1. Home
2. Idioms
3. gang

gang

---

---

best-laid plans of mice and men oft(en) go astray,

 and best-laid schemes o' mice an' men gang aft a-gley.

Prov. Things often go wrong even though you have carefully planned what you are going to do. (The gang aft a-gley version is Scots dialect, and comes from Robert Burns' poem "To a Mouse.") Jill: I reserved a hotel room for us three weeks ago, but now the clerk says he has no record of our reservation. So much for our fun weekend in the city. Jane: Well, these things happen. The best-laid plans of mice and men oft go astray. I had all the arrangements made for my party, and then the guest of honor got sick and I had to call the whole thing off. The best-laid schemes of mice and men gang aft a-gley. If a little rain can ruin the best-laid plans of mice and men, think what an earthquake might do!

See also: and, astray, men, mice, of, plan

gang up (on someone)

to form into a group and attack someone. (Usually a physical attack, but it can also be a verbal attack.) We can't win against the robber unless we gang up on him. All right, you guys, don't gang up on me. Play fair!

See also: gang, up

gang up on somebody

to unite as a group against someone It seemed like my creditors were ganging up on me.

See also: gang, on, up

gang up

1. Also, gang up with. Act together as a group. For example, The residents ganged up to make the neighborhood safer. [Colloquial; c. 1920]

2. gang up on or against . Join in opposition or attack against, as in The big kids were always ganging up on the little ones, or They all ganged up against the substitute teacher. [1920s]

See also: gang, up

gang up

v.

1. To join together to attack or address some problem or issue: The various police agencies ganged up to fight the illegal drug trade.

2. gang up on To join together to bother, harm, or attack someone or something: The older children were always ganging up on the little ones.

3. gang up against To join together in opposition to someone or something: Whenever one corporation became too powerful, the others ganged up against it.

See also: gang, up

gang-bang

1. and gang-shag n. an act of serial copulation, with one female and a group of males. It was nothing but a gang-bang, and a drunken one at that.

2. and gang-shag n. group rape of a woman. There was another gang-bang in the park last week.

3. in. & in. to perform an act of serial copulation, as in senses 1 or 2. A bunch of guys gang-banged Sally, for a fee, of course.

4. tv. & in. to gang up on someone or something. They’re always gang-banging. The punks!

gang-shag

verb

See gang-bang