Various Uses of "To Get", Part 1
VARIOUS USES OF "TO GET" AND ITS FORMS, Part 1
FORMAT: FORM OF "TO GET" + Definition. Example of usage is in "quotation marks." If the quotation is from a literary source, that source follows in [brackets].
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GET:
An obligation or necessity.
1. "I've got to go to a funeral tomorrow."
2. "You've got to eat your vegetables before you can have dessert."
To achieve from military action. "They got the victory when the cavalry captured the hill."
To acquire an illness or infection. "He got the measles from his brother."
To acquire or earn from labor or service.
1. "If I get your daughter's love, what dowry shall I have?" [Shakespeare]
2. "He's got an excellent reputation as an administrator."
To acquire by study. "She got a good education at the university."
To affect emotionally. "That song was very sad-it really got me."
To annoy, irritate "His conceit really gets to me."
To appear or come into existence. "Dust got all over the books while we were gone."
To arrive, complete a journey. "They got home sooner than expected."
To be subjected to or meet with."
1. "He got a bad fall from the horse."
2. "We expect to get the worst end of the deal."
To beget, procreate. "Get you the sons your fathers got..." [A. E. Houseman]
To cause to be provided or supplied. "The officers got a search warrant."
To cause to come or go.
1. "We got our luggage through Customs very quickly."
2. "She got the car to a garage before it ran out of gas."
To cause to move or be removed.
1. "Get thee out from this land and return unto the land of they kindred." [Genesis 31:13]
2. "Get the cat out of the house-I am allergic to cats!"
To cause to be in a certain state, position or condition."
1. "They were out in the rain and got soaked."
2. "He will get himself into trouble if he is not careful."
To come to have.
1. "After taking the medicine, he got a good night's sleep."
2. "They walked up the hill to get a view of the city."
To comprehend, understand. "I just don't get the point of the story."
To earn from business or job. "What they get by day they spend by night." [Benjamin Disraeli]
To establish communication with. "He tried all afternoon to get them on the telephone."
To gain possession of "Most men are not born rich and in getting wealth the man is generally sacrificed." [Ralph Waldo Emerson]
To go away at once. "He pulled out a gun and told them to get."
To hit or strike. "The ball got him in the mouth."
To hold out for (chiefy British). "Only a wonder horse can get four and a half miles, with all those ditches and fences."
To kill. "She had not brought it along for fun; she was out to get her rival." [Cabell Phillips]
To learn from concentrated study. "He gets his lessons faithfully."
To learn or acquire by hearing. "Sorry, I didn't get your name."
To make a captive of. "They've got 500 prisoners in that camp."
To obtain by advantage or superiority."
1. "He got the better of each opponent."
2. "He got the upper hand."
To obtain by concession or entreaty."
1. "She finally got her father's consent to use the car."
2. "He knocked loudly on the door but could get no answer."
To obtain by harvest. "Though the work was hard, the farmer got a good crop."
To obtain by hunting or fishing. "We went into the woods and got six squirrels in an hour."
To obtain by mining. "The miners worked long, hard hours to get the coal."
To obtain for oneself or another person. "She went out and got lunch for the whole office."
To obtain from calculation or experiment. "She worked out the math problem and got an answer of 46."
To obtain in marriage. "I wonder why such a handsome...young gentlemen as you does not get some rich widow." - [after Jonathan Swift]
To overcome or master. "Such habits will get you in the end."
To persuade or induce. "He finally got the publisher to issue a new edition of the book."
To possess or own. "I've only got ten dollars until next payday."
To prepare, make ready. "They promised to get breakfast by 8 A. M."
To puzzle. "That problem really gets me."
To reach, to arrive at. "If the wind blows hard and you cannot get to the harbor, you must anchor." [Woodes Rogers]
To reach a desired point. "We finally got to sleep after midnight."
To receive. "He gets a check from his uncle every Christmas."
To receive or suffer punishment. "He got six months in jail."
To receive by TV or radio. "With the new antenna, we get five additional stations."
To receive by benefit or profit. "Knowing the boss, he is likely to get little for all his hard work."
To retire or put out (as in a sports game). "The shortstops throw got the runner out a first base."
To seize, take hold of. "The dog got the thief by the leg.
To suffer an injury. "He got his nose broken playing soccer."
To succeed in finding. "He wondered what he could get to scold her about." [William Black]
To succeed in coming or going. "We hope to get home for the holidays."
GET ABOUT
Up and around; circulate. "He has recovered from his injury and is getting about quite well."
Become current (archaic). "The idea has got about that he's dangerous."
GET ABOVE - Go over. "We couldn't see the ground after the airplane got above the clouds."
GET ACROSS
Convey. "He doesn't get across his meaning very well; we have trouble understanding the lessons."
Convince. "Her thesis would never get across if she didn't know how to make the characters both realistic and interesting."
Cross. "The river current is very strong. How did you get across so easily?"
GET AFTER - Nag or reprimand. "She is always getting after me to finish my homework."
GET AHEAD - Achieve success. "Some people work eighty hours a week to get ahead."
GET AHEAD OF - To lead in a race. "The other car just got ahead of us!"
GET AHEAD OF ONESELF - Plan or talk too quickly. "Slow down! You're getting ahead of yourself!"
