Текст книги "Словарь американских идиом: 8000 единиц"

Автор книги: Adam Makkai

Соавторы: Maya Glinberg
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[hard-boiled]{adj.} Unrefined; tough; merciless. •/«Because you were two minutes late,» my hard-boiled boss cried, «I will deduct fifteen minutes worth from your salary!»/

[hard cash] See: COLD CASH.

[hard feeling]{n.} Angry or bitter feeling; enmity. – Usually used in the plural. •/Jim asked Andy to shake hands with him, just to show that there were no hard feelings./ •/Bob and George once quarreled over a girl, and there are still hard feelings between them./

[hard-fisted]{adj.} 1. Able to do hard physical labor; strong. •/Jack’s uncle was a hard-fisted truck driver with muscles of steel./ 2. Not gentle or easy-going; tough; stern. •/The new teacher was a hard-fisted woman who would allow no nonsense./ 3. Stingy or mean; not generous with money. •/The hard-fisted banker refused to lend Mr. Jones more money for his business./

[hard going]{adj. phr.} Fraught with difficulty. •/Dave finds his studies of math hard going./

[hardheaded]{adj.} Stubborn; shrewd; practical. •/Don is a hardheaded businessman who made lots of money, even during the recession./

[hardhearted]{adj.} Unsympathetic; merciless. •/Jack is so hardhearted that even his own children expect nothing from him./

[hard-hitting]{adj.} Working hard to get things done; strong and active; stubbornly eager. •/The boys put on a hard-hitting drive to raise money for uniforms for the football team./ •/He is a hard-hitting and successful football coach./

[hard line]{n. phr.} Tough political policy. •/Although modern economists were trying to persuade him to open up to the West, Castro has always taken the hard line approach./

[hard-liner]{n.} A politician who takes the hard line. See: HARD LINE.

[hard luck] See: TOUGH LUCK.

[hardly any] or [scarcely any] Almost no or almost none; very few. •/Hardly any of the students did well on the test, so the teacher explained the lesson again./ •/Charles and his friends each had three cookies, and when they went out, hardly any cookies were left./

[hardly ever] or [scarcely ever]{adv. phr.} Very rarely; almost never; seldom. •/It hardly ever snows in Florida./ •/Johnny hardly ever reads a book./

[hard-nosed]{adj.}, {slang} Tough or rugged; very strict; not weak or soft; stubborn, especially in a fight or contest. •/Joe’s father was a hard-nosed army officer who had seen service in two wars./ •/Pete is a good boy; he plays hard-nosed football./ Compare: HARD-BOILED.

[hard nut to crack] also [tough nut to crack]{n. phr.}, {informal} Something difficult to understand or to do. •/Tom’s algebra lesson was a hard nut to crack./ •/Mary found knitting a hard nut to crack./ Compare: HARD ROW TO HOE.

[hard of hearing]{adj.} Partially deaf. •/Some people who are hard of hearing wear hearing aids./

[hard-on]{n.}, {vulgar}, {avoidable}. An erection of the male sexual organ.

[hard put] or [hard put to it]{adj.} In a difficult position; faced with difficulty; barely able. •/John was hard put to find a good excuse for his lateness in coming to school./ •/The scouts found themselves hard put to it to find the way home./

[hard row to hoe] or [tough row to hoe]{n. phr.} A hard life to live; a very hard job to do. •/She has a hard row to hoe with six children and her husband dead./ •/Young people without enough education will have a tough row to hoe when they have to support themselves./ Syn.: HARD SLEDDING. Compare: DOWN ON ONE’S LUCK, HARD NUT TO CRACK.

[hard sell]{n.}, {informal} A kind of salesmanship characterized by great vigor, aggressive persuasion, and great eagerness on the part of the person selling something; opposed to «soft sell». •/Your hard sell turns off a lot of people; try the soft sell for a change, won’t you?/

[hard sledding] or [rough sledding] or [tough sledding]{n.}, {informal} Difficulty in succeeding or making progress. •/Jane had hard sledding in her math course because she was poorly prepared./ •/When Mr. Smith started his new business, he had tough sledding for a while but things got better./

[hard-top]{n.} 1. A car that has a metal roof; a car that is not a convertible. •/Every spring Mr. Jones sells his hard-top and buys a convertible./ 2. or [hardtop convertible] A car with windows that can be completely lowered with no partitions left standing, and with a top that may or may not be lowered. •/Mr. Brown’s new car is a hardtop convertible./

[hard up]{adj.}, {informal} Without enough money or some other needed thing. •/Dick was hard up and asked Lou to lend him a dollar./ •/The campers were hard up for water because their well had run dry./ Compare: UP AGAINST IT.

