Словарь американских идиом (8000 единиц)

[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.

[get off easy] <v. phr.>, <informal> To have only a little trouble; escape something worse. * /The children who missed school to go to the fair got off easy./ * /John got off easy because it was the first time he had taken his father's car without permission./

[get off it] See: COME OFF IT.

[get off one's back] <v. phr.>, <slang>, <colloquial> To stop criticizing or nagging someone. * /"Get off my back! Can't you see how busy I am?"/

[get off one's case] or [back] or [tail] <v. phr.> To stop bothering and constantly checking up on someone; quit hounding one. * /"Get off my case!" he cried angrily. "You're worse than the cops."/ Contrast: ON ONE'S CASE.

[get off one's chest] See: OFF ONE'S CHEST.

[get off one's tail] <v. phr.>, <slang> To get busy, to start working. * /OK you guys! Get off your tails and get cracking!/

[get off on the wrong foot] <v. phr.> To make a bad start; begin with a mistake. * /Peggy got off on the wrong foot with her new teacher; she chewed gum in class and the teacher didn't like it./

[get off the ground] <v. phr.>, <informal> To make a successful beginning; get a good start; go ahead; make progress. * /Our plans for a party didn't get off the ground because no one could come./

[get off the hook] See: OFF THE HOOK.

[get off to a flying] or [running start] <v. phr.> To have a promising or successful beginning. * /Ron got off to a flying start in business school when he got nothing but A's./

[get on] or [get onto] <v.>, <informal> 1. To speak to (someone) roughly about something he did wrong; blame; scold. * /Mrs. Thompson got on the girls for not keeping their rooms clean./ * /The fans got on the new shortstop after he made several errors./ Syn.: JUMP ON. 2. See: GET ALONG. 3. To grow older. * /Work seems harder these days; I'm getting on, you know./

[get one's] See: GET WHAT'S COMING TO ONE.

[get one's back up] <v. phr.>, <informal> To become or make angry or stubborn. * /Fred got his back up when I said he was wrong./ * /Our criticisms of his actions just got his hack up./

[get one's brains fried] <v. phr.>, <slang>, <also used colloquially> 1. To sit in the sun and sunbathe for an excessive length of time. * /Newcomers to Hawaii should be warned not to sit in the sun too long - they'll get their brains fried./ 2. To get high on drugs. * /He can't make a coherent sentence anymore - he's got his brains fried./

[get one's dander up] or [get one's Irish up] <v. phr.> To become or make angry. * /The boy got his dander up because he couldn't go to the store./ * /The children get the teacher's dander up when they make a lot of noise./ Compare: BLOW A FUSE.

[get one's ducks in a row] <v. phr.>, <informal> To get everything ready. * /The scoutmaster told the boys to get their ducks in a row before they went to camp./ * /Mr. Brown got his ducks in a row for his trip./ Compare: LINE UP.

[get one's feet on the ground] See: FEET ON THE GROUND.

[get one's feet wet] <v. phr.>, <informal> To begin; do something for the first time. * /The party was at Bill's house and when Ruth and I got there the party had already started. "Jump right in and don't be afraid to get your feet wet," said Bill./ * /"It's not hard to dance once you get your feet wet," said the teacher./

[get one's fingers burned] See: BURN ONE'S FINGERS.

[get one's foot in the door] See: FOOT IN THE DOOR.

[get one's goat] <v. phr.>, <informal> To make a person disgusted or angry. * /The boy's laziness all summer got his father's goat./ * /The slow service at the cafe got Mr. Robinson's goat./

[get one's hands on] See: LAY ONE'S HANDS ON.

[get one's number] or [have one's number] <v. phr.>, <informal> To find out or know what kind of person somebody is. * /The boys soon had the new student's number./ * /The girls got their new roommate's number the first week of school./

[get one's rear in gear] <v. phr.>, <slang> To hurry up, to get going. * /I'm gonna have to get my rear in gear./

[get one's second wind] See: SECOND WIND.

[get one's teeth into] or [sink one's teeth into] <v. phr.>, <informal> To have something real or solid to think about; go to work on seriously; struggle with. * /After dinner, John got his teeth into the algebra lesson./ * /Frank chose a subject for his report that he could sink his teeth into./

[get one's tongue] See: CAT GET ONE'S TONGUE.

[get on in years] See: ALONG IN YEARS.

[get on one's good side] <v. phr.> To gain the favor of someone; flatter or please another. * /A clever lobbyist knows how to get on the good side of both the House of Representatives and the Senate./

[get on one's nerves] <v. phr.> To make you nervous. * /John's noisy eating habits get on your nerves./ * /Children get on their parents' nerves by asking so many questions./

[get on the ball] See: ON THE BALL.

[get on the bandwagon] See: JUMP ON THE BANDWAGON.

[get on the good side of] See: ON THE GOOD SIDE OF.

[get on the stick] <v. phr.>, <slang>, <informal> To get moving; to stop being idle and to start working vigorously. * /All right, man, let's get on the stick!/ Compare: ON THE BALL, GET OFF ONE'S TAIL.

[get on to one] <v. phr.> To figure someone out; understand what someone else is up to. * /The FBI is on to Jim's secret trading with the enemy./