{"id":7377,"date":"2025-01-01T01:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-01-01T01:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/?p=7377"},"modified":"2025-01-01T01:00:01","modified_gmt":"2025-01-01T01:00:01","slug":"give-it-a-go-expressions-for-starting-and-stopping-activities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/give-it-a-go-expressions-for-starting-and-stopping-activities\/","title":{"rendered":"Give it a Go! Expressions for Starting and Stopping Activities [Updated]"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_80 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/give-it-a-go-expressions-for-starting-and-stopping-activities\/#Starting_or_Trying_Activities\" >Starting or Trying Activities<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/give-it-a-go-expressions-for-starting-and-stopping-activities\/#Dive_in\" >Dive in<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/give-it-a-go-expressions-for-starting-and-stopping-activities\/#Give_something_a_go\" >Give something a go<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/give-it-a-go-expressions-for-starting-and-stopping-activities\/#Take_a_punt_at\" >Take a punt (at)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/give-it-a-go-expressions-for-starting-and-stopping-activities\/#Take_a_crack_at\" >Take a crack at<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/give-it-a-go-expressions-for-starting-and-stopping-activities\/#Pick_up\" >Pick up<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/give-it-a-go-expressions-for-starting-and-stopping-activities\/#Stopping_Activities\" >Stopping Activities<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/give-it-a-go-expressions-for-starting-and-stopping-activities\/#Quit\" >Quit<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/give-it-a-go-expressions-for-starting-and-stopping-activities\/#Give_up\" >Give up<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/give-it-a-go-expressions-for-starting-and-stopping-activities\/#Drop\" >Drop<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/give-it-a-go-expressions-for-starting-and-stopping-activities\/#Throw_in_the_towel\" >Throw in the towel<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/give-it-a-go-expressions-for-starting-and-stopping-activities\/#Bounce_off_of\" >Bounce off of<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/give-it-a-go-expressions-for-starting-and-stopping-activities\/#%E2%80%98Nope_out_of_something\" >&#8216;Nope&#8217; out of something<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/give-it-a-go-expressions-for-starting-and-stopping-activities\/#Fall_off_of\" >Fall off of<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/give-it-a-go-expressions-for-starting-and-stopping-activities\/#Pack_it_in\" >Pack it in<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/give-it-a-go-expressions-for-starting-and-stopping-activities\/#Call_it_a_day\" >Call it a day<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-17\" href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/give-it-a-go-expressions-for-starting-and-stopping-activities\/#Abandon\" >Abandon<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-18\" href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/give-it-a-go-expressions-for-starting-and-stopping-activities\/#Lets_Call_it_a_Day\" >Let&#8217;s Call it a Day!<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n<p>From new hobbies to daily routines, we are always starting and stopping different kinds of activities. But do you always have to say \"start\" or \"stop\" when talking about it?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In English, there are lots of ways you can discuss these situations. Let\u2019s<em> dive in<\/em> and learn some new expressions to add to your vocabulary!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Starting_or_Trying_Activities\"><\/span><strong>Starting or Trying Activities<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Dive_in\"><\/span><strong>Dive in<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"626\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/01\/17023824\/start_activities_3-1024x626.jpg\" alt=\"A woman diving into a lake\" class=\"wp-image-10325\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/01\/17023824\/start_activities_3-1024x626.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/01\/17023824\/start_activities_3-300x183.jpg 300w, https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/01\/17023824\/start_activities_3-768x469.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\"Diving into\" an activity includes the nuance of starting it with a lot of enthusiasm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>He recently became a fan of fantasy novels, so he's <strong>diving into<\/strong> some older series he's never read before.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>If you want to add extra emphasis to this expression, you can say \"dive in head first.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>My kids went on their first camping trip last weekend, and they <strong>dove in head first<\/strong>. They can't wait to do it again!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Give_something_a_go\"><\/span><strong>Give something a go<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>When you want to express that you are starting an activity as a test to see if you'll like it, you can use this expression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>I\u2019ve never tried surfing, so I decided to <strong>give it a go<\/strong> last weekend.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>You can replace \u201cgo\u201d with \u201ctry\u201d or \u201cwhirl\u201d without changing the meaning. \"Whirl\" sounds more casual than the other choices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Let\u2019s <strong>give<\/strong> the restaurant\u2019s daily special <strong>a try<\/strong>; we might like it.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>I convinced Kat to<strong> give<\/strong> rock climbing <strong>a whirl<\/strong> because I think she\u2019ll enjoy it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Take_a_punt_at\"><\/span><strong>Take a punt (at)<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This is an informal British English phrase for trying something new or unfamiliar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Zach <strong>took a punt<\/strong> <strong>at<\/strong> playing darts with us. He's not bad!<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Joan was unsure about investing in the company, but she decided to <strong>take a punt<\/strong> and buy some shares.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Related article: <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/study\/should-you-learn-british-english-or-american-english\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Should You Learn British English or American English?<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Take_a_crack_at\"><\/span><strong>Take a crack at<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>When you \u201ctake a crack\u201d at something, you are trying it or attempting to do it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>When Kyle <strong>took a crack at<\/strong> stand-up comedy, no one expected him to be so good!