HQ
- Headquarters
eg. The HQ of the company is located in a small town in Korea.
Hang it!
- a rather old expression used to express annoyance or disappointment
eg. "Hang it", he said when he hit his finger with the hammer.
had better
- should do something
eg. I`d better go now or I`ll be late for class.
hair stand on end
- become frightened or afraid of something
eg. My hair stood on end when I saw the aftermath of the automobile accident.
hair stands on end
- the hair of one's head rises because of fright
eg. My hair stood on end when I saw the large dog run out and begin to bark at me.
hale and hearty
- in very good health, well and strong
eg. My uncle is a hale and hearty fellow who never gets sick.
half the battle
- a large part of the work
eg. Sending the letters out will be half the battle. We can finish the rest of the work next week.
half-baked
- foolish
eg. I didn`t really like his half-baked idea about the new delivery system.
hammer out
- remove, work out by discussion and debate
eg. The union and managers were able to hammer out an agreement before midnight last night.
hand down
- arrange to give something to someone after your death
eg. My grandmother handed down her silver jewellery to my mother.
hand in
- give to someone, hand to someone
eg. I went to the company early to hand in my job application.
hand it to (someone)
- give credit or praise to someone
eg. You have to hand it to him - he worked hard and was very successful with his business.
hand out
- give things of the same kind to several people
eg. The teacher decided not to hand out the tests until everyone in the class stopped talking.
hand over
- give control or possession to someone, give something to another person
eg. The criminals were forced to hand over the stolen money to the police.
hand over fist
- rapidly
eg. His new company is making money hand over fist.
hand something to someone on a silver platter
- give a person something that has not been earned
eg. He was handed a great job on a silver platter and never had to make any effort at all.
hand to mouth
- having only enough money for basic living
eg. He was living a hand to mouth existence until he was finally able to find a job.
hand over fist
- fast and in large amounts
eg. We have been making money hand over fist in our new store.
hand to someone on a silver platter
- give a person something that has not been earned
eg. His education was handed to him on a silver platter and now he is very spoiled and selfish.
hand to mouth
- having only enough money for basic living
eg. My friend has been living from hand to mouth since he lost his job.
handle with kid gloves
- be very careful handling someone or something
eg. He is very sensitive so you have to handle him with kid gloves when you speak to him.
hands down
- easy, unopposed
eg. They won the game hands down over the other team.
hands off
- leave alone, don`t interfere
eg. The government decided to take a hands-off approach to the teachers during the strike.
hands-down
- easy, unopposed
eg. I won the election hands-down for the position of president of our class.
hands off
- leave something alone, keep hands off or do not interfere with something
eg. I was told to take a hands-off approach while dealing with the new employees.
handwriting on the wall
- a sign that something bad will happen
eg. The handwriting is on the wall. Business conditions are bad so probably nobody will get a pay raise this year.
handy
- can easily fix things
eg. He is very handy around the house and is always fixing or building something.
hand-me-down
- something given away after another person doesn`t need it (especially clothing)
eg. She was very poor when she was a child and always wore hand-me-down clothing.
hand-out
- a gift - usually from the government
eg. The government stopped giving hand-outs to the university students as they said they had no money.
hand-me-down
- clothing that is given away after another person doesn`t need it
eg. During his childhood growing up on a farm he wore many hand-me-down clothes.
hand-out
- a gift of money (usually from the government)
eg. After receiving hand-outs from the government for many years they finally had to make money on their own.
hang around
- pass time or stay someplace without any real purpose or aim
eg. We decided to stay home and hang around on Sunday rather than go out to the game.
hang back
- stay some distance behind or away, hesitate or be unwilling to do something
eg. He lacks self-confidence and always hangs back when his boss asks for volunteers.
hang by a thread
- be in doubt, depend on a very small thing
eg. The outcome of the election hung by a thread until the last two or three hours.
