Letter H

HACK

 *    can hack (vt) (sl.): can tolerate, can withstand, can cope with (freq. used in the neg.)  >He just couldn’t hack all the crap at work.  >I don’t like this job, but I guess I can hack it another couple of weeks.

HACKER

 *    (computer) hacker (sl.): computer expert, computer fanatic  >Some hacker broke into the system and screwed up half our files.

HAD

 *    be had (colloq.): be swindled or tricked, be defeated  >We were had by a con man.  >Anna put Rod in his place but good! He’s really been had.

—   have had it (see HAVE)

—   have had it (with) (see HAVE)

HAFTA

—   hafta (haf´tә) (colloq.): have to  >It’s getting late—I hafta go. 

HAIL MARY

—   hail Mary (sl.): last-minute desperate attempt at success or at avoiding defeat  >Askin’ my stupid brother-in-law for a loan to keep em’ from repossing’ my car was a hail Mary, but he actually came through with the dough. 

HAIR

—   curl [s/one’s] hair (see CURL)

—   hair of the dog (colloq.): drink of liquor (esp. one to cure a hangover)  >How about a little hair of the dog to get rid of your headache?

—   [neg.] hide nor hair of (see HIDE)

 *    in/out of [s/one’s] hair (colloq.): bothering/not bothering [s/one], in/out of [s/one’s] way  >I don’t want those kids in my hair while I’m trying to work.  >Keep the newspaper people out of our hair, will you?

—   let [one’s] hair down (see LET)

—   tear [one’s] hair out (see TEAR)

—   will put hair on [s/one’s] chest (colloq.): is very strong, is appropriate for a manly person (said of liquor or spicy food)  >Have a shot of this tequila—it’ll put hair on your chest.

HAIRY

 *    hairy (sl.): very difficult, frightening, dangerous  >That boat ride over the rapids was hairy.  >This is gonna be a hairy negotiatin’ session.

HALF

—   ... and a half (sl.): very ..., extraordinarily ...  >He had to be stupid and a half not to see that comin’.

—   have half a mind to (colloq.): be tempted to, seriously consider  >I have half a mind to take next week off, but I doubt my boss would OK it.

 *    not half bad (colloq.): fairly good, satisfactory (also adv.)  >Hey, this casserole’s not half bad.  >He don’t play half bad.

HALF-ASSED

**   half-assed (haf´ast´) (vulg.): inadequate, incompetent, poorly planned, disorganized  >He did a half-assed job, then expected to be paid right away.

HALF-BAKED

—   half-baked (colloq.): poorly thought out, ill-conceived  >You don’t really expect his half-baked scheme to work, do you?

HALF-COCKED

 *    (go off) half-cocked (colloq.): (act) without sufficient preparation, (proceed) without proper knowledge or planning  >Don’t you go off half-cocked, or you’ll ruin everything.  >Him and his half-cocked ideas about making a fortune are too much!

HALF-DOZEN

—   it’s six of one, (and) half-(a-)dozen of the other (see SIX)

HALF PINT

—   half pint (sl., pej.): very short or small person (also adj.)  >Does that half pint really wanna play basketball with us?  >Looks like his half pint buddy can’t reach it.

HALFSIES

—   go halfsies (on) (... haf´sēz/hav´zēz ...) (colloq.): divide (s/thing) equally in two  >Mom said we’ve got to go halfsies on the rest of the ice cream.

HAM

 *    ham1 (colloq.): performer who exaggerates in his/her performance (esp. an actor)  >Why did they cast that ham in the leading role?

—   ham2 (colloq.): amateur radio operator  >He contacted another ham in Brazil, and then they put a call through to Salvador.

 *    ham it up (colloq.): overact, behave in an exaggerated way (esp. for attention)  >Their two-year-old really likes to ham it up when people are watching.

HAMMER

—   hammer (vt) (sl.): defeat decisively  >We hammered ‘em in the semifinals, 66 to 39.

 *    hammer away at (colloq.): make persistent and repeated efforts or attempts at  >I hammered away at him till he agreed to let me do it.  >Dale’s been hammering away at that report he’s got to turn in Friday.

HAMMERED

—   hammered (sl.): drunk  >She was already hammered by the time she started on her fifth gin and tonic.

HAMMY

—   hammy (ham´ē) (colloq.): displaying overacting, exaggerated (in performance)  >Couldn’t they find someone better than that hammy actor?

HAND

 *    hand (vt) (colloq.): tell (nonsense or a lie) (to s/one)  >Don’t hand me that crap about you hearing voices.  >He handed her some story about having a big yacht.

—   hand over fist (colloq.): (make money) fast and in large amounts  >Robbie and his brother are making money hand over fist leasing luxury cars in Beverly Hills.

—   have [s/one] eating out of [one’s] hand (see EATING)

 *    have to hand it to (colloq.): recognize (s/one’s) talent or achievement, give credit to (esp. begrudgingly)  >I have to hand it to you—you handled the situation a lot better than I thought you would.

—   lay a hand/finger on (see LAY)

—   lift a hand/finger (see LIFT)

—   tip [one’s] hand (see TIP)

 *    with one hand tied behind [one]/[one’s] back (colloq.): (prevail) with ease, with effortless confidence  >She could beat you at tennis with one hand tied behind her.  >Blair could have won with one hand tied behind his back.

HANDED

—   get [one’s] ass handed to [one] (see ASS)

HANDFUL

 *    handful (colloq.): person(s) or thing(s) not easily handled  >Any two-year-old’s a handful.  >These final reports are going to be a handful.

HAND JOB

—   hand job (vulg.): act of masturbation (esp. done by one person to another)  >He said she didn’t wanna screw, so she gave him a hand job.

HANDLE

—   handle (colloq.): nickname, code name (esp. among C.B. radio users)  >His C.B. handle is Big Red.

—   fly off the handle (see FLY)

 *    get/have a handle on (colloq.): achieve/have a basic understanding or competency regarding  >I think Brad finally has a handle on his geometry theorems.  >I got to get a handle on how this software program works.

HANDS

—   be putty in [s/one’s] hands  (see PUTTY)

 *    get [one’s] hands on (colloq.): seize, capture (esp. to punish)  >Wait till I get my hands on that bum!

 *    hands down (colloq.): effortlessly, very easily  >They won the championship hands down.

 *    lay/get [one’s] hands on (colloq.): obtain  >You know where I can lay my hands on a water pump for a ‘57 Chevy?  >I need to get my hands on a good set of metric wrenches. 

—   put [one’s] hands together for [s/one] (sl.): applaud [s/one], clap for [s/one]  >Put your hands together for our talented guest guitarist!

—   sit on [one’s] hands (see SIT)

HANDY

—   come in handy (see COME)

HANG

—   give a hang (colloq.): be concerned, care, take interest (freq. used in the neg.)  >Old Buddy don’t seem to give a hang what others think of him.

 *    hang a left/right (sl.): turn left/right (in a vehicle)  >Do I hang a right here or at the next corner?

**   hang around (vi) (colloq.): linger, loiter, remain (in a place) solely to pass time  >Tell your friends they can’t hang around while you’re working.

**   hang around with (colloq.): spend a great deal of time with, socialize much with  >She’s worried because she thinks her son’s hanging around with the wrong people.

**   hang in there (sl.): remain steadfast, not give up, persevere  >I know ya feel like quittin’, but hang in there ‘cause it’ll get better.

 *    hang it up (colloq.): quit, give up, resign  >After thirty-five years on the job, he decided to hang it up.

—   hang/stay loose (see LOOSE)

**   hang on (vi) (colloq.): wait, stop, not become impatient (freq. used as a command)  >Hang on till we get there.  >Now, hang on! Hear me out.

—   hold/hang on to your hat! (see HOLD)

—   hang one on (sl.): get drunk  >Morrison heads to the tavern every Friday afternoon to hang one on.

**   hang out1 (vi) (colloq.): spend a great deal of time (in a place) (esp. to socialize)  >A lot of the girls hang out at the mall in the summer.

**   hang out2 (vi) (colloq.): do nothing special, spend time idly  >Me and my friends usually just hang out on Saturdays.

—   hang out/up [one’s] shingle (colloq.): establish [one’s] (doctor’s or lawyer’s) office  >Sid hung out his shingle as soon as he passed the bar exam.

—   hang/string [s/one] out to dry (sl.): severely punish or harm [s/one], make [s/one] suffer grave consequences  >You mess with the boss and you’ll be hung out to dry.  >If they catch the judge taking bribes, they’ll string him out to dry.

**   hang out with (colloq.): spend a great deal of time with, socialize much with  >They’re a couple of guys I hang out with.

—   hang tight (colloq.): wait before taking action, remain patient until it is clear what action to take  >Just hang tight until we get the test results back, then we’ll see what we'll do.

—   hang together (vi) (colloq.): be coherent or cohesive, form a logical whole  >The novel wasn’t half bad, though the plot didn’t really hang together.

 *    hang tough (sl.): persevere (with strength of will), remain resolved, withstand (difficulties)  >I know you’re under a lot of pressure, but ya gotta hang tough, buddy.  >We’re going to hang tough on the salary demand—no compromises!

 *    hang up (vt) (colloq.): delay, be an impediment to  >Sorry I’m late—I got hung up in traffic.  >The teamsters’ strike is going to hang this project up for weeks.

—   hang with (sl.): spend a great deal of time with, socialize much with  >I don’t like the guys Wanda hangs with.

 *    have/get the hang of (colloq.): have/get the knack or talent to use or do, have acquired/acquire the ability to use or do  >I couldn’t run this tractor at first, but now I think I have the hang of it.  >You’ll feel more comfortable when you get the hang of the job.

 *    let it all hang out (sl.): become completely uninhibited, be completely open  >Don’t be so up-tight at parties, man—ya gotta let it all hang out.  >My shrink told me to let it all hang out when I talk about what’s botherin’ me.

HANGING

—   how (are) they/how’s it hanging? (sl., freq. vulg.): how are you doing? how are things going?  >Hey, buddy, whatcha say? How they hangin’? >Long time no see. How’s it hangin’?

HANG-OUT

 *    hang-out (colloq.): place where (s/one) spends a great deal of time (esp. to socialize)  >You can probably find Jerry at the basketball court—that’s his hang-out.

HANG-UP

**   hang-up1 (colloq.): psychological block or complex, strong inhibition  >If you don’t like having a woman for a boss, it’s your hang-up.  >She’s got some hang-up about going to the bathroom anywhere but in her own house.

 *    hang-up2 (colloq.): snag, impediment to progress  >The hang-up on getting the building permit is a soil report they need.

HANKIE

—   hankie (see “HANKY”)

HANKY

—   hanky (hang´kē) (colloq.): handkerchief  >Take a hanky to that movie—it’s a real tearjerker.

HANKY-PANKY

 *    hanky-panky (hang´kē pang´kē) (colloq.): illicit sexual activity, unethical behavior, deceit  >I think there’s some hanky-panky going on between Morgan and his secretary.  >They suspect some hanky-panky between the councilman and the land developers.

