H American Expressions and American Idioms

This database is a comprehensive collection of all the American idioms and slang available. American Idioms are many and varied. We hope you enjoy our collection. We are adding more all the time. .

Hat trick What does "Hat trick" mean?	The accomplishment of three successes or wins.	Pam has pulled off a hat trick, three divorces, three big settlements. "Hat trick" originated from the English game of Cricket. The term originally referred to a bowler retiring three consecutive batsman with three consecutive balls. This is roughly equivalent to a pitcher in baseball striking out three consecutive batters using only three pitches to each! This was considered quite an accomplishment and was traditionally rewarded with a hat. The term is now used for other sports, always referring to an accomplishment of three. A popular use today is three goals by a single player in one game of hockey or soccer.

Hell's half acre What does "Hell's half acre" mean?	A long and frustrating trip.	I looked all over hell's half acre trying to find a left handed monkey wrench. Hell's half acre is a lava flow about 15 miles west of Idaho Falls, Idaho. It is 4.5 miles of rough, irregular terrain that is very difficult to navigate. It is so named because its cracks, holes, and crags give the area an otherworldly, surreal, and perhaps hellish appearance. A search of Hell's half acre would indeed be a long and difficult task. Many of the scenes in the 1997 film "Starship Troopers" (based on Robert Heinlein's novel of the same name) in which the characters were on an alien planet, were filmed at Hell's half acre.
High on the hog What does "High on the hog" mean?	Extravagantly.	If you choose to live high on the hog, you will be low in the wallet. The best meat is on the upper portion of the pig. Rich people have always been afforded this luxury while the servants, slaves and poor have always had to eat pig's feet, chitterlings, cracklings, etc. - low on the hog.
Hold your feet to the fire What does "Hold your feet to the fire" mean?	To hold one accountable for a commitment, make good on a promise.	You made a fair bet with me on the Superbowl and I am going to hold your feet to the fire for payment. Pertains to torture used during the Crusade's. As a method for extracting confession for heresy, non-believers were positioned in a manner that allowed the inquisitor to apply flames to the feet of the accused. This was done until the accused confessed or died.
Horse of a different color What does "Horse of a different color" mean?	Unlike the subject at hand.	Bush and Reagan are both credible, but Clinton is a horse of a different color. Horses are registered at birth and the registration includes a record of their color. When a horse trades hands due to sale, the registration is also transferred. Sometimes the color recorded on the registration may not match the actual color of the horse leading one to suspect the horse is not the one in the registration. Horses sometimes change color as they age, just as some people's hair changes color. More likely the horse is not the one represented on the registration but is actually an entirely different horse.
Horse sense What does "Horse sense" mean?	Common sense, able to stand the test of reasonableness.	If your going to spend your time working anyway, it only makes horse sense to get a high paying job. Horses are intelligent animals. They demonstrate the ability to act sensibly and to avoid situations that might cause them harm such as taking a fall, hence good common sense.
had ('d) better What does "had ('d) better" mean?	be obliged to; should (strong).	"You'd better leave soon. If you don't, you'llmiss your bus."
hassle (noun) What does "hassle (noun)" mean?	(noun): a troublesome situation; something troublesome that interrupts one's normal routine.	"I know it's a hassle to complete this formnow, but Mr. Rogersneeds it in his office by the end of the day."

hard feelings What does "hard feelings" mean?	anger; animosity; bitter feelings.	A: "I'm sorry that Jim got the job instead ofyou."B: "I have no hard feelings toward him; I know that he hadstronger qualifications."
hard-headed What does "hard-headed" mean?	: stubborn; inflexible; unwilling to change.	"I don't think Julie will change her mind. She'spretty hard-headed."
hassle (verb) What does "hassle (verb)" mean?	(verb): annoy; bother; interrupt one's normal routine.	"If you'd stop hassling me, I might get thisfinished on time!"
have one's hands full What does "have one's hands full" mean?	be extremely busy.	A: "Will you be able to help us this afternoon?"B: "I'm afraid not. I'll have my hands full trying to finishmy research paper."
have/has ('ve/'s) got What does "have/has ('ve/'s) got" mean?	have/has.	"John's got a son whose name is Benjamin and adaughter whose name is Shannon."
have something down pat What does "have something down pat" mean?	know/understand something completely and thoroughly.	"I know I did well on the test. I had all thematerial down pat."
head honcho What does "head honcho" mean?	person in charge; top boss.	"John's the head honcho of the Coffee Shoppe on theWeb."
hit the books What does "hit the books" mean?	study.	"I wish I could go to the movies, but I've got tohit the books."
hit the hay What does "hit the hay" mean?	go to bed; go to sleep.	"It's late, so I guess I'll hit the hay."
hit the sack What does "hit the sack" mean?	go to bed.	"I'm really tired. I think I'll hit the sack."
