Read Webster's New World American Idioms Handbook Online
Authors: Gail Brenner
get over (NS)
1.
to recover from an illness, a bad experience, or from emotional distress; often put as to
take time to get over
something
♦
It took three weeks for me to
get over
my cold.
♦
They will never
get over
the loss of their child.
2.
to forget about, forgive, or overlook an insult or thoughtless act. People often use the expression
I’m over it
(short for
I’ve gotten over it
) to say that they have forgiven or forgotten an insult or difficult situation. ♦
He’s mad about it right now, but he’ll
get over
it.
♦
He embarrassed her in public, and she’s never
gotten over
it.
3.
to surmount or overcome a personal challenge or hurdle ♦
He finally
got over
his shyness and became a radio announcer.
♦
We have to
get over
our prejudices if we want to live in a peaceful world.
4.
to continue to be surprised or delighted ♦
I’ll never
get over
how much you look like my brother.
♦
The party you gave me for my 80th birthday was so wonderful. I just can’t
get over
it.
Note:
In this context,
get over
is always put in the negative, as in the preceding examples.
Other Phrasal Verbs with
Over
The following section includes phrasal verbs that use the preposition
over
to give special meaning to the verb. These idioms do not have a common general meaning as each has its own specific meaning and usage. They’re listed alphabetically.
blow over
to subside, be forgotten, pass by; generally used to talk about weather, an argument, or ill feelings ♦
This storm should
blow over
by tomorrow.
♦
We never stay mad at each other for long. Whatever the disagreement, it always
blows over
quickly.
Get Over It!
Get over it!
is a very common expression that’s been popularized within the last decade or so. It means to accept the situation, deal with the situation, or live with the situation. It’s used as tough advice for anyone unwilling to accept the reality of a situation, a rule, an outcome, or some other difficult aspect of life. When people say “Get over it!” they mean stop complaining, stop moping, stop blaming others, and accept it and go on with life.
Grammar Note:
Get over it
is often preceded by the word
so,
meaning
therefore.
Here are some examples:
gloss over (S)
to try to make light of or downplay a lie, fault, or bad situation; to make obscure or less obvious in an attempt to deceive; often put as
gloss over the truth
♦
People typically
gloss over
their own faults.
♦
This report on this new drug is inadequate; it
glosses over
the negative side effects.
Grammar Note:
Although this idiom is separable, it is often not separated.
pull over (S)
to move a vehicle off the road or to the side of the road and stop. In the passive form,
to be pulled over
means to be ordered to pull off the road and stop, typically by a police officer. ♦
Everyone
pulled over
to let the ambulance pass.
♦
We can’t stop here; there’s no place to
pull
the car
over.
Grammar Note:
Although this phrasal verb is separable, its direct object (the car, bus, truck, and so on) is understood and is often not mentioned.
smooth over (S)
to soften, lessen, or get rid of difficulties or ill feelings between people; to make light of a fault or unpleasant situation. Often put as
smooth things over.
Also,
gloss over
can be used in this context. ♦
We tried to
smooth
things
over
after their argument at the family dinner, but they stayed angry all evening.
♦
I know she’s mad at me, but I’ll talk to her and try to
smooth
things over.
take over (S)
to take control of; to become responsible for; to do someone’s job in his or her absence; also said as
take charge of
♦
She
took over
the position of night manager.
♦
I sold the car to him, and he
took over
the car payments.
Turning Over a New Leaf
People who change their behavior or lifestyle for the better might be
turning over a new leaf —
making a fresh start or trying to improve and better their behavior. For example: “Well, I’m trying to
turn over a new leaf
and get some exercise every day.”
turn over (S)
1.
to turn the down side up; to invert; also put as
flip over
♦ Turn
the photo
over;
I wrote a description on the back.
♦
When the pancakes are cooked on one side,
turn
them
over.
2.
to make a certain amount of money selling merchandise or conducting business ♦
They
turned over
a million dollars during the holiday sales.
♦
We can
turn ove
r a good profit in one day.
Phrasal Verbs with
Around
Phrasal verbs with the preposition
around
often mean to do something in a generalized or unstructured way with no immediate goal. Idioms like
drive around
(drive here and there),
look around
(look casually at everything),
mess around
(play casually, waste time, tinker), and
hang around
(loiter, do nothing) are a few examples. Most phrasal verbs with
around
are intransitive (they do not require a direct object), but there are some exceptions, which are marked with
(S)
for separable or
(NS)
for non-separable.
Grammar Note:
When a phrasal verb with
around
is followed by another verb, that verb is put in the gerund form. Here is an example: “We
drove around
looking for a restaurant.” In this example,
drove around
means to drive around somewhat aimlessly, without definite direction.
Looking
is a gerund.
When
Around
Means Here and There
When
around
is joined with the verbs
walk, run, drive,
and
look,
among others, it means to go here and there — generally, all around an area — often with no specific goal or destination. The idioms in this group that are transitive may be separable or non-separable, depending on meaning. The following definitions explain the specifics about idioms in which
around
means here and there.
drive around
1.
to drive aimlessly or simply for the pleasure of driving, often with no specific destination; also put as
cruise around
♦
At Christmastime, we like to
drive around
the neighborhood to look at the Christmas lights and decorations.