HAPPENING

—   what’s happening? (see WHAT’S)

HAPPY

—   happy/unhappy camper (see CAMPER)

HAPPY HOUR

**   happy hour (colloq.): period of time when drinks are served at a reduced price  >I’ll meet you at the Oxbow Lounge for their happy hour on Friday.

HARD

—   between a rock and a hard place (see BETWEEN)

—   give [s/one] a hard time (see HARD TIME)

—   hard/tough nut to crack (see NUT)

 *    hard up (for) (colloq.): in great need (of), anxious for  >He lost his job six months ago and is real hard up for work.  >Carolyn must really be hard up if she’s going out with that loser.

HARD-ASS

—   hard-ass (vulg.): strict enforcer of rules, unlenient disciplinarian, unmerciful taskmaster (also adj.)  >Are you such a hard-ass that ya’d fire him for bein’ late just once?  >My hard-ass supervisor works our tails off.

HARDBALL

—   hardball (colloq.): highly competitive, tough, ruthless  >I don’t think Del’s ready for hardball investment finance.

 *    play hardball (colloq.): compete aggressively and ruthlessly  >He’s too innocent to be a legislator—they play hardball in state politics.

HARD-HAT

—   hard-hat (colloq.): working-class conservative person  >The hard-hats are going to complain about it being another government giveaway.

HARD KNOCKS

—   hard knocks (colloq.): hardships, adversity, misfortune  >Linda’s turned out OK despite all the hard knocks she’s had.

HARD-NOSED

—   hard-nosed (colloq.): tough, strict, willful  >Don’t think you can talk that hard-nosed character into anything.

HARD-ON

**   hard-on (vulg.): erection of the penis  >He said he got a hard-on watchin’ the porno video.

—   have a hard-on for (vulg.): have an obsession to punish  > The detective has had a hard-on for that drug dealer for years.

HARD SELL

 *    hard sell (colloq.): aggressive promotion, high-pressure selling (cf. “SOFT SELL”)  >I hope that salesman doesn’t give me the old hard sell, because I’m just looking today.

HARD STUFF

 *    hard stuff1 (sl.): hard liquor  >I like wine sometimes, but I stay away from the hard stuff.

 *    hard stuff2 (sl.): very addictive drug(s)  >He started out smokin’ grass, but now he’s on the hard stuff.

HARD TIME

—   hard time (sl.): time actually served in prison  >Smith was sentenced to ten to fifteen, but he only did six years hard time before he got paroled.

**   give [s/one] a hard time (colloq.): annoy or harass [s/one], tease [s/one] unrelentlessly  >If you give Marie a hard time, she just might file a grievance.  >The guys were giving me a hard time about my pink shirt.

HARD-TO-GET

 *    play hard-to-get (colloq.): pretend not to be interested, act coy  >Liz likes the guy, but her mother told her to play hard-to-get.

HARDWARE

—   hardware (sl.): firearm(s) (carried by s/one)  >See the bulge under his coat? The guy’s packin’ hardware.

HARDY-HAR-HAR

—   hardy-har-har! (här´dē här´här´) (colloq., sarc.): (interj. imitating laughter to express contempt for another’s attempt at humor)  >Hardy-har-har! Putting a “kick me” sign on my back is just so funny!

HAS-BEEN

 *    has-been (colloq.): person who is no longer popular or successful (also adj.)  >No one buys his music anymore—he’s a has-been.  >No director's going to hire a has-been actor like him.

HASH

—   hash (hash) (sl.): hashish  >They caught him with almost a kilo of hash.

—   hash out (vt) (colloq.): come to an agreement regarding (through discussion or argument)  >We still have a few details to hash out before the deal’s final.

—   hash over (vt) (colloq.): thoroughly review or discuss  >They hashed it over again but couldn’t reach an agreement.

HASSLE

**   hassle1 (has´әl) (colloq.): disagreement, dispute, fight  >I got into a big hassle with the manager when I tried to return the broken stereo.

**   hassle2 (colloq.): trouble, inconvenience, bother  >Driving in heavy traffic is always a hassle.  >What a hassle it is to fill out all these forms!

**   hassle3 (vt) (colloq.): bother, inconvenience, cause trouble for, engage in a dispute with  >My dad’s hassling me because I got some bad grades.

 *    hassle4 (vi) (colloq.): argue, quarrel, fight  >I can’t believe you two are hassling over a couple of dollars!

—   hassle with (colloq.): trouble or bother (oneself) with, be inconvenienced by, spend time and effort dealing with  >We’ve been hassling with this copier, which breaks down just about every day.  >I just can’t hassle with your stupid brother-in-law today.

HAT

—   at the drop of a hat (see DROP)

—   be old hat (see OLD HAT)

 *    [for one’s] hat [to] be off to [s/one] (colloq.): [for one to] recognize [s/one’s] achievement, [for one to] compliment [s/one]  >My hat’s off to my opponent for running a clean campaign.

—   hold/hang on to your hat! (see HOLD)

—   I’ll eat my hat (see EAT)

—   keep [s/thing] under [one’s] hat (see KEEP)

—   pass the hat (see PASS)

—   talk through [one’s] hat (see TALK)

HATCH

—   down the hatch! (see DOWN)

HATCHET MAN

—   hatchet man (colloq.): person hired to do unpleasant or unscrupulous things to others  >They got a hatchet man to evict the tenants.

HATE

**   hate (vt) (colloq.): be sorry to have to (do s/thing)  >I hate to tell you this, but you flunked the test. > He hated firing her, but she just wasn’t working out.

 *    hate [s/one’s] guts (sl.): hate [s/one] intensely  >Don’t put ‘em together ‘cause they hate each other’s guts.

HAUL

—   haul (colloq.): money or valuables collected or taken, proceeds from an endeavor  >Their haul from the robbery was ten grand in cash and another twenty in jewels.  >What was your haul from the garage sale?

—   haul ass (vulg.): depart quickly, move very fast  >When he pulled out a gun, I hauled ass outta there.  >This truck can really haul ass!

—   haul (in) (vt) (colloq.): arrest and transport (for processing in the legal system)  >He got hauled in for dealing dope.  >They hauled Jim before the judge, who gave him ninety days in the county jail.

—   haul off and (sl.): draw back an arm and (strike s/one)  >When the sailor told me to get screwed I hauled off and slugged him.

—   long haul (see LONG)

—   over the long haul (see LONG)

HAVE

—   (already) have two strikes against [one] (see TWO)

 *    have [one] [s/thing] (colloq.): enjoy [s/thing] (consumed or experienced)  >I’m going to have me a big, juicy steak.  >We had us a good time at your party.

—   have (a/the/[s/one’s]/[one’s]) ... (see entry under ... noun)

—   have a good thing going (see GOOD)

—   [neg.] have all [one’s] marbles (see MARBLES)

—   have at it (colloq.): begin (doing s/thing) vigorously or enthusiastically  >If he wants to race motorcycles so bad, let him have at it.

—   have been there (see THERE)

—   have [s/one] by the balls/nuts (see BALLS)

—   have [s/one] by the short hairs (see SHORT HAIRS)

—   have [s/thing] down cold (see COLD)

—   have [s/thing] down pat (see PAT)

—   have [s/one] eating out of [one’s] hand (see EATING)

—   have [s/one] going (see GOING)

—   have [s/thing] going for [one] (see GOING)

**   have had it1 (colloq.): be worn out, no longer function or be useful  >I need to get a new car—this one’s had it.

 *    have had it2 (colloq.): be doomed, be assured of ruin or defeat, be assured of punishment  >By the end of the third quarter, our team knew we’d had it.  >You’ve had it if the manager finds out about this.

 *    have had it (with) (colloq.): be disgusted or bored (with), can no longer tolerate (s/one, s/thing)  >No more summer reruns, please! I’ve had it.  >I’ve had it with you! Now clear out!

 *    have it (colloq.): have the required ability or talent  >Some people have it to make it in show business, and some don’t.  >Sorry, but you just ain’t got it to drive a big truck like this.

—   have it all over (colloq.): be superior to, be more talented or desirable than  >Stick with Jane—she’s got it all over Trixie. > My car has it all over that piece of junk.

—   have it coming (see COMING)

—   have it in for (see IN)

—   have it made (see MADE)

—   have it made in the shade (see MADE)

 *    have it out (with) (colloq.): fight or quarrel (with) (to finally resolve a conflict)  >I’m going to have it out with that jerk about his snide remarks.  >It sounded like Marsha and her boyfriend really had it out last night.

—   get/have it together (see TOGETHER)

—   have [s/thing] knocked (see KNOCKED)

—   have [s/thing] licked (see LICKED)

—   have [s/one’s] name on it/them (see NAME)

 *    have [s/thing] on (colloq.): know or possess evidence of [s/thing] detrimental to or incriminating for  >He’s got something on Sophie he can use against her at the meeting.  >Do you have anything on him that’ll hold up in court?

—   have ... on the ball (see BALL)

—   have [s/thing] on the brain (see BRAIN)

—   have one too many (see ONE)

—   have ... plus (see PLUS)

—   have/get something going (see GOING)

—   have to fly (see FLY)

—   have to hand it to (see HAND)

—   have two left feet (see LEFT)

—   have [s/thing] wired (see WIRED)

—   let [s/one] have it (see LET)

—   let [s/one] have it with both barrels (see LET)

**   not have all day (colloq., sarc.): cannot keep waiting, be becoming impatient  >Hurry up with that lunch order, will you? I don’t have all day.

—   not have both oars in the water (see OARS)

—   not have the foggiest (see FOGGIEST)

HAY

—   ain’t hay (ānt ...) (colloq.): is a substantial amount of money  >Eight hundred dollars for that job ain’t hay.  >He’s making eighty grand a year, and that ain’t hay.

—   hit the hay (see HIT)

—   in the hay (colloq.): in bed  >He’s already in the hay? It’s only eight-thirty.

—   roll in the hay (see ROLL)

HAYSEED

—   hayseed (sl., pej.): unsophisticated person from a rural area, yokel  >Everyone knew he was a hayseed by his clothes and the way he talked.

HAYWIRE

 *    (go) haywire (colloq.): (begin) working wrong, (go) out of control, (go) out of order  >Everything went haywire when lightning hit the power lines.  >There’s something haywire with this machine.  >The poor guy’s been kind of haywire since his son died.

HEAD

—   head1 (colloq.): bathroom, toilet  >You can’t talk to him. He’s in the head.  >I got to pee. You got a head I can use?

—   head2 (sl.): headache (esp. due to a hangover)  >Boy, did I ever have a head the morning after the party!

—   (about) bite/snap [s/one’s] head off (see BITE)

—   beat [one’s] head against the wall (see BEAT)

—   can [do s/thing] standing on [one’s] head (see STANDING)

 *    cannot make head(s) or tail(s) (out) of (colloq.): not understand at all, be unable to find meaning in  >We can’t make heads or tails out of this so-called report.

—   get/have [one’s] head together (colloq.): get/have control over [oneself], find/have emotional stability, resolve/have resolved [one’s] personal problems  >Margie went on a long trip after her divorce to try and get her head together.

