Dictionary of English Idioms & Idiomatic Expressions | لیست کامل اصطلاحات انگلیسی همراه با مثال

[Greight]

from Idioms

from A to Z

- everything about something
The man knows about cars from A to Z.

from cradle to grave

- from birth to death
The government looks after its citizens with good medical care from cradle to grave.

from dawn to dusk

- from the rising of the sun to the setting of the sun
The farmworkers worked from dawn to dusk everyday in order to pick the lettuce crop.

from day to day

- one day at a time
We did not know from day to day if the weather would be good enough for the birthday picnic.

from door to door

- moving from one door to another
The children went from door to door to collect money for the earthquake victims.

from hand to hand

- from one person to another person and then to another
We passed the papers from hand to hand until they were all distributed.

from head to toe

- from the top of one's head to one's feet
The boy was covered in mud from head to toe.

from near and far

- from all around
The people came from near and far to see the new stadium.

from now on

- from this moment forward
From now on I will study Italian every day.

from rags to riches

- from poverty to wealth
The family went from rags to riches when oil was discovered on their farm.

from scratch

- from the very beginning
He decided to build the house from scratch.

from side to side

- moving from one side to the other again and again
The boat was rocking from side to side during the big storm.

from start to finish

- from the beginning to the end
The welcoming dinner was a great success from start to finish .

from stem to stern

- from one end to the other, from the front to the back of a ship
The boat was damaged from stem to stern after the big storm.

from the bottom of one`s heart

- with great feeling, sincerely
I thanked the doctor from the bottom of my heart for helping my daughter when she was sick.

from the ground up

- from the beginning (as in building a house or other building or a business)
My uncle built his business from the ground up.

from the heart

- sincerely, honestly
The boy gave his girlfriend some flowers with a message from the heart.

from the outset

- from the beginning
I knew from the outset that the recipe would be loved by everybody.

from the top

- from the beginning
"Let's take it from the top and begin again."

from the word go

- from the beginning
From the word go we knew that there would be problems with the new contract.

from time to time

- occasionally
We go to that restaurant from time to time.

from tip to toe

- from the top to the bottom
We made an effort to clean the statue from tip to toe.

from way back

- since a long time ago, for a long time
I know my friend from way back. In fact, we went to elementary school together.

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fruits of one's labor

- the results of one's work
We decided to enjoy the fruits of our labor so we went on a long holiday to Europe.

full-fledged

- complete, having everything that is needed to be something
My cousin became a full-fledged nurse before she went to Saudi Arabia to work for a year.

full of beans

- to be in high spirits, to be energetic
My aunt is full of beans today. She must be excited about something.

full of hot air

- to be full of nonsense, to be talking nonsense
I knew that the man was full of hot air when he began to tell us how to make lots of money.

full of it

- to be full of nonsense
I thought that the woman was full of it when she told me that the business was closed.

full of oneself

- to be conceited, to be self-important
The girl was full of herself and would only talk about things that were important to her.

full steam ahead

- with as much energy and enthusiasm as possible
It was full steam ahead with the project to build the new stadium.

fun and games

- a very difficult task (often used ironically)
It was fun and games today when I wrote my two final exams.

funny bone

- the place at the back of the elbow that tingles when hit
I hit my funny bone today and it still hurts a little.

funny business

- illegal activity
The truck driver was involved in some funny business that was probably illegal.

funny ha-ha

- amusing, comical
It was not funny ha-ha but it was still a little bit amusing.

[Greight]

gain ground

- to go forward, to make progress
The toy company is gaining ground in their effort to sell more products.

game that two can play

- a good or bad strategy that two competing sides can both use
The insults from my friend are a game that two can play and if she wants to continue then so can I.

gang up on (someone)

- to attack someone in a group
The children tried to gang up on the boy but he ran away.

gas up

- to fill up a gas tank
We must gas up before we leave on our holiday tomorrow.

gear up for (something)

- to prepare for something
The city is gearing up for the Olympic games.

gee whiz

- used as an exclamation to show surprise or other strong feelings
"Gee whiz! Are we really going to go to France for our holiday?"

generous to a fault

- to be too generous
My friend is generous to a fault and he sometimes gives too much to his friends.
get Idioms

get a bang out of (someone or something)

- to receive special pleasure from someone or something
My father gets a bang out of the funny birthday cards that we send him.

get a break

- to get an opportunity or good deal
I got a break when my friend sold me his car for a cheap price.

get a bright idea

- to have a clever thought or idea occur to you (often used as sarcasm)
My father got the bright idea that he should buy a motorcycle.

get a checkup

- to receive a physical examination by a doctor
I go to the doctor every year to get a checkup.

get a clean bill of health

- to be pronounced healthy by a doctor
I got a clean bill of health when I went to see the doctor.

get a dirty look from (someone)

- to receive a frown from someone
I got a dirty look from the man who was sitting next to my crying child.

get a feel for (something)

- to become accustomed to something and learn how it works, to learn how to do something
I am beginning to get a feel for my new job.

get a fix on (something)

- to receive a reading of a distant object by electronic means
We were able to get a fix on the island and took the boat safely to the harbor.

get a foothold (somewhere)

- to find a starting point somewhere
The new political party is beginning to get a foothold in the big cities.

get a grasp of (something)

- to begin to understand something
I am beginning to get a grasp of how to operate the new computer system.

get a grip of oneself

- to take control of one`s feelings
The man got a grip of himself and calmed down.

get a head start (on someone or something)

- to start earlier than someone or something, to start earlier than usual
We tried to get a head start on our holiday.

get a kick out of (someone or something)

- to enjoy someone or something
My father got a kick out of seeing his old school friend.

get a load of (someone or something)

- to take a good look at someone or something
"Get a load of that man over there with the four dogs."

get a load off one's feet

- to sit down and relax
I sat down and tried to get a load off my feet.

get a load off one's mind

- to express what one is thinking or worried about
I talked with my supervisor and was able to get a load off my mind regarding our recent conflict.

get a lot of mileage out of (something)

- to get much use from something (like a car)
I hope to get a lot of mileage out of the new sneakers that I bought last week.

get a lump in one's throat

- to feel like there is something in one's throat (like you are going to cry)
My sister got a lump in her throat when she watched her daughter's graduation.

get a move on

- to hurry up
"Please get a move on. We are already three hours late."

get a raw deal

- to receive unfair or bad treatment
The secretary got a raw deal when she was forced to work late everyday.

get a rise out of (someone)

- to tease or have fun with someone by making him or her angry or annoyed
We got a rise out of the teacher when we opened the window in the cold weather.

get a slap on the wrist

- to receive a light punishment for doing something wrong
The judge gave the boy a slap on the wrist and decided not to punish him severely for his crime.

get a suntan

- to make your skin browner/darker by exposing it to the rays of the sun
The girl went to the beach to get a suntan.

get a toehold (somewhere)

- to find a starting point somewhere
The new political party is beginning to get a toehold in rural areas.

get a whiff of (something)

- to learn a little about something (almost by chance)
Whenever the reporters get a whiff of a scandal they become excited and start asking questions.

get a wiggle on

- to hurry up, to get going
"Get a wiggle on. I want to arrive at the party before the other guests."

get a word in

- to find a chance to say something when others are talking
The customer could not get a word in while talking to the salesman.

get a word in edgewise

- to manage to join a conversation
I could not get a word in edgewise so I left the meeting.

get across (something) to (someone)

- to explain or say something so that someone can understand it
It was difficult to get across the importance of the school safety rules to the children.

get after (someone) to do (something)

- to urge someone to do something that he or she should do but has neglected
I will get after the repairman to fix the computer as soon as he returns.

get ahead

- to advance or be successful
The woman works hard at her job in order to get ahead.

get ahead of (oneself)

- to do or say something sooner than you should
I was getting ahead of myself when I started asking questions about the job that I did not have.

get ahold of (someone or something)

- to make contact with someone, to obtain something
I have been trying very hard to get ahold of my old high school teacher.

get along

- to leave
It`s late so I must get along now.

get along in years

- to grow older
My parents are getting along in years but they are still very healthy.

get along on (something)

- to manage to survive or do well with something
My friend is able to get along on very little money.
The young woman gets along on her good looks very well.

get along on a shoestring

- to manage with very little money
I had to get along on a shoestring during university.

get along (with someone)

- to have a good relationship with someone
I get along with everybody at my company.

get an earful

- to hear much talk/criticism/complaints about something
Our boss got an earful when he asked the employees if they had any complaints.

get around

- to go to different places, to move about
My friend gets around and has been to many different cities.

get around to (do something)

- to finally find time to do something
The apartment manager finally got around to fixing our bath.

get at (someone or something)

- to attack or hit someone or something
Our dog tried to get at the other dog.

get at (something)

- to mean something
I do not know what the man was trying to get at during the meeting.

get away

- to succeed in leaving, to escape
I was able to get away from work early so I went shopping.

get away from it all

- to go on a holiday
We want to get away from it all this summer and relax somewhere.

get away with murder

- to do something very bad without being caught or punished
The students were able to get away with murder while the substitute teacher was in the school.

get away with (something)

- to do something that one should not do and not get caught
The criminal got away with stealing the money and was never caught.

get back

- to return
We got back from London early yesterday afternoon.

get back at (someone)

- to do something bad to someone who has done something bad to you
The girl is angry at her boyfriend and she is getting back at him by not answering the telephone.

get back to (someone)

- to communicate something to someone at a later time, to contact someone later
We were very careful that our complaints did not get back to the school principal.

get back to (something)

- to return to something
I needed a rest before I could get back to my work.

get back together (with someone)

- to resume a relationship or marriage after separating
The couple got back together after separating for three months.

get behind

- to fail to maintain a desired pace or level of progress, to become late
If you get behind with your homework you will never pass many courses.

get behind (a person or idea)

- to support/help someone or something
Many people decided to get behind the candidate who promised to cut taxes.

get better

- to improve one's skill at doing something, to improve one's health
The little boy is getting better at riding his bicycle.

get by (on something)

- to be able to satisfy your needs with a certain amount of something (usually related to money)
The man is able to get by on his salary because he does not spend much money.

get carried away

- to be overcome by emotion or enthusiasm, to lose one's control or judgement
I got carried away yesterday and cleaned all of my apartment.

get close to (someone)

- to become close friends with someone
The woman tried very hard to get close to her youngest daughter.

get close to (something)

- to be almost as good as something, to almost reach or arrive at a goal
The charity is getting close to the final amount of money that they expect to collect.

get cold feet

- to become afraid at the last minute
The student got cold feet and cancelled his plans to go to China.

get cracking

- to hurry up, to start moving fast, to get started
We must get cracking on this job if we want to finish it before dinner.

get down to brass tacks

- to begin discussing/doing something immediately
"Let`s get down to brass tacks and finish this job quickly."

get down to business

- to begin to get serious
When the meeting began everybody got down to business and began to discuss the important issues.

get down to (something)

- to get started to do something
"Let`s get down to work so we can go home early."

get down to the nitty-gritty

- to get down to the facts
The teacher called us into her office to get down to the nitty-gritty of what had happened earlier.

get dressed up

- to put on one's best clothes
I usually get dressed up when I go to a nice restaurant.

get engaged (to/with someone)

- to make a plan to marry someone
My cousin decided to get engaged last month.

get even (with someone)

- to get revenge on someone
My sister wants to get even with her friend for being late for the concert.

the get-go

- the beginning
Right from the get-go I did not like the new manager.

get going

- to begin, to act, to go
"Let's get going and begin to clean the house."

get going

- to become excited/angry
When the man gets going he will never stop complaining.

get hold of (someone)

- to find a person so that you can speak with him or her
I tried to get hold of my brother last week but he was out of town.

get hold of (something)

- to get possession of something
"If you get hold of a dictionary, could you please let me borrow it for a few minutes."

get in on (something)

- to become involved in something
My friend wants to get in on the planning of the summer festival.

get in on the ground floor

- to start at the beginning of something (in hopes of future gain)
I am hoping to get in on the ground floor of the new company.

get in (someone's) hair

- to bother or irritate someone
The woman complained that her young child was always getting in her hair.

get in touch with someone

- to contact someone
I plan to get in touch with my friend when I arrive in New York in August.

get into a jam

- to become involved in trouble or a problem
I got into a jam when I lost the keys to my apartment.

get into a stew about/over (someone or something)

- to be worried or upset about someone or something
My mother is getting into a stew about my aunt not phoning.

get into hot water

- to get into trouble or difficulty
We got into hot water when they found us in the building after it had closed.

get into (something)

- to become interested or involved in something
I do not want to get into an argument with my friend.
We will get into the details of the plan tomorrow.

get into (somewhere)

- to enter somewhere
My friend wants to get into a good university.
I bumped my head as I was getting into the car.

get into the act

- to try to be part of whatever is happening
Everybody at the party wanted to get into the act and join the singers.

get into the swing of things

- to adapt to a new environment or situation
My friend got into the swing of things after the party started.

get into trouble

- to become involved in some kind of trouble
The young boys try not to get into trouble when they are left at home alone.

get involved with (someone)

- to become associated with someone (often romantically)
The bank teller got involved with the bank manager several months ago .

get it

- to understand something, to understand a joke
Everybody was laughing at the joke but I did not get it.

get it all together

- to be in full control of oneself
My friend got it all together and applied for the job at the supermarket.

get it through one`s head

- to understand/believe something
The man has got it through his head that he will get a job without making any effort.

