[funny bone]{n.} 1. The place at the back of the elbow that hurts like electricity when accidentally hit. •/He hit his funny bone on the arm of the chair./ 2. or {informal} [crazy bone] Sense of humor; understanding jokes. •/Her way of telling the story tickled his funny bone./

[fur] See: MAKE THE FUR FLY.

[furious] See: FAST AND FURIOUS.

[fuse] See: BLOW A FUSE.

[fuss] See: KICK UP A FUSS.

[fuss and feathers]{n.}, {informal} Unnecessary bother and excitement. •/She is full of fuss and feathers this morning./

[gab] See: GIFT OF GAB or GIFT OF THE GAB.

[gaff] See: STAND THE GAFF.

[gain ground]{v. phr.} 1. To go forward; move ahead. •/The soldiers fought hard and began to gain ground./ 2. To become stronger; make progress; improve. •/The sick man gained ground after being near death./ •/Under Lincoln, the Republican Party gained ground./ Contrast: LOSE GROUND.

[gallery] See: PLAY TO THE GALLERY.

[gallon] See: TEN-GALLON HAT.

[gallows' humor]{n. phr.} Bitter joke(s) that make fun of a very serious matter, e.g. death, imprisonment, etc. •/When the criminal was led to the electric chair on Monday morning, he said, "Nice way to start the week, eh?"/

[game] See: AHEAD OF THE GAME, LOVE GAME, NAME OF THE GAME, PLAY THE GAME, AT --- STAGE OF THE GAME.

[game at which two can play]{n. phr.} A plan, trick, or way of acting that both sides may use. •/Rough football is a game two can play./ •/Politics is a game at which two can play./

[game is not worth the candle]{literary} What is being done is not worth the trouble or cost; the gain is not worth the effort. •/I don’t want to walk so far on such a hot day. The game is not worth the candle./

[game is up] or {slang} [jig is up] The secret or plan won’t work; we are caught or discovered. •/The game is up; the teacher knows who took her keys./ •/The jig’s up; the principal knows the boys have been smoking in the basement./ Compare: FAT IS IN THE FIRE.

[gang] See: ROAD GANG, SECTION GANG.

[gang up on] or [gang up against] {v. phr.}, {informal} To jointly attack someone, either physically or verbally; take sides in a group against an individual. •/The class bully was stronger than all the other boys, so they had to gang up on him to put him in his place./ Compare: LINE UP(4b).

[garbage down]{v. phr.}, {slang} To eat eagerly and at great speed without much regard for manners or social convention. •/The children garbaged down their food./

[garden apartment]{n.} An apartment with a garden near it. •/The couple live in a garden apartment./

[garment] See: FOUNDATION GARMENT.

[gas] See: STEP ON IT or STEP ON THE GAS.

[gasket] See: BLOW A FUSE or BLOW A GASKET.

[gas up]{v.}, {informal} 1. To fill the gasoline tank of. •/The mechanics gassed up the planes for their long trip./ 2. To fill the tank with gasoline. •/The big truck stopped at the filling station and gassed up./

[gate] See: GET THE BOUNCE or GET THE GATE, GIVE THE BOUNCE or GIVE THE GATE.

[gate crasher] See: CRASH THE GATE.

[gather] See: ROLLING STONE GATHERS NO MOSS.

[gather in]{v.}, {informal} To catch. •/The end gathered in the pass and went over for a touchdown./

[gauntlet] See: RUN THE GAUNTLET, THROW DOWN THE GAUNTLET.

[gay nineties]{n.} The years between 1890 and 1900; remembered as a happy exciting time. •/Ladies wore large hats in the gay nineties./ •/Picnics were popular in the gay nineties./

[gaze] See: CRYSTAL GAZING.

[gear] See: HIGH GEAR, SLIP A COG or SLIP A GEAR, THROW OUT OF GEAR.

[geese] See: FOX AND GEESE.

[gee whiz]{interj.}, {informal} Used as an exclamation to show surprise or other strong feeling. Rare in written English. •/Gee whiz! I am late again./

[general] See: IN GENERAL.

[generation gap]{n.}, {informal}, {hackneyed phrase} The difference in social values, philosophies, and manners between children and their parents, teachers and relatives which causes a lack of understanding between them and frequently leads to violent confrontations. •/My daughter is twenty and I am forty, but we have no generation gap in our family./

[generous to a fault]{adj. phr.} Excessively generous. •/Generous to a fault, my Aunt Elizabeth gave away all her rare books to her old college./

[George] See: LET GEORGE DO IT.

[get] See: GIVE AS GOOD AS ONE GETS, EARLY BIRD CATCHES THE WORM or EARLY BIRD GETS THE WORM, GO-GETTER, TELL ONE WHERE TO GET OFF.

[get about] See: GET AROUND(1b).

[get a black eye]{v. phr.} 1. To receive a dark ring around the eye after being hit by someone’s fist or an object. •/In the fistfight Tom got a black eye from Pete./ •/Sue got a black eye when she ran into a tree./ 2. To have one’s character denigrated. •/Our firm received a black eye because of all the consumer complaints that were lodged against our product./

[get a break]{v. phr.} To receive a stroke of luck. •/Bill got a break when he won the lottery./

[get across]{v.} 1. To explain clearly, make (something) clear; to make clear the meaning of. •/Mr. Brown is a good coach because he can get across the plays./ Syn.: PUT ACROSS. 2. To become clear. •/The teacher tried to explain the problem, but the explanation did not get across to the class./

[get after]{v.}, {informal} 1. To try or try again to make someone do what he is supposed to do. •/Ann’s mother gets after her to hang up her clothes./ 2. To scold or make an attack on. •/Bob’s mother got after him for tracking mud into the house./ •/The police are getting after the crooks in the city./

[get ahead]{v.} 1. {informal} To become successful. •/Mr. Brown was a good lawyer and soon began to get ahead./ •/The person with a good education finds it easier to get ahead./ 2. To be able to save money; get out of debt. •/In a few more years he will be able to get ahead./ •/After Father pays all the doctor bills, maybe we can get a little money ahead and buy a car./

[get a load of]{v. phr.}, {slang} 1. To take a good look at; see (something unusual or interesting.) — Often used to show surprise or admiration. •/Get a load of that pretty girl!/ •/Get a load of Dick’s new car!/ Compare: LOOK OVER. 2. To listen to carefully or with interest, especially exciting news. — Often used as a command: /Get a load of this: Alice got married yesterday!/

[get along] also [get on] {v.} 1. To go or move away; move on. •/The policeman told the boys on the street corner to get along./ 2. To go forward; make progress; advance, •/John is getting along well in school. He is learning more every day./ Syn.: GET AHEAD. 3. To advance; become old or late. •/It is getting along towards sundown./ •/Grandmother is 68 and getting along./ 4. To get or make what you need; manage. •/It isn’t easy to get along in the jungle./ •/We can get along on $100 a week./ Compare: DO WITHOUT(2), GET BY, MAKE DO. 5. To live or work together in a friendly way; agree, cooperate; not fight or argue. •/We don’t get along with the Jones family./ •/Jim and Jane get along fine together./ •/Don’t be hard to get along with./