start or continue with smth., especially after a period of un- certainty or delay: Our expectation is that the elections will go ahead . 3. is used to indicate that a person is welcome to do smth.: “Would you mind if I used your phone?” “Sure, go ahead .” Cf.: get the go-ahead — get permission to begin an activ- ity: We are delighted to get the go-ahead for this project. See also: come forward / go forward. come out for something • go out for something come out for something—1. go on strike in order to gain smth.: The Post Office workers have come out for more pay. 2. support smth.: The Government comes out for the decen- tralization of the decision-making process. go out for something —1. make a concentrated effort to obtain or achieve smth.: Don’t trust that man. He just goes out for anything he can get. 2. = come out for something 1: We went on strike for a noneconomic reason. If we went out for more pay they could permanently replace us right now. come out in a rash • come out in a rush come out in a rash—(of a skin disease) become covered in spots, pimples, etc.: We both came out in a rash that we as- sumed was an allergic reaction to something. come out in a rush —(of words, etc.) be articulated in a sudden quick flow: Her thoughts came out in a rush , as if she hadn’t been able to put them into words until now. come out in something • come out with something come out in something—(of a skin disease) become covered in spots, pimples, etc.: At the hospital she started to come out in spots and they sent her home saying it was chicken pox. come out with something—say or propose smth., such as an idea, etc.: You have to rationalize the situation and come out with a solution that is acceptable to all. come out of someone’s ears • go in one ear and out the other come out of someone’s ears—(sl.) have smth. in great or excess quantity: I’ve been looking for some time before buying and have read reviews till they come out of my ears . go in one ear and out the other—said of smth. that is heard but paid no attention to: His writing implied that the criticism leveled would not simply go in one ear and out the other . come out of something • go out of something come out of something—1. leave the place (where smth. has been fixed): The screw was rusty and wouldn’t come out of the wall. 2. (of stains, etc.) disappear; be removed from smth. (with cleaning): Do you think these ink-marks will come out of my dress if I boil it? go out of something —1. (of passion, tension, etc.) become less marked in smth.; disappear from smth.: As time went by, the fury went out of his parliamentary speeches. 2. be no longer in fashion, business, etc.: As from next Wednesday the oil and petrol pool, which has operated since the war, will go out of business. Note: Neither expression correlates in meaning with the phrase run out of something—have no further supply of smth.: He had several forced landings, the first when he ran out of fuel over Syria. See also: walk out of something / walk out on something. come out of the blue • get into a blue come out of the blue—happen unexpectedly or without warning: Nothing in my life ever came more “out of the blue ” than my marriage. get into a blue—(Austral. sl.) get into an argument; start a brawl: Are red-haired people more likely to get into a blue ? See also: get one’s blue / get the blues. come out on top • come to the top come out on top—overcome difficulties; be victorious (over one’s competitors): Although there were a lot of applicants, Henry was the one who came out on top . come to the top—1. reach the top of a mountain, etc.: The next little excitement was when we came to the top of the Grand Diable. One has to rope down it. 2. become most im- portant: Only the problem of traversing Kazakhstan prevented the khanates from coming to the top of the imperial agenda. come over • go over come over—1. come from a distance (to visit smb.): You really must come over sometime and have dinner with us. 2. (of aircraft) pass overhead: It’s terribly noisy living near the airport with planes coming over all the time. 3. (of a speech, plan, etc.) be received; succeed: How did his latest speech come over ? 4. change one’s opinion, political position, etc.: Don’t worry about the chairman, he’ll soon come over . 5. (coll.) become (especially suddenly): I came over all dizzy just for a moment, but I’m all right now. 6. (of sound) be heard on radio or stage: Your voice comes over rather well. go over—1. fall; turn over: Keep still or the boat will go over ! 2. = come over 1: When are we going over to your mother’s again? 3. = come over 2: Paratroopers went in and we had heard planes going over . 4. = come over 3: How did John’s talk to the Women’s Institute go over ? come over something • go over something come over something—pass or move over smth.: It’s terribly noisy living near the airport, with planes coming over the house all the time. Note: The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase overcome something—prevail over smth.; surmount a difficulty, obstacle, etc.: The want of belief is a defect that ought to be concealed when it cannot be overcome . go over something—1. = come over something: The crowd cheered as the horse went safely over the last fence. 2. check or examine smth. (to see that it is correct, etc.): You’ll have to go over the figures again; they don’t balance out. 3. clean or repair smth.: The girl went over the room quickly with a duster. 4. examine smth. thoroughly in order to find smth.: The police went over her room three times but found nothing. 5. review or consider smth.: Let us go over the facts as we know them. 6. exceed smth.; be more than smth.: Your spend- ing should not go over your income. come round • go round come round—(also: come around) 1. pay a short visit: Why don’t you come round and see us one evening? 2. take place; happen regularly: The Commonwealth Prime Ministers’ Con- ference comes round next month. 3. regain consciousness: The girl fainted, but she came round when we threw drops of water on her face. 4. agree to smth. in the end: After a day of our haggling about the matter, Jane finally came round to my point of view. go round—(also: go around) 1. be publicly noticed doing smth.: You can’t go round saying nasty things like that about him in public. 2. (of news, rumors, etc.) be passed on from person to person: Stories have been going round concerning the government’s secret intentions. 3. (of food, etc.) be distrib- uted to everybody: Money becomes tight and, maybe, the loans available from the banks are insufficient to go round . come round to something • go round to something come round to something—(also: come around to something) 1. visit a place near one’s home: Three guys in my class asked if they could come round to my place to do homework. 2. find time for smth.; deal with smth. (when more important matters have been dealt with): When they had finally came come out for something – 82 –