hang in the balance
- have two equally possible results, be uncertain
eg. After the opposition party won the election whether or not the new highway will be built hangs in the balance.
hang in (there)
- persevere, don`t give up
eg. You should hang in there and don`t quit your job just because you don`t like the supervisor.
hang on
- continue
eg. Although business was very bad he decided to hang on and fight to keep his business going.
hang one on
- get very drunk
eg. He really hung one on last night after he heard about his promotion.
hang on to
- hold tightly, keep firmly
eg. Please hang on to your hats or the strong wind will blow them off.
hang out
- spend one`s time idly or lounging about, spend time with someone or a group of people
eg. Recently his brother has been hanging out with a group of people who are not a good influence on him.
hang out one`s shingle
- notify the public of the opening of an office - especially a doctor`s or lawyer`s office
eg. He has decided to hang out his own shingle now that he has graduated from law school.
hang up
- place on a hook, peg or hangar
eg. Everyone was forced to hang up their jackets before they entered the room.
hang out one's shingle
- give public notice of the opening of a doctor's office etc
eg. The doctor decided to hang up his shingle as soon as he finished medical school.
hang-up
- a delay in some process
eg. There was a hang-up in the construction of the office tower because of the fire.
happy hour
- a time in bars or restaurants when drinks are served at a discount
eg. We stopped at the restaurant during happy hour and had a couple of drinks.
hard and fast rule
- rules that cannot be altered to fit special cases
eg. There is no hard and fast rule that says you can`t use a cellular phone in the train.
hard as nails
- physically very fit and strong, rough, stern
eg. He is as hard as nails and is not a good person to have an argument with.
hard feelings
- anger or bitterness
eg. I don`t have any hard feelings toward him even though he fired me.
hard nut to crack
- a person or thing not easily understood or influenced
eg. He is a hard nut to crack and is not close to many people.
hard on (someone/something)
- treat something/someone roughly
eg. His son is very hard on shoes.
hard pressed
- burdened with urgent business
eg. I am a little hard pressed for time. Can we meet later?
hard sell
- selling something very aggressively and with great eagerness
eg. I didn`t like their hard sell attitude at the car dealership so I went to another dealer.
hard up
- short of money
eg. I am hard up for money at the moment so I can`t go to the movie.
hard sell
- sell something by being very aggressive
eg. The car salesman gave us a hard sell so we decided to go to another dealer.
hard nut to crack
- something or someone difficult to understand or do
eg. He is a very serious person and is a very hard nut to crack.
hard up
- not have much money
eg. His brother is hard up for money and always wants to borrow some.
hard-nosed
- not weak or soft, stubborn - especially in a fight, contest or negotiations
eg. The company had a hard-nosed attitude while bargaining with the union.
harp on
- talk repeatedly and tediously about something
eg. He has been harping on his lack of money for a few months now.
hassle
- bothersome
eg. It is a real hassle to have to report to him two times a day.
hatchet man
- a politician etc. whose job it is to say negative things about the opposition, a person in a company who must fire extra workers or cut other expenses etc.
eg. He is acting as a hatchet man for the leader but I don`t think that he really believes what he is saying.
hate one`s guts
- feel very strong dislike for someone
eg. I absolutely hate her guts after she caused me so many problems at my company.
have a ball
- have a good time
eg. She had a ball at the party last night.
have a crush on
- be attracted to someone
eg. Her sister has had a crush on him for a long time.
have a fit
- become upset
eg. She had a fit when she saw what her son did to the car.
have a go at
- try something especially after others have tried it
eg. I decided to have a go at applying for the job after my boss recommended me.
have a hand in
- be partly responsible for something
eg. I think that she had a hand in getting her friend fired from her job.
have a head on one`s shoulders
- be smart or sensible
eg. That new salesman really has a head on his shoulders.
have an edge on
- have an advantage (over someone)
eg. Their team has an edge on the race to win the high school football championship.
