get credit—1. = gain credit 1: The governor, who has the low- est approval rating of any California governor, doesn’t even get credit for what he has accomplished. 2. = gain credit 2: Students may not get credit for more than one writing inten- sive course in a semester. 3. be allowed a period of time before one has to pay for goods and services: In many cases rural households get credit for the goods they purchase from traders. gain ground on someone • gain ground with someone gain ground on someone—get closer to a person pursued: Each minute did their enemy gain ground perceptibly upon them. gain ground with someone—win smb.’s favor: I had been gaining ground with Mr. Rankeillor, and in proportion as I gained ground, gaining confidence. gain in something • gain on something gain in something—acquire more of a particular quality: The Leader of the Opposition gained significantly in stature as a result of his speech. gain on something—1. get closer to a vehicle pursued: The police-launch was quickly gaining on the boat. 2. move further ahead of a vehicle: The leading group of three continued to gain on the rest of the boats. 3. (of the sea) encroach upon the coast: The sea was gradually gaining on the buildings, which at length almost entirely disappeared. gallop through something • run through something gallop through something—do and complete smth. quickly: I seem to have galloped through the whole work, which I hope will not suffer from not having devoted more time. run through something—1. (of a rumor, gossip, etc.) pass or spread through a place: The news ran through the town like wild-fire. 2. read and check smth. quickly: Before the inter- view I ran through my notes and scribbled over my questions making them word-perfect. 3. (of money, etc.) spend fast: Inevitably, as he ran through his fortune, which took him only a few months, he was eventually obliged to face up to realities. 4. (of a piece of music, etc.) repeat or practice: We had a full dress rehearsal and ran through the whole play several times. Note: The expression is not equivalent in meaning to the phrase run something through1. make a film pass through a projec- tor: We ran the film through several more times. 2. make a hole through smth.: Do they burn the flag, spit on it, run it through with a sword? See also: come through something / go through something. gamble at something • gamble in something • gamble with something gamble at something —risk money in a game of chance: The men got out a pack of Mexican cards and gambled at a game called “Coon-can.” gamble in something—risk money by investing in a com- modity: Matrons gambled in shares quite as wildly as did the unkempt disreputables from the oil fields. gamble with something—1. gamble using cards, dice, etc.: They had a pack of real cards and gambled with them at Grab. 2. risk smth.: After working as an apprentice for three years, there was no way he was going to gamble with his future. gamble on something • take a gamble on something gamble on something—1. risk money on the unknown result of a race, etc.: Cockfighting is a fight between male chickens (roosters), in which people gamble on the outcome of the fight. 2. act in the hope of smth. being successful, true, etc.: I wouldn’t gamble on the weather being fine. Cf.: you can gam- ble on that—(coll.) you may be sure of that: There will be trouble for someone. You can gamble on that . take a gamble on something— = gamble on something 2: The firm took a gamble on an emerging market with a multi-mil- lion dollar investment. game is over, the • party is over, the game is over, the—(also: game is up, the) 1. the situation is lost beyond rescue: He knew the game was over and began to seek a diplomatic solution to the conflict. 2. said when the wrong one has done or smb.’s guilty secret has been discovered: Okay, sweetheart, game’s over . What’s up? party is over, the—(also: honeymoon is over) the first happy period or easy time has come to an end: Local government is coming to realize that, for the time being, the party is over . game time • playtime game time —(coll.) crucial moment for doing business; time to do what has to be done: Will this report be ready by game time ? playtime —a time for play or recreation (between lessons at school, etc.): Do the children in your class run around or stand around a lot at playtime ? garden house • orchard house garden house—a summer house; a house situated in a gar- den: The bakery, tin shop and garden house look as if they were still open for business. orchard house—a greenhouse for the fruit too delicate to be grown in the open air: By dwarfing them [fruit trees] you can have a great variety in a small space in the orchard house and get fine fruit. 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 1800s 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 1919, John J. Pershing was named “General of the Armies of the United States,” and held the rank until he died, in 1948. General of the Army—a five-star U.S. Army rank that is – 129 – General of the Armies