GET ALONG
Proceed to a destination. "Let's get along and tell him about it."
Proceed with a series of acts. "My mother is getting along with her housework."
Approach an advanced stage. "They were getting along in years but having a great time!"
Survive, manage
1. "Several book explain how to get along in the desert or jungle."
2. "Other books explain how to get along on a fixed income."
GET ALONG WITH - Congenial or harmonious.
1. "He is hard to get along with if you don't agree with him."
2. "I get along well with my brother."
GET ANGRY - Become mad, upset. "If you don't leave me along I'm going to get angry."
GET ANYWHERE
Achieve success. "I don't think he will get anywhere with his proposal.
GET AROUND
Travel from place to place. "A lot of people get around New York City on the subway system."
Travel or socialize with. "He is a good mixer and gets around quite a bit."
Move among people or places. "I hope this news doesn't get around."
Circumvent or avoid. "Many people get around automobile safety inspections."
Delay. "Condensations help people who never get around to reading the whole book."
Evade. "We all die someday--there's no way to get around it."
Give attention or consideration to We knew we'd get around to the subject of lay-offs sooner or later."
GET AT
To imply, to say something indirectly "Are you saying that I stole the money? Is that what you are getting at?"
Reach (physically). "It's hard to get at the spark plugs without a wrench."
Understand. ."I don't know what he's getting at."
To make clear. "What he is getting at is that we are over budget!"
Bribe. "Take care she doesn't try to get at the judge."
Attack. "Let's move-we are where he can get at us."
Turn one's attention to. "There's a book I long to get at, but it must wait for now."
GET AWAY
Escape or depart. "The robbers quickly left the building, thinking only of getting away."
Start or begin. "Because it was a long trip, the hikers planned to get away at first light."
Leave quickly. "Get away from me! (Speaker's emphasis is on "away")
Equip; send out. "They got away eight lifeboats before the ship sank."
Get rid of after brief possession. "I never saw anyone who could get the ball away quicker."
GETAWAY
An escape (noun). "The robbers made a clean getaway."
GET AWAY WITH
Escape blame or bad consequences. "The police could not find a weapon. She got away with murder."
GET BACK
Return (from). "She just got back from a business trip."
Recover, regain. "They got back back most of the money they lost in the stock market crash."
GET BACK AT - Punish (revenge)
1. "If you make him mad he will get back at you."
2. "She stole my boyfriend. I'm going to get back at her."
GET BACK TO - Answer at a later time "Let me research the problem--I'll get back to you later."
GET BEHIND
Support. "Frank's family got behind him during his illness."
Follow. "We got behind the last person in line at the movies."
GET BEHIND (IN/ON) - To be late
"She got behind in her schoolwork because she was sick."
"He got behind on his payments so they repossessed his car."
GET BESIDE - Stand next to. "Get beside the sign and I will take your photo."
GET BETTER - Improve in health or fortune. "If you take your medicine you will get better."
GET BETWEEN - Stand between. "Get between the girls and I'll take your photo."
GET BY
Survive. 1. "Some families get by on less than $400 a month."
2. "Even though he doesn't work, he manages to get by."
Succeed with little work. "He got by without ever studying the material."
Succeed without being punished or challenged. Some people park their cars illegally but still get by."
Pass for a white person. "Although all four of his grandparents were black, he could get by."
GET CLEAR OF - Free from contact or connection. "If the whale doesn't get clear of the shore it will surely die."
GET COOKING - Get moving. "Let's fix the car and get cooking!"
GET DARK
Onset of night. "The sun is setting fast, it will get dark soon."
Get a sun tan. The weather at the beach was lousy so I'm using a tanning salon to get dark."
GET DIVORCED - End a marriage. "If things are really that bad, you need to get divorced."
Alternate: "If these are really that bad you need to geta divorce."
GET DOWN
Descend from. "Get down out of that tree right now!"
Take or bring down. "The fireman got the cat down from the tree."
To dance; have a party. "Let's get down and have a good time!"
Develop a dislike for. "He had no chance of promotion once the boss got down on him."
Give one's attention or consideration. "Let's get down to specific applicants for the job."
Exhaust, depress. "All the talk about death and destruction really got us down."
Eat. "One thing I just can't get down is calamari."
Write. "She rushed to get her impressions down on paper while they were fresh in her mind."
GET DRUNK - Drink too much (alcohol). "No thank you, if I have another beer I'll get drunk."
GET DRY
1. Remove moisture, as with a towel. "You'd better get dry before you catch a cold."
2. Stop drinking alcohol. "You're going to kill yourself if you don't get dry soon."
GET ENGAGED - Pledge to marry. "We were all very happy for her--she got engaged this weekend."
GET EVEN - Obtain revenge. "She was very upset and vowed to get even."
GET EVEN WITH - Repay in kind (punishment). "He lost the election and vowed to get even withhis opponent."
GET FAT - Gain weight. "If you don't stop eating so much, you are going to get fat."
GET FREE - Become liberated. ."These bills are killing me! I have got to get free of these debts!"
GET GOING - Begin a journey or task.
1. "It's time for me to get going; I've been here long enough."
2. "You have delayed that project long enough--it's time for you to get going on it."
GET HOME
Reach the resting point in a game. "Two more points and he can get home."
Return to one's residence. "It's been fun, but I have to get home now."
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