have an eye for
- have good taste in something, be able to judge correctly
eg. She has an eye for nice furniture and her apartment is absolutely beautiful.
have a screw loose
- act in a strange way, be foolish
eg. He is a really strange person. I think that he has a screw loose somewhere.
have a time
- have trouble, have a hard time
eg. She really had a time last night when her car stopped working completely
have a way with
- be able to lead, persuade or influence others
eg. The little girl really has a way with horses. They are very gentle when she is around.
have a word with
- converse briefly
eg. I will have a word with him before he goes home tonight.
have been around
- have been to many places and done many things, be experienced
eg. My brother has really been around and has been overseas many times.
have dibs on
- demand a share of something or be in line to use something
eg. I have dibs on the computer and would like to use it as soon as possible.
have egg on one`s face
- be embarrassed
eg. He really has egg on his face after finding out about his mistake.
have eyes only for
- give all one`s attention to, be interested only in
eg. She has eyes only for her boyfriend.
have half a mind
- feel tempted or inclined to do something
eg. I have half a mind to go and offer my resignation to the president.
have had it (with someone or something)
- can`t tolerate anymore
eg. I have really had it with her constant complaining.
have in mind
- intend, plan
eg. What do you have in mind for your wife`s birthday?
have it
- hear or get news, understand
eg. I have it that the new president will be coming to see us next week.
have it both ways
- do two things, have both things
eg. You can`t have it both ways. You must choose one or the other.
have it coming
- deserve a punishment
eg. He really has it coming to him after causing the problems in the company.
have it in for someone
- show ill will or dislike a person
eg. I have been having problems at work recently because I think that the new supervisor has it in for me.
have it made
- be successful, have everything
eg. He really has it made with his new job.
have it out with someone
- settle or discuss something with someone angrily
eg. I had it out with her yesterday over the problem with the money.
have on
- be wearing something
eg. What did she have on when you last saw her?
have one`s ass in a sling
- be in an uncomfortable predicament, be at a disadvantage
eg. He really has his ass in a sling now that he has quit his job and can`t find another one.
have one`s eye on
- have a wish for something, have as an aim, look or think about something
eg. I want to buy a nice present for my girlfriend so I have my eye on a nice dress that I saw at the department store last week.
have one`s feet on the ground
- be practical or sensible
eg. The new sales manager really has his feet on the ground.
have one`s heart set on something
- want something very much
eg. The child has his heart set on getting a new bicycle for his birthday.
have over
- invite someone to your house
eg. We will have you over when we settle into our new house.
have rocks in one`s head
- be stupid, not have good judgement
eg. She really has rocks in her head. She should never have bought that old car.
have (something) going for one
- have ability, talent or good looks
eg. She has a lot going for her and I am sure that she will get the new job.
have something on someone
- have information or proof that someone did sometning wrong
eg. I think that the police have something on him and that is why he wants to quit his job.
have something on the ball
- be smart, clever, skilled
eg. She really has a lot on the ball. She should do well in whatever she chooses to do.
have something up one`s sleeve
- something kept secretly ready for the right time
eg. I`m not too worried about the meeting as I have something up my sleeve if they try to cause any more problems.
have sticky fingers
- be a thief
eg. He was fired because of his sticky fingers at the cash register.
have the last laugh
- make someone seem foolish for having laughed at you first
eg. I had the last laugh when I was able to get home early while everyone else had to stay overnight at the airport because of the storm.
have (got) to
- obliged or forced to, must
eg. I have to leave at 4 o`clock or I will be late for my appointment.
have to do with
- be about or on the subject or connected with something
eg. The book has something to do with cooking but I am not sure if you will like it.
have two strikes against one
- have things working against one, be in a difficult situation
eg. He already has two strikes against him and it will be very difficult for him to get the job.
have an eye for
- be able to judge correctly, have good taste in
eg. My father has an eye for ceramic plates and has a large collection of them.
