G

Game plan
A game plane is a strategy.
Gardening leave
If someone is paid for a period when they are not working, either after they have given in their notice or when they are being investigated, they are on gardening leave.
Get along famously
If people get along famously, they have an exceedingly good relationship.
Get on your soapbox
If someone on their soapbox, they talk a lot about a subject they feel strongly about.
Get out of bed on the wrong side
If you get out of bed on the wrong side, you wake up and start the day in a bad mood for no real reason.
Get the ball rolling
If you get the ball rolling, you start something so that it can start making progress.
Get the green light
If you get the green light to do something, you are given the necessary permission, authorisation.
Get to grips
If you get to grips with something, you take control and do it properly.
Get up and go
If someone has lots of get up and go, they are have lots of enthusiasm and energy.
Get your feet wet
If you get your feet wet, you gain your first experience of something.
Get your hands dirty
If you get your hands dirty, you become involved in something where the realities might compromise your principles.
Ghost of a chance
If something or someone hasn’t got a ghost of a chance, they have no hope whatsoever of succeeding.
Ghostly presence
You can feel or otherwise sense a ghostly presence, but you cannot do it clearly only vaguely.
Gift of the gab
If someone has the gift of the gab, they speak in a persuasive and interesting way.
Gild the lily
If you gild the lily, you decorate something that is already ornate.
Gilded cage
If someone is in a gilded cage, they are trapped and have restricted or no freedom, but have very comfortable surroundings.
Give it some stick
If you give something some stick, you put a lot of effort into it.
Give someone a piece of your mind
If you give someone a piece of your mind, you criticise him strongly and angrily.
Give someone enough rope
If you give someone enough rope, you give him the chance to get himself into trouble or expose.
Give someone stick
If someone gives you stick, they criticise you or punish you.
Give up the ghost
People give up the ghost when they die.
Give your eye teeth
If you really want something and would be prepared to sacrifice a lot to get it, you would give your eye teeth for it.
Glass ceiling
The glass ceiling is the discrimination that prevents women and minorities from getting promoted to the highest levels of companies and organisations.
Glutton for punishment
If a person is described as a glutton for punishment, they happily accept jobs and tasks that most people would try to get out of.
Go against the grain
A person who does things in an unconventional manner, especially if their methods are not generally approved of, is said to go against the grain. Such an individual can be called a maverick.
Go awry
If things go awry, they go wrong.
Go bust
If a company goes bust, it goes bankrupt.
Go Dutch
If you go Dutch in a restaurant, you pay equal shares for the meal.
Go pear-shaped
If things have gone wrong, they have gone pear-shaped.
Go round in circles
If people are going round in circles, they keep discussing the same thing without reaching any agreement or coming to a conclusion.
Go south
If things go south, they get worse or go wrong.
Go spare
If you go spare, you lose your temper completely.
Go the whole hog
If you go the whole hog, you do something completely or to its limits.
Go with the flow
If you go with the flow, you accept things as they happen and do what everyone else wants to do.
Golden handshake
A golden handshake is a payment made to someone to get them to leave their job.
Golden rule
The golden rule is the most essential or fundamental rule associated with something.
Gone for a burton
If something’s gone for a burton, it has been spoiled or ruined. If a person has gone for a burton, they are either in serious trouble or have died.
Gone pear-shaped
If things have gone pear-shaped they have either gone wrong or produced an unexpected and unwanted result.
Gone to pot
If something has gone to pot, it has gone wrong and doesn’t work any more.
Gone to the dogs
If something has gone to the dogs, it has gone badly wrong and lost all the good things it had.
Good antennae
Someone with good antennae is good at detecting things.
Good egg
A person who can be relied on is a good egg.
Good spell
A spell can mean a fairly or relatively short period of time; you’ll hear weather forecasts predict a dry spell. Sports commentators will say that a sportsperson is going through a good spell when they’re performing consistently better than they normally do.
Good time
If you make good time on a journey, you manage to travel faster than expected.
Good walls make good neighbours
Your relationship with your neighbours depends, among other things, on respecting one another’s privacy.
Goody two-shoes
A goody two-shoes is a self-righteous person who makes a great deal of their virtue.
Grab the bulls by its horns
If you grab the bull by its horns, you deal head-on and directly with a problem.
Grasp the nettle
If you grasp the nettle, you deal bravely with a problem.
Grass roots
This idiom is often used in politics, where it refers to the ordinary people or voters. It can be used to mean people at the bottom of a hierarchy.
Grass widow
A grass widow is a woman whose husband is often away on work, leaving her on her own.
Graveyard shift
If you have to work very late at night, it is the graveyard shift.
Gravy train
If someone is on the gravy train, they have found an easy way to make lots of money.
Grease monkey
A grease monkey is an idiomatic term for a mechanic.
Grease someone’s palm
If you grease someone’s palm, you bribe him to do something.
Greased lightning
If something or someone moves like greased lightning, they move very fast indeed.
Great guns
If something or someone is going great guns, they are doing very well.
Great unwashed
This is a term used for the working class masses.
Great white hope
Someone who is expected to be a great success is a great white hope.
Greek to me
If you don’t understand something, it’s all Greek to you.
Green fingers
Someone with green fingers has a talent for gardening.
Green light
If you are given the green light, you are given approval to do something.
Green thumb
Someone with a talent for gardening has a green thumb.
Green-eyed monster
The green-eyed monster is an allegorical phrase for somebody’s strong jealousy.
Greenhorn
A greenhorn or someone who is described simply as green lacks the relevant experience and knowledge for their job or task.
Grey area
A grey area is one where there is no clear right or wrong.
Grey matter
Grey matter is the human brain.
Grin like a Cheshire cat
If someone has a very wide smile, they have a grin like a Cheshire cat.
Guinea-pig
If you are a guinea-pig, you take part in an experiment of some sort and are used in the testing.
Gung Ho
If someone is gung ho about something, they support it blindly and don’t think about the consequences.