[funny bone]{n.} 1. The place at the back of the elbow that hurts likeelectricity when accidentally hit. •/He hit his funny bone on the arm of thechair./ 2. or {informal} [crazy bone] Sense of humor; understandingjokes. •/Her way of telling the story tickled his funny bone./

[fur] See: MAKE THE FUR FLY.

[furious] See: FAST AND FURIOUS.

[fuse] See: BLOW A FUSE.

[fuss] See: KICK UP A FUSS.

[fuss and feathers]{n.}, {informal} Unnecessary bother andexcitement. •/She is full of fuss and feathers this morning./

G

[gab] See: GIFT OF GAB or GIFT OF THE GAB.

[gaff] See: STAND THE GAFF.

[gain ground]{v. phr.} 1. To go forward; move ahead. •/The soldiersfought hard and began to gain ground./ 2. To become stronger; make progress;improve. •/The sick man gained ground after being near death./ •/UnderLincoln, the Republican Party gained ground./ Contrast: LOSE GROUND.

[gallery] See: PLAY TO THE GALLERY.

[gallon] See: TEN-GALLON HAT.

[gallows' humor]{n. phr.} Bitter joke(s) that make fun of a veryserious matter, e.g. death, imprisonment, etc. •/When the criminal was led tothe electric chair on Monday morning, he said, "Nice way to start the week,eh?"/

[game] See: AHEAD OF THE GAME, LOVE GAME, NAME OF THE GAME, PLAY THE GAME,AT --- STAGE OF THE GAME.

[game at which two can play]{n. phr.} A plan, trick, or way of actingthat both sides may use. •/Rough football is a game two can play./•/Politics is a game at which two can play./

[game is not worth the candle]{literary} What is being done is notworth the trouble or cost; the gain is not worth the effort. •/I don’t wantto walk so far on such a hot day. The game is not worth the candle./

[game is up] or {slang} [jig is up] The secret or plan won’t work;we are caught or discovered. •/The game is up; the teacher knows who took herkeys./ •/The jig’s up; the principal knows the boys have been smoking inthe basement./ Compare: FAT IS IN THE FIRE.

[gang] See: ROAD GANG, SECTION GANG.

[gang up on] or [gang up against] {v. phr.}, {informal} Tojointly attack someone, either physically or verbally; take sides in a groupagainst an individual. •/The class bully was stronger than all the otherboys, so they had to gang up on him to put him in his place./ Compare: LINEUP(4b).

[garbage down]{v. phr.}, {slang} To eat eagerly and at great speedwithout much regard for manners or social convention. •/The children garbageddown their food./

[garden apartment]{n.} An apartment with a garden near it. •/Thecouple live in a garden apartment./

[garment] See: FOUNDATION GARMENT.

[gas] See: STEP ON IT or STEP ON THE GAS.

[gasket] See: BLOW A FUSE or BLOW A GASKET.

[gas up]{v.}, {informal} 1. To fill the gasoline tank of. •/Themechanics gassed up the planes for their long trip./ 2. To fill the tank withgasoline. •/The big truck stopped at the filling station and gassed up./

[gate] See: GET THE BOUNCE or GET THE GATE, GIVE THE BOUNCE or GIVE THEGATE.

[gate crasher] See: CRASH THE GATE.

[gather] See: ROLLING STONE GATHERS NO MOSS.

[gather in]{v.}, {informal} To catch. •/The end gathered in thepass and went over for a touchdown./

[gauntlet] See: RUN THE GAUNTLET, THROW DOWN THE GAUNTLET.

[gay nineties]{n.} The years between 1890 and 1900; remembered as ahappy exciting time. •/Ladies wore large hats in the gay nineties./•/Picnics were popular in the gay nineties./

[gaze] See: CRYSTAL GAZING.

[gear] See: HIGH GEAR, SLIP A COG or SLIP A GEAR, THROW OUT OF GEAR.

[geese] See: FOX AND GEESE.

[gee whiz]{interj.}, {informal} Used as an exclamation to showsurprise or other strong feeling. Rare in written English. •/Gee whiz! I amlate again./

[general] See: IN GENERAL.

[generation gap]{n.}, {informal}, {hackneyed phrase} Thedifference in social values, philosophies, and manners between children andtheir parents, teachers and relatives which causes a lack of understandingbetween them and frequently leads to violent confrontations. •/My daughter istwenty and I am forty, but we have no generation gap in our family./

[generous to a fault]{adj. phr.} Excessively generous. •/Generous toa fault, my Aunt Elizabeth gave away all her rare books to her old college./

[George] See: LET GEORGE DO IT.

[get] See: GIVE AS GOOD AS ONE GETS, EARLY BIRD CATCHES THE WORM or EARLYBIRD GETS THE WORM, GO-GETTER, TELL ONE WHERE TO GET OFF.

[get about] See: GET AROUND(1b).

[get a black eye]{v. phr.} 1. To receive a dark ring around the eyeafter being hit by someone’s fist or an object. •/In the fistfight Tom got ablack eye from Pete./ •/Sue got a black eye when she ran into a tree./ 2.To have one’s character denigrated. •/Our firm received a black eye becauseof all the consumer complaints that were lodged against our product./

[get a break]{v. phr.} To receive a stroke of luck. •/Bill got abreak when he won the lottery./

[get across]{v.} 1. To explain clearly, make (something) clear; tomake clear the meaning of. •/Mr. Brown is a good coach because he can getacross the plays./ Syn.: PUT ACROSS. 2. To become clear. •/The teachertried to explain the problem, but the explanation did not get across to theclass./

[get after]{v.}, {informal} 1. To try or try again to make someonedo what he is supposed to do. •/Ann’s mother gets after her to hang up herclothes./ 2. To scold or make an attack on. •/Bob’s mother got after himfor tracking mud into the house./ •/The police are getting after the crooksin the city./

[get ahead]{v.} 1. {informal} To become successful. •/Mr. Brownwas a good lawyer and soon began to get ahead./ •/The person with a goodeducation finds it easier to get ahead./ 2. To be able to save money; get outof debt. •/In a few more years he will be able to get ahead./ •/AfterFather pays all the doctor bills, maybe we can get a little money ahead and buya car./

[get a load of]{v. phr.}, {slang} 1. To take a good look at; see(something unusual or interesting.) — Often used to show surprise oradmiration. •/Get a load of that pretty girl!/ •/Get a load of Dick’s newcar!/ Compare: LOOK OVER. 2. To listen to carefully or with interest,especially exciting news. — Often used as a command: /Get a load of this:Alice got married yesterday!/

[get along] also [get on] {v.} 1. To go or move away; move on.•/The policeman told the boys on the street corner to get along./ 2. To goforward; make progress; advance, •/John is getting along well in school. Heis learning more every day./ Syn.: GET AHEAD. 3. To advance; become old orlate. •/It is getting along towards sundown./ •/Grandmother is 68 andgetting along./ 4. To get or make what you need; manage. •/It isn’t easy toget along in the jungle./ •/We can get along on $100 a week./ Compare: DOWITHOUT(2), GET BY, MAKE DO. 5. To live or work together in a friendly way;agree, cooperate; not fight or argue. •/We don’t get along with the Jonesfamily./ •/Jim and Jane get along fine together./ •/Don’t be hard toget along with./