as things go

intransitive verb went, gone, going

1. to move along; travel; proceed: to go 90 miles an hour to be moving: who goes there?
   1. to be in operation, as a mechanism, action, etc.
   2. to work or operate properly; function: a clock that isn't going
   to behave in a certain way; gesture, act, or make sounds as specified or shown: the balloon went “pop” to take or follow a particular course, line of action, etc.; specif.,: sometimes used merely to emphasize a following verb [did you have to go and do that?]
   1. to turn out; result: the war went badly
   2. to be guided, regulated, or directed by a procedure, method, etc.: to go by what someone says
   3. to take its course; proceed: how is the evening going?
   to pass: said of time to pass from person to person: a rumor went through the office to be known or accepted: to go by the name of Lindsay to move about or be in a certain condition or state, usually for some time: to go in rags to pass into a certain condition, state, etc.; become; turn: to go mad to have a certain form, arrangement, etc.; be expressed, phrased, voiced, or sung: as the saying goes to be or act in harmony; fit in: a hat that goes well with the dress to put oneself: to go to some trouble to contribute to a result; tend; help: facts that go to prove a case☆ to have force, validity, acceptance, etc.: that rule still goes; anything goesInformal to perform in an especially inspired or exciting manner: a jazz band that can really go
2. to move off; leave; depart to begin to move off, as in a race: used as a command
   1. to leave a court of justice
   2. to continue (unpunished, unrewarded, unrequited, etc.)
   to cease to have an effect; come to an end; pass away: the pain has gone to die to be removed or eliminated: the third paragraph had to go to break away; be carried away or broken off: the mast went in the storm to fail; give way: his eyesight is going to be given up or sacrificed: the country house must go to pass into the hands of someone; be allotted, awarded, or given: the prize goes to Jean to be sold (for a specified sum)Informal to pass bodily waste matter; relieve oneself
3. to move toward a place or person or in a certain direction: to go to the back of the room to move out of sight or out of the presence of the speaker: used as a command to make regularly scheduled trips as specified: a bus that goes to Chicago
   1. to extend, lead, reach, etc. to a place: a road that goes to London
   2. to be able to extend or reach: the belt won't go around his waist
   to move toward, enter, or attend and then engage in or take part in the activities of: additional meaning is conveyed by the use of a noun governed by to, or by a participle [to go to college, to go swimming]; reason for going is indicated by an infinitive, by and with a verb, or by a noun governed by to[to go to learn, to go to breakfast] to be capable of passing (through), fitting (into), etc.: it won't go through the door to carry one's case, plan, etc. (to an authority) to turn or resort (to): to go to war
   1. to carry one's activity to specified lengths: the pitcher went 7 innings
   2. to extend or reach so far in behavior, action, etc.: to go too far in one's protests
   to endure; last; hold out to have a particular or regular place or position: the shirts go in the top drawer

Origin: ME gon < OE gan, akin to Du gaan, Ger gehen < IE base *ĝhē-, orig., to leave behind, go away > Sans jíhītē, (he) goes; the pt. went is < wend replacing OE eode, ME yede

transitive verb

1. to travel or proceed along: to go Route 90
2. to bet; wager
3. ☆ Informal to tolerate; put up with: I can't go him
4. Informal to furnish (bail) for an arrested person
5. Informal to be willing to pay, bid, etc. (a specified sum)
6. ☆ Informal to appreciate or enjoy: could you go a piece of pie?
7. Informal to say: used to describe dialogue [He goes “When?” and she goes “Tonight!”]

noun pl. goes

1. the act of going
2. something that operates successfully; a success: to make a go of a marriage
3. Informal the power of going; animation; energy
4. Informal a state of affairs
5. ☆ Informal an agreement, or bargain: is it a go?
6. Informal a try; attempt; endeavor
7. Brit., Informal a quantity given or taken at one time
8. Cribbage
   1. a call made by a player who cannot play a card because any card in his hand will carry the count above 31
   2. a point received for playing the last card in any sequence with a count less than 31

adjective

1. functioning properly or ready to go
2. all right; OK