The terrific bombardment, in general, increased the confidence of the troops about to go over the top . go over the hills and far away—go to some remote places: Winter in the Highlands is not a time to go over the hills and far away , not if you have any sense. Note: The expression is not equivalent in meaning to the phrase head for the hills—(also: run for the hills) get far away to hide from trouble: Within a few hundred years of the Christian con- quest of Rome, any remaining Gnostics had to head for the hills … go places • go to places go places —1. visit interesting places and live an exciting life: She was always wanting to tag along when we went places with our friends. 2. enjoy increasing success; show a lot of talent or ability: This is a year when your struggles pay off, a year when you go places . 3. (euph.) go to the toilet: What am I to do? I can’t follow them when they go places . go to places—visit specific places or localities: If I went to places whether it’s a bookshop or a coffee shop … you bump into people you know. go round in circles • go round the houses go round in circles —(also: run around in circles) work busily at a task without making any progress: We’ll never reach an agreement: we’re just going round in circles . Note: The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase go full circle—(of a situation) return to what it was before (also: come full circle): Now we have gone full circle . Critics groan: “Bring back incompetent punk-rock bands, and away with these boring old practicing musicians!” go round the houses—do smth. in an inefficient way when there is a quicker, more convenient way: My method goes round the houses a bit, but it works. I’d love to hear from anyone who has an easier one. go slow • go slowly go slow—1. move at a low speed: Like Mike said, drive it a few times and it gets better. Just go slow around the corners. 2. deliberately work slowly (as a form of industrial action): What dealers did, of course, was go slow in processing their paper work. 3. be less active; do smth. without hurry (to have more time for consideration, etc.): We had better go slow in this transaction. It needs care. 4. use smth. sparingly: You can have the nursery bathroom all to yourself, but do go slow on the hot water, will you? go slowly—1. = go slow 1: Go slowly round the corners because you know how skiddy it is these days. 2. (of time) pass tediously: The days went slowly for Robin who was wary of sleeping and eating. go South • go West go South —(U.S. sl., also: head South) 1. (of a market, economy, etc.) deteriorate; lessen in quality or worth: All the stock mar- ket indexes went South today. 2. make an escape; run away: Lefty went South the minute he got out of the pen. go West—(sl.) 1. die: I’m afraid—if I go west this time— I’ll be leaving you rottenly badly off, old girl. 2. (of things) perish or disappear: Wilson sighed. “There’s valuable evidence gone west ,” he said. go steady with someone • go steady with something go steady with someone—(coll.) have a person as a regular boyfriend or girlfriend: I thought we were to be married: he’d gone steady with me six months… Note: The expression does not correlate in meaning with the adjectival compound steady-going—used of a staid and sober person: Today that boy is a steady-going , industrious, and fairly efficient electrician’s helper. go steady with something —(coll.) be careful or thrifty in the use of smth.: Here, you two, just go steady with that bottle! I want a couple of grams left for Dad and Harry. go straight • go straight to the point go straight—(coll.) 1. act honestly; desist from criminal activ- ities: Patrick lives with Kate and has promised to go straight after years of being a hardman in London’s underworld. 2. conform to social conventions, especially to give up drugs or cease homosexual practices: Implication is that if some gays can go straight , any gay can go straight. Note: The expression is not antonymous in meaning to the phrase go around the bend—(coll.) go crazy or behave as if mad (also: go round the bend): He went around the bend when he heard his daughter was planning to marry John. go straight to the point—(also: come straight to the point) give the essential part of what one is trying to say, ignoring what is irrelevant: “What’s this nonsense about a studio, Sadie?” I said, going straight to the point . go the length and breadth of the land • go to the end of the land go the length and breadth of the land—go everywhere; criss- cross the country: The woman went the length and breadth of the land , for months on end, searching for that house. go to the end of the land—(also: go to land’s end) go to the remotest region of the country: We are going to the end of the land . The border between Andhra Pradesh and Tamizh Nadu. go the limit • reach the limit go the limit—(also: go to the limit) 1. do as much as possible: We know that Quiller will go the limit to ensure the success of his mission. 2. go beyond what is reasonable: I am taking my time about it and do not go the limit . Do not let them tell you that I am foolish or hare-brained. reach the limit—reach the extreme point: I think those shares have reached the limit , they are not likely to rise higher than they are now. go the whole gamut • go the whole hog go the whole gamut—cover the whole range: The names of the visitors go the whole gamut from “empty pockets to very, very deep pockets.” go the whole hog—complete smth. not stopping halfway: We commend the Government for the bold step it has taken thus far on the issue and we hope it will go the whole hog . go through changes • go through the changes go through changes —undergo changes; be involved in chang- ing circumstances: It is okay to go through changes otherwise our lives will have no meaning. go through the changes—1. = go through changes: If the com- pany had not gone through the changes , it probably would not have survived. 2. (euph., of women) go through meno- pause: “Going through the changes ” is a phrase that need not be feared by women as they enter middle age. go to bed • go to sleep go to bed—1. retire for the night: He said he knew the sort of place I meant; where everybody went to bed at eight o’clock…. 2. (euph.) have sex: A young doctor may think it all right to propose “going to bed ” to a nurse he has only just met. 3. (of a newspaper, journal, etc.) go to press: He nearly always had to stay on at the office till after midnight when the paper “went to bed .” Note: The expression does not correlate in meaning with the go places – 152 –