fall off one’s perch—(coll., dated) die: By the time I fall off my perch , Britain may well be a republic. come off something • go off something come off something—1. be no longer involved in smth.: “I want you to come off that fraud case,” said the inspector. 2. (of taxes, etc.) be exempt from: Under the agreement, the im- port tariff comes off certain kinds of goods. go off something—lose one’s liking for smth.: The children seem to have gone off cornflakes for breakfast. come on • go on come on—1. continue to advance: The soldiers came on in the face of heavy fire. 2. follow a person later: The teacher went by train to his new job, and the family came on by bus. 3. (of electric light) be turned on: Just as I entered the house, all the lights came on . 4. appear on duty: The new man doesn’t come on till midnight. 5. appear on the stage or sports field: When Laurence Olivier came on for the first time, the audi- ence applauded. 6. (of an illness, headache, etc.) set in; begin: My throat’s dry and a bit sore; perhaps I’ve got a cold coming on . 7. (Progressive Tense) make progress: How is it coming on , and when will the first volume be ready? 8. is used to encour- age a person to hurry or make more effort: Come on , Jane, you can do better than that! 9. is used to express surprise or disbelief: “I’m home all day working.” “Ah, come on . You don’t look like you’re working right now.” 10. (of a film, play, etc.) be shown: There’s a very good play coming on next week. 11. (of a lawsuit, etc.) be considered by a court: They have been waiting for a long time for their case to come on . go on—1. continue a journey, etc. (after interruption): The police examined the cars and then allowed them to go on . 2. travel ahead of others: The advance party has gone on to see if the mountain is safe for the other climbers. 3. be able to fit on smth.: If you fill the box too full, the lid won’t go on . 4. = come on 3: The street lights go on when it gets dark, and go off at midnight. 5. = come on 5: I was so nervous when I first went on . 6. keep talking excessively about smth.: The teacher went on and on about good behavior, as usual. 7. continue; last: How long did the war go on ? 8. take place; happen: The governing council has admitted that it did not know all that went on . 9. = come on 7: By the way, how is your new project going on ? 10. = come on 8: Go on ! There isn’t a moment to lose! 11. = come on 9: Ah, go on . I don’t believe you. 12. (coll.) behave improperly: Sad comfort whenever he returns, to hear how your brother has gone on ! 13. have a friendly relationship: We all go on well with each other here. 14. (of time) pass, pro- ceed: As time went on , the English court grew impatient. come on the carpet • step off the carpet come on the carpet—be under consideration or discussion: Hopefully tomorrow at the meeting that will probably come on the carpet . Note: The expression does not fully correlate in meaning with the phrase be on the carpet—1. (Pilots) used of an aircraft at or near ground level: I was right on the carpet and over a little ru- ined village. 2. = come on the carpet: Only when a serious ques- tion was on the carpet , did they drop their formalism. 3. be summoned to receive a reprimand from smb. in authority: Desert is on the carpet —not for apostasy, but for the song he’s made about it. step off the carpet—(rare) get married: Papa won Ves’ hand and they will step off the carpet next spring. come on top of something • get on top of something come on top of something—follow smth. (especially an un- pleasant event): This embarrassment coming on top of a row with Nicholas, was more than she could stand. get on top of something—overcome difficulties, etc.; deal with smth. successfully: He really felt he was getting on top of the situation. come out • go out come out—1. (of a tooth) fall out: My tooth has just come out . 2. (of a stain, etc.) be removed: Do you think that dirty mark will come out ? 3. be freed (from a prison): It’s been a long year, but he comes out next Friday. 4. emerge; become visible: The sun came out as soon as the rain stopped. 5. be uttered: I intended to make a joke, but my remark came out as unintentionally rude. 6. become clear or known: I don’t want the news of our wedding to come out yet. 7. be pub- lished: When does Tom’s new book come out ? 8. be seen as in a photograph: I’m afraid our holiday photos didn’t come out . 9. reach a result; succeed: Let me know how the voting comes out . 10. start a strike: He had the promises of 300 to come out “in sympathy” when the time came for quitting work. 11. (of a young girl) enter on social life: Is her eldest daughter coming out this year? 12. be offered for public viewing: The famous collection of rare old furniture is coming out next week. 13. (of a performer) go on stage: When it came time to come out for the third curtain call I said, “Bobby, I just can’t make it no further.” 14. emerge (in a specified manner) from a contest, examination, etc.: The President did not come out well in the inquiry. 15. (of smb.’s traits of character) be revealed; show clearly: At such testing times, only the good in him came out , and none of the bad. 16. admit smth. openly, especially ac- knowledge one’s homosexuality: Several I spoke to referred to the difficulties they experienced in “coming out ”—realizing they were homosexuals. go out—1. move to a distant country or place: Their young- est son went out to Canada and made a fortune. 2. (of girls in former times) leave home for employment (in the house of oth- ers): When she was eighteen she went out as a nursemaid. 3. attend social functions; go to parties, dances, etc.: She still goes out a great deal, even at seventy-five. 4. (of invitations, orders, etc.) be sent to several people: The wedding invitations had all gone out , but Jane says she hasn’t received hers. 5. be broadcast: The special program on the new Prime Minister goes out tonight at 9 o’clock. 6. (of a fire or light) become ex- tinguished; stop burning: Have you a match? My cigarette has gone out . 7. (of money) be spent: There’s more money going out than coming in, and I’m worried about the business. 8. become obsolete; stop being popular or fashionable: Long skirts went out after a short season of popularity. 9. (of a gov- ernment) retire from power: If the government goes out at the next election, who will lead the country? 10. (euph.) die: I hope that when I go out I shall leave a better world behind me. 11. (of the sea) flow away from the shore: When the sea goes out , the sand stretches for a long way. 12. = come out 10: The Post Office workers went out before Christmas, now the electricians are out. come out against something • come up against something come out against something—oppose smth.; declare one’s op- position to smth.: Those who come out against unity are act- ing against the interests of the country. come up against something—(also: be up against something) encounter a serious obstacle or problem: They came up against a lot of opposition to their plans. come out ahead • go ahead come out ahead—succeed or make a profit: The player can be in the hole by any amount of money and still come out ahead in the end. go ahead—1. move in front: The advance party has gone ahead to see if the mountain is safe for the other climbers. 2. – 81 – come out ahead