—   get it into [one’s] head (that) (see GET)

—   get [s/thing] through [one’s] (thick) head (see GET)

 *    give head (vulg.): perform fellatio  >He says she gives good head.

—   go over [s/one’s] head (see OVER)

—   have [one’s] head (screwed) on straight (colloq.): be a rational person, be mentally healthy  >Anyone with his head screwed on straight wouldn’t have done something so dumb.  >Don’t worry about Scott getting in trouble—he has his head on straight.

—   have rocks in [one’s] head (see ROCKS)

—   head for the hills (colloq.): flee, escape  >Ollie headed for the hills when they started asking for volunteers.

 *    ... [one’s] head off (colloq.): ... with maximum effort, ... to the utmost (esp. talking or yelling)  >I had to talk my head off to convince him.  >Andy was just standing there screaming his head off.

 *    head out (vi) (colloq.): start off (on a trip), depart  >We’re going to be heading out about six in the morning.

—   [for] [s/one’s] head/heads [to] roll (colloq.): [for] [s/one]/people to be punished severely  >Your head’s going to roll if they find out you’ve been taking bribes.  >Heads rolled after the auditors investigated.

—   off the top of [one’s] head (see TOP)

 *    ought/need to have [one’s] head examined (colloq.): have very irrational behavior, appear to be crazy  >You ought to have your head examined for loaning money to that deadbeat.

—   out of [one’s] head (colloq.): crazy, very irrational  >You were out of your head to sign the contract without having a lawyer look at it first.

 *    (so fast that) it will make [s/one’s] head spin (colloq.): (so fast that) it will surprise or confuse [s/one], very fast  >You try that crap with me and I’ll sue you so fast it’ll make your head spin.

—   where [s/one’s] head is at (see WHERE)

—   wrap/get [one’s] head around [s/thing] (sl.): comprehend [s/thing], find [s/thing] believable or rational (freq. used in the neg.)  >I just can’t wrap my head around that mobster converting to Buddhism.

HEADACHE

 *    headache (colloq.): source of problems or trouble, annoyance  >This damn car’s been nothing but a headache ever since I bought it.

HEAD CASE

—   head case (sl.): crazy person  >The guy’s a real head case—he makes no sense at all.

HEADHUNTER

—   headhunter (colloq.): professional personnel recruiter or job finder  >She paid a headhunter $1500 to line her up that job.

HEADS

—   butt heads (with) (see BUTT)

HEAD-SCRATCHER

—   head-scratcher (colloq.): puzzling problem or situation, enigma  >Just how he broke in without setting off the alarm is a real head-scratcher.

HEAD SHRINKER

—   head shrinker (sl.): psychiatrist or psychoanalyst  >Molly’s been seein’ this head shrinker to help her with her problems.

HEADS-UP

—  heads-up1 (colloq.): early warning or notification, alert  >We’d better give our employees a heads-up about the new regulations taking effect next month.

—  heads-up2 (colloq.): sharp, attentive, alert  >That was a real heads-up move you made to get us some of that grant money.  >We got to play heads-up ball if we want to win this one.

HEAD TRIP

—   head trip (sl.): egotistic activity or behavior, action done for vanity or selfish reasons  >I think her enterin’ that beauty contest is nothin’ but a head trip.

HEALTH

 *    not ... for [one’s] health (colloq., sarc.): not ... because [one] likes it, be obligated to ...  >I didn’t take this crappy job for my health, you know—I need the money.

HEAP

—   heap (sl.): automobile (esp. one that is old or in poor condition)  >When are you gonna get rid of that heap and buy a new car?

—   a heap (of ...) (colloq.): much (...), many (...)  >Poor devil’s got a heap of troubles.  >How many old tires you want? I got a heap you can have.

—   top of the heap (see TOP)

HEAPS

—   heaps (of ...) (colloq.): much (...), many (...)  >Tyler ain’t hurting for dough—he made heaps in the stock market.  >There were heaps of problems with his plan.

HEAR

 *    hear (vt) (colloq.): completely understand what (s/one) is saying  >I hear you—you’ve made a good point.

 *    (it’s so quiet) you can hear a pin drop (colloq.): there’s complete silence  >When her ex-husband walked in, you could hear a pin drop.

HEARING

—   be seeing/hearing things (see THINGS)

HEART

—   cry [one’s] heart out (see CRY)

—   eat [one’s] heart out (see EAT)

—   have a heart! (colloq.): be compassionate! show mercy!  >Aw, come on—have a heart and give me another chance!

—   (I) cross my heart (and hope to die)! (see CROSS)

—   my heart bleeds for ...! (colloq., sarc.): I don’t sympathize at all with ...!  >Those rich guys are complaining about the tax increase? My heart bleeds for them!

HEART-ON

—   heart-on (see “HARD-ON”)

HEAT

 *    heat1 (colloq.): pressure, stress, demands  >They’re putting the heat on us at work because we have a deadline coming up.  >He just can’t take the heat in that job.

 *    heat2 (colloq.): criticism, recriminations, expression of opposition  >He’s taken a lot of heat for his tough policies.

—   heat3 (sl.): firearm(s) (carried by s/one)  >Watch out for that dude—he’s packin’ heat.

—   the heat (sl.): the police  >Ned’s runnin’ with the heat on his trail.

HEAVE

—   heave (hēv) (vi, vt) (colloq.): vomit  >She got carsick and heaved out the window.  >He just heaved his dinner.

HEAVE-HO

—   the heave-ho (... hēv´hō´) (colloq.): act of forcible ejection or dismissal  >If the bartender doesn’t like the way you act, he’ll give you the heave-ho.

HEAVY

 *    heavy1 (colloq.): villain, culpable person  >Don’t try to make me the heavy just because I’m watching out for my own interests.

—   heavy2 (sl.): influential or important person  >I take it the guy with the fancy office is one of the heavies around here.

—   heavy3 (sl.): impressive, important, serious  >That’s gonna be one heavy scene when the two big bosses meet to work out the problem. >I’d say you and Sal got somethin’ heavy going on between ya.

—   heavy into (colloq.): seriously involved in  >His sister used to be so straight, but now she’s heavy into drugs.  >He’s really gotten heavy into collecting old baseball cards.

—   hot and heavy (see HOT)

HEAVY-DUTY

 *    heavy-duty (sl.): impressive, important, serious  >Gene’s all dressed up ‘cause he’s got a heavy-duty date tonight.  >That sounded like a pretty heavy-duty fight you two had.

HEAVY HITTER

—   heavy hitter (sl.): very influential or effective person, top person (in his/her field)  >That university’s been recruitin’ lots of heavy hitters to boost its reputation as a research institution.

HEAVY METAL

**   heavy metal (colloq.): very loud and aggressive or bizarre rock music  >It’s not going to work out—I like Bach and she’s into heavy metal.

HEAVYWEIGHT

—   heavyweight (colloq.): important, influential, powerful (also noun)  >The president met with some heavyweight economists for advice.  >Only the heavyweights in the industry deal on this level.

HECK

 *    a heck of a1 (... hek ...) (colloq.): an extraordinarily, a very  >Your friend’s a heck of a nice guy.

 *    a heck of a2 (colloq.): an extraordinary, an impressive, a surprising  >He’s a heck of a golfer.  >That’s a heck of a thing to say to a friend.

—   ... (all) to heck (colloq.): ... to a state of ruin, ... to a terrible degree  >The truck smashed her bike all to heck.

—   (as) ... as heck (colloq.): extraordinarily ..., very  >Everyone’s as mad as heck about the layoffs.

—   beat the heck out of1 (sl.): be much better than, be greatly preferable to  >Fishin’ beats the heck outta workin’ any day.

—   beat the heck out of2 (sl.): baffle or confound very much, greatly perplex  >Why he quit beats the heck outta me.

—   beat/kick the heck out of (sl.): beat severely, defeat decisively  >They cornered him and beat the heck outta him.  >She kicked the heck outta him in the election.

—   heck! (colloq.): (interj. to express anger, surprise, or irritation)  >Heck! My screwdriver broke.

 *    (just) for the heck of it (colloq.): for amusement, out of curiosity, for no special reason or purpose  >We decided to dam up the creek for the heck of it.

—   like heck1 (colloq.): bad (also adv.)  >I feel like heck after eating all that pizza.  >This car runs like heck—it needs a tune-up.

—   like heck2 (colloq.): wholeheartedly, to the utmost degree  >I’ve been trying like heck to get ahold of him, but no luck.

—   like heck ...! (colloq.): certainly not ...! not really ...! in no way ...!  >He thinks they won’t find out? Like heck they won’t!

 *    one heck of a1 (colloq.): an extraordinary, an impressive, a surprising  >That was one heck of a speech she gave.

 *    one heck of a2 (colloq.): an extraordinarily, a very  >We had one heck of a rough time convincing him not to leave.

—   raise heck (colloq.): celebrate wildly or noisily, be loud and rowdy  >I can’t have those kids raising heck in my restaurant.

—   raise heck (with) (colloq.): severely reprimand (s/one), complain strenuously (to)  >This old guy was raising heck at the grocery store because they wouldn’t take his expired coupons.

—   ...er than heck (colloq.): extraordinarily ..., very ...  >They’re happier than heck together.  >I’m madder than heck at Pete for what he did.

—   the heck (colloq.): (intens. to express impatience, anger, or wonder, used in intransitive verb phrases between the verb and its prepositional particle)  >It’s late—I’d better take the heck off.  >It’s time you grew the heck up!

—   the heck ...! (colloq.): certainly not ...! not really ...! in no way ...!  >You say he’s going to borrow my car? The heck he is!

—   the heck of it (colloq.): the worst or most problematic part (of s/thing)  >The heck of it is that repairing the old stereo cost me more than buying a brand-new one would have.

—   ... the heck out of [s/one, s/thing] (colloq.): ... [s/one, s/thing] to the utmost degree, ... [s/one, s/thing] extraordinarily  >It bent the heck out of the fender when he hit it.

 *    to/the heck with ...! (colloq.): I don’t care about ...! I want nothing to do with ...! I find ... contemptible!  >If McClean’s going to act like an ass, to heck with him!  >The heck with it! It’s not that important.

—   what the heck! (see WHAT)

 *    what/who/[etc.] (in) the heck ...? (colloq.): (intens. to express impatience, anger, or surprise)  >Where in the heck are you going at this time of night?  >What the heck did he just call us?

HECKUVA

—   a heckuva (see “a HECK of a”)

—   one heckuva (see “one HECK of a”)

HEEL

—   heel (colloq.): contemptible person, person who has done s/thing shameful  >Everyone thought Don was a heel for embarrassing his wife in public.

HEELS

—   cool [one’s] heels (see COOL)

—   kick up [one’s] heels (see KICK)

HEINIE

—   heinie (hī´nē) (sl.): buttocks  >He slipped on the ice and fell right on his heinie.

HEINZ

—   Heinz 57 (variety) (hīnz ...) (sl.): mixed-breed dog, mongrel  >Misty’s a purebred golden retriever, but Sparky’s a Heinz 57.