Get lost!

- Go away!
The girl told her brother to get lost so she could finish doing her homework.

get mad at (someone or something)

- to become angry with someone or something
I often get mad at my friend when he is late.

get married

- to marry someone
We got married in June of last year.

get mixed up

- to become confused
"I`m sorry but I got mixed up with the dates. That`s why I came today."

get nowhere fast

- to make no progress
We are getting nowhere fast in our effort to convince our boss to give us a holiday.

get off

- to escape or avoid punishment
The criminal got off with a very light sentence from the judge.

get off (a bus/train/plane etc.)

- to leave or exit from a bus or train etc.
We decided to get off the train at the next station.

get off easy

- to escape a serious punishment
The criminals got off easy after they robbed the bank.

get off on the wrong foot (with someone or something)

- to make a bad start with someone or something
I got off on the wrong foot with my boss and our relationship is not good.

get off one`s butt

- to get busy, to start working
My friend should get off his butt and try to find a job.

get off one's high horse

- to become less arrogant
The manager was forced to get off his high horse and act better toward the employees.

get off (someone`s) back

- to leave someone alone and not bother him or her
I wish that my supervisor would get off my back.

get off the ground

- to make a successful beginning
My uncle's new business never got off the ground and he must look for a new job.

get off the hook

- to become free from an obligation
I got off the hook and I did not have to clean the classroom after school.

get off to a flying start

- to have a successful beginning
The new restaurant got off to a flying start when many people came during the first weekend.

get on in years

- to become older
My uncle is getting on in years and is not very healthy.

get on one`s high horse

- to behave with arrogance
Our boss likes to get on his high horse and give orders to everyone.

get on (someone`s) nerves

- to irritate someone
The woman's constant complaining is beginning to get on my nerves.

get on (someone) to do (something)

- to ask/pressure someone to do something
I will get on my friend to bring your book back tomorrow.

get on the good side of (someone)

- to get in someone's favor
I took my aunt to a nice restaurant in order to get on her good side.

get one's act together

- to become more organized
My sister finally got her act together and was able to find a new job.

get one's bearings

- to determine where one is
When I got my bearings I was able to easily find my way around the big department store.

get one's comeuppance

- to get the punishment that one deserves
The woman got her comeuppance when she was forced to apologize to the other woman in the company.

get one`s dander up

- to become angry
You should not talk to the supervisor early in the morning or you may get his dander up.

get one's ducks in a row

- to put one's affairs in order, to get things ready
I got my ducks in a row and was able to find a job easily.

get one`s feet wet

- to begin something, to do something for the first time
The writer got his feet wet in the publishing business and he is now ready to start his own business.

get one's fill of (someone or something)

- to receive enough of someone or something
Recently, I have got my fill of fresh corn and I do not want to eat any more.

get one's foot in the door

- to begin to do something that you hope will lead to future success (often used with jobs/careers)
I was able to get my foot in the door of the banking industry when I found a job at a bank.

get one's hands on (someone or something)

- to get someone or something in one's grasp
"When I get my hands on a hammer I will help you fix the door."

get one's head above water

- to get in control of one's situation (often financial situation)
When I get my head above water I will be able to spend less time working.

get one's just deserts

- to get what one deserves
The apartment manager got her just deserts when she was fired for bothering the tenants.

get one's money's worth

- to get value for what you have paid for
We got our money's worth when we stayed on the golf course for seven hours.

get one's nose out of (someone's) business

- to stop interfering in someone else's business
The school secretary was told to get her nose out of the teacher's business.

get one`s own way

- to be able to do what you want
The boy always gets his own way with his younger brothers.

get one`s rear in gear

- to hurry up, to get going
"Let`s get our rear in gear before it is too late to go to a movie."

get one's say

- to be able to say what one thinks
The meeting was over very quickly but everyone got their say.

get one's sea legs

- to become accustomed to something (like you would become accustomed to the movement of a ship)
After we got our sea legs we were able to get up and walk around the boat.

get one's start

- to receive the first major opportunity of one's career
The newspaper owner got his start by selling papers when he was a child.

get one's walking papers

- to get fired
The young man got his walking papers for being late too often.

get one's wires crossed

- to get confused about something
We got our wires crossed and we both went to different places for our meeting.

get out from under (someone or something)

- to escape from a situation that one does not like
I would like to get out from under my boss who is always watching my work.

get out of a jam

- to get free from a problem or bad situation
We got out of a jam this morning when enough people came to help finish the job.

get out of bed on the wrong side

- to be in a bad mood
I think that she got out of bed on the wrong side as she is not talking to anyone today.

get out of hand

- to get out of control
The party was beginning to get out of hand so we asked everyone to leave.

get out of (somewhere)

- to leave somewhere, to escape
I want to hurry and get out of my house so I will not be late for work.

get out of the way

- to stop obstructing or interfering with someone or something, to escape from something
The car was unable to get out of the way of the truck and it was hit.

get over (something)

- to overcome a difficulty, to recover from an illness or shock
The woman is having trouble getting over her father`s death.

get ready

- to prepare yourself for something
"First I must get ready for work, then I will help you."

get religion

- to develop a strong religious belief
My uncle recently got religion and is very busy now.

get rid of (something)

- to give or throw something away, to sell or destroy something, to make a cold or fever disappear
I bought a new television set so now I want to get rid of my old one.

get rolling

- to get started
"Let's get rolling and try and finish this project today."

get set

- to get ready to start something
Everybody is getting set for the wedding ceremony.

get sick

- to become ill
I got sick yesterday and did not go to the movie.

get sidetracked

- to become diverted from one's task
I began to watch the news and got sidetracked in what I had planned to do.

get (someone) down

- to make someone unhappy, to cause discouragement
The long commuting time is getting my friend down so she wants to quit her job.

get (someone`s) goat

- to irritate someone
My friend is always getting my goat and I am tired of him.

get (something) off one's chest

- to talk about something that has been bothering you
I told my father about my problem at work so that I could get it off my chest.

get (someone or something) out of one's mind/head

- to manage to forget about someone or something
It took me several months to get my old girlfriend out of my mind.

get (something) out in the open

- to make something public
We had a frank discussion in order to get everything out in the open.

get (something) out of one's system

- to get rid of the desire to do something
I went on a short holiday so that I could get travelling out of my system.

get (something) out of (something)

- to get some kind of benefit from something
My mother does not understand why my aunt can get something out of going to an opera.

get (something) out of the way

- to take care of some business, to do/finish something
We got our work out of the way and began to plan for the weekend.

get (something) over with

- to finish something (often something that you do not want to do)
I was very happy to get my exams over with.

get (something) straight

- to understand something clearly
I could not get what my friend was trying to tell me straight.

get (something) through (someone's) thick skull

- to manage to get someone to understand something
I could not get it through my friend's thick skull that I would not go on a holiday with him.

get (something) under control

- to be able to control something
The fire fighters were quickly able to get the fire under control.

get the ax

- to be fired
The man got the ax last week and now has no job.

get the ball rolling

- to start something
"Let`s get the ball rolling and start planning the party."

get the benefit of the doubt

- to receive a decision in your favor when the evidence in neither for you nor against you
I got the benefit of the doubt when I complained about my parking ticket.

get the better of (someone)

- to beat/defeat (someone), to win against someone
My friend got the better of me and won the tennis match.

get the blues

- to become sad or depressed
Every winter my neighbor seems to get the blues.

get the boot

- to be fired, to be told to leave a place
I got the boot from my first job in high school.
The man got the boot from the restaurant for smoking.
get the brush-off

- to be ignored or sent away
I got the brush-off when I asked the girl to dance.

get the cold shoulder

- to be ignored or rejected
My friend got the cold shoulder when he went to the expensive restaurant.

get the day off

- to have a free day from work
I hope to get the day off tomorrow so I can visit my grandfather in the hospital.

get the facts straight

- to get a good understanding of the facts
I do not believe that our supervisor got the facts straight when she heard about our argument.

get the feel of (something)

- to become used to or learn about something
After you get the feel of the new computer it is very easy to use.

get the floor

- to receive official permission to address an audience
When the principal finally got the floor everybody was ready to go home.

get the go-ahead

- to receive a signal to start something
The construction company got the go-ahead to begin work on the new stadium.

get the goods on (someone)

- to find out true but often negative information about someone
I think that I have got the goods on the man and will talk to the police soon.

get the hang of (something)

- to learn how to do something
The boy was asked to help with the sound system after he got the hang of it.

get the jump on (someone)

- to get ahead of someone
We left home early so we could get the jump on the other travellers.

get the last laugh

- to laugh at someone who has laughed at you
We got the last laugh when the car that had passed us on the highway got a speeding ticket.

get the lead out

- to hurry
"Get the lead out," I said to my slow friend.

get the lowdown on (someone or something)

- to receive the full story about someone or something
I met a friend for coffee to get the lowdown on our friend who is getting married.

get the message

- to clearly understand the meaning of something
I told my friend to be quiet but I do not think that he got the message.

get the nod

- to be chosen for something
My favorite candidate got the nod to represent us in the election.

get the once-over

- to receive a quick visual examination
I quickly got the once-over when I arrived for the job interview.

get the picture

- to understand the whole situation
I did not get the picture of what my friend was saying about his new girlfriend.

get the red-carpet treatment

- to receive very special treatment
The Queen of England got the red-carpet treatment during her trip to Australia.

get the runaround

- to receive a series of excuses and delays
I got the runaround when I went to talk to the company about my parking ticket.

get the sack

- to be fired from a job
I told the employee that if he does not change his work habits he will get the sack.

get the shock of one's life

- to receive a serious emotional shock
I got the shock of my life when I saw my teacher on TV.

get the short end of the stick

- to get less than others
I sometimes get the short end of the stick and I have to do more work than the other students.

get the show on the road

- to start working on something
"Let`s get the show on the road and begin work for the day."

get the third degree

- to be questioned in great detail and for a long period of time
The boy got the third degree when he came home late for dinner.

get the upper hand (on someone)

- to get into a position superior to someone
I got the upper hand during my dispute with the apartment manager.

get the worst of (something)

- to be defeated, to receive less benefit than someone else
The man got the worst of the deal when the salesman sold him the used car.

get through (something)

- to complete something, to finish something, to survive something
My friend is having trouble getting through her final exams.
I have much reading that I must get through before tomorrow.

get through to (someone)

- to make someone understand something
I tried talking to the woman but I could not get through to her.

get time off

- to receive a holiday from work
I can never get time off in the summer.

get to do (something)

- to have a chance or to be able to do something
I did not get to go to the circus last week.

get to first base

- to make a start, to succeed
I tried to meet the company president but I could not get to first base.

get to one's feet

- to stand up
The members of the audience got to their feet when the concert finished.

get to the bottom of (something)

- to find out the real cause/answer of something
The government wants to get to the bottom of the financial problems in the company.

get to the heart of (something)

- to understand the most important thing about something
We were in the meeting for three hours trying to get to the heart of the problem.

get to the root of a problem

- to get an understanding of the causes of a problem
The purpose of the meeting was to get to the root of the problem about the money.

get tough with (someone)

- to become firm/strict with someone
The school plans to get tough with students who are late.

get under (someone`s) skin

- to bother or upset someone
The woman always gets under my skin although I do not really know why.

get under way

- to start
The festival got under way early this morning.

get up

- to get out of bed, to get to one`s feet
I got up early today so that I could go fishing with my friend.

get-up-and-go

- energy, enthusiasm, drive
The man has lots of get-up-and-go and it is difficult to follow him around.

get up enough nerve (to do something)

- to become brave enough to do something
I finally got up enough nerve to ask the woman for a date.

get up on the wrong side of the bed

- to be in a bad mood
My friend got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning and will not talk to anyone.

get up the nerve to (do something)

- to become brave enough to do something
I tried to get up the nerve to ask my friend about his new job.

get used to (someone or something)

- to become accustomed to someone or something
I am slowly getting used to my new job.

get what`s coming to one

- to receive the good or bad that one deserves
The criminal got what was coming to him when he was sent to jail for two years.

get wind of (something)

- to hear about something
I got wind of the changes in our company from my friend.

get wise to (someone or something)

- to learn about something that is a secret
The man got wise to the fact that someone was stealing his money.

get with it

- to pay attention, to get busy
I told my friend to get with it or he would have problems with his boss.

get worked up about/over (something)

- to get excited or angry about something
My friend always gets worked up about his problems at work.

.


getup

- fancy dress or costume
"What was that strange getup that your friend was wearing the other day?"

ghost of a chance

- very little chance, the smallest chance
The boy does not have a ghost of a chance to finish his homework before class.

gift of the gab

- the ability to talk well
My friend has the gift of the gab and is fun at a party.