[hard way]{n.} The harder or more punishing of two or more ways to solve a problem, do something, or learn something. – Used with «the». •/The mayor refused the help of the crooks and won the election the hard way by going out to meet the people./ •/The challenger found out the hard way that the champion’s left hand had to be avoided./

[hare] See: MAD AS A HATTER or MAD AS A MARCH HARE, RUN WITH THE HARE AND HUNT (RIDE) WITH THE HOUNDS.

[harebrained]{adj.} Thoughtless; foolish. •/Most of the harebrained things Ed does may be attributable to his youth and lack of experience./

[hark back]{v.}, {literary} 1. To recall or turn back to an earlier time or happening. •/Judy is always harking back to the good times she had at camp./ 2. To go back to something as a beginning or origin. •/The cars of today hark back to the first automobiles made about 1900./ •/The slit in the back of a man’s coal harks back to the days when men rode horseback./

[harp away at] or [on]{v.} To mention again and again. •/In his campaign speeches, Jones harps on his rival’s wealth and powerful friends./

[Harry] See: TOM, DICK, AND HARRY.

[harum-scarum(1)]{adv.}, {informal} In a careless, disorderly or reckless way. •/Jim does his homework harum-scarum, and that is why his schoolwork is so poor./

[harum-scarum(2)]{adj.}, {informal} Careless, wild, or disorderly in one’s acts or performance; reckless. •/Jack is such a harum-scarum boy that you can never depend on him to do anything right./

[hash] See: SETTLE ONE’S HASH, SLING HASH.

[hash house]{n.}, {slang} An eating place where cheap meals are served. •/Joe and his friends went to a hash house around the corner after the game./

[hash out]{v.}, {informal} To talk all about and try to agree on; discuss thoroughly. •/The teacher asked Susan and Jane to sit down together and hash out their differences./ •/The students hashed out the matter and decided to drop it./

[hash up]{v.}, {slang} 1. To make a mess of; do badly. •/Bob really hashed up that exam and failed the course./ 2. To bring to life; remember and talk about. •/The teacher advised Sue not to hash up old bitterness against her schoolmates./

[haste] See: MAKE HASTE.

[hat] See: AT THE DROP OF A HAT, BRASS HAT, HANG ON TO YOUR HAT or HOLD ON TO YOUR HAT or HOLD YOUR HAT, HIGH-HAT, KEEP UNDER ONE’S HAT, OLD HAT, PULL OUT OF A HAT, TAKE OFF ONE’S HAT TO, TALK THROUGH ONE’S HAT, TEN-GALLON HAT, THROW ONE’S HAT IN THE RING.

[hat in hand]{adv. phr.}, {informal} In a humble and respectful manner. •/They went hat in hand to the old woman to ask for her secret recipe./

[hatch] See: COUNT ONE’S CHICKENS BEFORE THEY ARE HATCHED.

[hatchet] See: BURY THE HATCHET.

[hatchet face]{n.} A long narrow face with sharp parts; also, a person with such a face. •/Johnny was sent to the principal’s office because he called his teacher old hatchet face./ •/He was hatchet-faced and not at all handsome./

[hatchet job]{n. phr.}, {slang} 1. The act of saying or writing terrible things about someone or something, usually on behalf of one’s boss or organization. •/When Phil makes speeches against the competition exaggerating their weaknesses, he is doing the hatchet job on behalf of our president./ 2. A ruthless, wholesale job of editing a script whereby entire paragraphs or pages are omitted. •/Don, my editor, did a hatchet job on my new novel./

[hatchet man]{n.}, {colloquial} 1. A politician or newspaper columnist whose job is to write and say unfavorable things about the opposition. •/Bill Lerner is the hatchet man for the Mayor’s Party; he smears all the other candidates regularly./ 2. An executive officer in a firm whose job it is to fire superfluous personnel, cut back on the budget, etc., in short, to do the necessary but unpleasant things. •/The firm hired Cranhart to be hatchet man; his title is that of Executive Vice President./

[hate one’s guts]{v. phr.}, {slang} To feel a very strong dislike for someone. •/Dick said that he hated Fred’s guts because Fred had been very mean to him./

[hats off to] or [one’s hat is off to]{truncated phr.}, {informal} Used to recognize and praise a job well-done. •/Hats off to anyone who runs the twenty-six mile race./ •/My hat is off to the chef who created this delicious meal./ Compare: TAKE OFF ONE’S HAT TO.