HEIST

—   heist1 (hīst) (sl.): robbery, holdup  >They caught the guy that pulled that bank heist.

—   heist2 (vt) (sl.): rob, steal, hold up  >Someone heisted her diamond necklace, but it’s insured.  >They heisted a convenience store using a fake gun.

HELL

**   a hell of a1 (colloq., freq. vulg.): an extraordinary, an impressive, a surprising  >I’ve got a hell of a hangover this morning. > That’s a hell of a car you bought.

**   a hell of a2 (colloq., freq. vulg.): an extraordinarily, a very  >He’s a hell of a smooth talker.

 *    [for] all hell [to] break loose (colloq.): [for] chaos [to] begin, [for] confusion or violence [to] take over  >All hell broke loose when the lion got out of its cage.  >If they don’t control that crowd, all hell’s going to break loose.

 *    ... (all) to hell (colloq., freq. vulg.): ... to a state of ruin, ... to a terrible degree  >This board ain’t worth a damn—it’s warped all to hell.

**   (as) ... as hell (colloq., freq. vulg.): extraordinarily ..., very ...  >It’s cold as hell out today.

 *    beat the hell out of1 (sl., freq. vulg.): be much better than, be greatly preferable to  >His work beats the hell outta the other guy’s.

 *    beat the hell out of2 (sl., freq. vulg.): baffle or confound very much, greatly perplex  >It beats the hell outta us why she left without sayin’ anything.

 *    beat/kick the hell out of (sl., freq. vulg.): beat severely, defeat decisively  >Keep mouthin’ off and you’ll get the hell kicked outta ya.  >We beat the hell out of ‘em in overtime.

 *    catch/get hell (sl.): suffer a severe scolding or reprimand, be severely punished  >He caught hell from his girlfriend for starin’ at that cute blonde.  >They’re gonna get hell for tellin’ his secret.

—   come hell or high water (see COME)

 *    give ‘em hell! (... әm ...) (sl.): perform well! best wishes for success in your endeavor!  >Give ‘em hell on opening night!  >When ya get to college, give ‘em hell!

 *    give [s/one] hell (colloq.): severely scold or reprimand [s/one]  >She gave her daughter hell for coming home so late.

 *    go to hell (colloq., freq. vulg.): become ruined  >The whole project went to hell after the labor dispute.

**   go to hell! (vulg.): (interj. to express great anger or contempt to s/one)  >If ya won’t do it my way, then go to hell!

**   hell! (colloq., freq. vulg.): (interj. to express anger, surprise, or irritation)  >Hell! The car’s overheating!

—   hell on (sl.): rough on, painful to, harmful to  >The sergeant’s hell on rookie cops.  >This drought’s been hell on the corn crop.

—   hell on wheels (sl.): very quick and aggressive, dynamically effective  >That hyperactive little kid is hell on wheels.  >Watch this short-order cook—he’s hell on wheels in the kitchen.

—   hell to pay (colloq.): severe punishment to be suffered, serious consequences to pay  >There’ll be hell to pay if you get caught running this plant without a permit.

**   (just) for the hell of it (colloq., freq. vulg.): for amusement, out of curiosity, for no special reason or purpose  >Let’s go to the other side of the lake just for the hell of it.

—   like a bat out of hell (see BAT)

**   like hell1 (colloq., freq. vulg.): bad (also adv.)  >You look like hell this morning—are you hung over?  >Who hired her? She sings like hell.

 *    like hell2 (colloq., freq. vulg.): wholeheartedly, to the utmost degree  >They’ve been partyin’ like hell since yesterday afternoon.

**   like hell ...! (colloq., freq. vulg.): certainly not ...! not really ...! in no way ...!  >You expect me to help? Like hell I will!  >Ya say that crummy team’s gonna win? Like hell!

**   one hell of a1 (colloq., freq. vulg.): an extraordinary, an impressive, a surprising  >We had one hell of a time partyin’ at Monty’s last night.

**   one hell of a2 (colloq., freq. vulg.): an extraordinarily, a very  >He’s one hell of a good-lookin’ man!

 *    raise hell (colloq.): celebrate wildly or noisily, be loud and rowdy  >On Saturday nights they have a few beers and go raise hell in town.

 *    raise hell (with) (colloq.): severely reprimand (s/one), complain strenuously (to)  >Calvin’s old man raised hell with him when he wrecked the car.  >The customers are gonna raise hell about this extra charge.

 *    ...er than hell (colloq., freq. vulg.): extraordinarily ..., very ...  >That football player’s uglier than hell, but don’t tell him I said so.

—   the hell (colloq., freq. vulg.): (intens. to express impatience, anger, or wonder, used in intransitive verb phrases between the verb and its prepositional particle)  >Shoot! I give the hell up.  >Why don’t ya find a job instead of hangin’ the hell around here?

 *    the hell ...! (colloq., freq. vulg.): certainly not ...! not really ...! in no way ...!  >What do ya mean you’re gonna learn to fly? The hell ya are!

—   the hell of it (colloq., freq. vulg.): the worst or most problematic part (of s/thing)  >Haley thought he’d come out with a better job after the company reorganized, but the hell of it is he got demoted.

 *    ... the hell out of [s/one, s/thing] (colloq., freq. vulg.): ... [s/one, s/thing] to the utmost degree, ... [s/one, s/thing] extraordinarily  >Her singin’ impressed the hell out of everyone.

 *    to/the hell with ...! (colloq., freq. vulg.): I don’t care about ...! I want nothing to do with ...! I find ... contemptible!  >Aw, the hell with the picnic! It’s just too much trouble.  >Who cares what that slob thinks? I say to hell with him!

 *    until/till hell freezes over (colloq.): forever, always (in the future)  >I’ll love her till hell freezes over.

—   what the hell! (see WHAT)

**   what/who/[etc.] (in) the hell ...? (colloq., freq. vulg.): (intens. to express impatience, anger, or surprise)  >Who the hell does he think he is talking to me that way?  >Where in the hell are my keys?

 *    when hell freezes over (colloq.): never (in the future)  >I’ll vote for that bum when hell freezes over.

HELL-RAISER

—   hell-raiser (colloq.): person who celebrates wildly or noisily, person who behaves in a rowdy way  >The cops had to quiet down a few hell-raisers after Saturday night’s game.

HELL’S BELLS

—   hell’s bells! (colloq., freq. vulg., dtd.): (interj. to express anger, surprise, or irritation)  >Hell’s bells! What are you two doing here?

HELLUVA

—   a helluva (see “a HELL of a”)

—   one helluva (see “one HELL of a”)

HE-MAN

—   he-man (colloq.): strong and virile man  >She dreamed of marrying a real he-man.

HEN

—   hen (colloq., pej.): meddlesome or gossipy woman  >Dan called Priscilla an old hen and told her to stop snooping around.

HEN PARTY

—   hen party (colloq., freq. pej.): gathering of women, party for women only  >They went bowling while their wives were at a hen party.

HERD

—   ride herd on (see RIDE)

HERE

—   be out of here (see OUT)

—   fed up (to here) (with) (see FED)

**   here goes! (colloq.): let me/us begin! let’s see what happens! (esp. when eventual success is unsure)  >You got the lamp you rewired plugged in? OK, here goes!

 *    here goes nothing! (colloq.): let me/us begin! let’s see what happens! (esp. when eventual success is doubtful)  >This ski slope looks real steep! Oh, well, here goes nothing!

—   (the) same here (see SAME)

 *    up to here with (colloq.) (usually accompanied by a gesture of the fingers against the throat or head): disgusted or bored with, no longer able to tolerate  >I tell you, I’m up to here with his snide remarks!

HERE’S

—   here’s looking at you! (see LOOKING)

—   here’s mud in your eye! (see MUD)

HEY

—   what the hey! (see WHAT)

HI

—   hi ya! (see “HIYA!”)

HICCUP

—   hiccup (colloq.): minor problem or impediment  >There’s been a hiccup in the plans for their party because their caterer got sick. 

HICK

—   hick (hik) (colloq., pej.): unsophisticated and gullible person from a rural area, rustic, yokel (also adj.)  >He makes a lot of money showing hicks around the city.  >His hick cousin has never ridden on an elevator.

HICKEY

 *    hickey (hik´ē) (colloq.): reddish mark on the skin caused by suction (esp. from a passionate kiss)  >Myra was really embarrassed when I asked her how she got the hickey on her neck.

HICK TOWN

—   hick town (hik ...) (colloq.): small and unsophisticated town in a rural area  >He’s from some hick town in the Midwest.

HIDE

—   [neg.] hide nor hair of (colloq.): not the least sign or trace of (s/one)  >I ain’t seen hide nor hair of that kid all day.

—   risk [one’s] hide (see RISK)

—   save [one’s, s/one’s] hide (see SAVE)

—   tan [s/one’s] hide (see TAN)

HIGH

**   high1 (sl.): intoxication, euphoria, exhilaration (due to alcohol, drugs, or an experience)  >He’s on a cocaine high.  >Gettin’ that award was a real high.

**   high2 (sl.): intoxicated, euphoric (esp. from alcohol or drugs)  >The way he was drivin’, I’d say he was high on somethin’.

—   (as) high as a kite (sl.): very drunk or intoxicated  >The fella staggered outta the tavern high as a kite.

—   flying high (see FLYING)

 *    high off/on the hog (colloq.): lavishly, with great luxury or prosperity  >They’ve been living high on the hog since the old man won the lottery.

—   stink to high heaven (see STINK)

HIGHBALL

—   highball (vi, vt) (sl.): go at full speed (in), move (a vehicle) at full speed  >The truck went highballin’ through town.  >He highballed his tractor-trailer down the turnpike. > Let’s highball it outta here!

HIGHBROW

—   highbrow (colloq.): person who believes him/herself to be of superior culture or taste, intellectual snob (also adj.)  >I can’t stand them opera highbrows.  >He don’t care for that highbrow music.

HIGHER

—   higher than a kite (sl.): very drunk or intoxicated  >He was higher than a kite ‘cause he’d been boozin’ and takin’ pills!

—   higher up/lower down (on) the food chain (see FOOD CHAIN)

HIGHER-UP

—   higher-up (colloq.): person of higher rank or position, superior  >Mack’s got to discuss it with the higher-ups to get their OK.

HIGHFALUTIN

—   highfalutin (hī´fә lūt´n) (colloq.): pompous, ostentatious, pretentious  >Her highfalutin friends won’t give me the time of day.

HIGH-FIVE

 *    high-five1 (sl.): slap on (s/one’s) raised and open palm (as a gesture of congratulations or greeting)  >He gave me a high-five after I made the shot.

—   high-five2 (vt) (sl.): slap (s/one’s) raised and open palm (as a gesture of congratulations or greeting)  >His teammates high-fived him after he scored.

HIGH HORSE

—   on [one’s] high horse (colloq.): assuming a haughty or superior attitude  >If you try and criticize David, he gets on his high horse and reminds you that he’s got a Ph.D.