[Greight]

give Idioms

give a wide birth to (someone or something)

- to keep away from someone or something, to keep a safe distance from someone or something
I usually give a wide birth to my boss when he is angry.

give-and-take

- sharing, giving and receiving between people
You must be willing to give-and-take if you want to have a good marriage.

give away (a secret)

- to let a secret become known
I do not want my friend to give away my plans to go to Mexico for a holiday.

give away (something)

- to give something to someone
I decided to give away my bicycle because I did not need it anymore.

give birth

- to have a baby
The woman gave birth to a baby boy last night.

give chase to (someone or something)

- to chase or run after someone or something
The police gave chase to the man who robbed the store.

give credence to (someone or something)

- to believe someone or something, to credit someone or something
We did not want to give credence to the man's statement so we did not respond to it.

give credit where credit is due

- to acknowledge or thank someone who deserves it
We gave credit where credit is due and thanked the cook for her hard work.

give free rein to (someone or something)

- to allow someone to be completely in charge of something, to give someone or something freedom
The man was given free rein to do what he wanted in his new job.

give ground

- to move back, to retreat, to stop opposing someone
Our boss refused to give ground on his plan to change the system of office management.

give in to (someone or something)

- to give someone his or her own way, to stop opposing someone or something
The company gave in to the union`s demand for more money.

give it to (someone)

- to punish or scold someone
The father gave it to his son when the boy came back late with the car.

give it to (someone) straight

- to tell something to someone directly
My boss gave it to me straight about my chance to get a promotion.

give off (something)

- to send out a smell or something, to produce a smell or something
The garbage was beginning to give off a bad smell because of the hot weather.

give one`s right arm

- to give something of great value
I would give my right arm to be able to go to Italy with my friends.

give oneself away

- to show guilt, to show that you have done wrong
The girl gave herself away when she said that she had not been downtown although her boyfriend had seen her there.

give oneself up

- to surrender, to stop hiding or running away
The robbers gave themselves up when the police surrounded the house.

give oneself up to (something)

- to let oneself enjoy something, to not hold oneself back from something
The man gave himself up to enjoy the party although he was feeling sick.

give or take (a certain amount of something)

- plus or minus a small amount
I think that the man is about 45 years old give or take five years.

give out

- to fail, to wear out
We went hiking last week but my legs gave out so we had to return early.

give out

- to be gone, to finish
We went camping for a week but our food gave out after only three days.

give out (a sound)

- to utter a sound
The girl gave out a loud scream when she saw the spider.

give out (something)

- to give something to people, to distribute something
We gave out more than six hundred balloons at the shopping center.

give rise to (something)

- to cause something
The problems with the heating system gave rise to several other problems.

give (someone) a black eye

- to hit someone near the eye so it becomes dark, to harm someone's reputation
I bumped into the door and it gave me a black eye.

give (someone) a blank check

- to give someone the freedom or permission to do what they think is necessary
The new coach was given a blank check by the university to try and improve the team.

give (someone) a break

- to give someone a chance
We decided to give the woman a break and not complain about her bad manners.

give (someone) a bum steer

- to make a misleading suggestion
The store owner gave the police a bum steer when he told them where the robber may have gone.

give (someone) a clean bill of health

- to declare that someone is healthy (usually done by a doctor)
My doctor gave me a clean bill of health during my recent checkup.

give (someone) a dirty look

- to frown or make an angry face at someone
I gave the woman a dirty look when she talked loudly on her cell phone.

give (someone) a fair shake

- to treat someone fairly
Our company tries to give everyone a fair shake.

give (someone) a free hand (with something)

- to give someone complete control over something
The city gave the homeowners a free hand to plan the new playground.

give (someone) a hand

- to help someone do something
"Please give me a hand to move this piano."

give (someone) a hard time

- to tease someone, to make trouble for someone
The girl gave her boyfriend a hard time about his new haircut.
The new supervisor is giving me a hard time.

give (someone) a head start

- to allow someone to start earlier than others
We gave my friend a head start in the treasure hunting contest.

give (someone) a piece of one's mind

- to scold or become angry with someone
When I met my friend yesterday, I gave her a piece of my mind.

give (someone) a ring/buzz

- to call someone on the telephone
I plan to give my friend a ring when I get home tonight.

give (someone) a run for their money

- to give someone a challenge
Our team gave the stronger teams a run for their money during the championship finals.
give (someone) a start

- to startle or surprise someone
The dog gave me a start when it suddenly appeared.

give (someone) an earful

- to scold someone, to tell someone much information (usually in an angry way)
I gave my sister an earful when she phoned me.

give (someone) an inch and they will take a mile

- if you give someone a little they will want more, some people are never satisfied
If you give the children an inch they will take a mile so you should be strict sometimes.

give (someone) credit for (something)

- to acknowledge or thank someone for something that they have done
Everybody gave the man credit for saving the life of the girl.

give (someone) enough rope and he or she will hang themself

- give someone enough time and freedom to do what they want and they will make a mistake or get into trouble and be caught
"Don`t worry about trying to fight him. If you give him enough rope he will hang himself."

give (someone) one`s word

- to make a promise to someone
My friend gave me his word that he would meet me at the library.

give (someone) pause to think

- to cause someone to stop and think
The accident on the highway gave everyone pause to think.

give (someone) the ax

- to fire an employee
We gave the new employee the ax because he was always late for work.

give (someone) the benefit of the doubt

- to assume/believe that someone is right or innocent of something
I gave the man the benefit of the doubt but I still think that he is lying.

give (someone) the boot

- to fire someone, to force someone to leave a place
The manager gave our friend the boot when he began yelling in the restaurant.

give (someone) the brush-off

- to send someone away, to ignore someone
I gave the woman the brush-off when I saw her in the supermarket.

give (someone) the bum's rush

- to make someone leave a place quickly
The club owner gave us the bum's rush when we began to make too much noise.

give (someone) the cold shoulder

- to be unfriendly to someone
I gave the woman the cold shoulder at the party.

give (someone) the creeps

- to make someone feel uncomfortable
The girl next door is very strange. She gives me the creeps.

give (someone) the eye

- to look or stare at someone (especially in a cold or unfriendly way)
The store manager began to give me the eye so I left.

give (someone) the green light/the go-ahead

- to give someone permission to begin a project
The city gave us the green light to begin work on the new housing project.

give (someone) the low-down (on someone or something)

- to tell someone the full story about someone or something
I gave my friend the low-down on our plans for the weekend.

give (someone or something) the once-over

- to visually examine someone or something quickly
We gave the man the once-over when he walked into the restaurant.

give (someone) the red-carpet treatment

- to give someone very special treatment
The city gave the politician the red-carpet treatment when he came for a visit.

give (someone) the runaround

- to give excuses and delays to someone
We tried to get a refund for our airplane tickets but the company gave us the runaround.

give (someone) the shirt off one's back

- to be very generous to someone
My uncle is very kind and he will give you the shirt off his back.

give (someone) the slip

- to escape from someone
The bank robbers tried to give the police the slip but they were soon caught.

give (someone) the third degree

- to question someone in great detail
The woman gave her son the third degree when he returned home.

give (someone) their due

- to give someone the credit that they deserve
You have to give our company president his due. He has saved the company from bankruptcy.

give (someone) what's coming to him or her

- to give someone what they deserve
I gave my neighbor what's coming to her when I complained to the police about her dog.

give (something) a shot

- to try something
I plan to give golfing a shot during my summer holidays.

give (something) a whirl

- to attempt to do something
I decided to give singing a whirl so I joined a singing club.

give (something) one's best shot

- to try very hard
I plan to give the new job my best shot.

give the devil his due

- to give credit to someone who deserves it even if you dislike him or her
I do not like to work with my coworker because he is lazy. However, you have to give the devil his due. He always gets the job done.

give up

- to abandon/stop something
I have decided to give up my plan to work in Hong Kong for a year.

give up the ghost

- to stop working, to die
My old car finally gave up the ghost so I must buy another one.

give up the ship

- to stop fighting, to stop trying or hoping to do something
"Please don`t give up the ship and quit this company. You still have a useful role to play."

give voice to (one's feelings)

- to express what one feels or thinks
The man has begun to give voice to his feelings about his new job.

give way

- to collapse, to fail
The dam gave way and the water flooded the farmland below.


giveaway

- something that is given away free, an act of giving something away, an unintential betrayal of a secret or repressed feeling or plan
Our supervisor's speech was a giveaway. Now, I know that he is planning to retire.

given to understand (something)

- to understand something plainly and clearly
I was given to understand that I could rent an apartment very cheaply in this area.


glad hand

- to shake hands in a friendly way
The politician likes to glad hand people at the shopping center.

gloss (something) over

- to try to make what is wrong or bad seem unimportant, to hide something
The accountant tried to gloss over the amount of money that the company lost last year.

glutton for punishment

- a person who likes difficult or unpleasant tasks
My friend is a glutton for punishment and he will always do the most difficult jobs available.

gnash one's teeth

- to grind one's teeth
I gnashed my teeth before I went to talk to my boss.

[Greight]

go Idioms
go a long way toward (something)

- to be almost enough, to contribute much to something
The money from the government will go a long way toward building a new library.

go about one's business

- to be busy or start working on something
Everybody is going about their business again after the holidays.

go after (someone)

- to try to catch someone
The police decided to go after the cars that were speeding near the school.

go after (something)

- to attempt to get something, to strive for something
Our team will go after the championship again this year.

go against the grain

- to go against the natural direction or inclination of something
The man's unfriendly attitude goes against the grain of the usually friendly company.

go ahead

- to move forward
The cars could not go ahead very quickly.

go ahead (and do something)

- to proceed to do something, to continue with something
"Let`s go ahead and start now. We can`t wait any longer."

go ahead (with something)

- to proceed to do something, to continue with something
The city plans to go ahead with the plan to build a new stadium.

go all out

- to use all of one's energy/resources
We plan to go all out for my sister's wedding.

go along

- to move along, to continue
The man invents his stories as he goes along.

go along with (someone)

- to go with someone, to accompany someone
I plan to go along with my friend to the ice cream parlor.

go along with (someone or something)

- to agree with someone, to accept someone's decision or suggestion
Everybody went along with my idea to have a party on the weekend.

go ape

- to become very excited, to behave in a crazy way
My father went ape when he heard how much money I had spent.

go around

- to go from one place or person to another
We plan to go around to several shops until we find a cheap computer.

go around in circles

- to do something without making any progress
My friend has been going around in circles and has not made any progress with his essay.

go around the bend

- to go crazy
The apartment manager seems to be going around the bend.

go astray

- to be led into error or wrongdoing (a person), to be mislaid (an object)
The young boy went astray after spending much time with the older boys.
My calculator went astray and I cannot find it.

go at it

- to fight or argue with someone
When I entered the room the two men were going at it loudly.

go at it hammer and tongs

- to fight or argue with great strength or energy
The couple go at it hammer and tongs every evening.

go at it tooth and nail

- to fight or argue with great strength or energy
The couple were going at it tooth and nail when the police arrived.

go away empty-handed

- to depart with nothing
The boy went away empty-handed after he asked his father for more money.

go back on one's word

- to break one's promise
My supervisor went back on his word when he refused to give me a day off.

go bad

- to become rotten/bad
The apples will go bad if they are not eaten soon.

go bananas

- to go crazy or become silly, to become angry
The father went bananas after he discovered that his son had taken the family car.

go begging

- to be unwanted or unused
Much food went begging when fewer people than expected came to the dinner.

go broke

- to lose all of one`s money
The company went broke and many people lost their jobs.

go by the book

- to follow the rules exactly
Most police officers go by the book when they arrest a criminal.

go cold turkey

- to stop doing something (usually a bad habit) suddenly
I decided to go cold turkey and quit smoking.

go down fighting

- to continue to struggle until one is defeated
The politician plans to go down fighting to try to keep his job.

go down in history

- to be remembered as an important historical event
The concert will go down in history as the biggest in the world.

go downhill

- to become worse and worse
The local economy has been going downhill for many years.

go Dutch

- to each pay for themselves (used for two people)
We always go Dutch when we go on a date.

go easy on (someone or something)

- to be kind or gentle with someone or something
I asked my friend to go easy on my car when he borrowed it.

go for broke

- to risk everything on one big effort, to try as hard as possible
We are going for broke to try and win the new contract.

go for it

- to decide to do something in an enthusiastic way, to try for something
We decided to go for it and try to climb the mountain.

go for (something)

- to try to get something, to desire something
I have decided to go for the new job at the computer center.

go from bad to worse

- to get worse, to deteriorate
Things are going from bad to worse in our company.

go-getter

- an ambitious person who works hard to become successful
My friend is a go-getter. He works hard and is very successful.

go great guns

- to do something very fast or with great energy
The workers were going great guns when I saw them this morning.

go halves

- to share equally
We decided to go halves on buying a new computer.

go haywire

- to become damaged, to stop working properly
At first, things were going well but later our plans began to go haywire.

go hog-wild

- to behave wildly
The little boys went hog-wild during the birthday party.

go in for (something)

- to choose something as one's particular interest, to occupy oneself with something
My friend is going to university and will go in for medicine.
Many of the students are going in for water sports recently.

go in one ear and out the other

- to hear something but then quickly forget it
Everything that the teacher says goes in one ear and out the other for my friend.