How come? What does "How come?" mean?	Why? (statement word order).	"How come you weren't at the party?"
had best (do something) What does "had best (do something)" mean?	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) What does "had better (do something)" mean?	should do something, ought to do something	I had better go now or I will be late for class.
hail from (somewhere) What does "hail from (somewhere)" mean?	originally come from somewhere	My father hails from a small farming community.
half-baked What does "half-baked" mean?	foolish	I don't really like his half-baked idea about the new delivery system.
ham it up What does "ham it up" mean?	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) What does "hammer away at (someone or something)" mean?	be persistent in trying to do something	I worked all weekend to hammer away at my final essay for university.
hammer out (something) What does "hammer out (something)" mean?	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 What does "hammer (something) home" mean?	try hard to make someone understand something	The speaker tried to hammer home the importance of treating the customers with respect.
hand down a decision What does "hand down a decision" mean?	announce a legal decision	The judge handed down his decision early in the afternoon.
hand down (something) What does "hand down (something)" mean?	arrange to give something to someone after your death	My grandmother handed down her silver jewellery to my mother.
hand in (something) What does "hand in (something)" mean?	give something to someone, hand something to someone	I went to the company early to hand in my job application.
hand over fist What does "hand over fist" mean?	quickly	His new company is making money hand over fist.
hand over (someone or something) to (someone) What does "hand over (someone or something) to (someone)" mean?	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) What does "hand (something) down to (someone)" mean?	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 What does "hand (something) to (someone) on a silver platter" mean?	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.
hands down What does "hands down" mean?	easy, unopposed	They won the game hands down over the other team.
hands off What does "hands off" mean?	leave alone, don`t interfere	The government decided to take a hands-off approach to the teachers during the strike.
handle with kid gloves What does "handle with kid gloves" mean?	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.
handy What does "handy" mean?	can easily fix things	He is very handy around the house and is always fixing or building something.
hang a left What does "hang a left" mean?	turn to the left	We drove to the end of the block and hung a left there.
hang a right What does "hang a right" mean?	turn to the right	We decided to hang a right when we came to the main street.
hang around What does "hang around" mean?	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 What does "hang back" mean?	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 What does "hang by a thread/hair" mean?	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 What does "hang in the balance" mean?	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) What does "hang in (there)" mean?	persevere, don`t give up	"You should hang in there and not quit your job even if you hate the supervisor."
Hang it! What does "Hang it!" mean?	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 What does "hang loose" mean?	relax, remain calm	I want to stay at home this weekend and hang loose.
hang on What does "hang on" mean?	continue	Although conditions were very bad he decided to hang on and fight to keep his business going.
hang on What does "hang on" mean?	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 What does "hang on (someone's) every word" mean?	listen with complete attention to everything someone says	The audience hung on every word of the speaker.
hang on to (something) What does "hang on to (something)" mean?	hold tightly, keep firmly	"Please hang on to your hats or the strong wind will blow them off."
hang one on What does "hang one on" mean?	get very drunk	He hung one on last night after he heard about his promotion.
hang one's hat (somewhere) What does "hang one's hat (somewhere)" mean?	live or take up residence somewhere	I want to move and hang my hat in a small town somewhere.
hang out one`s shingle What does "hang out one`s shingle" mean?	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) What does "hang out (somewhere/with someone)" mean?	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 What does "hang (someone) in effigy" mean?	hang a dummy of a hated person	The demonstrators hung the dishonest politician in effigy.
hang tough What does "hang tough" mean?	stick to one's position	I decided to hang tough and stop negotiating with the lawyer.
hang up (something) What does "hang up (something)" mean?	place something on a hook/peg/hangar	Everyone was forced to hang up their jackets before they entered the room.
hang up (the telephone) What does "hang up (the telephone)" mean?	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.
happen upon (someone or something) What does "happen upon (someone or something)" mean?	meet someone or find something unexpectedly	I happened upon a very valuable book when I was cleaning up my grandfather's house.
happy hour What does "happy hour" mean?	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 feelings What does "hard feelings" mean?	angry or bitter feelings	I don`t have any hard feelings toward my boss even though he fired me.
hard-nosed What does "hard-nosed" mean?	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.
hard of hearing What does "hard of hearing" mean?	unable to hear well	The man is hard of hearing so you must speak loudly when talking to him.
hard on (someone or something) What does "hard on (someone or something)" mean?	treat someone or something roughly	His son is very hard on shoes.
hard-pressed What does "hard-pressed" mean?	burdened with urgent business	"I am hard-pressed for time. Can we meet later?"
harken back to (something) What does "harken back to (something)" mean?	have started out as something	The new building harkens back to a style that appeared over 100 years ago.