[hatter] See: MAD AS A HATTER.

[haul] See: LONG HAUL.

[haul down]{v.}, {informal} 1. To catch (as a ball) usually after a long run. •/Willie hauled down a long fly to center field for the third out./ •/The star halfback hauled down the pass for a touchdown./ 2. To tackle in football. •/Ted was hauled down from behind when he tried to run with the ball./

[haul down one’s colors] or [strike one’s colors]{v. phr.} 1. To pull down a flag, showing you are beaten and want to stop fighting. •/After a long battle, the pirate captain hauled down his colors./ 2. To admit you are beaten; say you want to quit. •/After losing two sets of tennis, Tom hauled down his color./

[haul in] or [haul up] or [pull in]{v.}, {slang} To bring before someone in charge for punishment or questioning; arrest. •/John was hauled in to court for speeding./ •/The tramp was hauled up for sleeping on the sidewalk./ Compare: CALL ON THE CARPET.

[haul in one’s horns] See: PULL IN ONE’S HORNS.

[haul off]{v.} To move suddenly. – Used with «and» usually before a verb like «hit» or «kick». •/Ed hauled off and hit the other boy in the nose./ •/Lee hauled off and threw a touchdown pass./

[haul over the coals] or [rake over the coals]{v. phr.} To criticize sharply; rebuke; scold. •/The sergeant raked the soldier over the coals for being late for roll call./ Syn.: DRESS DOWN.

[have] See: CAT HAS NINE LIVES, ONE’S CAKE AND HAVE IT TOO, EVERY CLOUD HAS A SILVER LINING, EVERY DOG HAS HIS DAY, HAVE NOTHING ON or HAVE ANYTHING ON, LITTLE PITCHERS HAVE BIG EARS, or an important word after this in the sentence.

[have] or [get] or [develop a crush on]{v. phr.} To be infatuated with someone. •/Walter has a terrible crush on his English teacher, but she is a lot older and doesn’t take it seriously./

[have a ball]{v. phr.}, {slang} Enjoy yourself very much; have a wonderful time. •/Johnny had a ball at camp./ •/Mary and Tim have a ball exploring the town./ •/After their parents left, the children had a ball./ Syn.: HAVE A TIME(2).

[have a bone to pick] See: BONE TO PICK.

[have a care]{v. phr.}, {formal} To be careful what you do. •/Jane, have a care what you’re doing with that valuable glass./ •/The judge told him to have a care what he said in court./

[have a field day]{v. phr.} To enjoy great success or unlimited opportunity. •/The visiting basketball team was so weak that our school had a field day scoring one point after another./

[have a finger in the pie] See: FINGER IN THE PIE.

[have a fit] or [have fits] or [throw a fit]{v. phr.} 1. To have a sudden illness with stiffness or jerking of the body. •/Our dog had a fit yesterday./ 2. {informal} To become angry or upset. •/Father will throw a fit when he sees the dent in the car./ •/Howard will have a fit when he learns that he lost the election./ •/When John decided to drop out of college, his parents had fits./

[have a go at]{v. phr.}, {informal} To try, especially after others have tried. •/Bob asked Dick to let him have a go at shooting at the target with Dick’s rifle./ •/She had a go at archery, but did not do very well./

[have a good head on one’s shoulders]{v. phr.} To be smart; intelligent; well educated. •/Rob is not the handsomest guy in the world but the girls appreciate him because he has a good head on his shoulders./

[have a (good) head for]{v. phr.} To have a special talent in a certain area. •/Joan has quite a good head for business administration./

[have a (good) mind to]{v. phr.} To consider doing; intend to with a high degree of probability. •/I have a good mind to tell my boss that he doesn’t know how to run our enterprise./

[have a hand in]{v. phr.} To have a part in or influence over; to be partly responsible for. •/Sue’s schoolmates respect her and she has a hand in every important decision made by the Student Council./ •/Ben had a hand in getting ready the Senior play./ Compare: FINGER IN THE PIE.