go into detail

- to present and discuss the details of something
The lawyer refused to go into detail about his client's problems.

go into effect

- to become effective (a law or a rule), to start to function
The new parking regulations will go into effect next week.

go into hiding

- to conceal oneself in a hiding place for a period of time
The bank robbers went into hiding after the bank robbery.

go into hock

- to go into debt
I do not want to go into hock in order to buy a new stereo system.

go into orbit

- to lose one`s temper, to become very angry
The bank manager went into orbit when he learned about the missing money.

go it alone

- to do something by oneself
Nobody would help us so we had to go it alone with the project.

go jump in a lake

- to go away and quit bothering someone
My friend wanted to borrow some money from me but I told her to go jump in a lake.

go like clockwork

- to progress in a regular and dependable way
Everything was going like clockwork when suddenly the lights went out.

go off

- to explode
The firecracker went off before I could put it down.

go off

- to begin to ring or buzz
The fire alarm started to go off just as we entered the building.

go off half-cocked

- to act or speak without thinking
Our boss often goes off half-cocked when he is at a meeting.

go off on a tangent

- to suddenly change one's line of thought or course of action
The speaker suddenly went off on a tangent and began to speak about something totally different.

go off (somewhere)

- to leave/depart for somewhere
My friend went off on a trip and did not say good-bye.

go off the deep end

- to become angry or emotional
The man went off the deep end when he saw his picture in the paper.

go on

- to continue
The game will probably go on for an hour after we leave.

go on

- to talk for too long
My friend started to go on about his problems so I decided to leave.

go on

- to be put on something, to fit on something
The top of the jar would not go on so I threw it in the garbage.

go on a binge

- to do too much of something
My cousin went on a binge and ate four chocolate bars.

go on a diet

- to start a plan/program to decrease some foods in order to decrease one's weight
I plan to go on a diet at the beginning of the year.

go on a rampage

- to rush around destroying things
The football fans went on a rampage and destroyed many things.

go on and on

- to continue for a long time
My friend went on and on with his speech until finally I fell asleep.

go one`s own way

- to go or act the way one wants
My friend plans to go his own way and start his own business next year.

go out for (something)

- to try something (usually a sport)
My friend is going out for rugby this summer.

go out of fashion/style

- to become unfashionable
Striped pants have recently gone out of fashion.

go out of one`s way

- to make an extra effort
My aunt went out of her way to help me when I visited her.

go out the window

- to be abandoned, to go out of effect
The school dress code went out the window when the new principal arrived.

go out (with someone)

- to date someone
The girl wants to go out with the boy in her history class.

go over like a lead balloon

- to fail, to do badly
My idea for shorter working hours went over like a lead balloon at the meeting.

go over (someone's) head

- to be too difficult for someone to understand
The explanation of how to operate the machinery went over my head.

go over (something)

- to examine or review something
The accountant will go over the numbers tomorrow.
We plan to go over the question tomorrow.

go over (something) with a fine-toothed comb

- to search through something very carefully (fine-tooth comb is also correct)
We went over the room with a fine-toothed comb while looking for the earring.

go over big/well with (someone)

- to be liked, to be successful
I am sure that my idea will go over well with my friends.

go over with a bang

- to succeed in a spectacular way
The opening ceremony went over with a bang and everybody was very happy.

go overboard

- to do something in excess
The man went overboard with the birthday party preparations.

go places

- to have a good future
The young man will go places with his good looks and good education.

go sky-high

- to reach a very high price/level
The price of gasoline has gone sky-high recently.

go so far as to say (something)

- to put something into words
The company president went so far as to say that he may be leaving very soon.

go (someone) one better

- to do something better than someone else, to do more than someone
I decided to go my friend one better and I bought a more expensive present for my girlfriend.

go stag

- to go to an event by oneself (without a date - usually used for men)
I decided to go stag to the wedding.

go steady with (someone)

- to date the same person all the time (usually used for teenagers)
My sister has been going steady with her boyfriend for two years.

go stir-crazy

- to become anxious because one is confined to a small space
After many days of rain I began to go stir-crazy because I could not leave the house.

go straight

- to become an honest person, to lead an honest life
The man was in prison for two years but now he wants to go straight.

go the distance

- to do the whole amount, to finish something
I was able to go the distance and finish my project without any help.

go the extra mile

- to do more than one is required to do to reach a goal
I always try to go the extra mile and help my friends when they need help.

go the limit

- to do as much as possible
I plan to go the limit and try to get the job.

go through

- to be approved, to pass, to be agreed upon
The new law will probably go through next week.

go through (an experience)

- to experience/suffer something, to live through something
The man went through some hard times after he lost his job.

go through changes

- to be involved in changing circumstances
The woman has gone through many changes since recently.

go through channels

- to use the proper procedures to do something (especially in a hierarchy or bureaucracy)
We always must go through the proper channels to get anything done with the city.

go through (someone)

- to have contact with someone (often to get permission or approval from someone with power or authority)
Everybody has to go through the accountant to get money for their expenses.

go through (something)

- to examine something carefully, to search carefully for something
The police went through the house to look for a weapon.
I plan to go through my old clothes and give some of them to my friend.

go through (something)

- to discuss something, to look at something, to do something
The teacher decided to go through the exercise after the test.

go through the motions

- to do something insincerely
The manager went through the motions of apologizing but he was not sincere.

go through the roof

- to go very high
The price of oil is going through the roof.

go through (trouble or something)

- to endure something, to experience something
I had to go through a lot of trouble to get my new passport.

go through with (something)

- to finish something, to do something as planned or agreed
My friend has decided to go through with his plans to finish university.

go to any length

- to do whatever is necessary
The man will go to any length to get what he wants.

go to bat for (someone)

- to support or help someone
I plan to go to bat for my friend if he has a problem at work.

go to one`s head

- to become conceited
The man's new position has gone to his head and he will not speak to us now.

go to pieces

- to lose one's self-control
The woman went to pieces when she learned about her father`s death.

go to pot

- to deteriorate
The business has gone to pot since the new manager came.

go to rack and ruin

- to reach a very bad state of repair
The building has gone to rack and ruin since the new owners bought it.

go to (someone's) head

- to make someone too proud
The girl won the beauty contest and now it has gone to her head.

go to the expense (of doing something)

- to pay the cost of doing something
We had to go to the expense of buying a new tent for camping.

go to the trouble (of doing something)

- to make an extra effort to do something
My aunt went to the trouble of buying a new sofa bed for her guests.

go to town

- to work fast or hard, to do something with much energy
We went to town last night and finished painting the bedroom.

go to waste

- to be wasted, to be unused
I did not want the extra food to go to waste so I invited my friend to visit.

go together

- to look/sound/taste good together
The red wall and the green sofa do not go together in the apartment.

go too far

- to do more than is acceptable
The man went too far when he accused his boss of lying.

go under

- to fail
The small company went under after only a few months in business.

go under the knife

- to have surgery
My father will go under the knife on Monday.

go up in flames/smoke

- to burn or be destroyed by fire, to fail, to not come true (dreams)
The waiter's plans to open a new restaurant went up in smoke after he lost his job.

go whole hog

- to do everything possible
We plan to go whole hog to make the party successful.

go with (something)

- to go well with something
My green shirt does not go with my red hat.

go with (something)

- to choose one thing rather than another
We decided to go with the small rental car rather than the large one.

go with the flow

- to proceed in an easy manner with what others are doing
I usually go with the flow and never disagree with my friends.

go without (something)

- to manage to survive or do well without something
We had to go without water for two days in our apartment.

go without saying

- to be so easy to understand that it does not have to be mentioned
The man is a hard worker so it goes without saying that his boss is very happy with him.

go wrong

- to fail
Things began to go wrong as soon as our camping trip began.

.


goes to show

- something serves to prove a point
His success goes to show that hard work will lead to success.

(have something) going for you

- to be or have something as an advantage
The woman should do very well as she has many things going for her.

going rate

- the current rate
The going rate for carpenters is very high and it will cost much money to build the house.

gold mine of information

- someone or something that is full of information
The woman is a gold mine of information and she is very valuable to her company.

golden opportunity

- an excellent and rare opportunity
The hot weather was a golden opportunity for the ice cream seller to make money.

gone but not forgotten

- to be gone/dead but still remembered
Our grandfather is gone but not forgotten.

gone to meet one's maker

- to be dead
The car accident was terrible and the driver has gone to meet his maker.

gone with the wind

- to be gone
The woman is gone with the wind and we will probably never see her again.

good deal

- a product of good quality and a cheap price
You can usually get a good deal on stereos at that discount store.

a good deal of (something)

- much of something, a lot of something
We had a good deal of paint remaining after we finished painting the room.

good-for-nothing

- to be worthless
The man is a good-for-nothing and lazy worker.

Good grief!

- used to show surprise (good or bad)
"Good grief! It`s 6:00 and I still have not finished this job."

good old days

- earlier times which everyone remembers as being better than the present
In the good old days people could buy a house easier than today.

good riddance

- used to express happiness when you lose/break something that you do not like or want, used when someone that you don't like leaves
I said good riddance when my old computer stopped working and I had to buy a new one.

good riddance to bad rubbish

- used to show that you are happy that someone or something has been taken or sent away
"Good riddance to bad rubbish! I don't like him and I am glad that he has left."

good sport

- a person who loses a competition/game without complaining
My friend is a good sport and he never complains about losing.

goof off

- to fool around, to not work or be serious
He has been goofing off all afternoon and has not done any work.

gospel truth

- the undeniable truth
The man told the gospel truth at the court trial.

got/have a thing going (with someone)

- engaged in an activity with someone (in romance or business)
The man has got a thing going with his neighbor.

grab a bite (to eat)

- to get something to eat
We stopped at a small restaurant to grab a bite to eat.

grace (someone or something) with one's presence

- to honor someone or something by being present
The Queen graced the opening of the hospital with her presence.

grain of truth

- the smallest amount of truth
There was not a grain of truth in what the man said.

grasp at straws

- to try something with little hope of success
The man is grasping at straws with his weak excuse for his bad behavior.

grass is always greener on the other side (of the fence)

- a place or situation that is far away or different seems better than one's present situation
My cousin is always changing jobs because she thinks that the grass is always greener on the other side.

grate on (someone's) nerves

- to annoy/bother someone
The woman's singing is beginning to grate on my nerves.

gravy train

- a job that gives one much money compared with what you do
The cleaning contract was a gravy train. We worked for 3 hours but we got paid for 8 hours.

gray area

- something difficult to define or put into a particular category, something that is not clear
Some of the legal issues were in a gray area.

grease (someone`s) palm

- to pay money to someone for some special favor
We had to grease the border guard`s palm in order to enter the country.

greasy spoon

- a small and cheap eating place with basic but not great food
We went to a greasy spoon for breakfast because the other restaurants were closed.

a great deal of (something)

- much or a lot of something
There was a great deal of water in our house after the flood.

greatest thing since sliced bread

- the best thing that there ever was
The new digital camera is the greatest thing since sliced bread.

green

- to be inexperienced or immature
The new employee is green and does not know his job very well.

a green thumb

- the skill to make plants grow
The man has a green thumb and has a very beautiful garden.

green with envy

- to be very jealous, to be full of envy
The little girl was green with envy when she saw her friend`s new bicycle.

grin and bear it

- to endure something unpleasant with good humor
I have to grin and bear it when my supervisor becomes angry with me.

grind to a halt

- to slow down and stop (like a machine when it is turned off)
The city ground to a halt when the electric power was off for five hours.

grist for the mill

- something that can be used for one's advantage
The information was grist for the mill of the salesman.

grit one's teeth

- to grind one's teeth together in anger and determination and reluctance
I grit my teeth and phoned my father to ask if I could borrow some money.

gross out (someone)

- to make someone sick or disgusted
The movie was very violent and grossed out my sister.

ground floor

- the first or best chance (especially in a business)
The video store was a good investment and I was happy to get in on the ground floor.

ground (someone)

- to take away someone's privileges (usually used for teenagers)
The girl was grounded by her parents because she came home late too often.

grounds for (something)

- the basis/reason for legal action or a complaint
The fact that the man stole the money was grounds for his dismissal from the company.

grow on (someone)

- to become acceptable to someone or liked by someone
At first I did not like the strange music but it is beginning to grow on me.

grow out of (something)

- to abandon something as one matures or becomes older
The little boy is beginning to grow out of his baby chair.

grow to do/like (something)

- to gradually begin to do something or like someone or something
I am growing to like the people who live next door to me.

grunt work

- hard and thankless work
I am often forced to do the grunt work at my company.

guard against (someone or something)

- to take care to avoid someone or something
When we go to the beach we must guard against the hot sun.

guest of honor

- the special person for whom a party or ceremony is held
My father was the guest of honor at the company banquet.

gulp for air

- to desperately try to get air or a breath
The man began gulping for air after he fell into the lake.

gum up

- to cause something not to work, to make something go wrong
The computer printer became gummed up as I was trying to print my resume.

gun for (someone)

- to look hard for a chance to harm or defeat someone
My supervisor has been gunning for me for a long time and I do not know why.

gun for (something)

- to try very hard to get a prize or promotion etc.
I have been gunning for the sales job for a long time.

gung-ho

- to be enthusiastic, to be full of eagerness
My friend is gung-ho about her new job at the library.

gut feeling/reaction

- a personal/intuitive feeling or response
I had a gut feeling that my friend would not get the job that he wanted.

gyp (someone) out of (something)

- to cheat someone
The woman at the store gypped the man out of some money.