♦
On Saturday night, we used to just
drive around
with our friends doing nothing.
2.
to drive here and there looking for something specific or doing errands ♦
I
drove around
downtown for half an hour looking for a parking space.
♦
We had to
drive around
awhile to find the freeway entrance.
Grammar Note:
When this idiom means to take someone else driving for pleasure or other purposes, it is separated by its direct object, as in, “
I’m always
driving
my kids
around
to soccer, dance lessons,
and to visit their friends.
”
look around (NS)
1.
to look in all directions, here and there, to enjoy a view; to pay attention, be aware ♦ Look around.
There are flowers blooming everywhere.
♦
When you
look around,
you can see a lot of people yakking on cell phones.
2.
to investigate, often before a purchase ♦
They
looked around
various neighborhoods in order to decide where they would like to live.
♦
Welcome to our shop. Please come in and
look around.
Grammar Note:
With this idiom, the direct object is often not stated, but is understood.
shop around
1.
to look from shop to shop or store to store to compare prices, quality, service, and so on before buying something ♦
I
shopped around
a lot before buying my computer.
♦
He
shopped around
for a winter coat until he found a good one on sale.
Note:
Comparison shop
means the same as
shop around,
in this context.
2.
to date various people casually looking for the right person for a long-term relationship; to choose one’s romantic partner or spouse carefully ♦
Don’t jump into marriage with the first person you meet;
shop around. ♦
She’s not ready for marriage yet; she’s just
shopping around.
walk around (NS)
1.
to take a walk; to walk leisurely and possibly aimlessly ♦
Let’s go
walk around
the museum and look at the new exhibits.
♦
We didn’t buy anything today; we just
walked around.
2.
to stretch one’s legs, get a little exercise after sitting or being immobile for a long time; in this context, the direct object is not stated, but understood ♦
On a long car trip you should get out and
walk around
every few hours.
♦
Right after the operation, the nurses had him out of bed and
walking around.
[See also
get around
and
run around
later in this section.]
Getting Around
The phrasal verb
get around
has many meanings and is used in various contexts.
Get around
is almost always non-separable. Following are examples of how to use this idiom:
1.
(NS)
to circumvent or bypass a hurdle or authority ♦
She managed to
get around
taking the national exam by submitting her research and publications.
♦
We might be able to
get around
dad by asking mom instead.
2. (NS)
to travel from place to place; to be mobile ♦
Nettie usually
gets around
the city by bus.
♦
He’s learning to
get around
on crutches since he broke his leg.
3.
to be socially active; to know a lot of people; to have a network of friends ♦
Dave can tell you who to talk to about this situation; he
gets around
and knows a lot of people.
♦
She certainly
gets around;
everyone seems to know her.
4.
to become known; to become public knowledge as news ♦
The news of their engagement
got around
fast.
♦
Please don’t tell anyone about it. I don’t want it to
get around.
Getting around Town
The expression to
get around town
means more than just to travel around the city. People use this expression to cover all aspects of taking care of everyday errands, including getting to and from the places where one shops, works, banks, drops off and picks up kids, goes to doctor appointments, and so on. A person’s ability to do those things might be expressed like this: “She’s 84 years old, but she can still
get around town
and take care of the things she needs to do” or “It’s impossible to
get around town
with all this road construction!”
Compact cars are often advertised as “good for
getting around town,
” meaning they are easy to park and economical for short trips to the store, school, and so on.
People often use
get around town
when referring to a mode of transportation. For example, “The college kids seem to
get around town
just fine on their bikes,” or “Sometimes it’s much easier to
get around town
on foot than by car.”
Running Around
One might
run around in circles
(accomplish little or nothing after much effort) or
run circles around
someone (greatly exceed someone in skill, knowledge, or other ability; be superior). Or one might simply
run around
— a versatile idiom with a number of meanings.
Run around
is generally intransitive (has no direct object), but there are a few exceptions. Here are the most common meanings and uses of this idiom:
1. (NS)
to do errands; to go from place to place with purpose; taking care of various business needs. Often put as
run all around.
In this context the direct object is often not stated, but understood. ♦
I’ve been
running around
all day. It’s nice to come home and sit down.
♦
She had to
run around
all over the city to get the permits and other documents she needed for her new business.
2. (NS)
to run or move around erratically in an excited, anxious or angry way. Also
tear around
. ♦
The dog
ran around
behind the fence barking at everyone who passed.
♦
He
ran
all
around
the house looking for his lost keys.
3.
(NS)
to be up and moving around; to be out in public, specifically in certain clothing. This context is used when referring to being casually dressed. ♦
We often let the toddlers
run around
naked at the beach.
♦
I usually
run around
in shorts and sandals all summer.
4.
(NS)
to associate or spend time with; sometimes to date; said as
run around with
. In this context, the direct object is often not stated, but understood. ♦
We were best friends growing up and we still
run around everywhere
together.
♦
He generally
ran around
with the other art students when he was in college.
5.
to be unfaithful sexually or romantically. Often put as
run around on someone
. In other words, to cheat on. ♦
He broke off the relationship when he found out she’d been
running around
on him.
♦
He drank too much and
ran around
with women, and eventually his wife left him.