gonna

(I'm) not gonna lie

slang Used to indicate one's honest opinion about something, especially when that opinion may be unpopular, unexpected, or unfavorable. ("Gonna" is a colloquial spelling of "going to.") Ugh, I've been so bored this whole break! I'm not gonna lie, I'm kinda ready for school to start again. A: "The third movie in the series just ruined the whole franchise for me." B: "Really? It's always been my favorite one, not gonna lie." A: "And that's why I think women shouldn't enter politics." B: "Dude, not gonna lie, that all makes you sound like a misogynistic jerk."

See also: gonna, lie, not

everything's going to be OK

A phrase used to reassure or comfort someone. I know you're worried, but everything's going to be OK—I promise. A: "I don't know how we're going to fix this." B: "Don't worry. Everything's going to be OK." I know there's been a lot of setbacks, but try to have faith that everything's going to be OK.

See also: going, OK, to

going to tattle

Ready to inform an authority figure of one's bad behavior. Aw man, if she saw us, she's definitely going to tattle. I knew you were going to tattle to Mom and Dad! I'm never telling you anything ever again! A: "You're really going to tattle on your accomplices?" B: "How else am I supposed to avoid jail time?"

See also: going, tattle, to

going to tell

Ready to inform an authority figure of one's bad behavior. Aw man, she's going to tell Mom what we did. A: "You're really going to tell on your accomplices?" B: "How else am I supposed to avoid jail time?" I knew you were going to tell Mom and Dad! I'm never telling you anything ever again!

See also: going, tell, to

gonna

An informal contraction of "going to." I was gonna tell you, I swear! I'm gonna be rich and famous some day! Are you gonna come with us to the party tonight?

haters gonna hate

slang There will always be those who seek to criticize and undermine things, whether justified or not. The phrase is often used to dismiss such critics while acknowledging that it is no use trying to stop them. I don't enjoy when opposing teams' fans boo me, but, hey, haters gonna hate. Oh well, haters gonna hate. Don't that dampen your excitement! Oh well, haters gonna hate—you just have to accept that when you work in the public eye.

See also: gonna, hate

How you gonna keep (someone) down on the farm?

Used to suggest that someone will not be content with their previous life after meeting someone, experiencing something, or seeing some place that is more exciting. Often followed by "after they've seen someone/something/some place." A reference to the World War I song "How Ya Gonna Keep 'em Down on the Farm (After They've Seen Paree?)" A: "He went on a school trip to New York City, and now he's obsessed with moving out of Lubbock." B: "Well, what did you expect? How you gonna keep him down on the farm after he's seen the Big Apple?" How you gonna keep your daughter down on the farm now that she's madly in love with this boy? How you gonna keep your kids down on the farm once they go away to college in a big city?

See also: down, gonna, how, keep, on

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

going to tell

 and going to tattle

a threat that one is going to report someone's misdeed to someone in authority. If you do that again, I'm going to tell! Sue just went to the teacher. She's going to tattle.

See also: going, tell, to

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

gonna

(ˈgɔnə and ˈgʊnə)

phr. going to. (Eye-dialect. Used in writing only for effect. Used in the examples of this dictionary.) I’m gonna get you, you little dickens!

McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.