[have a heart]{v. phr.}, {informal} To stop being mean; be kind, generous, or sympathetic. •/Have a heart, Bob, and lend me two dollars./ •/Have a heart, Mary, and help me with this lesson./ •/He didn’t know if the teacher would have a heart and pass him./

[have a heart-to-heart talk]{v. phr.} To confide in someone with great intimacy. •/Jill and her mother had a heart-to-heart talk before she decided to move in with Andrew./

[have all one’s buttons] or [have all one’s marbles]{v. phr.}, {slang} To have all your understanding; be reasonable. – Usually used in the negative or conditionally. •/Mike acts sometimes as if he didn’t have all his buttons./ •/He would not go to town barefooted if he had all his marbles./

[have a mind of one’s own]{v. phr.} To be independent in one’s thinking and judgment. •/Tow has always had a mind of his own so there is no use trying to convince him how to vote./

[have an affair with]{v. phr.} To have a sexual relationship with someone, either before marriage or outside of one’s marriage. •/Tow and Jane had a long and complex affair but they never got married./

[have an ear for]{v. phr.} To have a keen perception; have a taste or a talent for; be sensitive to something. •/I have no ear whatsoever for foreign languages or music./

[have an ear to the ground] See: EAR TO THE GROUND.

[have an edge on]{v. phr.}, {informal} 1. To have an advantage over someone or something else in the course of an evaluative comparison. •/I can’t beat you at tennis, but I have an edge on you in ping-pong./ 2. To be mildly intoxicated; to have had a few drinks. •/Joe sure had an edge on when I saw him last night./ Compare: EDGE ON.

[have an eye for]{v. phr.} To be able to judge correctly of; have good taste in. •/She has an eye for color and style in clothes./ •/He has an eye for good English usage./

[have an eye on] or [have one’s eye on]{v. phr.}, {informal} 1. To look at or think about (something wanted); have a wish for; have as an aim. •/I bought ice cream, but Jimmy had his eye on some candy./ •/John has his eye on a scholarship so he can go to college./ Compare: IN MIND. 2. See: KEEP AN EYE ON(1).

[have an eye out] See: EYE OUT.

[have an eye] to See: EYE TO.

[have an itch for] or [to do] See: BE ITCHING TO.

[have a nodding acquaintance with] See: NODDING ACQUAINTANCE.

[have a price on one’s head] See: PRICE ON ONE’S HEAD.

[have a rough idea about] See: ROUGH IDEA.

[have a say in] or [a voice in]{v. phr.} To have the right to express one’s opinion or cast a vote in a pending matter. •/Our boss is friendly and democratic; he always encourages us to have a say in what we will do next./

[have a screw loose]{v. phr.}, {slang} To act in a strange way; to be foolish. •/Now I know he has a screw loose – he stole a police car this time./ •/He was a smart man but had a screw loose and people thought him odd./

[have a snowball’s chance in hell]{v. phr.} To be condemned to failure; enjoy a zero chance of success. •/Pessimists used to think that we had a snowball’s chance in hell to put a man on the moon; yet we did it in July, 1969./

[have a soft spot in one’s heart for]{v. phr.} To be sympathetically inclined towards; entertain a predilection for. •/Ron always had a soft spot in his heart for intellectual women wearing miniskirts./

[have a sweet tooth]{v. phr.} To be excessively fond of dessert items, such as ice cream, pies, etc. •/Jill has a sweet tooth; she always orders apple pie after a meal in a restaurant./

[have a time]{v. phr.}, {informal} 1. To have trouble; have a hard time. •/Poor Susan had a time trying to get the children to go to bed./ •/John had a time passing his math course./ 2. To have a good time; to have fun. – Used with a reflexive pronoun. •/Bob had himself a time going to every night club in town./ •/Mary had herself a time dancing at the party./ Syn.: HAVE A BALL.