have eyes only for
- see or want nothing else, give all one`s attention
eg. He only has eyes for the woman who works in his office.
have one's nose in something
- unwelcome interest in something, impolite curiosity
eg. My boss always has his nose in other peoples' business so he is not very well-liked.
have rocks in one`s head
- be stupid, not have good judgement
eg. He must have rocks in his head if he thinks that I am going to lend him any more money.
have a physical (examination)
- get a medical check-up
eg. Our company sent all the employees to have a physical last week.
have sticky fingers
- be a thief
eg. The new employee has sticky fingers and many things in the store have disappeared.
haywire
- broken or confused
eg. The plan went haywire when their directions became confused.
head above water
- out of difficulty, clear of trouble
eg. Although he works very hard he is not able to keep his head above water financially.
head in the clouds
- daydreaming
eg. He always has his head in the clouds and can never answer a question easily.
head off
- get in front of and stop, turn back
eg. In the western movie the soldiers went to head off the gang at the mountain pass.
head out
- leave, start out
eg. It is time that we head out for the movie now or we will be late.
head over heels
- upside down, head first
eg. He fell head over heels when his bicycle hit the wall.
head shrinker
- psychiatrist
eg. The criminal had to go and see a head shrinker after the judge sentenced him to life in prison.
head start
- to leave or start something before others
eg. They left early in order to get a head start on the trip.
head up
- be at the head of (a group), a leader
eg. The president headed up a group of people going overseas to promote trade.
head above water
- out of difficulty, clear of trouble
eg. My brother has been having a hard time keeping his head above water since he lost his job.
head over heels
- upside down, head first
eg. The little boy fell head over heels in love with the girl in his class.
head shrinker
- psychiatrist
eg. When I was a child my next door neighbor was a head shrinker.
heads will roll
- someone will be punished
eg. Heads will roll when our boss learns about the money that we have lost recently.
head-hunting
- search for qualified individuals to fill certain positions
eg. The head-hunting company has phoned me several times about getting a new job.
head-on
- front end to front end, with the front facing
eg. There was a serious head-on crash on the highway last night.
head-hunting
- search for qualified individuals to fill certain positions
eg. The company has been head-hunting for many months in order to try and find a new president.
head-on
- with the head or front pointing at something, with the front facing
eg. There was a head-on crash last night near our house that left three people dead.
hear from
- receive a letter/phone call/news from someone
eg. I haven`t heard from my university roommate for over one year.
heart goes out to someone
- one feels sympathy for someone
eg. My heart went out to the victims of the railway accident.
heart is in the right place
- be kindhearted, sympathetic, have good intentions
eg. He makes some serious mistakes sometimes but his heart is in the right place.
heart of gold
- a kind, generous or forgiving personality
eg. My grandmother has a heart of gold and everyone loves her.
heart of stone
- someone with a nature with no pity
eg. She has a heart of stone and is not at all interested in how other people feel.
heart skip a beat
- be startled or excited from surprise, joy or fright
eg. My heart skipped a beat when the truck almost hit us last night.
heart stands still
- be very frightened or worried
eg. My heart stood still when I heard the story about the little boy and the fire.
heart-to-heart
- honest or intimate
eg. They had a heart-to-heart talk before they decided to get married.
heart goes out to
- one feels very sorry for, one feels sympathy for
eg. My heart goes out to the victims of the hurricane that recently struck.
heart is in the right place
- kindhearted, sympathetic or well-meaning
eg. Although she makes a lot of mistakes her heart is in the right place.
heart of gold
- a kind, generous or forgiving nature
eg. My grandmother has a heart of gold and is always willing to help a stranger.
heart of stone
- a nature without pity
eg. The man who murdered his wife and children has a heart of stone.
heart skips a beat
- be startled or excited from surprise, joy or fright
eg. My heart skipped a beat when I saw my name on the television screen.
