go to great lengths

Meaning: (idiomatic)To make a majoreffort; to be verycarefulwhen doing something, especially to anextremeorexcessivedegree.1944September and October, A Former Pupil, “Some Memories of Crewe Works—I”, inRailway Magazine, page283:The most surprising thing was to discover that each job had its little tricks, peculiarities that had been learned in the experience of years, and one of the really pleasing features was the unlimited patience and kindliness of the chargehands and fitters, who wouldgo to great lengthsto teach the budding engineer all they themselves knew.2008, José Rodrigues does Santos,Codex 632: The Secret Identity of Christopher Columbus(trans. from the Portuguese by Alison Entrekin), William Morrow (2008),→ISBN,page 262:[…]They said good-bye on the eleventh, and the Portuguese noblemen saw him off,going to great lengthsto show him respect."2009, Diego Gambetta,Codes of the Underworld: How Criminals Communicate, Princeton University Press, published2009,→ISBN,page272:Most scholars writing on the mafia weregoing to great lengthsto demonstrate that it did not exist—and the mobsters wanted to keep their brotherhood secret.2013, Chad R. Torgerson,Waking Up Catholic: A Guide to Catholic Beliefs for Converts, Reverts, and Anyone Becoming Catholic, Assisi Media, published2013,→ISBN,page62:As a father, Iwouldgo to great lengthsto protect my children.

Examples:

EN: Now first, let me say, Mrs. Poole, we go to great lengths at Rock-A-Bye to match the right child with the right parents. Yes, I know.
ES: Ahora... primero, déjeme decirle, Sra. Poole, que nos esforzamos al máximo en Rock-A-Bye para que el bebé coincida bien con los padres adecuados.
EN: I had to go to great lengths.
ES: Tuve que hacer grandes desplazamientos.
EN: I had to go to great lengths to get your number.
ES: Hice lo posible para conseguir su número.
EN: Her mother keeps her mouth shut; she knows girls are my speciality that I go to great lengths to protect them.
ES: sabe que las chicas son mi especialidad que viajo mucho para protegerlas.
EN: I shall go to great lengths to be of service.
ES: Extenderé mis servicios.
EN: Well, the chickens were his life, Ray, it's understandable he'd go to great lengths to retrieve them.
ES: Bueno, las gallinas eran su vida, Ray. Es comprensible que haga todo lo posible para recuperarlos.
EN: People go to great lengths not to notice them.
ES: La gente se va lejos para no saber de ellos.
EN: So much so, the Navy have decided to go to great lengths to protect it.
ES: A tal punto que la marina ha decido protegerlo a toda costa.
EN: You know, you and Keith are very smart. So I have had to go to great lengths to ensure that my bright future in the FBI goes without a hitch.
ES: Tú y Keith son muy inteligentes, así que me he tomado muchas molestias para asegurarme de que mi brillante futuro con el FBI no sufra contratiempos.
EN: A Tok'ra would go to great lengths to accomplish a mission.
ES: Un Tok'ra haría lo que fuera para llevar a cabo una misión.
EN: Plants make themselves indigestible, defend themselves with spines and poisons and are so poor in nutriment that predators go to great lengths to get dietary supplements.
ES: Las plantas son por sí mismas indigeribles, se defienden con espinas y venenos y tienen tan pocos nutrientes que los depredadores tienen que recorrer grandes distancia para alimentarse.
EN: People go to great lengths to have an album released
ES: Las personas van a las grandes longi+tudes para tener un álbum soltado
EN: Unlike your people, most Vulcans will go to great lengths to find solitude.
ES: Al contrario de su gente, los Vulcanos viajan grandes distancias para encontrar soledad.
EN: Meteorites are rare, so you need to go to great lengths to track one down.
ES: Los meteoritos son raros, así que tienes que hacer un gran esfuerzo para encontrar uno.
EN: I won't go to great lengths to tell you how this kind of sport can take you to great heights, so just watch.
ES: No me enrollaré, pero este deporte puede llevaros muy alto.

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