[go off like clockwork] See: GO LIKE CLOCKWORK.

[go off the deep end] or [go overboard] {v. phr.}, {informal}To act excitedly and without careful thinking. •/John has gone off the deepend about owning a motorcycle./ •/Mike warned his roommate not to go offthe deep end and get married./ •/Some girls go overboard for handsome movieand television actors./

[goof off]{v.}, {slang} To loaf or be lazy; not want to work or beserious; fool around. •/Tow didn’t get promoted because he goofed off all thetime and never did his homework./ •/If you goof off on the job too much,you’ll be fired./

[go off in a huff]{v. phr.} To depart in anger. •/Marian went off ina huff just because Jeff failed to open the door for her./

[go on]{v.} 1a. To continue; not stop. •/After he was hit by theball, Billy quit pitching and went home, but the game went on./ •/The TVpicture began to jump, and it went on like that until Father turned a knob./•/I asked Jane a question but she went on reading and didn’t answer./•/Mother told Jim to stop, but he went on hitting Susan./ Syn.: KEEP ON.1b. To continue after a pause; begin with the next thing. •/"Go on! I’mlistening," said Mother./ •/The teacher pointed to the map, and went on,"But the land that Columbus came to was not India."/ — Often used before aninfinitive. •/Father said Mother had gone to the hospital, and went on to saythat Grandmother was coming to take care of us./ 1c. (Of time:) To pass.•/As time went on, Mary began to wonder if John had forgotten their date./•/The years went on, and Betty’s classmates became gray-haired men andwomen./ 2. To happen. •/Mr. Scott heard the noise and went to see what wasgoing on in the hall./ •/The teacher knows what goes on when she leaves theroom./ Syn.: TAKE PLACE. 3. To talk for too long, often angrily. •/Wethought Jane would never finish going on about the amount of homework shehad./ 4. To fit on; be able to be worn. •/My little brother’s coat wouldn’tgo on me. It was too small./ 5. Stop trying to fool me; I don’t believe you. — Used as a command, sometimes with "with". •/When Father told Mother shewas the prettiest girl in the world. Mother just said, "Oh, go on, Charles."/•/"Aunt May, your picture is in the paper." "Go on with you, boy!"/

[go on record]{v. phr.} To make an official statement as opposed to aninformal one; say something officially that may be quoted with the person’sname added for reference. •/I want to go on record that I oppose the mergerwith the firm of Catwallender and Swartvik./

[go on the rocks] See: ON THE ROCKS.

[go one’s way]{v. phr.} 1. To start again or continue to where you aregoing. •/The milkman left the milk and went his way./ •/The man stoppedand asked me for a match, then went his way./ Compare: GO ALONG, GO ON. 2. Togo or act the way you want to or usually do. •/Joe just wants to go his wayand mind his own business./ •/Don’t tell me how to do my job. You go yourway and I’ll go mine./ •/George was not a good sport; when the game did notgo his way, he became angry and quit./

[goose] See: COOK ONE’S GOOSE, FOX AND GEESE, KILL THE GOOSE THAT LAID THEGOLDEN EGG, GONE GOOSE.

[goose bumps] or [goose pimples] {n. plural}, {informal} Smallbumps that come on a person’s skin when he gets cold or afraid. •/Nancy getsgoose bumps when she sees a snake./ •/Ann, put on your sweater; you’re socold you have goose pimples on your arms./

[go or drive to the wall] See: TO THE WALL.

[go out]{v. phr.} 1. To pass out of date or style. •/Short skirtsare gradually going out./ 2. To stop giving off light or burning. •/Putmore wood on the fire or it will go out./ 3. To leave. •/When I called Sue,her mother said that she had just gone out./

[go out for] or [come out for] {v. phr.} To try for a place on (anathletic team.) •/Ten boys went out for track that spring./ •/The coachasked Tom why he didn’t come out for basketball./

[go out of business]{v. phr.} To cease functioning as a commercialenterprise. •/The windows of the store are all boarded up because they wentout of business./

[go out of one’s way]{v. phr.} To make an extra effort; do more thanusual. •/Jane went out of her way to be nice to the new girl./ •/Don didnot like Charles, and he went out of his way to say bad things aboutCharles./ Compare: BEND OVER BACKWARD, KNOCK ONESELF OUT.

[go out the window]{v. phr.}, {informal} To go out of effect; beabandoned. •/During the war, the school dress code went out the window./

[go over]{v.} 1. To examine; think about or look at carefully. •/Theteacher went over the list and picked John’s name./ •/The police went overthe gun for fingerprints./ 2. To repeat; do again. •/Don’t make me go allover it again./ •/We painted the house once, then we went over it again./3. To read again; study. •/After you finish the test, go over it again tolook for mistakes./ •/They went over their lessons together at night./ 4.To cross; go to stop or visit; travel. •/We went over to the other side ofthe street./ •/I’m going over to Mary’s house./ •/We went over to thenext town to the game./ 5. To change what you believe. •/Father is aDemocrat, but he says that he is going over to the Republicans in the nextelection./ •/Many of the natives on the island went over to Christianityafter the white men came./ 6. To be liked; succeed. — Often used in theinformal phrase "go over big". •/Bill’s joke went over big with the otherboys and girls./ •/Your idea went over well with the boss./

[go over like a lead balloon]{v. phr.}, {informal} To fail togenerate a positive response or enthusiasm; to meet with boredom ordisapproval. •/The president’s suggested budget cuts went over like a leadballoon./ •/Jack’s off-color jokes went over like a lead balloon./

[go over one’s head]{v. phr.} 1. To be too difficult to understand.•/Penny complains that what her math teacher says simply goes over herhead./ 2. To do something without the permission of one’s superior. •/Fredwent over his boss’s head when he signed the contract on his own./

[go over with a fine-tooth comb] See: FINE-TOOTH COMB.

[gopher ball]{n.}, {slang} A baseball pitch that is hit for a homerun. •/The pitcher’s only weakness this year is the gopher ball./

[go places] See: GO TO TOWN(2).

[go sit on a tack]{v.}, {slang} Shut up and go away; stopbothering. — Usually used as a command and considered rude. •/Henry toldBill to go sit on a tack./ Compare: GO JUMP IN THE LAKE.

[gosling] See: GONE GOOSE also GONE GOSLING.

[go somebody one better]{v. phr.}, {informal} To do somethingbetter than (someone else); do more or better than; beat. •/Bill’s mothergave the boys in Bill’s club hot dogs for refreshments, so Tom’s mother saidthat she would go her one better next time by giving them hot dogs and icecream./ •/John made a good dive into the water, but Bob went him one betterby diving in backwards./

[go stag]{v. phr.} 1. To go to a dance or party without a companion ofthe opposite sex. •/When Sally turned him down, Tom decided to go stag to thecollege prom./ 2. To participate in a party for men only. •/Mrs. Smith’shusband frequently goes stag, leaving her at home./