[get cracking]{v. phr.}, {slang}, {informal} To hurry up, tostart moving fast. (Used mostly as an imperative). •/Come on, you guys, let’sget cracking!/ (Let’s hurry up!) Compare: GET GOING 2.

[get credit for]{v. phr.} To be given points of merit, recognition, orpraise for labor or intellectual contribution. •/Our firm got a lot of creditfor developing parts of the space shuttle./ Contrast: GIVE CREDIT FOR.

[get one down]{v. phr.}, {informal} 1. To make (someone) unhappy;cause low spirits; cause discouragement. •/Low grades are getting Helendown./ •/Three straight losses got the team down./ 2. To swallow; digest.•/The medicine was so bitter I couldn’t get it down./ 3. To depress aperson’s spirit. •/Working at such an awful job got Mike down./

[get down cold]{v. phr.} To memorize perfectly. •/Terry got the textof his speech down cold./

[get down off your high horse] See: OFF ONE’S HIGH HORSE.

[get down to]{v.}, {informal} To get started on, being on. •/Joewasted a lot of time before he got down to work./ •/Let’s get down towork./ Compare: GET AT(3), GET GOING, GET TO.

[get down to brass tacks] also [get down to cases] {v. phr.},{informal} To begin the most important work or business; get started on themost important things to talk about or know. •/The men talked about littlethings and then got down to brass tacks./ •/A busy doctor wants hispatients to get down to brass tacks./

[get down to business] or [work] {v. phr.} To start being serious;begin to face a problem to be solved, or a task to be accomplished.•/Gentlemen, I’m afraid the party is over and we must get down tobusiness./

[get down to work] See: GET DOWN TO BUSINESS.

[get even]{v.}, {informal} 1. To owe nothing. •/Mr. Johnson hasa lot of debts, but in a few years he will get even./ 2. To do something badto pay someone back for something bad; get revenge; hurt back. •/Jack iswaiting to get even with Bill for tearing up his notebook./ •/Last AprilFirst Mr. Harris got fooled by Joe, and this year he will get even./ Compare:GET BACK AT.

[get going]{v.}, {informal} 1. To excite; stir up and make angry.•/The boys' teasing gets John going./ •/Talking about her freckles getsMary going./ 2. or {Chiefly British} [get cracking] To begin to move;get started. •/The teacher told Walter to get going on his history lesson./•/The foreman told the workmen to get cracking./ •/Let’s get going. It’salmost supper time./ Compare: GET DOWN TO, STEP LIVELY.

[get gray hair] or [get gray] {v. phr.}, {informal} To becomeold or gray from worrying; become very anxious or worried. — Often used with"over". •/"If John doesn’t join the team, I won’t get gray hair over it," thecoach said./ •/Naughty children are why mothers get gray./ Compare: GIVEGRAY HAIR.

[get his or hers]{v. phr.} To receive one’s proper reward orpunishment. •/Tim will get his when his wife finds out that he’s been seeingother women./

[get hitched]{v. phr.} To get married. •/After a long period ofdating, Fred and Mary finally got hitched./

[get hold of]{v.} 1. To get possession of. •/Little childrensometimes get hold of sharp knives and cut themselves./ 2. To find a personso you can speak with him. •/Mr. Thompson spent several hours trying to gethold of his lawyer./

[get in]{v. phr.} 1. To be admitted. •/Andy wants to go to medicalschool but his grades aren’t good enough for him to get in./ 2. To arrive.•/What time does the plane from New York get in?/ 3. To enter. •/"Get inthe car, and let’s go," Tom said in a hurry./ 4. To put in stock; receive.•/The store just got in a new shipment of shoes from China./

[get in on]{v. phr.} To be permitted to participate; become privy to;be included. •/This is your chance to get in on a wonderful deal with the newcompany if you’re willing to make an investment./

[get in on the ground floor]{v. phr.} To be one of the first membersor employees to participate in the growth of a firm, educational institution,etc. •/Elliott got in on the ground floor and made a fortune at thecompany./ •/Mr. Smith who joined the new college as an instructor, got inon the ground floor, and wound up as its president after twenty years./

[get in on the] or [one’s act] {v. phr.} To do something becauseothers are engaged in the same act; join others. •/John’s business issucceeding so well that both of his brothers want to get in on the act./

[get in one’s hair] See: IN ONE’S HAIR.

[get in one’s way] See: IN ONE’S WAY.

[get into] See: BE INTO SOMETHING.

[get into line]{v. phr.} To cooperate; conform. •/The maverickmembers of the party were advised to get into line unless they wanted to beexpelled./ Contrast: OUT OF LINE.

[get in touch with] See: IN TOUCH.

[get involved with] See: BE INVOLVED WITH.

[get in with]{v. phr.} To join up with; begin to associate with; beaccepted by. •/He got in with the wrong gang of boys and wound up in jail./•/She got in with her father’s firm and made a successful career of it./

[get in wrong]{v. phr.} To incur the anger or dislike of someone; comeinto disfavor. •/Although he means well, Fred is always getting in wrong withsomeone at the office./

[get it]{v.} 1. See: CATCH IT. 2. To understand; comprehend; grasp.•/"I can’t get it," John said. "Why do you spend so much on clothes."/

[get it all together]{v. phr.} 1. To be in full possession and controlof one’s mental faculties; have a clear purpose well pursued. •/You’ve suregot it all together, haven’t you?/ 2. Retaining one’s self-composure underpressure. •/A few minutes after the burglars left he got it all together andcalled the police./ 3. To be well built, stacked (said of girls and women.)•/Sue’s sure got it all together, hasn’t she?/

[get it in the neck] See: CATCH IT IN THE NECK.

[get it] or [something in] or [into one’s head] {v. phr.} Tobecome possessed of an idea; develop a fixed idea. •/Jack got it into hishead to become a marine and nothing we could say would make him change hismind./

[get lost]{v. phr.}, {slang} Go away! — Used as a command.•/Get lost! I want to study./ •/John told Bert to get lost./ Compare:DROP DEAD.

[get mixed up] See: MIXED UP.

[get next to] See: BE CLOSE TO.

[get off]{v.} 1. To come down from or out of. •/The ladder fell, andTom couldn’t get off the roof./ •/The bus stopped, the door opened, andFather got off./ 2. To take off. •/Joe’s mother told him to get his wetclothes off./ 3. To get away; leave. •/Mr. Johnson goes fishing whenever hecan get off from work./ •/William got off early in the morning./ 4. To gofree. •/Mr. Andrews got off with a $5 fine when he was caught passing a stopsign./ 5. To make (something) go. •/The halfback got off a lung pass./•/John got a letter off to his grandmother./ 6. To tell. •/The governorgot off several jokes at the beginning of his speech./

[get off cheap]{v. phr.} 1. To receive a lesser punishment than onedeserves. •/Ted could have been sentenced to fifteen years in prison; he gotoff cheap by receiving a reduced sentence of five years./ 2. To pay less thanthe normal price. •/If you had your car repaired for only $75, you got offcheap./ Contrast: GET AWAY WITH.