over a period of time: Ideas about the educability of the masses have come a long way during the past 100 years. go a long way—1. = come a long way: Technology has gone a long way since the sixties both in diesel and gas engines. Cf.: have a long way to go—be far short of some standard or achieve- ment: Although we have got the vote, we women have a long way to go before we get a positive square deal. 2. (of a stock of provisions, money, etc.) be sufficient; last long: The more stu- dents a school has, the more funds it receives. So what money we get must go a long way . 3. notably assist in or promote smth.: The regular maintenance of your installation can go a long way towards reduced fuel bills. Cf.: go some way—con- tribute to or assist in smth.: The study goes some way to ex- plaining why some people burn more calories than others. Note: a) The expression is not antonymous in meaning to the phrase go back a long way—used of smth. that has been in ex- istence for a long time: Wine making goes back a long way in countries like Egypt, Greece and France. b) The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase go to great lengths—(also: go the extra mile) make an extra ef- fort; try very hard to achieve a result: Personal appearance can be very important to some people. So much so, that they will go to great lengths to maintain a youthful look. come about • go about come about—happen; occur: How did it come about that the man was dismissed? go about—(of news, disease, etc.) spread round a place: There are whispers going about that something important is hap- pening. come across • go across come across—1. pass from one side to the other: Was the Channel rough when you came across ? 2. (of messages, etc.) be communicated and understood: The preacher spoke for a long time but I’m afraid his meaning did not come across . 3. (coll.) provide money or information: “Did she admit it?” “Yes…. But she wouldn’t come across till dawn.” 4. be perceived as a particular type of person: You come across as a reasonable kind of guy to most people. go across — = come across 1: Planks were laid so that the vil- lagers could go across the marshy area. come across someone • get across someone come across someone—meet a person, usually by accident or unexpectedly: I have never come across such an uncouth per- son before. get across someone—(coll.) incur smb.’s displeasure or disfa- vor: Dr. James has got across several of his patients because of his outspoken manner. come across something • come across with something come across something—find smth. unexpectedly or by chance: Did you come across any old photographs of the fam- ily? come across with something —(coll.) provide money or infor- mation: I think you ought to come across with the rest of the story. come after someone • go after someone come after someone—pursue or chase a person (in order to attack, arrest, etc.): I heard the clicking noise from the street getting closer. It sounded like they were coming after me. go after someone—1. = come after someone: Half the guards went after the escaped prisoners but they got away free. 2. (coll.) make romantic advances: Antonio says Luis is the only one he’d trust because Luis would never go after his girl. come along • go along come along—1. arrive: A bus came along and I waited in the long line to board. 2. progress or improve: Her daughter had a good marriage now, and the kids were coming along fine. 3. (imper.) hurry up; make more effort: Now come along , or we’ll be late for the boat. go along —1. move forward; proceed: When the wind is not up kiting can be frustrating as you go along very slowly. 2. = come along 2: We got settled and started Alice to school, and everything was going along nicely. 3. (imper.) go away: “Then go along and leave me,” she insisted, stopping short, “if I’m all that.” come along with something • go along with something come along with something—accompany smth.; co-occur with smth.: This sign comes along with other signs of preg- nancy. go along with something—agree with smth.: The whole deal would be done in German marks, not dollars. I went along with it. come and go • coming and going come and go—1. arrivals and departures: It was a perpetual come and go in this particular studio between four and six in the afternoon. 2. (attrib.) imprecise or variable: There’s a scene where they talk about the come and go nature of their jobs and lives that’s emotionally vibrant. coming and going—(also: comings and goings) 1. = come and go 1: That little boy was … inured to the coming and going of “nannies.” 2. busy activities: With all the coming and going , things are always changing, nothing and nobody stays the same. come apart • go apart come apart—1. fall into pieces; disintegrate: I swear I didn’t drop the plate: it just came apart in my hands! 2. become de- tached from smth.: All pages are intact, except for the outside cover which has come apart from the binding. 3. separate; di- verge: Kylie Minogue and Robbie Williams record “Kids” to- gether. After that their roads come apart again. 4. (of a plan, scheme, etc.) prove deficient: When we were sitting at the mar- ble-topped table my plans began to come apart . go apart—1. = come apart 2: Middleton Hall has now gone apart from the servant’s block, while other buildings and yards survive. 2. = come apart 3: In the 16th century the forms pike and peak appear to have gone apart in sense, pike being confined more to a sharp piercing. come around • go around come around—(also: come round) 1. pay a (short) visit: Well, come around and see us once in a while when you get lone- some. 2. take place; happen regularly: These questions come around quite often; I get numerous mails on a regular basis from people. 3. regain consciousness: I must have blacked out again because when I came around this time, I found myself outside. 4. agree to smth. in the end: Having a mind of her own made Nina a challenge to live with … but she finally came around to see my point of view. go around —(also: go round) 1. be publicly noticed doing smth.: You can’t go around saying nasty things like that about him in public. 2. (of news, rumors, etc.) be passed on from person to person: There was a weird story going around that James had been virtually forced out of the house. 3. (of food, etc.) be distributed to everybody: If there is not enough to go around let the dictum “children first” be the guiding principle. come around to something • go around to something come around to something—(also: come round to something) come about – 76 –