1. 'Bad' = 'badly' and means 'to a great degree'/ 'very much'. The correct expression is 'to want something badly' but sometimes people abbreviate 'badly' to 'bad'. 2. 'Turn by the gate' by = at, next to, close to or near. So you could say he turned 'near the gate'. 3. 'Dread' = a feeling of fear about something that will or might happen. So her nights were spent fearing what she knew would happen in the future and the worries she would have to face. 4. 'Great big old tears' is a phrase found in American country music or literature. It's not used in British English. 'Old' is sometimes replaced by 'grown-up' especially when referring to a child and describes a child crying like an adult perhaps because of emotions that are more normally seen in adults rather than children. 'Look straight up at someone' = to look directly at someone who is either taller than you or standing above you.

1. want something bad = to want it an awful lot Example: The guy wants the gorgeous lady real bad! 2. turn by THE gate = turn at the gate 3. She just knew that lots of worries were waiting for her. 4. great big old tears = just an expression for child tears look straight at someone = look directly at someone look up at someone = look up at someone taller than you look straight up at = combination of the two