[Greight]

had best (do something)

- should do something, ought to do something
I had best go home soon as I want to get up early tomorrow morning.

had better (do something)

- should do something, ought to do something
I had better go now or I will be late for class.

hail from (somewhere)

- originally come from somewhere
My father hails from a small farming community.

the hair of the dog that bit you

- a drink of alcohol taken when one is recovering from drinking too much
My friend got up early and had the hair of the dog that bit him to start the day.

(one's) hair stands on end

- become frightened or afraid of something
My hair stood on end when I saw the scene after the automobile accident.

(to be) hale and hearty

- to be in very good health, to be well and strong
My uncle is a hale and hearty fellow who never gets sick.

half-baked

- an idea or plan that is not thought about carefully or not studied carefully
I do not like my supervisor's half-baked idea about the new delivery system.

(to be) half the battle

- to be a large part of the work
Writing the letters will be half the battle. We can finish the rest of the work next week.

(to be) halfhearted about (someone or something)

- (to be) unenthusiastic about someone or something
I was halfhearted about joining the group to go hiking.

ham it up

- do something silly or try to exaggerate something in a funny way
I was hamming it up with my friend in front of the principal's office.

hammer away at (someone or something)

- be persistent in trying to do something
I worked all weekend to hammer away at my final essay for university.

hammer out (something)

- work something out by discussion and debate
The union and managers were able to hammer out an agreement before midnight last night.

hammer (something) home

- try hard to make someone understand something
The speaker tried to hammer home the importance of treating the customers with respect.

hand Idioms
hand down a decision

- announce a legal decision
The judge handed down his decision early in the afternoon.

hand down (something)

- arrange to give something to someone after your death
My grandmother handed down her silver jewellery to my mother.

hand in (something)

- give something to someone, hand something to someone
I went to the company early to hand in my job application.

(work) hand in glove with (someone)

- (work) very close to someone
The supervisor and manager work hand in glove to create a good atmosphere in the company.

be hand in hand

- be holding hands
I walked to the movie hand in hand with my girlfriend.

to hand it to (someone)

- to give credit or praise to someone
You have to hand it to our manager for working hard and being successful with his business.

a hand-me-down

- something given away after another person doesn`t need it (especially clothing)
She was very poor when she was a child and always wore hand-me-down clothing.

a hand-out

- a gift (usually from the government)
The government stopped giving hand-outs to the university students because they had no money.

a hand-out

- a sheet of paper given to students or people who attend a meeting etc.
Everyone at the meeting was given a hand-out on how to invest money.

to hand out (something)

- to give something of the same kind to several people
The teacher decided not to hand out the tests until everybody in the class stopped talking.

hand over fist

- quickly
His new company is making money hand over fist.

hand over (someone or something) to (someone)

- give control or possession of something to someone, give something to another person
The criminals were forced to hand over the stolen money to the police.

hand (something) down to (someone)

- give something to a younger person
The girl always handed her old clothes down to her younger sister.

hand (something) to (someone) on a silver platter

- give a person something that has not been earned
The man handed a job to his son on a silver platter and he never had to make any effort at all.

(live) hand-to-mouth

- have only enough money for basic living
He was living a hand-to-mouth existence until he was finally able to find a job.

(one's) hands are tied

- one is unable to help
I am sorry that I can`t help you but my hands are tied at the moment.

hands down

- easy, unopposed
They won the game hands down over the other team.

hands off

- leave alone, don`t interfere
The government decided to take a hands-off approach to the teachers during the strike.

.



handle with kid gloves

- be very careful handling someone or something
He is very sensitive so you have to handle him with kid gloves when you speak to him.

the handwriting is on the wall

- a sign that something bad or significant will happen
The handwriting is on the wall. Business conditions are bad so nobody will get a pay raise this year.

handy

- can easily fix things
He is very handy around the house and is always fixing or building something.

[Greight]

hang Idioms
hang a left

- turn to the left
We drove to the end of the block and hung a left there.

hang a right

- turn to the right
We decided to hang a right when we came to the main street.

hang around

- pass time or stay someplace without any real purpose or aim
We decided to stay home and hang around rather than go to the game.

hang back

- stay some distance behind or away, hesitate or be unwilling to do something
He lacks self-confidence and always hangs back when his boss asks for volunteers.

hang by a thread/hair

- be in doubt, depend on a very small thing
The outcome of the election was hanging by a thread until late at night.

hang in the balance

- have two equally possible results, be uncertain
After the opposition party won the election whether or not the new highway will be built hangs in the balance.

hang in (there)

- persevere, don`t give up
"You should hang in there and not quit your job even if you hate the supervisor."

Hang it!

- a rather old expression used to express annoyance or disappointment
"Hang it", the man said when he hit his finger with the hammer.

hang loose

- relax, remain calm
I want to stay at home this weekend and hang loose.

hang on

- continue
Although conditions were very bad he decided to hang on and fight to keep his business going.

hang on

- wait, continue listening on the telephone
"Hang on for a minute while I go and get some paper and a pen."

hang on (someone's) every word

- listen with complete attention to everything someone says
The audience hung on every word of the speaker.

hang on to (something)

- hold tightly, keep firmly
"Please hang on to your hats or the strong wind will blow them off."

hang one on

- get very drunk
He hung one on last night after he heard about his promotion.

hang one's hat (somewhere)

- live or take up residence somewhere
I want to move and hang my hat in a small town somewhere.

hang out one`s shingle

- notify the public of the opening of an office - especially an office of a doctor, lawyer or other professional
He has decided to hang out his shingle now that he has graduated from law school.

hang out (somewhere/with someone)

- spend one`s time with no great purpose, spend leisure time with friends
Recently my friend has been hanging out with a group of people who are not a good influence on him.

hang (someone) in effigy

- hang a dummy of a hated person
The demonstrators hung the dishonest politician in effigy.

hang tough

- stick to one's position
I decided to hang tough and stop negotiating with the lawyer.

hang up (something)

- place something on a hook/peg/hangar
Everyone was forced to hang up their jackets before they entered the room.

hang up (the telephone)

- place a telephone receiver back on the telephone and end the call
After I hung up the telephone I left home to go to work.

a hang-up

- a delay in some process
There was a hang-up in the construction of the office tower because of the fire.

a hang-up

- an inhibition, a neurotic reaction to some life situation
The girl has a serious hang-up about the dark and is afraid to go out at night.

.


happen upon (someone or something)

- meet someone or find something unexpectedly
I happened upon a very valuable book when I was cleaning up my grandfather's house.

happy hour

- a time in bars or restaurants when drinks are served at a discount
We stopped at the restaurant during happy hour and had a drink.

hard Idioms
a hard-and-fast rule

- a rule that cannot be altered to fit special cases
There is no hard-and-fast rule that says you can`t use a cellular phone in the train.

as hard as nails

- physically very fit and strong, rough
He is as hard as nails and is not a good person to have an argument with.

hard feelings

- angry or bitter feelings
I don`t have any hard feelings toward my boss even though he fired me.

hard-nosed

- not weak or soft, stubborn - especially in a fight or contest or negotiations
The company had a hard-nosed attitude while bargaining with the union.

a hard nut to crack

- a person or thing not easily understood or influenced
He is a hard nut to crack and is not close to many people.

hard of hearing

- unable to hear well
The man is hard of hearing so you must speak loudly when talking to him.

hard on (someone or something)

- treat someone or something roughly
His son is very hard on shoes.

(to be) hard on (someone's) heels

- to be following someone very closely
The police officer was hard on the heels of the criminal.

hard-pressed

- burdened with urgent business
"I am hard-pressed for time. Can we meet later?"

a hard sell

- an attitude where you pressure someone to buy something
The car dealer gave me a hard sell on the new car so I went to another dealer.

be hard up

- be short of money
I am hard up for money at the moment so I can`t go to the movie.

.


harken back to (something)

- have started out as something
The new building harkens back to a style that appeared over 100 years ago.

to harp on (something)

- to talk repeatedly and tediously about something
He has been harping on his lack of money for several weeks now.

hash (something) over

- discuss something in great detail
We stayed after school to hash over the new contract.

a hassle

- a bothersome thing
It is a hassle to have to report to my boss two times a day.

a hatchet man

- a politician whose job it is to say negative things about the opposition, a person in a company who must fire extra workers or cut other expenses
He is acting as a hatchet man for the leader but I don`t think that he really believes what he is saying.

hate (someone`s) guts

- feel very strong dislike for someone
I absolutely hate the apartment manager's guts after she caused me so many problems.

haul (someone) in

- take someone to the police station, arrest someone
The police hauled the man in because he was drinking while driving.

[Greight]

have Idioms
have a ball

- have a good time
She had a ball at the party last night.

have a bee in one's bonnet

- have an idea or thought that stays in one's mind
My sister has a bee in her bonnet about going to Mexico to teach.

have a big mouth

- be a person who gossips or tells secrets
My friend has a big mouth so I don't like to tell him any secrets.

have a blowout

- have a big wild party or sale
The university students had a big blowout on their graduation day.

have a blowout

- one's car tire bursts
Our car had a blowout on the road up the mountain.

have a bone to pick with (someone)

- have a disagreement to discuss with someone
I have a bone to pick with my boss because of his criticism of me.

have a brush with (the law or something)

- have a brief experience with the law or something
I had a brush with the law when my car was stopped for speeding.

have a case (against someone)

- have much evidence that can be used against someone
The police have a very good case against the man who is selling the stolen cars.

have a change of heart

- change one's attitude or decision (usually from negative to positive)
I had a change of heart and will let my friend use my car tomorrow.

have a chip on one's shoulder

- seem to want to start a conflict
Our neighbor has a chip on his shoulder and is always trying to start a fight.

have a clear conscience

- be free of guilt
I have a clear conscience and am not worried that I did anything wrong.

have a close call/shave

- almost be involved in an accident or something similar
I had a close call this morning when I was almost hit by a car.

(not) have a clue (about something)

- (not) know anything about something
I do not have a clue who took the laptop computer.

have a crush on (someone)

- to be attracted to someone
The girl has a crush on someone at her university.

have a familiar ring

- to sound familiar
The complaints of our supervisor have a familiar ring and we have heard them before.

have a feeling about (something)

- have an intuition about something
I have a strange feeling about the new man in our company.

have a field day

- have a wild time
The media had a field day with the scandal in the local city government.

have a finger in the pie

- be involved in something
The man has his finger in the pie of many businesses.

have a fit

- become upset
The woman had a fit when she saw what her son had done to her car.

have a foot in both camps

- support each of two opposing groups of people
The mayor of the city has a foot in both camps of the opposing groups.

have a frog in one's throat

- have a feeling of a hoarse throat, be unable to speak
I had a frog in my throat and couldn't speak easily in front of the class.

have a go at (something)

- try to do something
I decided to have a go at applying for the job after my boss told me about it.

have a good command of (something)

- know something well
The girls have a good command of French.

have a good mind to (do something)

- be tempted to do something
I have a good mind to tell my friend that I will not lend him any money.

have a good thing going

- have or do something that is beneficial
I have a good thing going with my company and my schedule is very good.

have a green thumb

- be able to grow plants well
My sister has a green thumb and has a beautiful garden.

have a hand in (something)

- be partly responsible for something
I think that the woman had a hand in getting her friend fired from her job.

have a handle on (something)

- have control or an understanding of something
I finally have a handle on my work and it is going very well.

have a head for (something)

- have the mental capacity for something
My father has a head for numbers and is very good at mathematics.

have a (good) head on one`s shoulders

- be smart or sensible
That new salesman really has a head on his shoulders.

have a heart

- be generous and forgiving
The woman doesn't have a heart and everybody dislikes her.

have a heart of gold

- be generous/sincere/friendly
The woman has a heart of gold and is always willing to help her friends.

have a heart of stone

- be cold and unfriendly
The man has a heart of stone and he will never help anybody.

have a heart-to-heart talk (with someone)

- have a sincere and intimate talk with someone
I had a heart-to-heart talk with my sister about my girlfriend.

have a hold on (someone)

- have a strong and secure influence on someone
The coach has a very strong hold on the members of the team.

have a hunch about (something)

- have a feeling that something will or should happen
I had a hunch that my friend would not come to meet me.

have a keen interest in (someone or something)

- be very interested in someone or something
I have always had a keen interest in hiking and camping.

have a lot going (for one)

- have many things working to one's benefit
The woman has a lot going for her and should do well at her job.

have a lot of promise

- have a good future ahead
The young racing horse has a lot of promise and should be a winner in the future.

have a lot on one's mind

- have many things to worry about
She has a lot on her mind with her new job and her new boyfriend.

have a mind like a steel trap

- have a very sharp and agile mind
The man has a mind like a steel trap and can remember most things easily.

have a near miss

- nearly crash or collide with something
The two trucks had a near miss on the highway this morning.

have a nose for (something)

- have a talent for finding something
Our supervisor has a nose for finding ways to save money in our company.

have a notion to (do something)

- feel tempted or inclined to do something
I had a notion to go to the beach so I went to the beach.

have a one-track mind

- think only about one thing
My friend has a one-track mind and he is only interested in making money.

have a passion for (something)

- have a strong feeling of need or love for something
The student wants to become a teacher because he has a passion for teaching English.

have a pick-me-up

- eat or drink something stimulating
The carpenter bought a protein drink as a pick-me-up in the middle of the afternoon.

have a price on one's head

- be wanted by the police who will pay money for one's capture
The man has a price on his head and is wanted by the police all over the country.

have a/the right to do something

- have the freedom to do something
The apartment manager does not have the right to tell the tenants when they must leave the building.

have a rough time (of it)

- experience a difficult period
My friend had a rough time of it when he was forced to leave his job.

have a run-in with (someone)

- have an unpleasant encounter with someone
I had a run-in with my boss that made us both feel bad.

have a run of bad luck

- have a period of bad luck
My uncle had a run of bad luck and he lost his business as well as his house.

have a say/voice in (something)

- have a part in making a decision
The union wanted to have a say in how the company was managed.

have a score to settle with (someone)

- have a problem to clear up with someone
I had a score to settle with the soccer coach which I wanted to talk about.

have a scrape with (someone or something)

- come into contact with someone or something
I had a scrape with the building owner and I must be very careful of what I say now.

have a screw loose

- act in a strange way, be foolish
He is a very strange person. I think that he has a screw loose somewhere.