[have a way with]{v. phr.} To be able to lead, persuade, or influence. •/Dave has such a way with the campers that they do everything he tells them to do./ •/Ted will be a good veterinarian, because he has a way with animals./

[have a word with]{v. phr.} 1. To talk, discuss, or speak briefly with. •/Robert, I need to have a word with you about tomorrow’s exam./ 2. To engage in a sincere discussion with the purpose of persuading the other person or let him or her know of one’s dissatisfaction. •/Our boss has been making funny decisions lately; I think we ought to have a word with him./

[have been around]{v. phr.}, {informal} Have been to many places and done many things; know people; have experience and be able to take care of yourself. •/Uncle Willie is an old sailor and has really been around./ •/Betty likes to go out with Jerry, because he has been around./ •/It’s not easy to fool him; he’s been around./ Compare: GET AROUND, KNOW ONE’S WAY AROUND.

[have dibs on] or [put dibs on]{v. phr.}, {slang} To demand a share of something or to be in line for the use of an object usable by more than one person. •/Don’t throw your magazine away! I put (my) dibs on it, remember?/

[have done]{v.}, {formal} To stop; finish. •/When the teacher had done, she asked for questions from the class./ •/If you have done, I will explain the matter./

[have done with]{v.} To stop doing or using something. •/When you have done with that paintbrush, Barbara, I would like to use it. * /I wish you would have done with your criticisms./

[have eyes only for]{v. phr.} To see or want nothing else but; give all your attention to; be interested only in. •/Of all the horses in the show, John had eyes only for the big white one./ •/All the girls liked Fred, but he had eyes only for Helen./

[have fits] See: HAVE A FIT.

[have got to]{v. phr.} Must; be in great need to do something; be obliged to. •/I am sorry but we have got to leave, otherwise, we’ll miss the last train./

[have had it]{v. phr.}, {slang} To have experienced or suffered all you can; to have come to the end of your patience or life. •/«I’ve had it,» said Lou, «I’m resigning from the job of chairman right now.»/ •/When the doctor examined the man who had been shot, he said, «He’s had it.»/

[have hair]{v. phr.}, {slang} To possess courage, fortitude, guts, sex-appeal. •/I like him, he’s got a lot of hair./

[have] or [hold the whip over]{v. phr.} To control; dominate. •/Eugene has always held the whip over his younger brothers and sisters./

[have in mind]{v. phr.} To plan; intend; select. •/We don’t know whom our boss has in mind for the new position./

[have in one’s hair] See: IN ONE’S HAIR.

[have in the palm of one’s hand]{v. phr.} To completely control; have a project finished, all wrapped up. •/Our boss felt that if he could calm his critics he would soon have the entire factory in the palm of his hand./

[have it]{v. phr.} 1. To hear or get news; understand. •/I have it on the best authority that we will be paid for our work next week./ 2. To do something in a certain way. •/Make up your mind, because you can’t have it both ways. You must either stay home or come with us./ •/Bobby must have it his way and play the game by his rules./ 3. To claim; say. •/Rumor has it that the school burned down./ •/Gossip has it that Mary is getting married./ •/The man is very smart the way his family has it, but I think he’s silly./ 4. To allow it. – Usually used with «will» or «would» in negative sentences. •/Mary wanted to give the party at her house, but her mother wouldn’t have it./ Syn.: HEAR OF, STAND FOR. 5. To win. •/When the senators vote, the ayes will have it./ 6. To get or find the answer; think of how to do something. •/«I have it!» said John to Mary. «We can buy Mother a nice comb for her birthday.»/ 7. {informal} To have an (easy, good, rough, soft) time; have (certain kinds of) things happen to you; be treated in a (certain) way by luck or life. •/Everyone liked Joe and he had it good until he got sick./ •/Mary has it easy; she doesn’t have to work./ 8. See: AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT.

[have it all over] See: HAVE IT OVER.

[have it coming]{v. phr.} To deserve the good or bad things that happen to you. •/I feel sorry about Jack’s failing that course, but he had it coming to him./ •/Everybody said that Eve had it coming when she won the scholarship./ Compare: ASK FOR, GET WHAT’S COMING TO ONE, SERVE RIGHT.