heart stand still
- be very frightened or worried
eg. My heart stood still when the truck on the highway almost hit our car.
heart-to-heart
- speaking freely and seriously about something private
eg. I had a heart-to-heart talk with my girlfriend last evening.
heavy heart
- a feeling of sadness or unhappiness
eg. He seems to have a heavy heart now that his wife has died.
hedge in
- keep from getting out or moving freely, block in
eg. My car was hedged in by the other cars and I was unable to move it this morning.
hell and high water
- troubles or difficulties of any kind
eg. They went through hell and high water in order to get the food to the flood victims.
hell-on-wheels
- a short-tempered, nagging or crabby person
eg. She is hell-on-wheels in the morning so you should be careful of her.
helter-skelter
- in a confusing group, in disorder
eg. When we arrived at work we found all of the files scattered helter-skelter over the floor.
hem and haw
- avoid giving a clear answer, be evasive in speech
eg. He hemmed and hawed when I asked him if he knew where the missing money was.
here and now
- immediately
eg. I want you to do that work right here and now.
here and there
- in various places, go to various places
eg. We went here and there during our holidays.
here goes
- ready to begin while hoping for the best
eg. Well, here goes. I am going to go and ask her for a date right now.
here goes nothing
- ready to begin - but it will be a waste of time and will probably fail
eg. Here goes nothing. I have already asked him to lend me some money and he always says no but I`ll try again.
hide (bury) one`s head in the sand
- keep from knowing something dangerous or unpleasant
eg. He hates to talk about important matters and hides his head in the sand when I try to talk to him.
hide/bury one`s head in the sand
- keep from seeing, knowing or understanding something dangerous or unpleasant, refuse to see or face something
eg. His father always buries his head in the sand and never wants to deal with any problems.
high and dry
- stranded, out of the current of events
eg. They left him high and dry when they moved the company to Europe.
high and low
- every place
eg. We looked high and low for her watch but we couldn`t find it.
high and mighty
- arrogant
eg. He has a high and mighty attitude to all of his employees.
high gear
- top speed, full activity
eg. The preparations for his visit have been going in high gear all week.
high seas
- the ocean (away from the coast)
eg. The crew of the ship spent three months on the high seas before going to shore for a visit.
high time
- the time before something should already have been done
eg. It is high time that we spent some time cleaning up our house.
highway robbery
- an extremely high price for something
eg. The price that we had to pay for the theater tickets was highway robbery.
high-handed
- bossy, dictatorial, depending on force rather than what is right
eg. My supervisor always takes a high-handed approach when dealing with her employees.
hire out
- accept a job, take employment
eg. He decided to hire himself out as a dancer while he was going to school.
hit and miss
- unplanned, uncontrolled, aimless, careless
eg. We are looking for a new apartment but it seems to be hit and miss whether we can find a good one.
hit bottom
- be at the very lowest, not be able to go any lower
eg. The economy hit bottom last year but is finally starting to improve.
hit between the eyes
- make a strong impression on, surprise greatly
eg. The news about the accident hit us between the eyes and totally shocked us.
hit it off with someone
- get along well with someone
eg. We really hit it off at the party.
hit on/upon
- find what you want or think of something by chance
eg. We hit upon the idea of going to the lake for our holiday after our airline reservations were cancelled.
hit parade
- a list of songs arranged in order of popularity
eg. We listened to all the songs on the hit parade last night.
hit someone between the eyes
- make a strong impression on someone, surprise greatly
eg. Her incredible performance really hit me between the eyes.
hit the books
- study or prepare for class
eg. He stayed home all weekend and hit the books.
hit the bottle
- drink alcohol (usually a negative meaning)
eg. She started to hit the bottle soon after her divorce.
hit the bull`s-eye
- go to the most important part of a matter, reach the main question
eg. She hit the bull`s-eye when she suggested that decreasing costs was more important than increasing sales.