HIGH JINKS

—   high jinks (... jingks) (colloq.): loud or uninhibited fun, pranks, capers  >The principal is getting tired of those kids’ high jinks.

HIGH-RENT

—   high-rent (sl.): expensive, elegant, chic  >Phil took Wanda to a high-rent party uptown.

HIGH ROLLER

 *    high roller (colloq.): big spender, person who lives extravagantly  >That fancy nightclub’s where the high rollers go to be seen.

HIGHTAIL

—   hightail it (sl.): move fast, flee, escape  >Carl was hightailin’ it down the road goin’ about seventy.  >We hightailed it outta there when the fight broke out.

HIGH WATER

—   come hell or high water (see COME)

HIGHWAY ROBBERY

 *    highway robbery (colloq.): charging of excessive prices, exorbitant price  >Forty bucks for this lousy lunch? That’s highway robbery!

HIJINKS

—   hijinks (see “HIGH JINKS”)

HIKE

 *    take a hike! (sl.): go away! don’t bother me!  >Who asked you? Take a hike!

HILL

 *    over the hill (colloq.): in decline, having passed (one’s) prime, no longer effective, getting old  >Blake just can’t produce like he used to—he’s over the hill.  >I’d say by the time you’re forty in this business you’re over the hill.

HILLBILLY

—   hillbilly (hil´bil´ē) (colloq., freq. pej.): unsophisticated person from a rural area (esp. a mountainous one) (also adj.)  >She heard that tale from some hillbilly she met in West Virginia.  >Do you really like that hillbilly music?

HILL OF BEANS

—   [neg.] a hill of beans (colloq.): very little money, an insignificant amount  >That offer doesn’t amount to a hill of beans. > What he earns recycling aluminum cans ain’t worth a hill of beans.

HILLS

—   (as) old as the hills (see OLD)

—   head for the hills (see HEAD)

HINKY

—   hinky1 (hing´kē) (sl.): of a suspicious nature, illegal or illicit  >The cops have started investigatin’ some hinky activity goin’ on at that nightclub.

—   hinky2 (sl.): suspicious-acting, suspect (also adv.):  >I don’t like that hinky character that’s been hangin’ around here.  >What’s up with Bertie? He’s been actin’ kinda hinky lately.

HIP

—   hip (sl.): up-to-date with the latest styles, socially valued, avant-garde  >It ain’t hip to take a date bowlin’.  >All the hip kids are wearin’ these.

—   be hip (sl.): be willing or interested (in doing s/thing)  >We were thinkin’ of cruisin’ the boulevard. Are ya hip?

—   hip (to) (sl.): aware or informed (of)  >Are ya hip to what’s goin’ on?  >Ya don’t got to explain it to me—I’m hip.

—   shoot from the hip (see SHOOT)

HIPPO

**   hippo (hip´ō) (colloq.): hippopotamus  >We saw a baby hippo in the water at the zoo.

HIPSTER

—   hipster (hip´stǝr) (sl.): young, trend-conscious urbanite (esp. a pretentious one):  >That new artsy fusion restaurant is popular with all the hipsters.

HIRE

 *    hire (colloq.): person hired  >Jackson’s our new hire in sales.

HIRED GUN

—   hired gun (colloq.): hired assassin, contract killer  >They got some hired gun to get rid of him.

HISSELF

—   hisself (hi self´/hiz self´) (colloq.): himself  >He told me so hisself.  >He helped hisself to more pie. 

HISSY FIT

—   hissy fit (his´ē fit´) (sl.): irrational angry outburst, tantrum >She threw a hissy fit when they wouldn’t let her in without a ticket. 

HISTORY

—   history (colloq.): past shared emotional experience or relationship (between or among people)  >The way they were acting, I’d say there’s some history between them.

 *    be history (sl.): be finished, be passé, be doomed  >Patricia and me? Na, that’s history.  >You screw up once more and you’re history around here.

HIT

—   hit1 (sl.): assassination, contract murder  >He did the hit, ditched the gun, and left town.

—   hit2 (sl.): puff of a marijuana cigarette  >Good grass! Wanna hit?

**   hit3 (vt) (colloq.): occur to, dawn on  >Then it hit me that she was flirting with me.

 *    hit4 (vt) (colloq.): arrive at, reach  >We hit the state line before midnight.  >Let’s hit Lester’s party and see what’s happening there.  >I bet I can hit a hundred in this car.

—   hit5 (vt) (sl.): rob, hold up  >Two gunmen hit the bank this morning.

—   hit6 (vt) (sl.): assassinate, attack in order to murder (esp. by contract)  >The gangster ordered three members of their family hit.

—   can’t hit the (broad) side of a barn (colloq.): have very poor aim, be very inaccurate (in shooting or throwing)  >I’m a real bad shot—can’t hit the side of a barn at twenty yards.

—   hit/strike a (raw) nerve (with) (see NERVE)

—   (hit) below the belt (see BELOW)

—   hit bottom (see BOTTOM)

 *    hit it (sl.): begin (s/thing), put (s/thing) into action or motion (esp. suddenly or forcefully)  >All right, maestro, hit it!  >I put the truck in low gear and hit it.

 *    hit it big (colloq.): win or earn a great deal, have great success (esp. fortuitously)  >Morgan really hit it big with that gadget he invented.

 *    hit it off (colloq.): gain a liking (for one another), be compatible, get along well  >Ted’s a nice guy—me and him hit it off right away.

 *    hit on1 (colloq.): discover (esp. through experimentation)  >One of the accountants hit on a way to process the billings a lot faster.

—   hit on2 (sl.): make sexual advances toward  >How can Mandy stand the singles bars with all the guys hittin’ on her all the time?

—   hit/strike pay dirt (see PAY DIRT)

—   hit the ... (sl.): drink (an alcoholic beverage) (esp. secretly or uncontrollably)  >He was sober for quite a while, but he’s hit the booze again.  >Who’s been hittin’ the cherry brandy?

—   hit the ball out of the park (colloq.): make a spectacularly successful move, do or say [s/thing] perfectly  > Everybody clapped and cheered when the candidate outlined his economic reforms—he really hit the ball out of the park with that.

 *    hit the books (colloq.): study hard  >We partied on Saturday and hit the books on Sunday.

 *    hit the bottle (sl.): drink heavily  >Look at Earl’s nose—I’d say he’s been hittin’ the bottle again.

—   hit the bricks (colloq.): walk the streets, go out in public on foot (esp. when working or searching)  >I’m going to hit the bricks until I come up with a job.

 *    hit the ceiling (colloq.): become furious, lose (one’s) temper  >Dad hit the ceiling when he saw my awful report card.

—   hit the deck1 (sl.): fall facedown on the ground (to avoid danger)  >When I saw the shed explode, I hit the deck.

—   hit the deck2 (sl.): get up out of bed (esp. early, esp. to begin work)  >Hit the deck, boys! We got work to do.

—   hit the dirt (sl.): fall facedown on the ground (to avoid danger)  >I hit the dirt when he pulled a gun.

 *    hit the fan (sl.): (for the neg. consequences to) occur, (for the inevitable scandal to) begin  >We can’t keep this quiet for long, and when it hits the fan, people are gonna get fired.

—   hit the hay (colloq.): go to bed  >I’m bushed. I’m going to hit the hay.

 *    hit the jackpot (colloq.): have a great stroke of luck, gain s/thing valuable (esp. by luck)  >That land’s worth twice what Emily paid for it—she really hit the jackpot there.  >You hit the jackpot when you married that great gal.

—   hit the nail on the head (colloq.): be exactly right, give the perfect analysis  >I think you hit the nail on the head when you said the crooked politicians are to blame.

—   hit/push the panic button (see PANIC BUTTON)

 *    hit the road (colloq.): start off (esp. on a trip), leave  >Let’s get up early. I want to hit the road by six.  >Hit the road, Jack! You’re givin’ me a headache.

—   hit the roof (colloq.): become furious, lose (one’s) temper  >Dad will hit the roof when he sees that bill.

—   hit the sack (sl.): go to bed  >I didn’t hit the sack till three in the morning.

—   hit the skids (sl.): start the process of ruin or failure, start becoming poor or deteriorated  >After Hank lost his job, he started drinkin’ heavy and really hit the skids.  >That part of town has hit the skids.

 *    hit the spot (colloq.): (for a drink or food to) satisfy a thirst or hunger  >Iced tea sure hits the spot on a hot afternoon.

—   hit the trail (colloq.): start off (esp. on a trip), leave  >It’s getting late—let’s hit the trail.

 *    hit [s/one] up (for [s/thing]) (sl.): ask [s/one] to lend or give (one [s/thing])  >Some bum on the street just hit me up for a couple of bucks.  >I’m never gonna get that raise. I hit the boss up today, and he gave me a bunch of excuses.

—   hit [s/one] with [s/thing]1 (sl.): serve [s/thing] to [s/one]  >When the dealer hit me with the third queen, I knew the pot was mine.  >Hey, barkeep, hit me with another beer.

—   hit [s/one] with [s/thing]2 (sl.): present [s/thing] to [s/one] (esp. an idea, proposal or information)  >When I hit the boss with my plan, he’s gonna love it.  >Wait till I hit ‘em with this news!

 *    [for] the shit [to] hit the fan (vulg.): [for] the negative consequences [to] occur, [for] the inevitable scandal [to] begin  >The shit’s really gonna hit the fan when the boss finds out about this!  >The press doesn’t know yet about the bribes the candidate took, but when the shit hits the fan he’ll have to withdraw from the race.

HITCH

—   hitch1 (colloq.): period of military service, military enlistment  >He did a hitch in the Army before going to college.

 *    hitch2 (vt) (colloq.): hitchhike (a ride or distance)  >We hitched a ride with a trucker.  >I hitched my way home.

HITCHED

—   get hitched (sl.): get married  >They ran off to Las Vegas to get hitched.

HIT MAN

 *    hit man (sl.): hired murderer  >They brought in a hit man from Cleveland to do the job.

HIT LIST

 *    hit list (sl.): list of persons or things to be attacked or eliminated, targets for disposal  >They’ve got a hit list of every prominent liberal in the state.  >Her wildlife study program is on the governor’s hit list for the next fiscal year.

HIYA

 *    hiya! (hī´yә) (colloq.): hello there! how are you?  >Hiya! How’re things at work?

HOCK

—   hock (hok) (vt) (colloq.): pawn  >He hocked his gold watch to pay off a gambling debt.

—   in/out of hock (colloq.): in/out of debt  >They really got in hock by overusing their credit cards.  >Once we pay this off, we’ll be out of hock.

HOG

—   high off/on the hog (see HIGH)

HOG HEAVEN

—   hog heaven (sl.): state or situation of great happiness, paradise  >Betty’ll be in hog heaven if she wins the contest. > Pullin’ trout outta the lake is hog heaven to Roger.

HOG-WILD

—   (go) hog-wild (colloq.): (become) overly excited or extremely enthusiastic  >The crowd went hog-wild when he started playing his big hit.  >How are we going to control a bunch of hog-wild kids?

