme has proved very successful, and now other local authorities are keen to get in on the act (=become involved in something exciting or interesting).get in with somebody phrasal verb informal to become friendly with someone:  He got in with a bad crowd and started getting into trouble.get into something1enter to enter a place, especially when this is difficult:  The door was locked and we couldn’t get into the house.2arrive to arrive at a place:  What time do we get into New York?3be elected to be elected to a Parliament:  He first got into Parliament in 1982.4college/university to be allowed to be a student at a university, college etc:  She got into UCLA.5team to be made a member of a team:  Do you think you might get into the Olympic team this year?6start doing something to start doing or feeling something, or being in a particular situation:  He’s started getting into trouble at school. My parents were always terrified of getting into debt. She got into the habit of going for long walks by herself. He got into a terrible temper and started throwing things around.7become involved to begin to be involved in doing something:  How did you first get into script writing? She was starting to get into politics.8enjoy informal to begin to enjoy something or be interested in it:  I first got into jazz when I was at college.9clothing informal to put on a piece of clothing, especially when this is difficult because the piece of clothing is too small for you:  I don’t know how she managed to get into those trousers.10what’s got into somebody? spoken used to express surprise that someone is behaving very differently from the way they usually behave:  I don’t know what’s got into Sally recently.get off phrasal verb1leave to leave a place, or to help someone to leave a place:  We’ll try and get off straight after lunch.get off something Get off my land!get somebody off I’ll phone you as soon as I’ve got the children off to school.2finish work get off (something) to finish work and leave the place where you work at the end of the day:  I usually get off at six o’clock. What time do you get off work?3send something get something off to send a letter or package by post:  I’ll have to get this letter off by tonight.get off to I’ll get the forms off to you today.4clothing get something off to remove a piece of clothing:  Why don’t you get those wet clothes off?5not be punished if someone gets off, they are not punished for doing something wrong, or they receive only a small punishment:  In the end he got off because there wasn’t enough evidence against him. The police felt he had got off very lightly.get off with If you’re lucky, you’ll get off with a fine.6help somebody not be punished get somebody off to help someone avoid being punished for a crime:  Her lawyers were confident that they could get her off.7sleep get (somebody) off to go to sleep, or to help a child go to sleep:  I went to bed but couldn’t get off to sleep. It took us ages to get the baby off.8 get off to a good/bad etc start to start in a particular way:  The day had got off to a bad start.9stop talking about something get off something to stop talking about a subject:  Can we get off the subject of death, please?10stop touching something get off (something/somebody) informal used to tell someone to stop touching something or someone:  Get off me! Get off those cakes, or there’ll be trouble. Get off (=stop touching me)!11tell somebody where to get off informal to tell someone that they are asking you for too much or are behaving in a way you will not accept:  He wanted £50, but I told him where to get off.12get off your butt/ass American English spoken not polite used to tell someone that they should stop being lazy and start doing something usefulget off on something phrasal verb informal to become excited by something, especially sexually excitedget off with somebody phrasal verb informal to start a sexual relationship with someone:  She spent the whole evening trying to get off with Phil.get on phrasal verb1like somebody especially British English if people get on, they like each other and have a friendly relationship with each otherget on with I’ve always got on well with Henry. The two boys get on well most of the time.2progress to deal with a job or situation or to make progress:  How is George getting on at school?get on with How are you getting on with your essay?get on without I don’t know how we’ll get on without Michael.3continue doing something to continue doing somethingget on with Be quiet and get on with your work!4be successful to be successful in your job:  You’ll have to work hard if you want to get on.5clothing get something on to put a piece of clothing on:  I can’t get my boots on!6be getting on a)if time is getting on, it is quite late:  Come on, it’s getting on and we ought to go home. I realized that time was getting on and we would have to hurry. b)informal if someone is getting on, they are quite old7getting on for 90/10 o’clock/2,000 etc almost a particular age, time, number etc:  Mrs McIntyre must be getting on for 90 by now. The total cost was getting on for $100,000.8get it on American English informal to have sex9get on with it! spoken used to tell someone to hurry:  Will you lot stop messing around and get on with it!10let somebody get on with it informal to let someone do something on their own, and not help them or tell them what to do:  She wanted to decorate her room, so I just let her get on with it.get onto somebody/something phrasal verb1speak/write to somebody informal to speak or write to someone:  I’ll get onto my lawyer about this.2learn about somebody informal to find out about someone who has been doing something wrong:  How did the police get onto him?3be elected to be elected as a member of a committee, a political organization etc:  She was quite keen to get onto the management committee.4talk about something to begin to talk about a subject after you have been discussing something else:  After a few minutes they got onto the subject of the election.5do something informal to start dealing with something:  Right, I’ll get onto it straight away.get out phrasal verb1leave to leave a room or building:  You ought to get out into the fresh air. Mary screamed at me to get out.get out of Get out of the kitchen!2escape to escape from a place:  Some of the animals had got out.get out of He was determined to get out of prison.3help somebody escape get somebody out to help someone leave a place or escape from a place:  It’s important to get these people out as soon as possible.get out of We knew it was going to be difficult to get him out of the country.4take something from a place get something ↔ out to take something from the place where it is kept:  She got out her violin and started to play.5information if information gets out, a lot of people then know it although it is meant to be secret:  We have to make absolutely certain that none of this gets out. It’s bound to get out