give of oneself
To give your time and effort to help others.
You should give of yourself sometimes.
During World War II, Governor Baldwin gave of himself by sweeping the halls of a hospital every afternoon.
give off
To send out; let out; put forth.
Rotten eggs give off a bad smell.
Burning leaves give off thick smoke.
When water boils, it gives off steam.
The flowers in this garden give off a strange odor.
give one a lift
To give someone a ride.
Jack gave me a lift in his new car.
To comfort someone.
Talking to my doctor yesterday gave me a lift.
give one a piece of one's mind
To scold angrily; say what you really think to (someone).
Mr. Allen gave the other driver a piece of his mind.
The sergeant gave the soldier a piece of his mind for not cleaning his boots.
give one an inch, and he will take a mile
If you give some people a little or yield anything, they will want more and more; some people are never satisfied.
I gave Billy a bite of candy and he wanted more and more. If you give him an inch, he'll take a mile.
The counselor said to Jack, "No, I can't let you get a haircut until Saturday. It's against the rules, and if I give an inch, someone will take a mile."
give one enough rope and he will hang himself
Give a bad person enough time and freedom to do as he pleases, and he may make a bad mistake or get into trouble and be caught. A proverb. Often used in a short form, give one enough rope.
Johnny is always stealing and hasn't been caught. But give him enough rope and he'll hang himself.
Mother didn't know who robbed the cookie jar, but she thought she could catch him if she gave him enough rope.
give one pause
give pause
To astonish someone; cause one to stop and think; make someone doubt or worry.
"Your remark gives me pause," Tom said, when Jane called him an incurable gambler.
The heavy monthly payments gave Mr. Smith pause in his plans to buy a new car.
The bad weather gave Miss Carter pause about driving to New York City.
give one some of his own medicine
give one some of her own medicine
To treat someone the way he or she treats others (used in the negative).
The gangster beat up an innocent old man, so when he resisted arrest, a policeman gave him a little of his own medicine.