gate (redirected from been given the gate)

creaking door hangs longest and creaking gate hangs longest

Prov. Sickly people often live longer than healthy ones. Jill: I'm worried that my grandmother may not live much longer. She's been sick for so many years. Jane: Well, if it's any comfort, I've heard that a creaking door hangs longest.

See also: door, hang, long

get the gate

Inf. to be sent away; to be rejected. I thought he liked me, but I got the gate. I was afraid I'd get the gate, and I was right.

See also: get

give someone the gate

Sl. to get rid of someone. The chick was a pest, so I gave her the gate. He threatened to give me the gate, so I left.

See also: give

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like a bull at a gate

if you do something like a bull at a gate, you do it very quickly Al wants to finish the shelves today so he's going at them like a bull at a gate.

See also: bull, like

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out of the (starting) gate

at or from the very beginning out of the (starting) blocks The Jayhawks scored the first twelve points out of the gate.

Etymology: based on the literal meaning of starting gate (a set of doors that open at the same time to allow horses to begin a race)

See also: out