(Anglo-Saxon, grund.)
It would suit me down to the ground. Wholly and entirely. To break ground. To be the first to commence a project, etc.; to take the first step in an undertaking. To gain ground. To make progress; to be improving one's position or prospects of success.
To hold one's ground. To maintain one's authority; not to budge from one's position; to retain one's popularity.
To lose ground. To become less popular or less successful; to be drifting away from the object aimed at. To stand one's ground. Not to yield or give way; to stick to one's colours; to have the courage of one's opinion. Source: Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, E. Cobham Brewer, 1894