great (redirected from greater)

be another/one of life's great mysteries (humorous)

to be something that it is impossible for you to understand. Why people write their names on the walls of public toilets is one of life's great mysteries.

See also: another, mystery

be far and away the [best/greatest/worst etc.]

to be much better or much worse or to have much more of a particular quality than anyone or anything else. He's far and away the best tennis player I've ever seen.

See also: away, best, far, worst

be going great guns

to be doing something very successfully and quickly. I know he had a little difficulty at the start of the course but he's going great guns now.

See also: going, gun

be no great shakes (informal)

to not be very good at doing something. He was a very creative chef but no great shakes on the management side of business.

See also: shake

the best/greatest thing since sliced bread (humorous)

if someone or something is described as the best thing since sliced bread, people think they are extremely good, often better than they really are. Portable phones are marketed as the best thing since sliced bread, but to me they're just another expensive gadget. The way he goes on about her - you'd think she was the greatest thing since sliced bread.

See also: best, bread, since, slice, thing

go to great lengths to do something

to try very hard to achieve something. I went to great lengths to explain the situation to him but he still didn't seem to understand.

See also: length

go to/take great pains to do something

to try very hard to do something. I went to great pains to get this record for you.

See also: pain, take

the great and the good (humorous)

important people. The move toward a more democratic state will not be universally welcomed by the great and the good.

See also: good

Great minds (think alike). (humorous)

something that you say when someone else has the same idea as you or makes the same suggestion. 'Why don't we take a walk before dinner?' 'I was just going to say the same thing.' 'Ah, great minds think alike.'

See also: mind

Great/Mighty oaks from little acorns grow.

something that you say in order to emphasize that a large, successful organization or plan was very small or simple when it began. Microsoft, which is now the biggest independent software company in the world, was founded in 1975 by just two men. It goes to show that great oaks from little acorns grow.

See also: from, grow, little, mighty

in the grand/great scheme of things

if you say that in the grand scheme of things something is not important, you mean that it is not important when compared to much more serious things. In the grand scheme of things, whether another actress has her navel pierced is not really that significant.

See also: grand, scheme, thing

make (a) great play of something

to do something in a way that makes people notice what you are doing, often in order to make it seem more important than it really is. She made great play of ignoring me when I spoke to her.

See also: play

set great/much store by something

to believe that something is very important or valuable. I've always set great store by his opinion. What would happen if this relationship that she set so much store by ended?

See also: much, set, store

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go great guns

to be very successful. I'm not worried about our company's future — we're going great guns, and I expect it to continue.

Usage notes: usually used in the form going great guns

See also: gun

go to great lengths to do something

to try very hard to achieve a result. This champion marathon runner is going to great lengths to help needy children. Both sides have gone to great lengths to emphasize areas of similarity in their proposals.

take (great) pains to do something

See also: length

a great deal (of something)

a large amount of something. He offered me a great deal of money. Keeping the house really meant a good deal to me.

See also: deal

the greatest thing since sliced bread

wonderful. My kids think their new puppy is the greatest thing since sliced bread.

See also: bread, since, slice, thing

no great shakes

not very good. He was a very creative chef but no great shakes at managing a business.

See also: shake