(not) have a snowball's chance in hell

- have no chance at all
Our team didn't have a snowball's chance in hell to win the tournament.

have a soft spot in one's heart for (someone or something)

- be fond of someone or something
My grandmother has a soft spot in her heart for her youngest son.

have a sweet tooth

- have a desire to eat sweet foods
The girl has a sweet tooth and loves to eat chocolate.

have a taste for (something)

- have a desire for a particular food/drink/experience
Recently my friend has a taste for very loud and fast music.

have a thing going with (someone)

- have a romantic relationship with someone
I think that the secretary has a thing going with one of the salesmen.

have a time

- have trouble, have a hard time
She really had a time last night when her car stopped working.

have a time

- have a good time, have fun
We really had a time at the party last night.

have a try/crack at (something)

- take a turn at trying to do something
I have always wanted to have a try at scuba diving.

have a vested interest in (something)

- have a personal interest (often financial) in something
The mayor of the city has a vested interest in building the new stadium.

have a way with (someone or something)

- be able to lead/persuade/influence others
The little girl has a way with horses. They are very gentle when she is around.

have a weakness for (someone or something)

- be unable to resist someone or something
The girl has a weakness for chocolate and is always eating it.

have a whale of a time

- have an exciting time
Everybody had a whale of a time at the school picnic.

have a word with (someone)

- talk briefly with someone
I will have a word with my boss before he goes home tonight.

have an accident

- experience something that was not intended
I had an accident on my way to work this morning.

have an ace up one's sleeve

- have something that you can use to gain an advantage (in a card game the ace is often the most valuable card and a cheater could have an ace up his or her sleeve to use against an opponent)
I have an ace up my sleeve which should help me when I meet my boss tomorrow.

have an ax to grind (with someone)

- have something to complain about
My co-worker has an ax to grind with our boss and is always complaining.

have an ear for (something)

- have the ability to learn music or languages
My cousin has an ear for music and is a very good musician.

have an edge on/over (someone or something)

- have an advantage over someone or something
Our team has an edge over the other teams to win the high school football championship.

have an eye for (something)

- have good taste in something, be able to judge correctly
She has an eye for nice furniture and her apartment is absolutely beautiful.

have an in with (someone)

- have a way to request a special favor from someone
The woman has an in with her boss and can easily get time off.

have an itch to do something

- have a desire to do something
I have an itch to go fishing this summer.

have an out

- have an excuse
The teacher asked me to do my presentation tomorrow but I have an out and don't have to do it. I will go to the doctor tomorrow

(not) have anything to do with someone

- (not) want to be a friend/work/do business with someone
My father will not have anything to do with the salesman because he sold him the faulty car.

have arrived

- reach a position of power/authority/prominence
The manager thought that she had arrived when she was given a beautiful corner office.

have bearing on (something)

- affect or influence something
The company decision had much bearing on the way that the company was managed.

have been around

- have been to many places and done many things, be experienced
My brother has been around and has been overseas many times.

have been had

- have been cheated or dealt with badly
I felt that I had been had when the salesman sold me the bad product.

have been through the mill

- have become exhausted or been badly treated
The students have been through the mill and want to relax after the final exams.

have been to hell and back

- have survived a great deal of trouble
I thought that I had been to hell and back after I lost my job and couldn't find a new one.

have clean hands

- be guiltless
I felt that I had clean hands and did not need to worry about the company scandal.

have come a long way

- have accomplished much
The woman has come a long way since she lost her house and her apartment.

have contact with (someone)

- communicate with someone
The government has had no contact with the kidnappers for several weeks.

have designs on (someone or something)

- have plans for someone or something
The city has designs on the land that the railway used to occupy.

have dibs on (something)

- demand a share of something, be in line to use something
I have dibs on the computer and would like to use it as soon as possible.

have egg on one`s face

- be embarrassed
He has egg on his face after finding out about his mistake.

have eyes bigger than one's stomach

- have a desire for more food than one can eat
I had eyes bigger than my stomach when I took too much food at the buffet.

have eyes in the back of one's head

- be able to sense what is going on where you can't see
The man has eyes in the back of his head and knows everything that is going on.

have eyes only for (someone or something)

- give all of one`s attention to someone or something, be interested only in someone or something
She has eyes only for her boyfriend.

have feet of clay

- have a character defect
The candidate has feet of clay and is being criticized by many of her opponents.

have growing pains

- a child or organization has difficulties in its growth
The new company is having growing pains as it trys to meet the demands for its services.

have had enough

- have had as much as you need of something
I have had enough sun today so I will go home soon.

have had it up to here with (someone or something)

- have reached the end of one's endurance or tolerance
The teacher has had it up to here with the bad behavior of the students.

have had it with (someone or something)

- be unable to tolerate someone or something anymore
I have had it with her constant complaining.

have had its day

- be no longer useful or successful
My suitcase has had its day and I must buy a new one.

have half a mind to (do something)

- feel tempted or inclined to do something
I have half a mind to go and offer my resignation to the president.

have in mind

- intend, plan
"What do you have in mind for your wife`s birthday?"

have it

- hear or get news, understand
I have it that the new president will be coming to see us next week.

have it

- claim, say
Rumor has it that three of the supervisors will be leaving next week.

have it

- allow (usually used with will or would)
We wanted to have a party at our office next month but our boss will not have it.

have it

- get/find the answer, understand
I think I finally have it. The reason she is leaving is because she is going to have a baby.

have it all over (someone or something)

- be much better than someone or something
My new bicycle has it all over my old one.

have it both ways

- do two things, have two things
"You can`t have it both ways. You must choose one or the other."

have it coming (to someone)

- deserve punishment
He really has it coming after causing many problems in his company.

have it in for (someone)

- show ill will to someone, dislike someone
I have been having problems at work recently. I think that the new supervisor has it in for me.

have it made

- be successful, have everything
He has it made with his new job.

have it out with (someone)

- argue or fight with someone
I had it out with my friend yesterday over the problem with the money.

have mixed feelings about (someone or something)

- be uncertain about someone or something
I have mixed feelings about moving away and taking the new job.

have money to burn

- have lots of money
The man has money to burn and is always buying something new.

have never had it so good

- have never been in such a good situation
We have never had it so good since the new supervisor came to our department.

have no business (doing something)

- be wrong to do something
The apartment manager has no business asking us about our private business.

have none of (something)

- not tolerate or endure something
Our teacher will have none of our talking loudly in the class.

have nothing on (someone or something)

- have no information or evidence about someone or something
The police have nothing on the man so they could not arrest him.

have nothing to do with (someone or something)

- not be involved with someone or something
My aunt will have nothing to do with most members of her family.

have nothing/none to spare

- not have extra of something
We had none to spare so we were unable to give any books to the hospital.

have on (something)

- be wearing something
"What did she have on when you last saw her?"

have one foot in the grave

- be near death
My uncle is very sick and has one foot in the grave.

have one for the road

- have a drink before leaving
We decided to have one for the road before we walked down to the train station to go home.

have one`s ass in a sling

- be in an uncomfortable predicament, be at a disadvantage
He really has his ass in a sling now that he has quit his job and can`t find another one.

have one's back to the wall

- be in a defensive position
The boy has his back to the wall and must pass his exam or leave school.

have one's cake and eat it too

- have something both ways
The union wants to have their cake and eat it too and will not give up anything during the bad economic times.

have one's druthers

- get one's choice
If I had my druthers I would not go to the meeting this evening.

have one's ear to the ground

- listen carefully for advice or advance warning of something
Our teacher always has his ear to the ground to look for possible trouble at school.

have one`s eye on (something)

- have a wish/aim for something, look or think about something
I want to buy a present for my girlfriend and I have my eye on a dress that I saw at the department store last week.

have one`s feet on the ground

- be practical or sensible
The new sales manager really has his feet on the ground.

have one's finger in too many pies

- be involved in too many things
The woman has her finger in too many pies and is unable to do her work well.

have one's hand in the till

- be stealing money from a company or organization
The man had his hand in the till for many years before he was caught.

have one's hands full with (someone or something)

- be totally occupied with someone or something
The mother has her hands full with the two young children.

have one's hands tied

- be prevented from doing something
I had my hands tied and was unable to help my friend with his request.

have one's head in the clouds

- be unaware of what is going on
The boy has his head in the clouds and doesn't think about what is going on around him.

have one's heart go out to someone

- have compassion for someone
We had our heart go out to the woman who lost her child in the fire.

have one's heart in the right place

- have good intentions (even if the results may be bad)
The woman has her heart in the right place and is always ready to help if she can.

have one's heart set against (something)

- be totally against something
My father has his heart set against my trip to Europe.

have one`s heart set on (something)

- want something very much
The child has his heart set on getting a new bicycle for his birthday.

have one's nose in a book

- be reading a book
The boy loves reading and always has his nose in a book.

have one's nose in the air

- be conceited or aloof
The girl has her nose in the air and is unfriendly to the other members of her class.

have one's work cut out for one

- have a large and difficult task to do
We had our work cut out for us when we began to paint the house.

have oneself something

- use or consume something
I decided to have myself a drink before leaving for the movie.

have other fish to fry

- have other or more important things to do
I have other fish to fry and do not want to get involved with the small problems in my company.

have pull with (someone)

- have influence with someone
My friend has pull with his boss and often goes home early.

have rocks in one`s head

- be stupid, not have good judgement
She has rocks in her head. She should never have bought that old car.

have second thoughts about (someone or something)

- have doubts about someone or something
Recently, I am having second thoughts about buying a new motorcycle.

have seen better days

- be worn out or well-used
My bicycle has seen better days and soon I will need to buy a new one.

have (someone) in one's pocket

- have control over someone
The large union has the city mayor in their pocket.

have (someone or something) in tow

- lead/pull/tow someone or something
The boy had his brother in tow as he walked down the street.

have (someone) over

- invite someone to your house
We plan to have my parents over when we settle into our new house.

have (someone's) blood on one's hands

- be responsible for someone's death
The army general has the citizen's blood on his hands.

have (someone's) hide

- scold or punish someone
The mother promised to have her son's hide if he didn't behave.

have (something) against (someone or something)

- have a dislike for someone or something
I don't know why but my teacher seems to have something against me.

have (something) at one's fingertips

- have something within reach
I didn't have a pen at my fingertips so I couldn't write down the man's address.

have (something) coming to (someone)

- deserve punishment for something
The girl has the punishment coming to her because of what she did.

have (something) down pat

- have learned or memorized something perfectly
I have the dance routine down pat.

have (something) going for one

- have ability/talent/good looks
She has a lot going for her and I am sure that she will get the new job.

have (something) hanging over one's head

- have something worrying one
I want to finish my final essay so I don't have it hanging over my head.

have (something) in common with (someone or something)

- resemble each other in specific ways, have similar interests to someone
I have much in common with a girl in my class.

have (something) in mind

- have a plan or idea in one's mind
I don't know what my friend has in mind so I will ask him later.

have (something) in stock

- have goods available to sell
The store does not have any CD players in stock.

have (something) in store for (someone)

- have something planned for someone
I don't know what my boss has in store for me.

have (something) on

- have plans for a particular time
I have something on this afternoon so I can't go to the park.

have (something) on file

- have or keep a written record of something
I have the report on file on my computer disc.

have (something) on (someone)

- have information or proof that someone did something wrong
I think that the police have something on the man and that is why he wants to quit his job.

have (something) on the ball

- be smart/clever/skilled
She really has a lot on the ball. She should do well in her new job.

