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

go at it 
(go for it)
go at something
(come at something )
go away
(come away)
go back
(come back)
go back a long way 
(come a long way)
go back to something
(go back on
something )
go badly
(go bad)
go before someone 
(come before some-
one)
go belly up
(belly up to the bar)
go-between 
(between maid)
go between someone
(come between
someone)
go between something
(come between
something )
go beyond the law 
(be beyond the law)
go big 
(go at large)
go by 
(come by)
go by something
(come by something )
go down
(come down)
go down in history (become history)
go down like ninepins
(go down like a
lead balloon)
go down to something
(come down to
something )
go down with something
(come down
with something )
go downhill
(go over the hill)
go Dutch with someone
(be in Dutch
with someone)
go easy on someone
(come easy to
someone)
go far afield 
(go far)
go flat out 
(go flat)
go fly a kite
(fly a kite)
go for a ride
(go along for the ride)
go for a walk
(go at a walk)
go for broke
(go broke)
go for it
(go at it)
go for someone 
(come for someone)
go for something
(come for something )
go forward
(come forward)
go forward with something
(come for-
ward with something )
go free
(come free)
go full circle 
(go round in circles)
go great guns 
(blow great guns)
go half way with someone 
(go all the
way with someone)
go halves with someone 
(go all the way
with someone)
go hot and cold
(blow hot and cold)
go in
(come in)
go in a home 
(go home)
go in for something
(come in for some-
thing )
go in one ear and out the other 
(come
out of someone’s ears)
go into a flat spin
(go for a spin)
go into smoke
(go down in smoke)
go into the city 
(go out on the town)
go into the question
(come into ques-
tion)
go into the service 
(go into service)
go into the union 
(come into the
union)
go it
(come it)
go like a bomb
(go down like a bomb)
go like a house on fire 
(get on like a
house on fire)
go off
(come off )
go off at the deep end 
(go in at the
deep end)
go off someone 
(go off on someone)
go off something
(come off something )
go off the boil 
(boil down)
go off the handle
(fly off the handle)
go off the hooks 
(get oneself off the
hook)
go off the map 
(go off the chart)
go off the rails 
(get back on the rails)
go on
(come on)
go on retreat
(go into retreat)
go on the bust
(go bust)
go on the ground 
(go to ground)
go on the hook 
(be hooked)
go on the hop
(be on the hop)
go on the pill 
(go on medication)
go on the stage
(go on stage)
go on the wagon
(get on the bandwagon)
go on to do something 
(go on doing
something )
go one’s way 
(go one’s own way)
go out
(come out)
go out for something 
(come out for
something )
go out into the world
(come into the
world)
go out of one’s way 
(go one’s own way)
go out of something
(come out of some-
thing )
Phrase Index
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352 –

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go out of the way to do something
(get out of the way of doing something )
go out of this world 
(depart out of this
world)
go over
(come over)
go over someone’s head 
(go over some-
one)
go over something
(come over some-
thing )
go over the hills and far away
(go over
the hill)
go over the top 
(go over the hill)
go over the wall 
(climb up the wall)
go over to something 
(go across to
something )
go overboard
(go by the board)
go round
(come round)
go round the bend 
(go on the bend)
go round the houses 
(go round in cir-
cles)
go round to something 
(come round to
something )
go short of something
(come short of
something )
go sick
(get sick)
go slowly
(go slow)
go someone’s way
(come someone’s way)
go steady with something 
(go steady
with someone)
go straight to the point 
(go straight)
go strong
(go it strong )
go tell it to the birds 
(heard it from the
horse’s mouth)
go the full distance 
(go all the way)
go the whole hog 
(go the whole gamut)
go the wrong way
(go down the wrong
way)
go through 
(come through)
go through something
(come through
something )
go through the ceiling 
(go out the win-
dow)
go through the changes 
(go through
changes)
go through the roof 
(go to the bottom)
go through with something
(come
through with something )
go to bed with one’s boots on 
(go to
bed in one’s boots)
go to bed with someone
(get into bed
with someone)
go to business
(go into business)
go to church
(go into the Church)
go to earth
(come down to earth)
go to extremes
(go from one extreme to
the other)
go to grass
(come to grass)
go to great lengths 
(come a long way)
go-to guy 
(go-go boy)
go to hell in a handbasket 
(go to hell)
go to it
(come to it)
go to market 
(come into the market)
go to pieces 
(come to pieces)
go to places
(go places)
go to roost
(come home to roost)
go to sleep
(go to bed)
go to someone’s head
(come into some-
one’s head)
go to the bad 
(go bad)
go to the country
(get out of town)
go to the end of the land 
(go the
length and breadth of the land)
go to the front
(come to the front)
go to the ground 
(go to ground)
go to town
(go out on the town)
go to war
(go to the war)
go together
(come together)
go too far 
(be too far gone)
go under 
(go below)
go under the name of
(come under the
name of )
go under the wire 
(go down to the
wire)
go up
(come up)
go up in flames 
(go down in flames)
go up in smoke
(go down in smoke)
go up in the air 
(come up for air)
go up the river
(go down the river)
go up to something 
(come up to some-
thing )
go West 
(go South)
go wilding 
(go wild)
go with a bang
(go bang )
go with the current 
(go current)
go with the stream 
(go on stream)
go with the tide
(go out with the tide)
go without something 
(do without
something )
go wrong 
(go down the wrong way)
goat-foot
(goat’s foot)
goats’ wool
(goats’ hair)
God the Son 
(God’s Son)
godchild
(God’s child )
godfather
(God the Father)
godson
(God’s Son)
gold hunter 
(gold digger)
golden boys
(gilded youth)
golden crest
(goldcrest)
golden handcuffs 
(golden cage)
golden oldie 
(golden ager)
Golden State, the
(Bullion State, the)
golden years
(golden age)
gone fishing
(go fishing )
gone to the dogs 
(doggone)
good as gold
(good as a play)
good many, a (good few, a)
good money
(bad money)
good of you 
(good for you)
good on something 
(good at some-
thing )
good quarter of an hour
(bad quarter
of an hour)
good-time girl 
(good-time Charley)
good-time man
(good-time Charley)
good times 
(good time)
good to someone
(good for someone)
good with someone 
(good for someone)
good with something 
(good at some-
thing )
good word 
(bon mot)
goose that lays the golden eggs 
(get a
goose egg )
Gotham City
(wise men of Gotham)
grammar school 
(US) (grammar school
[UK])
grand old lady
(grandame)
grande dame 
(grandame)
grasp something 
(grasp at something )
grasp the nettle 
(be nettled)
gray mare, the 
(dark horse)
gray market 
(black market)
gray matter 
(dark matter)
grease someone’s palm 
(butter someone
up)
greasy spot
(grease spot)
great deal, a
(big deal, a)
great game 
(big game)
great in something 
(great at some-
thing )
great with something 
(great at some-
thing )
Greater Britain
(Great Britain)
greater world, the 
(great world, the)
green room
(green house)
green sickness
(green monkey fever)
green stuff 
(green goods)
greenbottle fly
(green-fly)
greensman 
(green man)
grit one’s teeth
(grind one’s teeth)
grow from something
(grow away from
something )
grow out of something 
(grow away
from something )
guardship 
(guard ship)