hit the ceiling
- get angry
eg. His wife is going to hit the ceiling when she sees the bill for the car repair.
hit the deck
- get up from bed, start working
eg. Let`s hit the deck and get this work done before supper.
hit the dirt
- fall on the ground and take cover under gunfire
eg. We were told to hit the dirt during the bank robbery.
hit the hay
- go to bed
eg. I decided to hit the hay early last night because I was very tired.
hit the high spots
- consider or mention only the more important parts of something
eg. He only had time to hit the high spots in his report but still it was very interesting.
hit the jackpot
- be very lucky or successful
eg. She hit the jackpot when she went to Las Vegas last weekend.
hit the nail on the head
- make a correct guess or analysis
eg. He really hit the nail on the head when he wrote the report about the bank`s problems.
hit the road
- leave - usually in a car
eg. We should hit the road early tomorrow morning if we want to reach the seashore before evening.
hit the roof
- become very angry, go into a rage
eg. He hit the roof when he found out that his son had wrecked the family car.
hit the sack
- go to bed
eg. I`m a little bit tired so I think that I will hit the sack now.
hit the sauce
- drink alcohol - usually heavily and regularly
eg. He has been hitting the sauce now for a couple of months although he says that he doesn`t drink.
hit the spot
- refresh or satisfy
eg. Drinking the lemonade after the baseball game really hit the spot.
hit the bulls-eye
- reach the main point
eg. I think that he really hit the bulls-eye when he talked about the problems with the regular staff.
hit the sauce
- drink alcohol - usually regularly
eg. I think that she has begun to hit the sauce since her husband lost his job.
hit the jackpot
- make a lot of money suddenly
eg. We hit the jackpot at the casino and came home with a lot of money.
hitch one`s wagon to a star
- aim high, follow a great ambition or purpose
eg. He wants to hitch his wagon to a star and pursue his dreams of becoming an actor.
hither and thither
- in one direction and then in another
eg. He looked hither and thither when he discovered that he had lost his wallet.
hit-and-run
- an accident where the driver of the car drives away without leaving his address
eg. My sister was involved in a hit-and-run accident last Sunday afternoon.
hold a candle to
- be in the same class or level with (used with a negative usually), can be compared with
eg. As far as good service goes that restaurant can`t hold a candle to the one that I usually go to.
hold a grudge
- not forgive someone for something
eg. He has been holding a grudge against the company manager for a number of years.
hold all the trump cards
- have the best chance of winning, have full control
eg. It will be difficult to do well in the negotiations with him as he holds all the trump cards.
hold back
- stay back or away, show unwillingness, prevent someone from doing something
eg. He always holds back during meetings and never says anything.
hold court
- act like a king or queen among their subjects
eg. He always acts like he is holding court among his subjects when I see him in his office.
hold down
- keep in obedience, keep control of
eg. The government was able to hold down the people for many years but finally they revolted and got rid of the government.
hold down a job
- keep a job
eg. He has a serious drinking problem and is unable to hold down a job.
hold forth
- offer, propose
eg. The company held forth a promise to give all of the employees an extra bonus in the summer.
hold good
- continue, endure, last
eg. The demand for air conditioners held good during July but decreased rapidly in August.
hold off
- delay, not begin
eg. The concert will be held off until next week.
hold on
- wait a minute, stop, wait and not hang up the phone
eg. Please hold on for a minute while I go back and lock the window.
hold one`s breath
- stop breathing for a moment when one is excited or nervous
eg. I had to stop and hold my breath while I was waiting for the announcement of the winning names.
hold one`s fire
- keep back arguments or facts, keep from telling something
eg. You should hold your fire during the meeting and save the rest of the information until next week.
hold one`s horses
- stop and wait patiently
eg. Hold your horses for a minute while I return to get my wallet.
hold one`s own (in an argument)
- defend one`s position
eg. Although her boss is very aggressive she is always able to hold her own in any dispute with him.
