A dictionary of Confusable Phrases: More Than 10,000 Idioms and Collocations

Garden State, the • Peace Garden State, the
Garden State, the —(U.S.) a nickname of the state of New
Jersey: New Jersey was nicknamed the “Garden State” in the
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800s in recognition of its fertile soil and agrarian economy.
Peace Garden State, the —(U.S.) a nickname of the state of
North Dakota: North Dakota is called the Peace Garden
State — in reference to the International Peace Garden on the
border between North Dakota and Manitoba.
gay as a goose • gay as a lark
gay as a goose —(sl.) said of a homosexual person (also: gay
as pink ink): It may not even occur to some women that their
perfect gentleman is gay as a goose.
gay as a lark —said of smb. who is lively and enjoyable, free
from worries and fears: Ha, ha! We should be as gay as larks,
Mr. Richard — why not?
General Certificate of Education • General
 Certificate of Secondary Education
General Certificate of Education —the school leavers certifi-
cate formerly used in Britain: A “General Certificate of Edu-
cation” should be awarded showing the subjects in which the
candidate has satisfied the examiners.
General Certificate of Secondary Education —the school
leavers certificate currently adopted in Britain: The General
Certificate of Secondary Education qualification is one of the
main entry qualifications for selection to Universities.
General of the Armies • General of the Army
General of the Armies —the highest U.S. Army rank that has
only been awarded to Washington and Pershing in recognition
of their special significance in the country’s history: In 
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9
1
9,
John J. Pershing was named “General of the Armies of the
United States,” and held the rank until he died, in 
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948.
General of the Army —a five-star U.S. Army rank that is
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