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

go flat • go flat out
go flat—
1
. spread out lying at full length: I would usually
go flat on the ground in case the door was trapped with a
grenade. 2. (coll.) lose enthusiasm or interest: I get quite inter-
ested for about five minutes and then — poof ! I go flat like a
burst balloon. 3. (of a battery) run down; lose charge: Darren
has called the Automobile Association twice: once when the
battery went flat…. 4. (of a tire) be deflated (after a puncture):
After driving on the freeway, all four of Torty’s tires went flat.
5. (of beer) lose flavor; become stale: Not only will the beer
suddenly go flat: the extra oxygen will rapidly burn the alcohol
out of the client’s bloodstreams.
go flat out—(coll.) do smth. with all one’s energy: Our vote
is holding up well and we will be going flat out to win over
the undecided voters.
go for a spin • go into a flat spin
go for a spin—(dated) make a short journey in a car just for
enjoyment: Jack has invited us all to go for a spin in his new
car tomorrow.
go into a flat spin —be in a state of mental confusion or
panic: It is quite possible for a man to go into a flat spin when
faced with some trouble.
go for it • run for it
go for it—make an all-out attempt to get or obtain smth.:
Each dog selected his bird, and went for it steadily.
Note:
The expression is not equivalent in meaning to the phrase
go at it
— act rapidly and vigorously: When you have found out
what you want to do — then go at it like blazes.
run for it—(also: make a run for it) run in order to escape
from a place or a dangerous situation: We made good progress
but then encountered more head winds which increased to
gale force, and once more we had to run for it.