hold one`s peace
- be silent and not speak against something, be still
eg. Please try and hold your peace during the meeting as it will be to our disadvantage if we have a confrontation.
hold one`s tongue
- keep quiet
eg. He decided to hold his tongue rather than give his honest opinion.
hold on to
- continue to hold or keep, hold tightly
eg. Hold on to your bag when you are in the bus or someone may try and steal it.
hold out
- reach out, extend
eg. She held out her hand to help her daughter climb up the stairs.
hold out for something
- refuse to give up, keep resisting
eg. The famous basketball star is holding out for a large salary increase.
hold out on
- refuse something to a person
eg. He is holding out on me and wont give me the latest sales figures.
hold over
- extend the engagement of, keep longer
eg. The movie was held over for another week.
hold something back
- keep information or something to or for oneself
eg. He is holding back the information about the new computer system.
hold still
- not move
eg. Please hold still while I fix your jacket zipper.
hold the fort
- cope in an emergency, act as a temporary substitute
eg. He has been holding the fort at his company while his boss is on vacation.
hold the line
- not yield to pressure or something
eg. The company has been holding the line on any new salary increases.
hold the reins
- be the most influential person
eg. He has been holding the reins in his company for many years.
hold up
- lift, raise
eg. The students hold up their hands when they have a question.
hold water
- be a sound idea
eg. His proposal for a new work scheduling system doesn`t hold water.
hold one`s horses
- wait, be patient
eg. Hold your horses for a moment while I make a phone call.
hold one`s breath
- stop breathing for a moment when one is excited or nervous
eg. I held my breath and waited to see if my name had been called for an interview with the movie company.
hold one`s tongue
- be silent, not talk
eg. "Please hold your tongue", the teacher said to the young boy.
hold-out
- someone who refuses to give something up, a non-conformist
eg. He was the last hold-out in our effort to make sure that everyone wore a necktie to work.
hold-up
- a robbery
eg. He was involved in a hold-up when he was in the supermarket last weekend.
hole in the wall
- a small place to live, stay in or work in; small hidden or inferior place
eg. We went for a drink at a little hole in the wall near the university last night.
holier-than-thou
- acting as if one is better than others in goodness or character etc.
eg. I don`t like him because he always takes a holier-than-thou attitude toward everyone else.
holy cats
- used to express strong feelings of astonishment, pleasure or anger
eg. Holy cats he said as he looked out and saw the water rising in the river.
holy cow
- used to express strong feelings of astonishment, pleasure or anger
eg. Holy cow! There are over one hundred people standing in front of our house.
holy mackerel
- used to express strong feelings of astonishment, pleasure or anger
eg. "Holy mackerel," cried the little boy when he saw the new bicycle he got for his birthday.
holy Moses
- used to express strong feelings of astonishment, pleasure or anger
eg. Holy Moses! It is already noon and I haven`t even started work yet.
holy terror
- a very disobedient or unruly child
eg. The little boy is a holy terror and his parents never want to take him anywhere.
holy cow
- used to express strong feelings like astonishment, pleasure or anger
eg. Holy cow he said as he saw the car that had hit the street lamp.
holy mackeral
- used to expres strong feeling of surprise
eg. Holy mackeral! Look at the size of that man`s motorcycle.
honeymoon is over
- the first happy period of friendship and cooperation between two groups is over
eg. The honeymoon was over for the new President after about two months.
honky-tonk
- a cheap night-club or dance hall
eg. We went to a small honky-tonk in the small town where we stopped last night.
hook up
- connect or fit together
eg. As soon as we moved to our new apartment we had to hook up the phone.
hook-up
- a connection
eg. The new hook-up for the computer is not working very well.
hook, line and sinker
- without question or doubt, completely
eg. She fell in love with her new boyfriend hook, line and sinker.
hop to it
- get started, start a job, get going
eg. We must hop to it and try to get this job done before dinner.
