[get short shrift] See: SHORT SHRIFT.

[get something out of one’s system]{v. phr.} 1. To eliminate some fooditem or drug from one’s body. •/John will feel much better once he gets theaddictive sleeping pills out of his system./ 2. To free oneself of yearningfor something in order to liberate oneself from an unwanted preoccupation.•/Ted bought a new cabin cruiser that he’d been wanting for a long time, andhe says he is glad that he’s finally got it out of his system./

[get something over with] See: OVER WITH(1).

[get something straight]{v. phr.} To clearly comprehend an issue. •/"Letme get this straight," Burt said. "You want $85,000 for this miserableshack?"/

[get stoned]{v. phr.}, {slang} To become very drunk or high onsome drug. •/Poor Fred was so stoned that Tom had to carry him up thestairs./ Compare: THREE SHEETS TO THE WIND.

[get straight] See: GO STRAIGHT, GO LEGIT.

[get stuck]{v. phr.} 1. To be victimized; be cheated. •/The Smithssure got stuck when they bought that secondhand car; it broke down just twodays after they got it./ 2. To become entrapped or embroiled in a physical,emotional, or social obstacle so as to be unable to free oneself. •/Lastwinter our car got stuck in the snow and we had to walk home./ •/Poor Jeffis stuck in a terrible job./ •/Tom and Jane are stuck in a bad marriage./

[get (all) the breaks]{v. phr.} To be fortunate; have luck. •/Thatfellow gets all the breaks! He’s been working here only six months, and he’salready been promoted to vice president!/

[get the air] See: GET THE BOUNCE(1).

[get the ax]{v. phr.}, {slang} 1. To be fired from a job. •/PoorJoe got the ax at the office yesterday./ 2. To be dismissed from school forimproper conduct, such as cheating. •/Joe got caught cheating on his finalexam and he got the ax./ 3. To have a quarrel with one’s sweetheart or steadyending in a termination of the relationship. •/Joe got the ax from Betsie — they won’t see each other again./

[get the ball rolling] or [set the ball rolling] or [start the ballrolling] {informal} To start an activity or action; make a beginning;begin. •/George started the ball rolling at the party by telling a newjoke./ Compare: KEEP THE BALL ROLLING.

[get the better of] or [get the best of] {v. phr.} 1. To win over,beat; defeat. •/Our team got the best of the visitors in the last quarter./•/George got the better of Robert in a game of checkers./ •/When theopposing player fouled John, John let his anger get the better of his goodsense and hit the boy back./ •/Dave wanted to study till midnight, butsleepiness got the best of him./ Compare: RUN AWAY WITH(1). 2. or [havethe best of] or [have the better of] To win or be ahead in (something);gain most from (something.) •/Bill traded an old bicycle tire for a horn; hegot the best of that deal./ •/Our team had the best of it today, but theymay lose the game tomorrow./ •/The champion had all the better of it in thelast part of the fight./ Contrast: GET THE WORST OF.

[get the boot] or [the gate] or [the sack] See: GET THE AXE.

[get the bounce] or [get the gate] {v. phr.}, {slang} 1. or[get the air] To lose one’s sweetheart; not be kept for a friend or lover.•/Joe is sad because he just got the gate from his girl./ •/Shirley wasafraid she might get the air from her boyfriend if she went out with other boyswhile he was away./ 2. or [get the sack] also [get the hook] To befired; lose a job. •/Uncle Willie can’t keep a job; he got the sack today forsleeping on the job./ •/You’re likely to get the bounce if you are absentfrom work too much./ Contrast: GIVE THE BOUNCE.

[get the brush-off]{v. phr.}, {slang} 1. To be paid no attention;not be listened to or thought important. •/My idea for a party got thebrush-off from the other children./ 2. To be treated in an unkind orunfriendly way; be ignored. •/Frank and Jane had an argument, so the nexttime he telephoned her, he got the brush-off./ Compare: COLD SHOULDER,HIGH-HAT. Contrast: BRUSH OFF.

[get the cart before the horse] See: CART BEFORE THE HORSE.

[get the eye]{v. phr.}, {informal} 1. To be looked at, especiallywith interest and liking. •/The pretty girl got the eye as she walked pastthe boys on the street corner./ 2. To be looked at or stared at, especiallyin a cold, unfriendly way. •/When Mary asked if she could take home the furcoat and pay later, she got the eye from the clerk./ Contrast: GIVE THE EYE.

[get the feel of]{v. phr.} To become used to or learn about,especially by feeling or handling; get used to the experience or feeling of;get skill in. •/John had never driven a big car, and it took a while for himto get the feel of it./ •/You’ll get the feel of the job after you’ve beenthere a few weeks./

[get the go-ahead] or [the green light] {v. phr.} To receive thepermission or signal to start or to proceed. •/We had to wait until we gotthe go-ahead on our research project./

[get the goods on] or [have the goods on] {v. phr.}, {slang} Tofind out true and, often, bad information about; discover what is wrong with;be able to prove the guilt of. •/Tell the truth, Johnny. We know who yourgirl is because we’ve got the goods on you./ •/The police had the goods onthe burglar before he came to trial./ Compare: HAVE SOMETHING ON.

[get the hook] See: GET THE BOUNCE(2).

[get the inside track] See: INSIDE TRACK.

[get the jitters]{v. phr.} To become very nervous or excited. •/Ialways get the jitters when I sit in an airplane that’s about to take off./

[get the jump on] or [have the jump on] {v. phr.}, {slang} Toget ahead of; start before (others); have an advantage over. •/Don’t let theother boys get the jump on you at the beginning of the race./ •/Our teamgot the jump on their rivals in the first minutes of play, and held the lead towin./

[get the last laugh] See: HAVE THE LAST LAUGH.

[get the lead out of one’s pants]{v. phr.}, {slang} To get busy;work faster. •/The captain told the sailors to get the lead out of theirpants./ •/The coach told the players to get the lead out of their pants./

[get the lowdown on]{v. phr.} To receive the full inside informationon a person or thing. •/We need to get the lowdown on Peter before we candecide whether or not to hire him./

[get the message] or [get the word] {v. phr.}, {slang} Tounderstand clearly what is meant. •/The principal talked to the studentsabout being on time, and most of them got the message./ •/Mary hinted toher boyfriend that she wanted to break up, but he didn’t gel the message./Compare: THE PICTURE.

[get the picture] See: THE PICTURE.

[get the runaround] See: RUN AROUND.

[get the sack]{v. phr.}, {slang} 1. To be fired or dismissed fromwork. •/John got the sack at the factory last week./ 2. To be told by one’slover that the relationship is over. •/Joanna gave Sam the sack./ See: GETTHE AX and GET THE BOUNCE(2).

[get the show on the road]{v. phr.}, {informal} To start a program;get work started. •/It was several years before the rocket scientists got theshow on the road./ Compare: GET THE BALL ROLLING.