HO-HUM

—   ho-hum (hō´hum´) (colloq.): boring, uninspiring, routine  >It was a ho-hum presentation full of clichés and generalizations.

HOKEY

—   hokey1 (hō´kē) (sl.): overly sentimental, trite  >Why do ya watch those hokey soap operas?

—   hokey2 (sl.): contrived, artificial, false  >Do ya really believe that hokey story about her mother bein’ a spy?

HOLD

—   get a hold of (see “get AHOLD of”)

—   hold all the cards (colloq.): be in control (of a situation), have the critical advantage  >The landowners are holding all the cards in this deal.

 *    hold down the fort (colloq.): take care of things (at home or a business) temporarily, govern or administer things temporarily  >You hold down the fort till I get back, OK?

—   hold [one’s] horses (colloq.): not be so impatient, not begin yet (freq. used as a command)  >Hold your horses! I’ll be with you in a minute.  >Tell him to hold his horses—the others aren’t ready yet.

—   hold it! (colloq.): stop! don’t proceed  >Hold it! You can’t go in yet.

 *    hold it down (colloq.): quiet down, stop making so much noise  >The cops showed up and told us to hold it down.

**   hold on (vi) (colloq.): wait, stop, not become impatient (freq. used as a command)  >Now, hold on a minute—that’s not the way it happened.  >Hold on there! What do you think you’re doing?  >Hold on. We’ll get this straightened out.

—   hold/hang on to your hat! (colloq.): prepare yourself! (for s/thing exciting or surprising)  >OK, here we go. Hold on to your hat!  > Hang on to your hat! Wait till you hear this!

 *    hold out (on) (colloq.): refrain from giving (s/one) what is expected or due, keep (s/thing) (from)  >That’s all the money you’ve got? If you’re holding out on me, you’re going to be in trouble.  >I’m sure there’s more to it than that—I think they’re holding out.

**   hold the (colloq.): not include (a certain part of a food order)  >Give me a cheeseburger and hold the onions.

—   hold the phone! (colloq.): wait! don’t proceed! not so fast! (used to express objections or reservations)  >Hold the phone! Don’t say I’m going to pay for it, because I’m not.

—   hold water (colloq.): be logical, stand up under examination, be provable (used esp. in the neg.)  >His alibi just doesn’t hold water.  >If the theory holds water, he’ll be famous.

 *    not hold [one’s] breath (colloq.): not wait if having unrealistic expectations (for s/thing to happen)  >He might ask you out again, but don’t hold your breath.

HOLDING

—   holding (vi) (sl.): in possession of illegal drugs  >He was holdin’ when they stopped him, so now he’s back in the slammer.

 *    leave [s/one] holding the bag (colloq.): leave [s/one] to suffer all the consequences or blame (while escaping one’s own responsibility)  >When they discovered the theft, Gabe took off and left his partner holding the bag.

HOLE

—   have a hole in [one’s] head (colloq.): be very foolish, be irrational  >You’ve got a hole in your head if you think I’m going to get involved in that fiasco.

—   hole up (vi) (colloq.): hide out, take refuge  >He holed up in a cabin in the mountains for three months while he finished his book.

 *    in/out of the hole (colloq.): in/out of debt, below/above the break-even amount  >We’re really in the hole this month.  >I came out twenty bucks in the hole at last night’s poker game.  >Two more paychecks and I’ll be out of the hole.

 *    need [s/thing] like ([one] needs) a hole in the head (colloq.): definitely not need [s/thing]  >Brenda needs that bum like she needs a hole in the head.  >I need your stupid advice like a hole in the head.

—   not know/can’t tell [one’s] ass from a hole in the ground (see KNOW)

—   not know/can’t tell [s/thing] from a hole in the ground (see KNOW)

HOLE IN THE WALL

—   hole in the wall (colloq.): small and modest shop or dwelling  >I don’t see how you can live in this dinky hole in the wall.

HOLLER

—   holler (vi) (colloq.): complain loudly  >The students are hollering about the fee increase.

—   give [s/one] a holler (colloq.): call or contact [s/one]  >Give me a holler if you need any help.

HOLY

—   holy cow! (sl.): (interj. to express surprise or wonder)  >Holy cow! Did ya see how fast he was goin’??

—   holy crap! (… krap) (sl., freq. vulg.): (interj. to express surprise, wonder, or irritation)  >Holy crap! Someone stole my wallet! 

—   holy mackerel! (sl.): (interj. to express surprise, wonder, or irritation)  >Holy mackerel! That lightning hit real close. > Holy mackerel! Can’t we change the subject?

—   holy moley! (see “HOLY moly!”)

—   holy moly! (... mō´lē) (sl.): (interj. to express surprise or wonder)  >Holy moly! My horse won!

 *    holy shit! (... shit) (vulg.): (interj. to express surprise, wonder, or irritation)  >Holy shit! That jerk went through a red light and almost creamed us!

—   holy smoke(s)! (sl.): (interj. to express surprise or wonder)  >Holy smoke! Did ya see how tall that gal was?

—   (holy) terror (see TERROR)

—   holy Toledo! (… tō lē´dō) (sl.): (interj. to express surprise or wonder)  >Holy Toledo! I can’t believe he just ate the whole pie by himself.

HOLY ROLLER

—   Holy Roller (colloq., pej.): member of a Christian sect whose services are marked by shouting and frenetic movement  >He said the Holy Rollers have set up a big tent outside of town.

HOMBRE

—   hombre (om´brā) (sl.): man (esp. seen as extraordinary)  >Boris is a real weird hombre.  >We need a tough hombre for this job.

HOME

—   nobody’s home (see NOBODY’S)

HOME BOY

 *    home boy (sl.): young man from (one’s) neighborhood (esp. a gang member from a poor neighborhood) (also voc.)  >I recognized him—he’s a home boy I know.  >Hey, home boy, what’s happenin’?

HOME EC

 *    home ec (... ek) (colloq.): home economics (esp. as a course of study)  >This semester he’s taking math, psych, English, and home ec, just for fun.

HOMEWORK

 *    do [one’s] homework (colloq.): prepare [oneself] through investigation, obtain pertinent information beforehand  >If you’d done your homework, you would have known this guy was likely to skip town without paying.

HOMIE

—   homie (hō´mē) (sl.): young man from (one’s) neighborhood (esp. a gang member from a poor neighborhood) (also voc.)  >The homies are nervous because the cops have been roustin’ ‘em.  >Yo, homie, what’s up?

HOMO

 *    homo (hō´mō) (sl., pej.): homosexual (also adj.)  >That dummy says only homos do that kinda work.  >He calls it a homo bar.

HON

 *    hon (hun) (voc.) (colloq.): sweetheart, dear  >Say, hon, where did you put the car keys?

HONCHO

—   honcho (hon´chō) (sl.): boss, chief, important person  >Some honcho from the main office is comin’ to this branch next week.  >He’s the head honcho around here.

HONEST

—   honest Injun! (... in´jәn) (colloq., freq. pej., dtd.): honestly! I’m telling the truth!  >I tell you he was carrying a gun. Honest Injun!

 *    honest to God! (colloq.): honestly! I’m telling the truth!  >I didn’t do it, honest to God!

HONESTLY

 *    honestly! (colloq.): (interj. to express mild annoyance or disbelief)  >Honestly! Do you have to use such language?

HONEST-TO-GOD

—   honest-to-God (colloq.): genuine, authentic, real  >I’ve never met an honest-to-God movie star.

HONEY

**   honey1 (colloq.): sweetheart, loved one (also voc.)  >I got to find me a new honey to love.  >What’s for dinner, honey?

 *    honey2 (voc.) (colloq., freq. pej.): (affectionate term of address, esp. by men toward women or older women toward younger people)  >File this contract for me right away, will you, honey?  >I’ll get your order in a minute, honey.

—   a honey (of a) (colloq.): an excellent or beautiful (example of s/thing)  >That’s a honey of a street bike you got there. > I’m glad I bought this old desk—it’s a honey.

HONEYBUNCH

—   honeybunch (colloq.): sweetheart, loved one (also voc.)  >How’s my honeybunch this morning?  >Good morning, honeybunch.

HONKER

—   honker (sl.): (person’s) large nose  >Did you see the honker on that guy she’s with?

HONKY

—   honky (hong´kē/hông´kē) (sl., pej.): white person (used esp. among blacks) (also adj.)  >He said he didn’t like honkies in his part of town.  >The jerk said I was givin’ him honky jive.

HONKY-TONK

—   honky-tonk (hong´kē tongk´/hông´kē tôngk´) (colloq.): cheap and rowdy night club or dance hall  >The cowboys spend most of their evenings at that honky-tonk.

HONOR

—   scout’s honor! (see SCOUT’S)

HOOCH

—   hooch (hūch) (sl.): liquor  >Hey, where do ya keep the hooch? I need a drink.

HOOD

—   hood (sl.): hoodlum, thug, criminal, ruffian  >We wanna have our streets safe from the hoods.

—   the hood (sl.): (one’s) neighborhood (esp. in a poor, urban setting)  >Some homie from the hood got me the job.

HOOEY

—   hooey (hū´ē) (sl.): nonsense, lie, false or exaggerated story (also interj.)  >That sounds like a lot of hooey to me.  >Hooey! I don’t believe a word of it.

HOOF

—   hoof it (sl.): walk (s/where)  >My car’s broke down—guess I’ll have to hoof it to work.

HOOK

 *    hook1 (vi) (sl.): engage in prostitution  >She’s been hookin’ around the convention hotels.

—   hook2 (vt) (colloq.): obtain, capture (esp. through contrivance or cleverness)  >I don’t know how she did it, but she hooked a great job with the city.  >She says she’s out to hook a rich man.

—   hook up (with)1 (sl.): meet (s/one)  >She and him hooked up in some bar on the south side.  >We can hook up with the others at Larry’s after work.

—   hook up (with)2 (sl.): have sex (with) (esp. casually)  >She’s only hooked up with a couple of guys since she’s been in college.  >They hooked up after they met at a party.

—   hook up with (colloq.): form an association with, join forces with  >Joey’s been getting in trouble ever since he hooked up with that hood.  >I want to hook up with a good firm where I can advance fast.

 *    off the hook (colloq.): freed of responsibility, no longer in trouble  >Martin confessed, so you’re off the hook.  >He wants me to get him off the hook by paying his tax bill.

—   on the hook (for) (colloq.): responsible (for) (esp. a financial obligation), owing  >If they find out that kid’s his, he’ll be on the hook for child support.  >That company’s going to be on the hook for over $10,000 in fines.

—   ring off the hook (see RING)

—   swallow [s/thing] hook, line, and sinker (see SWALLOW)

HOOKED

 *    hooked (on) (colloq.): addicted to, obsessed with, very enthusiastic about  >He’s hooked on cigarettes.  >She’s gotten hooked on some daytime soap opera.  >The first time I ate Thai food I was hooked.

HOOKER

**   hooker (sl.): prostitute  >She was a hooker in Vegas for a couple of years.

HOOKS

—   get [one’s] hooks into (sl.): gain control over, come to dominate  >Once he gets his hooks into her, she ain’t got a chance.  >They can’t wait to get their hooks into his business.