hope against hope
- continue to hope when things look very bad
eg. The rescue team were hoping against hope that the lost hikers would be found alive.
hopped up
- high on a drug or on alcohol
eg. The man who tried to rob the store was hopped up on some kind of drug.
horn in on
- come in without an invitation or welcome, interfere
eg. He horned in on our conversation although he knows that nobody likes him.
horse around
- play around, join in rough teasing
eg. The children were horsing around in the school yard when the bell rang for class.
horse of a different color
- something altogether separate and different
eg. We should not be talking about that issue now. It is a horse of a different color entirely.
horse sense
- good judgement, wisdom in making decisions
eg. He has a lot of good horse sense so you can expect him to make an intelligent decision.
horse trade
- business agreement arrived at after hard negotiations
eg. We had to do a lot of horse trading but we were finally able to reach an agreement to buy the antique car.
horse around
- rough or noisy play
eg. The teacher told the children to stop horsing around and get ready for class.
horse of a different color
- something totally separate and different
eg. Moving to a new location is a horse of a different color. It was never mentioned in any of our meetings.
horse sense
- wisdom in making decisions
eg. He doesn`t have much horse sense and doesn`t always make the correct decision.
horse trade
- hard and skillful bargaining
eg. We had to do a little horse trading but finally we reached a deal to buy the new house.
horse of a different color
- something totally separate and different
eg. I know that he would like to discuss that issue now but it is a horse of a different color and we should discuss it at another time.
hot air
- nonsense, exaggerated talk
eg. He is full of hot air and you can`t rely on what he usually says.
hot and bothered
- excited and worried, displeased
eg. I don`t know what is wrong with her but she is hot and bothered about something.
hot potato
- a question or argument that is controversial and difficult to settle
eg. The issue of building the nuclear power plant is a real hot potato for the local town council.
hot rod
- an automobile changed so that it can go very fast
eg. He has always loved cars and was a member of his local hot rod club when he was a teenager.
hot water
- trouble
eg. He has been in hot water at work since he took a week off with no excuse.
house of cards
- something badly put together and easily knocked down, a poorly founded plan/action
eg. The peace agreement between the two countries was like a house of cards and fell apart as soon as a minor problem occurred.
how about
- will you have something or will you agree to something
eg. How about some coffee before we go to work?
how come
- why
eg. How come you don`t telephone her if you want to talk to her so much?
how`s that
- what did you say
eg. How`s that? I couldn`t hear you because the radio was too loud.
hue and cry
- an excited protest or alarm or outcry
eg. They raised a big hue and cry when they realized that we had failed to notify the bank about our financial problems.
hundred to one shot/chance
- a small chance not likely to bring success
eg. He only has a hundred to one shot at getting the job that he has applied for.
hundred/thousand/million and one
- very/too many
eg. I can think of a hundred and one reasons why the new employee is not capable of doing his job.
hush up
- keep news of something from getting out, prevent people from knowing about something
eg. The government tried to hush up the bad economic figures but the news media soon discovered the facts.
hush-hush
- something kept secret or hidden, concealed
eg. What is the big hush-hush? Everyone seems to be very quiet this morning.
hyped-up
- have an excess of energy, be excited
eg. She has been hyped up all morning because she will go to Italy for a holiday next week.
(be in) high spirits
- have energy, be cheerful
eg. They are in high spirits since their home team won the tournament.
(get or) have egg on one`s face
- be embarassed
eg. He has egg on his face because everyone knows that he was sick at the party.
(not) have anything to do with someone
- (not) want to be a friend of or work or have business with someone
eg. My father will not have anything to do with the salesman because he sold him the faulty car.
(one`s) hands are tied
- unable to help
eg. I`m sorry that I can`t help you with the job but my hands are tied at the moment.
(the) high life
- a luxurious existence
eg. They have been living the high life since they moved to Las Vegas.
Last Update: 2005/12/18