[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 each other, but now they are going steady./ •/Jean went steady with Bob for a year; then they had a quarrel and stopped dating each other./ Syn.: KEEP COMPANY. Contrast: PLAY THE FIELD.

[go straight]{v. phr.}, {slang} To become an honest person; lead an 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 be engaged in a pleasurable or profitable activity with someone else as a partner either in romance or in mutually profitable business. •/"You two seem to have got a thing going, haven’t you?"/ •/"You’ve got a good thing going with your travel bureau, why quit now?"/

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

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

[go through]{v.} 1. To examine or think about carefully; search. •/I went through the papers looking for Jane’s letter./ •/Mother went through the drawer looking for the sweater./ Syn.: GO OVER. 2. To experience; suffer; live through. •/Frank went through many dangers during the war./ 3. To do what you are supposed to do; do what you promised. •/I went through my part of the bargain, but you didn’t go through your part./ Syn.: CARRY OUT. 4. To go or continue to the end of; do or use all of. •/Jack went through the magazine 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 we want goes through Congress./ •/The sale of the store went through quickly./

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

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

[go through with]{v. phr.} To finish; do as planned or agreed; not stop or fail to do. •/The boys don’t think Bob will go through with his plans to spend the summer at a camp./ •/Mr. Trent hopes the city won’t go through with 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 Jack went to write down the telephone number, he had forgotten it./

[go to any length]{v. phr.} To do everything you can. •/Bill will go to 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 or need; give aid to. •/Everybody else thought Billy had broken the window, but Tom 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 bed early at night. •/On the farm John worked hard and went to bed with the chickens./ •/Mr. Barnes goes to bed with the chickens because he has to get up 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: GO STEADY, GO WITH(2), KEEP COMPANY. 2. To be suitable or agreeable with each other; match. •/Roast turkey and cranberries go together./ •/Ice cream and 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 I had decided to become a doctor./

[go to one’s head]{v. phr.} 1. To make one dizzy. •/Beer and wine go to a person’s head./ •/Looking out the high window went to the woman’s head./ 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 a movie actress went to her head./

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

[go to pot]{v. phr.}, {informal} To be ruined; become bad; be destroyed. •/Mr. Jones' health has gone to pot./ •/The motel business went 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; stop being good or useful. •/Sometimes a good athlete runs to seed when he gets too old for sports./ •/Mr. Allen was a good carpenter until he became rich and went to seed./

[go to show] or [go to prove] {v. phr.}, {informal} To seem to prove; 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 you play hard enough./ •/The hard winter at Valley Forge goes to show that our soldiers 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 the chair./

[go to the devil]{v. phr.}, {informal} 1. To go away, mind your own business. — Used as a command; considered rude. •/George told Bob to go to the devil./ •/"Go to the devil!" said Jack, when his sister tried to tell him what to do./ 2. To become bad or ruined; become useless. •/The boy got mixed up with bad company and began to steal and rob his friends. He went to 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 ruined or destroyed. •/The man went to the dogs after he started drinking./ •/After the death of the owner, the business went to the dogs./ •/The team 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 trouble or extra work for yourself; bother. •/John told Mr. Brown not to go to the trouble of driving him home./ •/Since your aunt took the trouble to get you a nice birthday present, the least you can do is to thank her./ Compare: PUT OUT(5).