HOOKY

—   play hooky (... hŭk´ē) (colloq.): be absent without permission, be truant  >Billy was playing hooky while his classmates were taking a test.  >We missed you at work yesterday. Were you playing hooky?

HOOPLA

 *    hoopla1 (hūp´lä´) (colloq.): misleading or confusing talk or writing  >It’s hard to understand the issues with all the hoopla surrounding them.

—   hoopla2 (colloq.): commotion, noisy excitement  >What was all the hoopla about in front of your house last night?

HOOPS

—   jump through hoops (see JUMP)

HOOSEGOW

—   the hoosegow (... hūs´gou) (sl.): jail  >The sheriff threw him into the hoosegow till he sobered up.

HOOT

—   a hoot (... hūt) (sl.): a great time, a great deal of fun  >Ridin’ that roller coaster was a hoot.

—   give a hoot (colloq.): be concerned, care, take interest (freq. used in the neg.)  >Don’t ask him which color he wants because he doesn’t give a hoot.

HOOTCH

—   hootch (see “HOOCH”)

HOOTERS

—   hooters (hū´tәrz) (sl., freq. vulg.): large (woman’s) breasts  >All the men were just starin’ at her hooters. 

HOOT OWL

—   crazier than a hoot owl (see CRAZIER) 

HOP

—   hop1 (colloq., dtd.): dance, dance party  >They used to like to dance at the hops they held in the gym.

 *    hop2 (vi, vt) (colloq.): board (a vehicle)  >We hopped on a bus downtown.  >I hopped a plane to Denver last Monday.

—   hop3 (vi) (colloq.): move or travel frequently (from place to place)  >I quit that job because I got tired of hopping all over the country making sales presentations.

—   hop4 (vi) (sl.): be full of noisy or exciting activity, have a festive atmosphere  >Things’ll start hoppin’ once people have a few drinks.

 *    a hop, skip, and a jump (colloq.): a short distance  >Come on over—we live just a hop, skip, and a jump from there.

—   jump/hop/get on the bandwagon (see BANDWAGON)

 *    hop to it (colloq.): start moving or working immediately and energetically  >We’d better hop to it if we’re going to finish this today.

—   hop up (vt) (sl.): modify (an engine) to make (it) more powerful  >It’s a stock engine now, but he’ll hop it up for racing.

HOPE

—   I hope to tell you! (colloq.): I agree completely! it’s certainly true!  >I hope to tell you she’s beautiful! She’s a knockout!

HOPPED-UP

—   hopped-up1 (sl.): with an engine modified for more power  >He runs around town in his hopped-up pickup.

—   hopped-up2 (sl.): intoxicated, highly stimulated (esp. by an illicit drug)  >I don’t know what he was hopped-up on, but he was high as a kite.

HOPPER

—   in the hopper (colloq.): being prepared or planned, being developed or processed  >They got some new ad campaign in the hopper that they’re going to launch in September.  >She’s got another baby in the hopper? I thought she was on birth control.

HOPPING

—   hopping mad (colloq.): very angry  >Gracie was hopping mad after her argument with that rude clerk.

HORN

—   blow/toot [one’s] own horn (see BLOW)

—   horn in (vi) (sl.): intrude, participate without invitation, push (s/one) aside to take (his/her) place  >Every time I try to talk to her, that jerk horns in and ruins it.  >I don’t want ‘em hornin’ in on my territory.

—   on the horn (sl.): on the telephone  >Get on the horn to Memphis and tell ‘em to hold that shipment.

HORNET

—   (as) mad as a hornet (see MAD)

HORNS

—   lock horns (see LOCK)

HORNSWOGGLE

—   hornswoggle (hôrn´swog´әl) (vt) (sl.): trick, deceive, swindle  >Nobody tries to hornswoggle me and gets away with it!

HORNY

**   horny (sl., freq. vulg.): lustful, feeling the need for sexual release  >The sailors came back from three weeks at sea horny as hell.

HORROR STORY

 *    horror story (colloq.): recounting of a distressing experience  >She had horror stories about the cost of traveling in Europe that year.

HORSE

—   horse (sl.): heroin  >The cops busted him for dealin’ horse.

—   could eat a horse (see EAT)

—   eat like a horse (see EAT)

 *    horse around (vi) (colloq.): spend time playfully, engage in horseplay, play innocent pranks  >I don’t want you kids horsing around in the living room.  >We’re just horsing around with Sammy. We wouldn’t hurt him.

HORSEFEATHERS

—   horsefeathers! (colloq.): nonsense! that’s a lie! I don’t believe it!  >Horsefeathers! He doesn’t know a word of Chinese, much less speak it fluently.

HORSES

—   horses (colloq.): horsepower  >How many horses you got under the hood there?

—   (a team of) wild horses couldn’t (see WILD)

—   hold [one’s] horses (see HOLD)

HORSE’S ASS

—   horse’s ass (freq. vulg.): foolish or stupid person, person who behaves obnoxiously  >Her husband’s a real horse’s ass, flirtin’ with other women right in front of her.

HORSE SENSE

—   horse sense (colloq.): common sense  >Anyone with a little horse sense ought to be able to figure this out.

HORSESHIT

—   horseshit1 (hôrs´shit´/hôrsh´it´) (vulg.): nonsense, lie, false or exaggerated story (also adj., also interj.)  >Him bein’ an English earl is horseshit.  >Ya didn’t believe that horseshit story, did ya?  >That clown, a psychiatrist? Horseshit!

—   horseshit2 (vulg.): annoying or tedious work or demands (also adj.)  >The horseshit ya gotta go through to get licensed is unbelievable.  >Why do I have to take some horseshit aptitude test?

HORSE’S MOUTH

 *    (straight/right) from the horse’s mouth (colloq.): from the original or most authoritative source (said of information)  >I got it straight from the horse’s mouth that the company’s going to be sold. > Believe it! It comes from the horse’s mouth.

HORSE-TRADE

—   horse-trade (vi) (colloq.): negotiate or barter shrewdly, bargain hard  >Old man Harkins loves to horse-trade at swap meets.

HORSE TRADING

—   horse trading (colloq.): shrewd negotiating or bartering, hard bargaining  >We did some horse trading and finally came away with a deal. 

HOSED

—   be hosed (sl.): be doomed, be destined to suffer harm or ruin  >If ya don’t pay him back on time you’re hosed. 

—   get hosed (sl.): suffer harm or ruin (esp. by being cheated)  >They got hosed on that deal and ended up losing a couple of thousand bucks. 

HOT

**   hot1 (colloq.): very popular or successful, much sought after  >Everyone’s talking about this hot new star.  >This style’s really hot this year.

 *    hot2 (sl.): having luck, on a winning streak, playing successfully  >Deal the cards! I’m hot tonight.  >Kyle’s not one of their best players, but he was sure hot last night.

 *    hot3 (sl.): stolen  >He’s tryin’ to sell that car real cheap—I think it’s hot.

 *    hot4 (sl.): sexually aroused  >She got him all hot, then left with another guy.

 *    hot5 (colloq.): fast and powerful (said of a vehicle)  >He hopped up his old Ford and now it’s really hot.

 *    hot6 (colloq.): exciting, sensational, scandalous  >Who’s that hot chick I saw you with?  >I’ve heard the hottest rumor about Reverend Billings!

 *    hot7 (colloq.): very eager or anxious, desirous  >He’s really hot to try out his new motorboat.  >Johnny’s hot for a camping trip this summer.  >I’m not so hot on that idea.

—   hot8 (colloq.): dangerous, risky  >It got a little hot for him covering the war, so he came back to the States.

—   hot9 (colloq.): very angry  >Everett found out they lied to him, and is he ever hot!

 *    (all) hot and bothered1 (colloq.): very angry or upset  >Now, don’t go getting hot and bothered—I’ll fix it good as new.

—   (all) hot and bothered2 (sl.): very excited or aroused  >The girls are all hot and bothered over that hunk of an actor.

—   hot and cold (colloq.): inconsistent, at times good and at times bad (also adv.)  >He gave a hot and cold performance. > We played hot and cold but finally won by two points.

 *    hot and heavy (colloq.): passionate, intense, vehement (also adv.)  >He’s got some hot and heavy thing going with his dentist.  >They’ve been going at it pretty hot and heavy, but they haven’t come to blows yet.

—   hot damn! (sl., freq. vulg.): wonderful! hurrah!  >Hot damn! I won five hundred bucks in the lottery!

—   hot to trot (sl., freq. vulg.): eager to have sex, very aroused sexually  >The way he’s actin’ around that babe, I’d say he’s hot to trot.

 *    hot under the collar (colloq.): very angry, furious  >Boy, was Jim hot under the collar when he found out what they’d been doing behind his back.

—   make it hot for (colloq.): cause trouble or create difficulties for  >The company honchos are going to make it hot for him when they find out he’s organizing a union.

—   piping hot (see PIPING)

**   [neg.] so hot (colloq.): bad, poor, inferior (also adv.)  >She liked the movie, but I didn’t think it was so hot. > After all that pizza I ate I don’t feel so hot.

HOT AIR

 *    hot air (colloq.): empty or pretentious talk, boasting  >That business about him going all over the country to speak is a bunch of hot air.

HOT CAKES

 *    sell/go like hot cakes (colloq.): be bought at a fast rate, be doing very well on the market  >Condos were selling like hot cakes in the suburbs that year.

HOT DOG

—   hot dog (sl.): person who shows off with difficult stunts (requiring athletic ability)  >We don’t need no hot dogs on the court—we need team players.

—   hot (diggety) dog! (... dig´ә tē ...) (colloq.): wonderful! hurrah!  >Hot diggety dog! She loves me!  >I got the job! Hot dog!

HOT-DOG

—   hot-dog (vi) (sl.): perform difficult stunts, show off (in athletic ability)  >He went hot-doggin’ down the slopes doin’ every trick he knew.

HOTFOOT

—   hotfoot it (colloq.): go quickly, run  >I want you to hotfoot it to Chris’s and tell her that her mom needs her right now.

HOT NUMBER

—   hot number (sl.): very sexy or attractive person  >He’s been goin’ out with a hot number—a former Miss Idaho!

HOT PANTS

—   have hot pants (for) (sl., freq. vulg.): be eager to have sex (with), be very aroused sexually (by)  >He’s got hot pants for some bimbo that works in his office.

HOT POTATO

—   hot potato (colloq.): difficult issue, unpleasant matter or thorny problem to deal with  >Sex education’s a hot potato that neither candidate wants to deal with.

HOT PROPERTY

—   hot property (colloq.): very popular or valuable person  >She’s been a real hot property around Hollywood ever since she starred in that big hit.

HOT ROD

—   hot rod (sl.): automobile modified to be fast and powerful  >Ya know that kid that zooms around town in his hot rod?

HOT-ROD

 *    hot-rod (vi, vt) (sl.): drive (an automobile) very fast  >The cops don’t like us hot-roddin’ in the residential neighborhoods.  >He hot-rodded his Chevy all over town.