have (something) on the brain

- be obsessed with something
My sister has tennis on the brain and is always talking about it.

have (something) on the tip of one's tongue

- be almost able to remember a specific fact such as a name or place
I have the actor's name on the tip of my tongue but I can't remember it.

have (something) stuck in one's craw

- have something irritate or displease someone
The man's complaint stuck in my craw for several weeks before I forgot it.

have (something) to do with (something)

- to be about something, to be on the subject of something, to be related to something
"The book has something to do with cooking but I am not sure if you will like it."
That problem has nothing to do with me.

have (something) to spare

- have more than enough of something
We have extra blankets to spare so we gave them to our neighbors.

have (something) up one`s sleeve

- have something kept secretly ready for the right time
I`m not too worried about the meeting as I have something up my sleeve if there are any problems.

have sticky fingers

- to steal things
He was fired from the restaurant because he has sticky fingers.

have the best of both worlds

- be able to enjoy two different opportunities
The man has the best of both worlds and can enjoy the outdoors and nature while he is working at his job.

have the courage of one's convictions

- have enough courage and determination to carry out one's goals
The man has the courage of his convictions and will only do what he feels is right.

have the devil to pay

- have a great deal of trouble
I will have the devil to pay if I don't return home before dark.

have the feel of (something)

- have learned how something feels, be accustomed to something
As soon as I had the feel of the airplane, the instructor let me fly it.

have the gall to (do something)

- be arrogant enough to do something
The woman had the gall to ask me to stop talking after she had been talking loudly for an hour.

have the gift of the gab

- be able to talk and use language easily
My sister has the gift of the gab and is able to talk to others easily.

have the last laugh

- make someone seem foolish for having laughed at you first
I had the last laugh when I went home early while everyone else had to stay overnight at the airport because of the storm.

have the makings of (something)

- possess the qualities that are needed for something
The new soccer player has the makings of a great star.

have the Midas touch

- have the ability to make money easily
My uncle has the Midas touch and he makes money at whatever he does.

have the presence of mind to (do something)

- have the calmness and ability to act sensibly in a difficult situation
My aunt had the presence of mind to write a will before she passed away.

have the right-of-way

- have the right to drive in one lane while driving
The small car had the right-of-way but was hit by the large truck anyway.

have the time of one's life

- have a very good time
We had the time of our life at the party last night.

have the wherewithal to (do something)

- have the money or energy to do something
The man does not have the wherewithal to go to court and fight his case.

have them rolling in the aisles

- make an audience laugh a lot
The speaker had them rolling in the aisles when he gave his talk.

have to (do something)

- be obliged or forced to do something
I have to leave at 4:00 or I will be late for my appointment.

have to live with (something)

- have to endure something
Although the house is very cold we will have to live with it.

have too many irons in the fire

- be doing too many things at once
I have too many irons in the fire at the moment and I am very tired.

have turned the corner

- have passed a critical point in a process
I think that we have turned the corner and that our business will improve soon.

have two strikes against one

- have things working against one, be in a difficult situation
He already has two strikes against him and it will be very difficult for him to get the job.
have what it takes

- have the ability or courage to do something
I don't believe that my friend has what it takes to be a good teacher.


(go) haywire

- become broken or confused
The plan went haywire when our directions became confused.

hazard a guess/opinion

- make a guess
I would not want to hazard a guess as to the age of the woman.

[Greight]

head Idioms
head above water

- out of difficulty, clear of trouble
Although he works very hard he is not able to keep his head above water financially.

head and shoulders above (someone or something)

- clearly superior to someone or something
I believe that our team is head and shoulders above the other teams in the league.

head for (someone/something/somewhere)

- to aim for someone/something/somewhere, to move toward someone/something/somewhere
The tropical storm is heading for the large island.

head-hunting

- search for qualified individuals to fill certain positions
The head-hunting company has phoned me several times about getting a new job.

head off (someone)

- get in front of and stop someone, turn someone back
In the movie the soldiers tried to head off the gang at the mountain pass.

head off (something)

- stop, prevent
They were able to head off a strike by the union at the last minute.

head-on

- front end to front end, with the front facing something
There was a serious head-on crash on the highway last night.

head-on

- in a way that is exactly opposite, opposed to someone in an argument or fight
They decided to deal with their opponents in a head-on manner in order to win the fight.

head out

- leave, start
It is time that we head out for the movie or we will be late.

head over heels

- upside down, head first
He fell head over heels when his bicycle hit the wall.

head over heels in love (with someone)

- completely/deeply in love (with someone)
She fell head over heels in love with the guy that she met at the party.

a head shrinker

- a psychiatrist
The criminal had to go and see a head shrinker after the judge sentenced him to life in prison.

a head start

- an early start to something
They left early in order to get a head start on the trip.

to head up

- to be at the head of (a group), a leader
The president headed up a group of people going overseas to promote trade.

heads or tails

- the face of a coin or the opposite side
We decided who would start the game by throwing heads or tails with a coin.

heads will roll

- someone will get into severe trouble
I think that heads will roll because of the problems with the new employee.

.


hear a peep out of (someone)

- hear the smallest word from someone
We did not hear a peep out of the children who were playing in the bedroom.

hear from

- receive a letter/phone call/news from someone
I haven`t heard from my university roommate for over one year.

(not) hear of (something)

- not tolerate or permit something
I will not hear of my aunt staying in a hotel when she visits us.

hear (someone) out

- listen to everything that someone has to say
We went to the meeting to hear the manager out about the new building.

heart Idioms
heart goes out to (someone)

- one feels sympathy for someone
My heart went out to the victims of the railway accident.

heart is in the right place

- be kindhearted/sympathetic, have good intentions
He sometimes makes mistakes but his heart is in the right place.

heart is set on (something)

- one desires and expects something
The boy's heart is set on getting a dog for his birthday.

heart of gold

- a kind/generous/forgiving personality
My grandmother has a heart of gold and everyone loves her.

heart of stone

- someone with a nature with no pity or warmth
She has a heart of stone and is not interested in how other people feel.

heart skips/misses a beat

- be startled or excited from surprise/joy/fright
My heart skipped a beat when the truck almost hit us last night.

heart stands still

- be very frightened or worried
My heart stood still when I heard the story about the little boy and the fire.

heart-to-heart

- honest or intimate
The couple had a heart-to-heart talk before they decided to get married.

.


heavy going

- difficult to do
Moving the furniture was heavy going and we became tired quickly.

a heavy heart

- a feeling of sadness or unhappiness
He seems to have a heavy heart now that his wife has died.

hedge in (something)

- keep something from getting out or moving freely, block something in
My car was hedged in by the other cars and I was unable to move it this morning.

hedge one's bets

- reduce one's loss on something by counterbalancing the loss in some way
We will hedge our bets and go to a movie if the weather isn't good enough for camping.

hell and high water

- troubles or difficulties of some kind
They went through hell and high water in order to get the food to the flood victims.

hell-bent for leather

- behaving recklessly, riding a horse recklessly
The boys went hell-bent-for-leather down the path to the beach.

hell on earth

- a very unpleasant situation
The hot weather made the small town hell on earth.

hell-on-wheels

- a short-tempered/nagging/crabby person
She is hell-on-wheels in the morning so you should be careful of her.

help oneself to (something)

- take whatever one wants or needs
We went to the buffet table and helped ourselves to the food.

help out with (something)

- assist someone to do something
I helped out with carrying the luggage of the other tour members.

helter-skelter

- in a confusing group, in disorder
When we arrived at work we found the files scattered helter-skelter over the floor.

to hem and haw

- to avoid giving a clear answer, to be evasive in speech
He hemmed and hawed when I asked him if he knew where the missing money was.

hem (someone or something) in

- trap or enclose someone or something
We went to the football game but we felt hemmed in by all of the people.

here and now

- immediately
I want you to do that work right here and now.

here and there

- in various places, go to various places
We went here and there during our holidays.

Here goes.

- ready to to do something while hoping for the best results
"Well, here goes. I am going to go and ask that girl for a date right now."

Here goes nothing.

- ready to do something but think that it will probably be a waste of time and will probably fail
"Here goes nothing. I have already asked him to lend me some money and he always says no but I`ll try again."

here, there and everywhere

- everywhere
The mice were here, there, and everywhere when we entered the old house.

hide/bury one`s head in the sand

- keep from knowing something dangerous or unpleasant
He hates to talk about important matters and hides his head in the sand when I try to talk to him.

hide one's face in shame

- cover one's face because of shame or embarrassment
The man wanted to hide his face in shame after he lost his job.

high Idioms
high and dry

- stranded, abandoned
They left the manager high and dry when they moved the company to Europe.

high and low

- everywhere
We looked high and low for her watch but we couldn`t find it.

high-and-mighty

- arrogant
He always acts high-and-mighty in front of his employees.

(in) high gear

- at top speed, full activity
The preparations for his visit have been in high gear all week.

high-handed

- bossy, dictatorial, depending on force rather than what is right
My supervisor always takes a high-handed approach when dealing with her employees.

(the) high life

- a luxurious existence
They have been living the high life since they moved to Las Vegas.

high man on the totem pole

- the top person of an organization
My father is the high man on the totem pole in his company and has a very good job.

high on (something)

- intoxicated with a drug, enthusuastic about something
The young man was high on something when the police arrested him.

the high seas

- the ocean (away from the coast)
The crew of the ship spent three months on the high seas before going to shore for a visit.

(to be) in high spirits

- to have much energy, to be cheerful
They are in high spirits since their home team won the tournament.

(to be) high time

- to be time that something should already have been done
It is high time that we spent some time cleaning up our house.

.


hightail it out of (somewhere)

- run away from or leave a place quickly
We decided to hightail it out of the restaurant and go home.

highway robbery

- an extremely high price for something
The price that we had to pay for the theater tickets was highway robbery.

hinge on (something)

- depend on something
Whether or not I can enter the university hinges on my final exam score.

hire out (someone)

- accept/give a job/employment
He decided to hire himself out as a dancer while he was going to school.

hire out (something)

- rent something to someone
We hired out our boat last summer because we were too busy to use it.

[Greight]

hit Idioms
hit a plateau

- reach a certain level of activity/sales and then stop
The performance of the basketball team hit a plateau and then declined.

hit a snag

- run into a problem
The negotiations to end the teachers' strike hit a snag last night.

hit-and-miss

- unplanned/uncontrolled/aimless/careless
We are looking for a new apartment but it is hit-and-miss whether we can find a good one or not.

hit-and-run

- an accident where the driver of the car drives away without stopping
My sister was involved in a hit-and-run accident last Sunday afternoon.

hit-and-run

- striking suddenly and leaving quickly
The army made a hit-and-run attack on the enemy soldiers.

hit bottom

- be at the very lowest, not be able to go any lower
The economy hit bottom last year but is finally starting to improve.

hit close to home

- affect one personally
The strike by the trash collectors hit close to home when we had no place to put our garbage.

hit home

- make sense, make an impression on someone
The amount of damage from the storm hit home when we saw the houses on the beach.

hit it off (with someone)

- get along well with someone
We really hit it off at the party.

hit on/upon (something)

- think of something by chance
We hit upon the idea of going to the lake for our holiday after our airline reservations were cancelled.

hit parade

- a list of songs arranged in order of popularity
We listened to all the songs on the hit parade last night.

hit pay dirt

- discover something of value
The men hit pay dirt when they discovered oil in the farmer's field.

hit (someone) below the belt

- do something unfair or unsporting to someone
The lawyer was hitting below the belt when he asked the woman very personal questions.

hit (someone) hard

- affect someone strongly
The death of the woman's father hit her very hard.

hit (someone) like a ton of bricks

- surprise or shock someone
When the small school went out of business it hit everyone like a ton of bricks.

hit (someone) right between the eyes

- make a strong impression on someone, surprise someone
Her incredible performance really hit me between the eyes.

hit (someone) up for (something)

- ask someone for something
My friend tried to hit me up for some money but I said no.

hit the books

- study or prepare for class
He stayed home all weekend and hit the books.

hit the bottle

- drink too much alcohol
She started to hit the bottle soon after her divorce.

hit the bricks

- start walking, go out into the streets (on strike)
The post office workers hit the bricks and went on strike.

hit the bull`s-eye

- go to the most important part of a matter, reach the main question
She hit the bull`s-eye when she suggested that decreasing costs was more important than increasing sales.

hit the ceiling

- get angry
His wife is going to hit the ceiling when she sees the bill for the car repair.

hit the deck

- get up from bed, start working
"Let`s hit the deck and get this work done before supper."

hit the dirt

- fall on the ground and take cover under gunfire
We were told to hit the dirt during the bank robbery.

hit the hay

- go to bed
I decided to hit the hay early last night because I was very tired.

hit the high spots

- consider or mention only the more important parts of something
He only had time to hit the high spots in his report but still it was very interesting.

hit the jackpot

- be very lucky or successful
She hit the jackpot when she bought a lottery ticket last week.

hit the nail on the head

- make a correct guess or analysis
He hit the nail on the head when he wrote the report about the bank`s problems.

hit the road

- leave - usually in a car
We should hit the road early tomorrow morning if we want to reach the seashore before evening.

hit the roof

- become very angry, go into a rage
He hit the roof when he found out that his son had wrecked the family car.

hit the sack

- go to bed
I`m a little bit tired so I think that I will hit the sack now.

hit the sauce

- drink alcohol heavily and regularly
He has been hitting the sauce recently although he says that he doesn`t drink.

hit the skids

- decline, decrease in value
The prices of houses hit the skids recently in our city.

hit the spot

- refresh or satisfy
Drinking the lemonade after the baseball game really hit the spot.

