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.
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.