that he’s retiring soon.6produce something get something ↔ out to produce a book or other product that can be sold to people:  We’re hoping to get the new catalogue out next week.7say something get something ↔ out to succeed in saying something, especially when this is very difficult:  I wanted to tell him I loved him, but couldn’t get the words out.get out of something phrasal verb1avoid doing something to avoid doing something you have promised to do or are supposed to do:  See if you can get out of that meeting tomorrow.get out of doing something He’s trying to get out of tidying his room.2stop doing something to stop doing something or being involved in something:  I wanted to get out of teaching.3make somebody give/tell you something get something out of somebody to force or persuade someone to tell you something or give you something:  I was determined to get the truth out of her.4enjoy something get something out of something to enjoy something you do or experience, or to learn something as a result:  I hope he got something out of his visit.get something out of doing something Children can get a lot out of being involved in community projects.get over1illness get over something to become well again after an illness:  It’s taken me ages to get over the flu.2unpleasant experience get over something to begin to feel better after a very upsetting experience:  She never got over the death of her son.3ideas/information get something ↔ over to succeed in communicating ideas or information to other peopleget over to It’s important that we get this message over to young people.4finish something get something over (also get something over with) to do and finish something difficult that you have to do:  I’ll be in touch once I’ve got my exams over. I can’t wait to get the interview over with.5problem/difficulty get over something to successfully deal with a problem or difficulty:  I don’t know how we’re going to get over this problem. Once we’ve got over the first few months, we should be making a reasonable profit.6can’t/couldn’t get over something spoken used to say that you are very surprised, shocked, or amused by something:  I can’t get over how well you look.7get over yourself informal to stop being so sensitive or proud:  Get over yourself! Nobody cares if you’ve made a mistake.get round phrasal verb British English1if news or information gets round, it is told to a lot of people:  News like this soon gets round.2get round something to avoid something that is difficult or causes problems for you:  Most companies manage to get round the restrictions.3get round somebody to gently persuade someone to do what you want by being nice to them:  I know how to get round Chris.get round to something phrasal verb British English to do something that you have been intending to do for some time:  I keep meaning to put a lock on it, but I never get round to it.get round to doing something I haven’t got round to unpacking from my holiday yet.get through phrasal verb1do work get through something to do an amount of work:  We got through half the application forms this morning. We’ve got a lot of work to get through.2use something get through something informal to use a lot of something:  You wouldn’t believe the amount of food children can get through in a week!3spend money get through something informal to spend a lot of money:  He can get through £100 in one evening.4difficult time get (somebody) through something to come successfully to the end of an unpleasant experience or period of time, or to help someone do this:  I don’t know how we’re going to get through the winter. It was their love that got me through those first difficult months.5test/competition get (somebody/something) through (something) to be successful in a test or competition, or to make sure that someone or something is successful:  I finally managed to get through my driving test. I knew it was going to be difficult to get the car through its MOT test.get through to Liverpool have got through to the final of the FA Cup.6reach a person/place to reach a place or person that is difficult to reachget through to Aid agencies have been unable to get through to the thousands of refugees stranded on the border.7by telephone to succeed in speaking to someone on the telephone:  I tried phoning her office, but I couldn’t get through.get through to At last I managed to get through to one of the managers.8new law get (something) through (something) if a new law gets through parliament, or if someone gets it through, it is officially approved:  Anti-hunting legislation will never get through the House of Lords. Once again we failed to get the Bill through Parliament.get (something) through to somebody phrasal verb to succeed in making someone understand something, especially when this is difficult:  I couldn’t seem to get through to her. How can I get it through to him that this is really important?get to somebody/something phrasal verb informal1to make someone feel annoyed or upset:  I’m under a lot of pressure at work, and sometimes it gets to me a bit. Don’t let things get to you.2get to thinking/wondering something informal to start thinking something:  He got to thinking how disappointed his parents would be.get together phrasal verb1if people get together, they meet in order to spend time with each other:  We must get together for a drink.2if two people get together, they start a romantic or sexual relationship3get something ↔ together to collect things together:  I need to get some paperwork together for the meeting.4get somebody ↔ together to bring people together to make a group:  He got together a group of local businessmen to discuss the problem.5get something ↔ together to succeed in getting enough money to do or buy something:  We’re trying to get together enough money to buy a flat.6get something together informal to change your life so that it is organized and you are in control of it:  He’s just trying to get his life together at the moment.get yourself together I’m staying with my parents for a while, until I’ve got myself together a bit.7get it together spoken to be organized and successful in your life, job etc:  The government can’t seem to get it together on the environment.get up phrasal verb1get (somebody) up to get out of your bed after sleeping, or to make someone get out of their bed:  We didn’t get up until lunchtime. Get me up at seven, would you?2to stand up:  He got up and walked over to the window.3if a wind or storm gets up, it starts and gets stronger4be got up as/in something British English informal to be dressed in particular clothes:  He arrived at the party got up as Count Dracula. The men were all got up in suits.5get it up informal to get an erection(1)get up to something phrasal verb to do something, especially something slightly bad:  Go upstairs and see what the kids are getting up to. What did you get up to at the weekend?
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