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

go along for the ride • go for a ride
go along for the ride —(coll.) join in an activity as an observer
only: He told the police he only went along for the ride, but
they believe he was fully aware of the others’ plan.
go for a ride —journey on a horse, bicycle, or in a vehicle:
We all went for a ride in her new car on Saturday.
go along with someone • go along with you
go along with someone —agree with smb.; cooperate with a
person in an activity: Jules had to take orders from him pre-
tending to go along with him in his ridiculous schemes.
go along with you—(exclam.) 
1
. is used to rudely tell smb. to
go away (and stop being annoying): “Go along with you!”
cried my aunt, shaking her fist at the window. 2. is used to
emphatically express disbelief: Go along with you! Do you
think I’d believe a story like that?
give something a rest
– 146 –

---

go ape over someone • play the sedulous ape to
someone
go ape over someone —(sl.) display strong enthusiasm for a
person (also: go ape for someone): The Saudis would agree that
the price [of oil] would not go up…. The American public
would go ape over the Saudis when this was announced.
play the sedulous ape to someone —imitate another person’s
style, manners, etc.: I remember walking through the Metro-
politan Museum of Art and seeing some young painters play-
ing the sedulous ape to Rembrandt.
See also: make a monkey of someone / monkey someone.
go around someone • run circles around someone
go around someone —circumvent or outwit a person; avoid
dealing with smb.: We will want to go around the boss. He
will say no if asked.
Note: 
The expression does not correlate in meaning with the
phrase go around with someone—(also: run around with some-
one) be seen together in public in the company of smb. of the
opposite sex: Once he started going around with her there were
more withdrawals than deposits in his savings book.
run circles around someone —(also: run rings around someone)
greatly excel a person in some activity; completely outclass a
competitor: Opponents will run circles around you unless you
take the time to build up your players’ skills.
See also: run someone round / run someone round in circles.