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>You might also hear people say \u201chave a crack\u201d at something, which means the same thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>I <strong>had a crack at<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/travel-fun\/essential-english-vocabulary-for-cooking\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">cooking<\/a>, but I didn\u2019t enjoy it very much.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Pick_up\"><\/span><strong>Pick up<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>You can pick up an object, but did you know that you can also \u201cpick up\u201d a new activity if you do regularly?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>I <strong>picked up<\/strong> fishing last summer. Now it's my favorite hobby!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Stopping_Activities\"><\/span><strong>Stopping Activit<\/strong>ies<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>We don\u2019t always continue doing the things we try. Luckily, there are many ways to talk about this as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Quit\"><\/span><strong>Quit<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/01\/17023947\/start_activities_4-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"A frustrated businesswoman tossing papers in the air as she walks away\" class=\"wp-image-10326\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/01\/17023947\/start_activities_4-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/01\/17023947\/start_activities_4-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/01\/17023947\/start_activities_4-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/01\/17023947\/start_activities_4-420x280.jpg 420w, https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/01\/17023947\/start_activities_4-840x560.jpg 840w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\"Quit\" has a strong nuance; the person has made a decision to stop and they are confident in it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>After dealing with a mean boss and unfriendly coworkers, Sam decided to <strong>quit<\/strong> his job and find a new one.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Give_up\"><\/span><strong>Give up<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>\"Giving up\" often includes the nuance that someone is tired or stressed. In other cases, the person simply does not want to do it anymore.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>I <strong>gave up<\/strong> on the book after the third chapter. It just wasn\u2019t very interesting to me.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Don\u2019t <strong>give up<\/strong>! Keep going a little more!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Drop\"><\/span><strong>Drop<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>We explained earlier that you can \"pick up\" new hobbies. The opposite is also true: putting an activity down, or \"dropping\" it, means stopping. This is often used when stopping an activity quickly or suddenly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Johnny <strong>dropped<\/strong> his guitar lessons and started playing the drums instead.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Everyone, <strong>drop<\/strong> what you're working on. This new project is our priority now.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Throw_in_the_towel\"><\/span><strong>Throw in the towel<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/01\/17024021\/start_activities_5-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"A businessman in boxing gloves knocked out and lying on the ground\" class=\"wp-image-10327\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/01\/17024021\/start_activities_5-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/01\/17024021\/start_activities_5-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/01\/17024021\/start_activities_5-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/01\/17024021\/start_activities_5-420x280.jpg 420w, https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/01\/17024021\/start_activities_5-840x560.jpg 840w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In a boxing match, a coach will throw his or her towel into the ring to signal that their boxer cannot continue fighting. But even in general conversations, \u201cthrow in the towel\u201d is another way to say \u201cquit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Carl thought the diet was too difficult, so he <strong>threw in the towel<\/strong> after a few weeks.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Bounce_off_of\"><\/span><strong>Bounce off of<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>To \u201cbounce off of\u201d something means to stop after having a negative reaction. This expression is common among people who play <a href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/travel-fun\/essential-english-vocabulary-for-video-games\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">video games<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The game got good reviews, but I<strong> bounced off of it <\/strong>pretty quickly; I didn't think it was fun at all!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">'<strong>Nope' out of something<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/01\/17024107\/start_activities_2-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"A scared man spilling his popcorn while watching a horror movie\" class=\"wp-image-10328\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/01\/17024107\/start_activities_2-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/01\/17024107\/start_activities_2-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/01\/17024107\/start_activities_2-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/01\/17024107\/start_activities_2-420x280.jpg 420w, https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/01\/17024107\/start_activities_2-840x560.jpg 840w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>You may already know that \u201cnope\u201d is a very informal way of saying \u201cno.\u201d So when you \u201cnope out\u201d of something, you are strongly refusing or rejecting it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This expression is very casual, so use it only in the appropriate situations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>We <strong>noped out<\/strong> of the festival when we saw how expensive the tickets were.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Seth <strong>noped out<\/strong> of the movie during the very first scene; he hates horror films!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Related article: <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/no-way-jose-other-ways-to-say-no\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>\"No way, Jos\u00e9!\" Other Ways to Say \"No\"<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Fall_off_of\"><\/span><strong>Fall off of<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you gradually stopped doing something over time, you can say that you \u201cfell off\u201d of it.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This expression is useful if you stop an activity because it simply didn't hold your attention, not because you disliked it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>I really wanted to finish the novel, but I<strong> fell off of it<\/strong> a few chapters from the end.