[get cracking]{v. phr.}, {slang}, {informal} To hurry up, to
start moving fast. (Used mostly as an imperative). •/Come on, you guys, let’s
get cracking!/ (Let’s hurry up!) Compare: GET GOING 2.
[get credit for]{v. phr.} To be given points of merit, recognition, or
praise for labor or intellectual contribution. •/Our firm got a lot of credit
for developing parts of the space shuttle./ Contrast: GIVE CREDIT FOR.
[get one down]{v. phr.}, {informal} 1. To make (someone) unhappy;
cause low spirits; cause discouragement. •/Low grades are getting Helen
down./ •/Three straight losses got the team down./ 2. To swallow; digest.
•/The medicine was so bitter I couldn’t get it down./ 3. To depress a
person’s spirit. •/Working at such an awful job got Mike down./
[get down cold]{v. phr.} To memorize perfectly. •/Terry got the text
of his speech down cold./
[get down off your high horse] See: OFF ONE’S HIGH HORSE.
[get down to]{v.}, {informal} To get started on, being on. •/Joe
wasted a lot of time before he got down to work./ •/Let’s get down to
work./ Compare: GET AT(3), GET GOING, GET TO.
[get down to brass tacks] also [get down to cases] {v. phr.},
{informal} To begin the most important work or business; get started on the
most important things to talk about or know. •/The men talked about little
things and then got down to brass tacks./ •/A busy doctor wants his
patients to get down to brass tacks./
[get down to business] or [work] {v. phr.} To start being serious;
begin to face a problem to be solved, or a task to be accomplished.
•/Gentlemen, I’m afraid the party is over and we must get down to
business./
[get down to work] See: GET DOWN TO BUSINESS.
[get even]{v.}, {informal} 1. To owe nothing. •/Mr. Johnson has
a lot of debts, but in a few years he will get even./ 2. To do something bad
to pay someone back for something bad; get revenge; hurt back. •/Jack is
waiting to get even with Bill for tearing up his notebook./ •/Last April
First Mr. Harris got fooled by Joe, and this year he will get even./ Compare:
GET BACK AT.
[get going]{v.}, {informal} 1. To excite; stir up and make angry.
•/The boys' teasing gets John going./ •/Talking about her freckles gets
Mary going./ 2. or {Chiefly British} [get cracking] To begin to move;
get started. •/The teacher told Walter to get going on his history lesson./
•/The foreman told the workmen to get cracking./ •/Let’s get going. It’s
almost supper time./ Compare: GET DOWN TO, STEP LIVELY.
[get gray hair] or [get gray] {v. phr.}, {informal} To become
old or gray from worrying; become very anxious or worried. — Often used with
"over". •/"If John doesn’t join the team, I won’t get gray hair over it," the
coach said./ •/Naughty children are why mothers get gray./ Compare: GIVE
GRAY HAIR.
[get his or hers]{v. phr.} To receive one’s proper reward or
punishment. •/Tim will get his when his wife finds out that he’s been seeing
other women./
[get hitched]{v. phr.} To get married. •/After a long period of
dating, Fred and Mary finally got hitched./
[get hold of]{v.} 1. To get possession of. •/Little children
sometimes get hold of sharp knives and cut themselves./ 2. To find a person
so you can speak with him. •/Mr. Thompson spent several hours trying to get
hold of his lawyer./
[get in]{v. phr.} 1. To be admitted. •/Andy wants to go to medical
school but his grades aren’t good enough for him to get in./ 2. To arrive.
•/What time does the plane from New York get in?/ 3. To enter. •/"Get in
the car, and let’s go," Tom said in a hurry./ 4. To put in stock; receive.
•/The store just got in a new shipment of shoes from China./
[get in on]{v. phr.} To be permitted to participate; become privy to;
be included. •/This is your chance to get in on a wonderful deal with the new
company if you’re willing to make an investment./
[get in on the ground floor]{v. phr.} To be one of the first members
or employees to participate in the growth of a firm, educational institution,
etc. •/Elliott got in on the ground floor and made a fortune at the
company./ •/Mr. Smith who joined the new college as an instructor, got in
on the ground floor, and wound up as its president after twenty years./
[get in on the] or [one’s act] {v. phr.} To do something because
others are engaged in the same act; join others. •/John’s business is
succeeding so well that both of his brothers want to get in on the act./
[get in one’s hair] See: IN ONE’S HAIR.
[get in one’s way] See: IN ONE’S WAY.
[get into] See: BE INTO SOMETHING.
[get into line]{v. phr.} To cooperate; conform. •/The maverick
members of the party were advised to get into line unless they wanted to be
expelled./ Contrast: OUT OF LINE.
[get in touch with] See: IN TOUCH.
[get involved with] See: BE INVOLVED WITH.
[get in with]{v. phr.} To join up with; begin to associate with; be
accepted by. •/He got in with the wrong gang of boys and wound up in jail./
•/She got in with her father’s firm and made a successful career of it./
[get in wrong]{v. phr.} To incur the anger or dislike of someone; come
into disfavor. •/Although he means well, Fred is always getting in wrong with
someone at the office./
[get it]{v.} 1. See: CATCH IT. 2. To understand; comprehend; grasp.
•/"I can’t get it," John said. "Why do you spend so much on clothes."/
[get it all together]{v. phr.} 1. To be in full possession and control
of one’s mental faculties; have a clear purpose well pursued. •/You’ve sure
got it all together, haven’t you?/ 2. Retaining one’s self-composure under
pressure. •/A few minutes after the burglars left he got it all together and
called the police./ 3. To be well built, stacked (said of girls and women.)
•/Sue’s sure got it all together, hasn’t she?/
[get it in the neck] See: CATCH IT IN THE NECK.
[get it] or [something in] or [into one’s head] {v. phr.} To
become possessed of an idea; develop a fixed idea. •/Jack got it into his
head to become a marine and nothing we could say would make him change his
mind./
[get lost]{v. phr.}, {slang} Go away! — Used as a command.
•/Get lost! I want to study./ •/John told Bert to get lost./ Compare:
DROP DEAD.
[get mixed up] See: MIXED UP.
[get next to] See: BE CLOSE TO.
[get off]{v.} 1. To come down from or out of. •/The ladder fell, and
Tom couldn’t get off the roof./ •/The bus stopped, the door opened, and
Father got off./ 2. To take off. •/Joe’s mother told him to get his wet
clothes off./ 3. To get away; leave. •/Mr. Johnson goes fishing whenever he
can get off from work./ •/William got off early in the morning./ 4. To go
free. •/Mr. Andrews got off with a $5 fine when he was caught passing a stop
sign./ 5. To make (something) go. •/The halfback got off a lung pass./
•/John got a letter off to his grandmother./ 6. To tell. •/The governor
got off several jokes at the beginning of his speech./
[get off cheap]{v. phr.} 1. To receive a lesser punishment than one
deserves. •/Ted could have been sentenced to fifteen years in prison; he got
off cheap by receiving a reduced sentence of five years./ 2. To pay less than
the normal price. •/If you had your car repaired for only $75, you got off
cheap./ Contrast: GET AWAY WITH.