.


hitch one`s wagon to a star

- aim high, follow a great ambition or purpose
He wants to hitch his wagon to a star and pursue his dreams of becoming an actor.

hither and thither

- in one direction and then in another, here and there
He looked hither and thither when he discovered that he had lost his wallet.

hive of activity

- a place where things are very busy
The school was a hive of activity during the school festival.

Hobson's choice

- the choice between taking what is offered or getting nothing at all (Hobson owned a stable in the 17th century in England and always offered his customers the horse nearest the door)
The customer's were given a Hobson's choice. They could buy a car of any colour but only if it was black

hold Idioms
hold a candle to (someone or something)

- be in the same class or level as someone or something (usually used with a negative)
The new restaurant can`t hold a candle to the one that I usually go to.

hold a grudge against (someone)

- not forgive someone for something
He has been holding a grudge against the company manager for many years.

hold a meeting

- meet, have a meeting
The apartment owners decided to hold a meeting last week.

hold all the trump cards/aces

- have the best chance of winning, have full control
It will be difficult to do well in the negotiations with him as he holds all the trump cards.

hold back

- stay back or away, show unwillingness to do something
He always holds back during meetings and never says anything.

hold back (someone)

- prevent someone from doing something
The police officers tried to hold back the angry woman.

hold court

- act like a king or queen among his or her subjects
He always acts like he is holding court when I see him in his office.

hold down a job

- keep a job
He has a serious drinking problem and is unable to hold down a job.

hold down (someone or something)

- keep control of someone or something
The government was able to hold down the rate of inflation for many years.

hold forth

- offer, propose
The company held forth a proposal to give all of the employees a bonus in the summer.

hold forth (on/about something)

- speak in public, talk about something
He was holding forth about taxes last night when I saw him in his office.

hold good

- continue, endure, last
The demand for air conditioners held good during July but decreased rapidly in August.

hold off

- delay, not begin
The concert will be held off until next week.

hold off

- keep away by force
The man was able to hold off the police for several hours before he was arrested.

Hold on!

- wait a minute, stop, wait and not hang up the phone
"Please hold on for a minute while I go back and lock the window."

hold on to (someone or something)

- continue to hold or keep something, hold tightly
You should hold on to your bag when you are in the bus or someone may steal it.

hold one`s breath

- stop breathing for a moment when you are excited or nervous
I had to stop and hold my breath while I was waiting for the announcement of the winning name.

hold one's end of the bargain up

- to do what you have agreed to do
The students did not hold their end of the bargain up when they did not do their homework.

hold one`s fire

- keep back arguments or facts, keep from telling something
I tried to hold my fire during the meeting and save the rest of the information until next week.

hold one's head up

- keep one's dignity and pride
The basketball players were able to hold their heads up even though they lost the game.

hold one`s horses

- stop and wait patiently
"Hold your horses for a minute while I return to get my wallet."

hold one`s own (in an argument)

- defend one`s position
Although her boss is very aggressive she is able to hold her own in any dispute with him.

hold one`s peace

- be silent and not speak against someone or something
"Please try and hold your peace during the meeting as it will be to our disadvantage if we have a confrontation."

hold one`s tongue

- keep quiet
He decided to hold his tongue rather than give his honest opinion.

a hold-out

- someone who refuses to give something up, a non-conformist
He was the last hold-out in our effort to make sure that everyone wore a necktie to work.

hold out for (something)

- refuse to give up, insist on getting something
The basketball star is holding out for a large salary increase.

hold out on (someone)

- refuse to give something to someone, refuse to agree
The players are holding out on the owners and will not sign their contract.

hold out (one's hand)

- reach out, extend
She held out her hand to help her mother climb up the stairs.

hold out the olive branch to (someone)

- offer to end a dispute with someone
The company decided to hold out the olive branch to the workers who were on strike.

hold over (something)

- extend the engagement of something
The movie was held over for another week.

hold (someone) down

- try to keep someone from succeeding
The president of the company is trying to hold down the manager so he doesn't challenge his position.

hold (someone) hostage

- keep someone as a hostage
The bank robbers were holding the woman hostage.

hold (someone) in high regard

- have very great respect for someone
All of the students hold the principal in high regard.

hold (someone's) attention

- keep someone interested
The man standing on the bridge held everyone's attention for over an hour.

hold (something) against (someone)

- blame something on someone
My friend forgot to give me my money but I don't hold it against him as he is a nice person.

hold (something) back

- keep information or something to or for oneself
Our boss is holding back the information about the new computer system.

hold still

- to not move
"Please hold still while I fix your jacket zipper."

hold the fort

- cope in an emergency, act as a temporary substitute
He has been holding the fort at his company while his boss is on vacation.

hold the line at (something)

- not yield to pressure, limit something
Our company is holding the line on any salary increases.

hold the reins

- be the most influential person
He has been holding the reins in his company for many years.

hold true

- be true
It usually hold's true that the students who come late get the lowest marks.

hold up

- lift, raise
The students usually hold up their hands when they have a question.

hold up

- support, carry
The main beams in the house hold up the total weight of the house.

hold up

- stop, delay
The accident held up traffic for over three hours at the border crossing.

hold up

- rob at gunpoint
The criminal was able to hold up three people before he was caught.

hold up

- keep up one`s courage or spirits
Her spirits are holding up quite well even though she does not have a job now.

hold up

- remain good, not get worse
Sales during the first six months of the year are holding up very well compared to last year.

hold up

- prove true
Her story held up during the questioning by the police.

a hold-up

- a robbery
I was involved in a hold-up when I was in the supermarket last weekend.

hold up (someone or something) as an example of (something)

- point to someone or something as a good example
The student was held up as an example of an honest and good person.

hold water

- be a sound idea
His proposal for a new work scheduling system doesn`t hold water.

.


hole in the wall

- a small place to live/work/visit, a small hidden (often inferior) place
We went for a drink at a hole in the wall near the university last night.

hole up (somewhere)

- hide somewhere
I passed the weekend holed up in my bedroom with a good book.

holier-than-thou

- acting as if one is better than others in goodness or character etc.
I do not like him because he takes a holier-than-thou attitude toward everyone else.

holy cats

- used to express strong feelings of astonishment, pleasure or anger
"Holy cats, the water is rising over the river bank."

holy cow

- used to express strong feelings of astonishment, pleasure or anger
"Holy cow! There are over one hundred people standing in front of our house."

holy mackerel

- used to express strong feelings of astonishment, pleasure or anger
"Holy mackerel," cried the little boy when he saw the new bicycle that he got for his birthday present.

holy Moses

- used to express strong feelings of astonishment, pleasure or anger
"Holy Moses! It is already noon and I haven`t even started work yet."

a holy terror

- a very disobedient or unruly child
The little boy is a holy terror and his parents never want to take him anywhere.

the honeymoon is over

- the initial period of friendship and cooperation between two groups is over
The honeymoon was over for the new President after several months.

a honky-tonk

- a cheap night-club or dance hall
We went to a honky-tonk in the small town where we stopped last night.

honor a check

- accept someone's personal check
The store refused to honor the check that I tried to give them.

hook, line and sinker

- without question or doubt, completely
She fell in love with her new boyfriend hook, line and sinker.

to hook up (something)

- connect or fit something together
After we moved into our new apartment we had to hook up the phone.

a hook-up

- a connection
The new hook-up for the computer is not working very well.

hooked on (something)

- addicted to a drug or someting similar, enthusiastic about something
The man has been hooked on drugs since he was a teenager.

a hop, skip and a jump

- a short distance
The hospital was a hop, skip, and a jump from our new apartment.

hop to it

- get started, start a job
We must hop to it and try to finish this job before dinner.

to hope against hope

- to continue to hope when things look very bad
The rescue team hoped against hope that the lost hikers would be found alive.

(to be) hopeless at (doing something)

- incapable of doing something well
My sister is hopeless at mathematics.

(to be) hopped up on (something)

- to be high on a drug or on alcohol
The man who tried to rob the store was hopped up on some kind of drug.

to horn in on (someone)

- to come in without an invitation or welcome, interfere
The man horned in on our conversation although he knows that nobody likes him.

to horse around

- to play around, to join in rough teasing
The children were horsing around in the school yard when the bell rang for class.

a horse of a different color

- something totally separate and different
We should not be talking about that issue now. It is a horse of a different color.

horse sense

- good judgement, wisdom in making decisions
He has good horse sense so you can expect him to make an intelligent decision.

to horse trade

- to make a business agreement after hard negotiations
We had to horse trade but we were finally able to reach an agreement to buy the antique car.

hot Idioms
hot air

- nonsense, exaggerated talk
He is full of hot air and you can`t trust what he says.

(to be) hot and bothered

- excited and worried, displeased
I don`t know what is wrong with her but she is hot and bothered about something.

hot and heavy

- serious passion or emotions
The love scenes in the movie were hot and heavy.

hot on (someone or something)

- enthusiastic about someone or something
Recently, I am hot on some kinds of classical music.

a hot potato

- a situation that is likely to cause trouble to the person handling it
The issue of the non-union workers is a hot potato that we must deal with.

a hot rod

- an automobile that is changed so that it can go very fast
He has always loved cars and was a member of his local hot rod club when he was a teenager.

hot under the collar

- very angry
Our boss is hot under the collar today because three of the staff came late.

(to be) in hot water

- to be in trouble
He has been in hot water at work since he took a week off with no excuse.

.


a house of cards

- something badly put together and easily knocked down, a poorly made plan/action
The peace agreement between the two countries was like a house of cards and fell apart as soon as a minor problem occurred.

How about?

- will you have something or will you agree to something?
"How about some coffee before we go to work?"

How about?

- what is your feeling/thought/desire regarding something?
"She is not interested in the job but how about one of her friends?"

How come?

- why?
"How come you don`t telephone her if you want to talk to her?"

How`s that?

- what did you say?
"How`s that? I couldn`t hear you because the radio was too loud."

How so?

- how is it so?
"I know that you think that the answer is wrong but how so?"

a hue and cry

- an excited protest/alarm/outcry
The bank raised a hue and cry when we failed to notify them about our financial problems.

to huff and puff

- to breathe very hard
I was huffing and puffing after I walked up several floors in our apartment building.

(to be) hung up on (someone or something)

- to be obsessed or devoted to someone or something
My friend is hung up on one of his colleagues at work.

to hunger for (something)

- to have a strong desire for something
The men were hungering for adventure when they began their tour of Africa.

(to be) hungry for (something)

- to desire something
I was hungry for some different food so I went to a new restaurant.

hunt high and low for (someone or something)

- carefully look everywhere for something
I have been hunting high and low for my house keys but I can't find them.

hurl an insult (at someone)

- direct/make an insult to someone
The young boys stopped to hurl an insult at the older boy.

hush-hush

- something kept secret or hidden
"Why the big hush-hush? Everyone is very quiet this morning."

hush money

- money paid to persuade someone to be silent about certain information
The politician was arrested for trying to pay hush money to a victim of the scandal.

to hush up

- keep news of something from getting out, prevent people from knowing about something
The government tried to hush up the bad economic news but the media soon discovered the facts.

to hush up

- to be or make quiet, to stop talking/crying/making noise
The mother told her child to hush up when they were in the department store.

hustle and bustle

- a large amount of activity and work that is usually done in a noisy and busy place
There is a lot of hustle and bustle downtown every Saturday morning.

(to be) hyped-up

- to have an excess of energy, to be excited
She has been hyped up all morning because she will go to Italy for a holiday next week.

[Greight]

I
idiot box

- television set
My friend sits in front of the idiot box all day and never gets any work done.

if looks could kill

- used when someone makes an unfriendly look or frowns at someone
If looks could kill then the horrible way that the woman looked at me would have killed me instantly.

if so

- if that is the case
The lawyer said that he wants to meet us this afternoon but if so then we will not have any documents ready to discuss.

if the shoe fits, wear it

- if something that is said describes you then it probably is meant for you as well
He was complaining that many workers at his company were lazy. However, his friend looked at him and said that if the shoe fits, wear it.

if worst comes to worst

- if the worst possible thing happens
If worst comes to worst we can cancel our holiday and go next year.

ill at ease

- nervous/uncomfortable
He appeared to be ill at ease during the interview.

ill-disposed to (do something)

- not friendly or favorable to something
Our company is ill-disposed to begin working on the project with the other company.

ill-gotten gains

- money or other goods acquired illegally or dishonestly
The man used his ill-gotten gains from the sale of the stolen car to go on a holiday.

ill will

- hostile feelings or intentions
There is much ill will between the two departments in our company.

implicate (someone) in (something)

- suggest that someone is involved in something
The man was implicated in the scheme to sell the illegal shares in the company.