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>We used to jog every morning, but we <strong>fell off of it <\/strong>when the weather got too hot.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Pack_it_in\"><\/span><strong>Pack it in<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>\"Packing it in\u201d describes stopping temporarily instead of quitting completely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>We decided to<strong> pack it in<\/strong> and get dinner at a nearby restaurant.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Call_it_a_day\"><\/span><strong>Call it a day<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"636\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/01\/17024334\/start_activities_6-1024x636.jpg\" alt=\"Silhouettes of soldiers stopping work late in the day\" class=\"wp-image-10329\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/01\/17024334\/start_activities_6-1024x636.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/01\/17024334\/start_activities_6-300x186.jpg 300w, https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/01\/17024334\/start_activities_6-768x477.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This expression has the same meaning as \"pack it in.\" You \u201ccall it a day\u201d when you stop working. Think of it as \u201ccalling a work day complete.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>We can\u2019t<strong> call it a day <\/strong>until this room is completely clean. Let\u2019s keep going.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Abandon\"><\/span><strong>Abandon<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAbandon\u201d is a verb that means \u201cto leave a person or thing with no plan to return.\u201d When talking about activities, it includes a strong nuance that the person will not do the activity again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>We decided to <strong>abandon<\/strong> the idea; the results wouldn't be <a href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/worth-very-valuable-english-vocabulary\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">worth the time and energy<\/a> needed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Lets_Call_it_a_Day\"><\/span><strong>Let&#8217;s Call it a Day<\/strong>!<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Starting a project is much easier than completing one, which is probably why there are many more expressions for stopping!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>No matter which of the two you are doing, however, your conversations will be much more interesting if you use these phrases when discussing it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By the way, if you're taking a crack at learning English and would like some help, <a href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Engoo<\/a> has thousands of great tutors who can help you 24 hours a day. So don't throw in the towel; keep going!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>From new hobbies to daily routines, we are always starting and stopping different kinds of activities. But do you always have to say \"start\" or \"stop\" when talking about it?&nbsp; In English, there are lots...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":432,"featured_media":10323,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"unified_meta_tagline_field":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[29,58,17],"class_list":["post-7377","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-language-tips","tag-idioms","tag-other-ways-to-say","tag-vocabulary"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Give it a Go! Expressions for Starting and Stopping Activities [Updated] | Engoo Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"There are many different English expressions for starting, stopping briefly and totally quitting activities. How many do you know?\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/give-it-a-go-expressions-for-starting-and-stopping-activities\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Give it a Go! Expressions for Starting and Stopping Activities [Updated] | Engoo Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"There are many different English expressions for starting, stopping briefly and totally quitting activities. How many do you know?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/give-it-a-go-expressions-for-starting-and-stopping-activities\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Engoo Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-01-01T01:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-01-01T01:00:01+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/01\/17030420\/start_activities_caller_en.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"David\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"David\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/give-it-a-go-expressions-for-starting-and-stopping-activities\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/give-it-a-go-expressions-for-starting-and-stopping-activities\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"David\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/43c4049c9f2f669e9985f0ed34eec4af\"},\"headline\":\"Give it a Go! Expressions for Starting and Stopping Activities [Updated]\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-01-01T01:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-01-01T01:00:01+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/give-it-a-go-expressions-for-starting-and-stopping-activities\/\"},\"wordCount\":1075,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/give-it-a-go-expressions-for-starting-and-stopping-activities\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/01\/17023405\/start_activities_cover.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"idioms\",\"other ways to say\",\"Vocabulary\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Language Tips\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/give-it-a-go-expressions-for-starting-and-stopping-activities\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/give-it-a-go-expressions-for-starting-and-stopping-activities\/\",\"name\":\"Give it a Go! Expressions for Starting and Stopping Activities [Updated] | Engoo Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/give-it-a-go-expressions-for-starting-and-stopping-activities\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/give-it-a-go-expressions-for-starting-and-stopping-activities\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/01\/17023405\/start_activities_cover.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-01-01T01:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-01-01T01:00:01+00:00\",\"description\":\"There are many different English expressions for starting, stopping briefly and totally quitting activities. How many do you know?\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/give-it-a-go-expressions-for-starting-and-stopping-activities\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/give-it-a-go-expressions-for-starting-and-stopping-activities\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/give-it-a-go-expressions-for-starting-and-stopping-activities\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/01\/17023405\/start_activities_cover.