[have it in for]{v. phr.}, {informal} To wish or mean to harm; have a bitter feeling against. •/George has it in for Bob because Bob told the teacher that George cheated in the examination./ •/After John beat Ted in a fight, Ted always had it in for John./

[have it made]{v. phr.}, {slang} To be sure of success; have everything you need. •/With her fine grades Alice has it made and can enter any college in the country./ •/The other seniors think Joe has it made because his father owns a big factory./

[have it out]{v. phr.} To settle a difference by a free discussion or by a fight. •/Joe called Bob a bad name, so they went back of the school and had it out. Joe got a bloody nose and Bob got a black eye./ •/The former friends finally decided to have it out in a free argument and they became friends again./

[have it over] or [have it all over]{v. phr.} To be better than; be superior to. •/Anne has it all over Jane in looks and charm./ •/A professional golfer usually has it all over an amateur./ •/A jeep has it over a regular car on rough mountain trails./ Compare: BEAT ALL HOLLOW.

[have kittens]{v. phr.}, {slang} To become very much worried or upset. •/Mrs. Jones was having kittens because if was very late and Susan wasn’t home yet./ Compare: HAVE A FIT.

[have lots (everything) going for one]{v. phr.} To have abilities or qualities that help in achieving one’s goal; assets working in one’s favor. •/The young woman will surely get the job; she has everything going for her./

[have money to burn] See: MONEY TO BURN.

[have no business]{v. phr.} To have no right or reason. •/Jack had no business saying those nasty things about Dick./ •/Vern’s mother told him he had no business going swimming that day./

[have none of]{v. phr.} To refuse to approve or allow. •/The teacher said she would have none of Mike’s arguing./ •/When the fullback refused to obey the captain, the captain said he would have none of that./

[have nothing on] or [not have anything on]{v. phr.} Not to be any better than; to have no advantage over. •/Susan is a wonderful athlete, but when it comes to dancing she has nothing on Mary./ •/Even though he is older, John has nothing on Peter in school./ •/Although the Smiths have a Rolls Royce, they have nothing on the Jones' who have a Cadillac and a Jaguar./ 2. To have no information or proof that someone broke the law. •/Mr. James was not worried when he was arrested because he was sure they had nothing on him./ •/Mr. Brown was an honest politician and they had nothing on him./

[have nothing to do with]{v. phr.} To not be involved with; not care about. •/Our firm has nothing to do with oil from the Near East; we are interested in solar energy./

[have no use for] See: NO USE.

[have on]{v.} 1. To be dressed in; wear. •/Mary had on her new dress./ 2. To have (something) planned; have an appointment; plan to do. •/Harry has a big weekend on./ •/I’m sorry I can’t attend your party, but I have a meeting on for that night./ 3. See: HAVE NOTHING ON, HAVE SOMETHING ON.

[have one’s ass in a sling]{v. phr.}, {slang}, {vulgar}, {avoidable} To be in an uncomfortable predicament; to be in the dog-house; to be at a disadvantage. •/Al sure had his ass in a sling when the boss found out about his juggling the account./

[have one’s cake and eat it too]{v. phr.} To enjoy two opposite advantages. •/You can either spend your money going to Europe or save it for a down payment on a house, but you can’t do both. That would be having your cake and eating it, too./

[have one’s ear]{v. phr.} To have access to someone in power; receive audiences rather frequently. •/The national security advisor has the president’s ear./

[have one’s ears on]{v. phr.}, {slang}, {citizen’s band radio jargon} To have one’s CB radio in receiving condition. •/Good buddy in the eighteen wheeler southbound, got your ears on?/

[have oneself]{v. phr.}, {nonstandard} To enjoy. – Sometimes used in very informal speech to provide emphasis. •/As soon as their parents left, the boys had themselves some fun./ •/After working hard all day, John had himself a good night’s sleep./

[have one’s feet planted firmly in the ground] See: FEET ON THE GROUND.

[have one’s fill]{v. phr.} To be satisfied; be surfeited; be overindulged. •/Howard says he’s had his fill of expensive golf tournaments in Europe./

[have one’s fling]{v. phr.} To have one or more romantic and/or sexual experiences, usually before marriage. •/Jack has had his fling and now seems to be ready to get married and settle down./

[have one’s hand in the till] See: ROB THE TILL.