HOTS

 *    have the hots (for) (... hots ...) (sl., freq. vulg.): be eager to have sex (with), be very aroused sexually (by)  >He’s got the hots for some babe at work, but she ain’t interested.

HOT SEAT

—   the hot seat1 (colloq.): an uncomfortable situation, a distressing position (esp. where one has to make a hard decision)  >The new board member’s in the hot seat on this one because she has to cast the deciding vote.

—   the hot seat2 (sl., dtd.): the electric chair, death by electrocution in the electric chair  >If he’s convicted of murder one, he’ll probably get the hot seat.

HOT SHIT

 *    think [one] is hot shit (... shit) (vulg.): mistakenly believe that [one] is extraordinary or superior, be arrogant and conceited  >She thinks she’s hot shit just ‘cause she aced the test.  >Look at Lee strut—he really thinks he’s hot shit.

 *    think [s/one] is hot shit (vulg.): mistakenly believe that [s/one] is extraordinary or superior  >Pauline thinks her boyfriend’s hot shit, but if ya ask me, he’s an idiot.

HOTSHOT

 *    hotshot (sl.): person who is skilled or talented (at s/thing) (esp. one who is conceited or ostentatious) (also adj.)  >Ya ever see him play tennis? He’s a hotshot, all right, and he knows it. > The thug’s got him some hotshot lawyer who’ll probably get the charges dropped.

HOT SPOT

—   hot spot (colloq.): area where there is danger, place of ongoing contention  >Gang activity has made that part of town a real hot spot.

HOT STUFF

 *    hot stuff (sl.): person or thing that causes great interest or excitement  >She’s hot stuff in country music. > That new movie about the Civil War is really hot stuff now. 

HOTTY

—   hotty (hä´tē) (sl.): very sexually attractive person (esp. a woman)  >Bret showed up at the party with a hotty that had all the guys droolin’. 

HOT WATER

 *    in hot water (colloq.): in trouble, in a difficult situation  >You’ll be in hot water if you don’t pay them back on time.

HOT-WIRE

 *    hot-wire (vt) (sl.): start (an automobile) by short-circuiting the ignition  >The thief hot-wired an old pickup and took off in it.

HOUND

 *    hound (vt) (colloq.): nag or constantly urge (s/one to do s/thing)  >The bill collectors have been hounding them. > She’s been hounding me to see a doctor, so I made an appointment.

—   ... hound (colloq.): ... devotee, lover of ...  >All the rock hounds gathered at the gem show.  >He’s a real jazz hound. You should see his CD and record collection.

HOUSE

—   bring down the house/the house down (see BRING)

—   eat [s/one] out of house and home (see EAT)

—   like a house afire (colloq.): intensely, wholeheartedly  >They worked like a house afire to get the patio ready in time for the party.

**   on the house (colloq.): provided free of charge by the establishment  >You pay for the first two, and the third’s on the house.

HOW

 *    and how! (colloq.): most certainly! extremely so!  >Sure I want to see that play, and how!

 *    how about ...! (colloq.): (interj. to express surprise, wonder, or admiration regarding ...)  >How about that! I have the winning ticket.  >How about those Bears! Ain’t they something this season?

—   how(are) they/how’s it hanging? (see HANGING)

**   how come? (colloq.): why? for what reason? how is it that?  >How come you didn’t call me last night like you said you would?

—   how do you like them apples? (see THEM)

 *    how goes it? (colloq.): how is it going? how are things?  >What do you say, Warner? How goes it?

—   how is [s/one] fixed for ...? (see FIXED)

—   how [s/thing] shakes out (see SHAKE)

—   (how) you cut/slice it (see CUT)

HOW-DO-YOU-DO

—   a fine how-do-you-do (colloq., sarc.): (another’s) unexpectedly disappointing or unpleasant behavior, an unjustly unpleasant situation  >He wouldn’t lend me the book. That’s a fine how-do-you-do after all I’ve done for him.

HOWDY

—   howdy! (hou´dē) (colloq.): hello! hi!  >Howdy! How y’all doing?

HOWL

—   howl (vi) (sl.): laugh hard  >That movie was so funny! It had everyone howlin’.

HOWLING

—   howling success (colloq.): absolute success  >Their exhibit was a howling success.

HOW’S

 *    how’s that? (intonation rising on that) (colloq.): what? pardon me? please repeat that!  >How’s that? I didn’t hear you.

—   how’s tricks? (sl.): how are things going? how are you doing?  >Hey, Stan, how’s tricks?

HOYLE

—   according to Hoyle (see ACCORDING)

HUBBA-HUBBA

—   hubba-hubba! (hub´ә hub´ә) (sl., dtd.): (interj. to express approval or delight; esp. used in a sexist way by a man regarding an attractive woman)  >Hubba-hubba! What a doll!

HUBBY

 *    hubby (hub´ē) (colloq.): husband  >Ladies, be sure to bring your hubbies to the awards banquet.

HUCKSTER

—   huckster (huk´stәr) (sl.): aggressively persuasive person (esp. a salesperson), person able to talk people into things  >He let some huckster talk him into an extended warranty that’s gonna cost him nearly a thousand bucks.

HUH

 *    huh! (hu/hũ) (colloq.): (interj. to express disbelief or contempt)  >Huh! I just bet he was sorry. > Huh! I don’t give a damn.

**   huh? (colloq.): what? would you repeat that? are you joking?  >Huh? What did you say?  >Huh? She actually slapped the judge?

HUH-UH

**   huh-uh (hu´u/hũ´ũ) (colloq.): no  >Huh-uh—I haven’t seen him.

HUMDINGER

—   humdinger (hum´ding´әr) (colloq.): excellent or remarkable example (of s/thing), extraordinary person or thing  >That was a humdinger of a party last night, Joe. > That new salesman’s a humdinger. He sold eight houses his first month.

HUMONGOUS

—   humongous (hyū mung´gәs) (sl.): extremely large  >There was a humongous traffic jam on the freeway this morning.

HUMP

—   hump (vi, vt) (vulg.): have sex (with)  >He said they humped all night.  >Jerry said he humped her on the couch.

—   bust [one’s] hump (see BUST)

HUMUNGOUS

—   humungous (see “HUMONGOUS”)

HUNG

—   hung (vulg.): having a large penis  >He says he’s hung like a stallion.

**   hung over (colloq.): suffering from a hangover  >Was I ever hung over the morning after the party!

**   hung up (on) (sl.): obsessed (with), having a psychological block or complex (regarding)  >The poor slob’s really hung up on that woman.  >Do ya really wanna get involved with a hung up jerk like him?

HUNGRY

 *    hungry (for) (colloq.): feeling a strong need (for), aggressively seeking a chance (at)  >The company’s hungry for a new contract.  >The guy’ll probably take a low offer because he’s hungry.

HUNK

 *    hunk (sl.): handsome man (esp. a well-built one)  >You should see the hunk she’s goin’ out with!

—   hunk/pile/piece of junk (see JUNK)

HUNKER

—   hunker (down) (hung´kәr ...) (vi) (colloq.): hunch down, be squatting  >They were hunkered under a low overhang during the storm.  >See if you can hunker down in those bushes and stay out of sight.

—   hunker down (vi) (colloq.): become resolute, take a firm attitude (esp. when encountering opposition or when needing to become productive)  >They tried to convince him, but he hunkered down and wouldn’t budge.  >We got to hunker down and finish this, no matter what.

HUNKY-DORY

—   hunky-dory (hung´kē dôr´ē/dōr´ē) (sl., freq. hum.): fine, very satisfactory, going well  >Trudy says everything’s just hunky-dory at home.

HURL

—   hurl (vt, vi) (sl.): vomit  >Grady just hurled that cheap wine he’d been drinkin’.  >Stop the car quick! I gotta hurl!

HURT

—   wouldn’t hurt a fly/flea (colloq.): is harmless, is completely nonviolent  >He talks tough, but he’s really an old softy that wouldn’t hurt a fly.

HURTING

 *    hurting (for) (colloq.): in great need (of), desperate (for)  >Contractors are hurting for work in this town.  >I need a loan bad—I’m really hurting.

HUSH-HUSH

 *    hush-hush (colloq.): very confidential, secret  >This weapons test is a real hush-hush operation.

HUSH MONEY

—   hush money (colloq.): bribe (to keep s/one from divulging s/thing illicit)  >There was a crooked cop getting hush money from the drug dealers.

HUSTLE

—   hustle1 (hus´әl) (colloq.): hurriedness, quick or energetic pace  >You got to put a little more hustle in your step to keep up.

—   hustle2 (colloq.): aggressive work routine, competitive struggle  >I’m getting tired of the constant hustle at the office.

—   hustle3 (sl.): swindle, deception, trick  >He tried the old five-dollar-bill hustle on ya, huh?

 *    hustle4 (vi) (colloq.): work alertly and aggressively, be continually competitive  >You really got to hustle to get ahead in this business.  >The good salesmen know how to hustle.

 *    hustle5 (vi) (colloq.): move quickly or energetically  >We’d better hustle if we’re going to catch the early show.  >She was hustling around the kitchen all day.

 *    hustle6 (vt) (sl.): sell aggressively (to)  >He got a job hustlin’ magazines door-to-door.  >Don’t let ‘em hustle ya into buyin’ a car ya don’t really want.

—   hustle7 (vi) (sl.): engage in prostitution  >She hustles to support her drug habit.

—   hustle8 (vt) (sl.): make sexual advances toward, make a sexual conquest of  >There’s horny Greg tryin’ to hustle that cute redhead.

—   hustle9 (vt) (sl.): swindle, cheat, deceive  >Ya got hustled by that guy—these tickets were for last week.  >They hustled him outta ten bucks.

—   hustle10 (vt) (sl.): steal, obtain illicitly  >Where’d ya hustle this expensive watch?

HUSTLER

 *    hustler1 (hus´lәr) (colloq.): aggressive and ambitious worker  >You won’t make much in commissions unless you’re a hustler.

—   hustler2 (sl.): swindler, trickster  >He was a big-time hustler in the precious metals racket.  >A pool hustler took him for fifty bucks.

HUTZPA

—   hutzpa (see “CHUTZPA”)

HYMIE

—   Hymie (hī´mē) (sl., pej.): Jew  >She caught hell for callin’ Maury a Hymie.

HYPE

 *    hype1 (hīp) (colloq.): exaggerated or false advertising, deception  >Don’t fall for some public relations hype!

 *    hype2 (vt) (colloq.): promote or advertise with exaggeration, promote with false claims or fanfare  >I’m sick of hearing those campaign workers hyping their candidates.

 *    hype up (vt) (colloq.): excite, enthuse  >What a speaker! He got the audience all hyped up over his programs.

HYPER

**   hyper (hī´pәr) (colloq.): high-strung, overexcitable or overexcited, obsessed  >That kid’s hyper. How does his mother control him?  >Marv is hyper about his new ball club.

HYSTERICAL

 *    hysterical (colloq.): very funny  >You should see this comedian—she’s hysterical.