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/01\/17023405\/start_activities_cover.jpg\",\"width\":1600,\"height\":1067,\"caption\":\"A person preparing to ride a skateboard early in the morning\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/give-it-a-go-expressions-for-starting-and-stopping-activities\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Engoo\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/engoo.com\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Blog\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Language Tips\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/category\/language-tips\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":4,\"name\":\"Give it a Go! Expressions for Starting and Stopping Activities [Updated]\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Engoo Blog\",\"description\":\"Tips for English Learners\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Engoo\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2020\/04\/30111438\/engoo-logo.svg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2020\/04\/30111438\/engoo-logo.svg\",\"width\":1,\"height\":1,\"caption\":\"Engoo\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/43c4049c9f2f669e9985f0ed34eec4af\",\"name\":\"David\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\",\"caption\":\"David\"},\"description\":\"David was born and raised in the US. He's written for advertising companies, subtitled movies, and helped to localize Japanese video games for Western players. He loves music and exploring cities looking for vinyl records.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/author\/davidjiles\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Give it a Go! Expressions for Starting and Stopping Activities [Updated] | Engoo Blog","description":"There are many different English expressions for starting, stopping briefly and totally quitting activities. How many do you know?","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/give-it-a-go-expressions-for-starting-and-stopping-activities\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Give it a Go! Expressions for Starting and Stopping Activities [Updated] | Engoo Blog","og_description":"There are many different English expressions for starting, stopping briefly and totally quitting activities. How many do you know?","og_url":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/give-it-a-go-expressions-for-starting-and-stopping-activities\/","og_site_name":"Engoo Blog","article_published_time":"2025-01-01T01:00:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-01-01T01:00:01+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":600,"url":"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/01\/17030420\/start_activities_caller_en.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"David","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"David","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/give-it-a-go-expressions-for-starting-and-stopping-activities\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/give-it-a-go-expressions-for-starting-and-stopping-activities\/"},"author":{"name":"David","@id":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/43c4049c9f2f669e9985f0ed34eec4af"},"headline":"Give it a Go! Expressions for Starting and Stopping Activities [Updated]","datePublished":"2025-01-01T01:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2025-01-01T01:00:01+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/give-it-a-go-expressions-for-starting-and-stopping-activities\/"},"wordCount":1075,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/give-it-a-go-expressions-for-starting-and-stopping-activities\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/01\/17023405\/start_activities_cover.jpg","keywords":["idioms","other ways to say","Vocabulary"],"articleSection":["Language Tips"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/give-it-a-go-expressions-for-starting-and-stopping-activities\/","url":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/give-it-a-go-expressions-for-starting-and-stopping-activities\/","name":"Give it a Go! Expressions for Starting and Stopping Activities [Updated] | Engoo Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/give-it-a-go-expressions-for-starting-and-stopping-activities\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/give-it-a-go-expressions-for-starting-and-stopping-activities\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/01\/17023405\/start_activities_cover.jpg","datePublished":"2025-01-01T01:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2025-01-01T01:00:01+00:00","description":"There are many different English expressions for starting, stopping briefly and totally quitting activities. How many do you know?","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/give-it-a-go-expressions-for-starting-and-stopping-activities\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/give-it-a-go-expressions-for-starting-and-stopping-activities\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/give-it-a-go-expressions-for-starting-and-stopping-activities\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/01\/17023405\/start_activities_cover.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/01\/17023405\/start_activities_cover.jpg","width":1600,"height":1067,"caption":"A person preparing to ride a skateboard early in the morning"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/give-it-a-go-expressions-for-starting-and-stopping-activities\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Engoo","item":"https:\/\/engoo.com"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Blog","item":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Language Tips","item":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/category\/language-tips\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Give it a Go! Expressions for Starting and Stopping Activities [Updated]"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/","name":"Engoo Blog","description":"Tips for English Learners","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Engoo","url":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2020\/04\/30111438\/engoo-logo.svg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2020\/04\/30111438\/engoo-logo.svg","width":1,"height":1,"caption":"Engoo"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/43c4049c9f2f669e9985f0ed34eec4af","name":"David","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog","contentUrl":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog","caption":"David"},"description":"David was born and raised in the US. He's written for advertising companies, subtitled movies, and helped to localize Japanese video games for Western players. He loves music and exploring cities looking for vinyl records.","url":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/author\/davidjiles\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7377","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/432"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7377"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7377\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10349,"href":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7377\/revisions\/10349"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10323"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7377"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7377"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7377"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}