[have one’s hands full]{v. phr.} To have as much work as you can do; be very busy. •/The plumber said that he had his hands full and could not take another job for two weeks./ •/With three small children to take care of, Susie’s mother has her hands full./

[have one’s hands tied] See: TIED ONE’S HANDS.

[have one’s head in the sand] See: HIDE ONE’S HEAD IN THE SAND.

[have one’s head screwed on backwards]{v. phr.} To lack common sense; behave in strange and irrational ways. •/Henry seems to have his head screwed on backwards; he thinks the best time to get a suntan is when it is raining and to sleep with his shoes on./

[have one’s heart in the right place] See: HEART IS IN THE RIGHT PLACE.

[have one’s hide]{v. phr.}, {informal} To punish severely. •/John’s mother said she would have his hide if he was late to school again./

[have one’s nose to the grindstone] See: KEEP ONE’S NOSE TO THE GRINDSTONE.

[have one’s number] See: GET ONE’S NUMBER.

[have one’s wings clipped] See: CLIP ONE’S WING.

[have one’s wits about one]{v. phr.} To be alert; remain calm; not panic. •/Sam was the only one who kept his wits about him when the floodwaters of the Mississippi broke into our yard./

[have one’s work cut out] See: CUT OUT(1).

[have on the ball] See: ON THE BALL.

[have qualms about]{v. phr.} To feel uneasy about; hesitate about something. •/Mike had no qualms in telling Sue that he was no longer in love with her./

[have rocks in one’s head]{v. phr.}, {informal} To be stupid; not have good judgment. •/When Mr. James quit his good job with the coal company to begin teaching school, some people thought he had rocks in his head./

[have second thoughts about] See: SECOND THOUGHT(s).

[have seen better days] See: SEE BETTER DAYS.

[have someone by the balls]{v. phr.}, {slang}, {vulgar}, {avoidable} To have someone at a disadvantage or in one’s power. •/The kidnappers had the company by the balls for six long weeks./

[have something going for one]{v. phr.}, {slang}, {informal} To have ability, talent; good looks, and/or influence in important places helping one to be successful. •/Well now, Pat Jones, that’s another story – she’s got something going for her./

[have something on]{v. phr.}, {informal} To have information or proof that someone did something wrong. •/Mr. Jones didn’t want to run for office because he knew the opponents had something on him./ •/Mr. Smith keeps paying blackmail to a man who has something on him./ •/Although Miss Brown is not a good worker, her boss does not fire her because she has something on him./ Compare: GET THE GOODS ON. Contrast: HAVE NOTHING ON.

[have something on the ball]{v. phr.}, {slang}, {colloquial} To be smart, clever; to be skilled and have the necessary know-how. •/You can trust Syd; he’s got a lot on the ball OR he’s got something on the ball./

[have sticky fingers] See: STICKY FINGERS.

[have or take a shot at] See: HAVE GO AT.

[have the best of] or [have the better of] See: GET THE BETTER OF(2).

[have the better of] or [have the best of] See: GET THE BETTER OF.

[have the cart before the horse] See: CART BEFORE THE HORSE.

[have the constitution of an ox]{v. phr.} To be able to work extremely hard and to have the stamina to overcome misfortune. •/Stan, who has lost both of his parents within one year and is constantly working late, seems to be indestructible, as if he had the constitution of an ox./

[have the courage of one’s convictions]{v. phr.} To be brave enough to act according to your beliefs. •/Steve showed that he had the courage of his convictions by refusing to help another student cheat in the exam./ •/Owen knew that Pete had started the fight, but he was afraid to say so; he did not have the courage of his convictions./

[have the goods on] See: GET THE GOODS ON.

[have the guts to do something]{v. phr.}, {informal} To be brave enough to do something difficult or dangerous. •/Jack wants to marry Jilt, but he doesn’t have the guts to pop the question./

[have the jump on] See: GET THE JUMP ON.

[have the last laugh] or [get the last laugh]{v. phr.} To make someone seem foolish for having laughed at you. •/Other schools laughed at us when our little team entered the state championship, but we had the last laugh when we won it./ Compare: HE LAUGHS BEST WHO LAUGHS LAST, TURN THE TABLES.

[have the laugh on]{v. phr.} To emerge as the victor. •/We were trying to fool Paul by setting him up with a blind date who was reportedly unattractive, but he had the laugh on us when this girl turned out to be beautiful./