[go steady]{v. phr.} To go on dates with the same person all the time;dale just one person. •/At first Tom and Martha were not serious about eachother, but now they are going steady./ •/Jean went steady with Bob for ayear; then they had a quarrel and stopped dating each other./ Syn.: KEEPCOMPANY. Contrast: PLAY THE FIELD.

[go straight]{v. phr.}, {slang} To become an honest person; leadan honest life. •/After the man got out of prison, he went straight./•/Mr. Wright promised to go straight if the judge would let him go free./

[got a thing going]{v. phr.}, {slang}, {informal} To beengaged in a pleasurable or profitable activity with someone else as a partnereither in romance or in mutually profitable business. •/"You two seem to havegot a thing going, haven’t you?"/ •/"You’ve got a good thing going withyour travel bureau, why quit now?"/

[go the rounds]{v. phr.} To pass or be told from one person toanother; spread among many people. •/There is a rumor going the rounds thatMr. Norton will be the new superintendent./ •/The story about Mr. Cox’sfalling into the lake is making the rounds./ Syn.: GO AROUND.

[go the whole hog] or [go whole hog] {v. phr.}, {informal} Todo something completely or thoroughly; to give all your strength or attentionto something. •/When Bob became interested in model airplanes, he went thewhole hog./ •/The family went whole hog at the fair, and spent a lot ofmoney./ Compare: ALL OUT, ALL THE WAY, SHOOT THE WORKS.

[go through]{v.} 1. To examine or think about carefully; search. •/Iwent through the papers looking for Jane’s letter./ •/Mother went throughthe drawer looking for the sweater./ Syn.: GO OVER. 2. To experience; suffer;live through. •/Frank went through many dangers during the war./ 3. To dowhat you are supposed to do; do what you promised. •/I went through my partof the bargain, but you didn’t go through your part./ Syn.: CARRY OUT. 4. Togo or continue to the end of; do or use all of. •/Jack went through themagazine quickly./ •/We went through all our money at the circus./ Syn.:RUN THROUGH. 5. To be allowed; pass; be agreed on. •/I hope the new law wewant goes through Congress./ •/The sale of the store went throughquickly./

[go through hell and high water]{v. phr.}, {informal} To gothrough danger, or trouble. •/John is ready to go through hell and high waterto help his chum./ •/The soldiers went through hell and high water tocapture the fort./ Compare: COME HELL OR HIGH WATER, THROUGH THE MILL.

[go through the motions]{v. phr.} To pretend to do something by movingor acting as if you were really doing it; do something without really tryinghard or caring. •/Jane was angry because she couldn’t go out, and when hermother said to dust her room she just went through the motions./ •/The teamwas so far behind in the game that they just went through the motions ofplaying at the end./

[go through with]{v. phr.} To finish; do as planned or agreed; notstop or fail to do. •/The boys don’t think Bob will go through with his plansto spend the summer at a camp./ •/Mr. Trent hopes the city won’t go throughwith its plans to widen the street./ Syn.: CARRY OUT. Compare: CARRY THROUGH,LIVE UP TO.

[go to]{v.} To be ready to do; start doing something. •/When Jackwent to write down the telephone number, he had forgotten it./

[go to any length]{v. phr.} To do everything you can. •/Bill will goto any length to keep Dick from getting a date with Mary./ Compare: ALL-OUT.

[go to bat for]{v. phr.}, {informal} To help out in trouble orneed; give aid to. •/Everybody else thought Billy had broken the window, butTom went to bat for him./ •/Mary went to bat for the new club program./Syn.: STAND UP FOR.

[go to bed with the chickens]{v. phr.}, {informal} To go to bedearly at night. •/On the farm John worked hard and went to bed with thechickens./ •/Mr. Barnes goes to bed with the chickens because he has to getup at 5 A.M./

[go together]{v.} 1. To go with the same boy or girl all the time;date just one person. •/Herbert and Thelma go together./ Compare: GOSTEADY, GO WITH(2), KEEP COMPANY. 2. To be suitable or agreeable with eachother; match. •/Roast turkey and cranberries go together./ •/Ice creamand cake go together./ •/Green and yellow go together./

[go to great lengths] See: GO TO ANY LENGTH.

[go to hell] See: GO TO THE DEVIL.

[go to it!]{v. phr.} An expression of encouragement meaning go ahead;proceed. •/"Go to it!" my father cried enthusiastically, when I told him Ihad decided to become a doctor./

[go to one’s head]{v. phr.} 1. To make one dizzy. •/Beer and wine goto a person’s head./ •/Looking out the high window went to the woman’shead./ 2. To make someone too proud; make a person think he is too important.•/Being the star player went to John’s head./ •/The girl’s fame as amovie actress went to her head./

[go to pieces]{v. phr.} To become very nervous or sick fromnervousness; become wild. •/Mrs. Vance went to pieces when she heard herdaughter was in the hospital./ •/The man went to pieces when the judge saidhe would have to go to prison for life./ •/Mary goes to pieces when shecan’t have her own way./

[go to pot]{v. phr.}, {informal} To be ruined; become bad; bedestroyed. •/Mr. Jones' health has gone to pot./ •/The motel businesswent to pot when the new highway was built./ Compare: GO TO WRACK AND RUIN,GO TO THE DOGS.

[go to prove] See: GO TO SHOW.

[go to seed] or [run to seed] {v. phr.} 1. To grow seeds.•/Onions go to seed in hot weather./ 2. To lose skill or strength; stopbeing good or useful. •/Sometimes a good athlete runs to seed when he getstoo old for sports./ •/Mr. Allen was a good carpenter until he became richand went to seed./

[go to show] or [go to prove] {v. phr.}, {informal} To seem toprove; act or serve to show (a fact); demonstrate. — Often used after "it".•/Our team beat a bigger team, and it just goes to show you can win if youplay hard enough./ •/The hard winter at Valley Forge goes to show that oursoldiers suffered a great deal to win the Revolution./

[go to the chair]{v. phr.} To be executed in the electric chair.•/After many stays of execution, the criminal finally had to go to thechair./

[go to the devil]{v. phr.}, {informal} 1. To go away, mind yourown business. — Used as a command; considered rude. •/George told Bob to goto the devil./ •/"Go to the devil!" said Jack, when his sister tried totell him what to do./ 2. To become bad or ruined; become useless. •/The boygot mixed up with bad company and began to steal and rob his friends. He wentto the devil./ •/Mr. Jones went to the devil after he lost his business./

[go to the dogs]{v. phr.}, {informal} To go to ruin; to be ruinedor destroyed. •/The man went to the dogs after he started drinking./•/After the death of the owner, the business went to the dogs./ •/Theteam went to the dogs when its best players got hurt./ Compare: GO TO POT.

[go to the trouble] or [take the trouble] {v. phr.} To make troubleor extra work for yourself; bother. •/John told Mr. Brown not to go to thetrouble of driving him home./ •/Since your aunt took the trouble to get youa nice birthday present, the least you can do is to thank her./ Compare: PUTOUT(5).