hash (something) over What does "hash (something) over" mean?	discuss something in great detail	We stayed after school to hash over the new contract.
hate (someone`s) guts What does "hate (someone`s) guts" mean?	feel very strong dislike for someone	I absolutely hate the apartment manager's guts after she caused me so many problems.
haul (someone) in What does "haul (someone) in" mean?	take someone to the police station, arrest someone	The police hauled the man in because he was drinking while driving.
have a ball What does "have a ball" mean?	have a good time	She had a ball at the party last night.
have a bee in one's bonnet What does "have a bee in one's bonnet" mean?	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 What does "have a big mouth" mean?	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 What does "have a blowout" mean?	have a big wild party or sale	The university students had a big blowout on their graduation day.
have a blowout What does "have a blowout" mean?	one's car tire bursts	Our car had a blowout on the road up the mountain.
have a bone to pick with (someone) What does "have a bone to pick with (someone)" mean?	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) What does "have a brush with (the law or something)" mean?	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) What does "have a case (against someone)" mean?	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 What does "have a change of heart" mean?	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 What does "have a chip on one's shoulder" mean?	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 What does "have a clear conscience" mean?	be free of guilt	I have a clear conscience and am not worried that I did anything wrong.
have a close call/shave What does "have a close call/shave" mean?	almost be involved in an accident or something similar	I had a close call this morning when I was almost hit by a car.
have a crush on (someone) What does "have a crush on (someone)" mean?	to be attracted to someone	The girl has a crush on someone at her university.
have a familiar ring What does "have a familiar ring" mean?	to sound familiar	The complaints of our supervisor have a familiar ring and we have heard them before.
have a feeling about (something) What does "have a feeling about (something)" mean?	have an intuition about something	I have a strange feeling about the new man in our company.
have a field day What does "have a field day" mean?	have a wild time	The media had a field day with the scandal in the local city government.
have a finger in the pie What does "have a finger in the pie" mean?	be involved in something	The man has his finger in the pie of many businesses.
have a fit What does "have a fit" mean?	become upset	The woman had a fit when she saw what her son had done to her car.
have a foot in both camps What does "have a foot in both camps" mean?	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 What does "have a frog in one's throat" mean?	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) What does "have a go at (something)" mean?	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) What does "have a good command of (something)" mean?	know something well	The girls have a good command of French.
have a good mind to (do something) What does "have a good mind to (do something)" mean?	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 What does "have a good thing going" mean?	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 What does "have a green thumb" mean?	be able to grow plants well	My sister has a green thumb and has a beautiful garden.
have a hand in (something) What does "have a hand in (something)" mean?	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) What does "have a handle on (something)" mean?	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) What does "have a head for (something)" mean?	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 What does "have a (good) head on one`s shoulders" mean?	be smart or sensible	That new salesman really has a head on his shoulders.
have a heart What does "have a heart" mean?	be generous and forgiving	The woman doesn't have a heart and everybody dislikes her.
have a heart of gold What does "have a heart of gold" mean?	be generous/sincere/friendly	The woman has a heart of gold and is always willing to help her friends.
have a heart of stone What does "have a heart of stone" mean?	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) What does "have a heart-to-heart talk (with someone)" mean?	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) What does "have a hold on (someone)" mean?	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) What does "have a hunch about (something)" mean?	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) What does "have a keen interest in (someone or something)" mean?	be very interested in someone or something	I have always had a keen interest in hiking and camping.
have a lot going (for one) What does "have a lot going (for one)" mean?	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 What does "have a lot of promise" mean?	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 What does "have a lot on one's mind" mean?	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 What does "have a mind like a steel trap" mean?	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 What does "have a near miss" mean?	nearly crash or collide with something	The two trucks had a near miss on the highway this morning.
have a nose for (something) What does "have a nose for (something)" mean?	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) What does "have a notion to (do something)" mean?	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 What does "have a one-track mind" mean?	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) What does "have a passion for (something)" mean?	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 What does "have a pick-me-up" mean?	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 What does "have a price on one's head" mean?	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 What does "have a/the right to do something" mean?	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) What does "have a rough time (of it)" mean?	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) What does "have a run-in with (someone)" mean?	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 What does "have a run of bad luck" mean?	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) What does "have a say/voice in (something)" mean?	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) What does "have a score to settle with (someone)" mean?	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) What does "have a scrape with (someone or something)" mean?	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 What does "have a screw loose" mean?	act in a strange way, be foolish	He is a very strange person. I think that he has a screw loose somewhere.
have a soft spot in one's heart for (someone or something) What does "have a soft spot in one's heart for (someone or something)" mean?	be fond of someone or something	My grandmother has a soft spot in her heart for her youngest son.
have a sweet tooth What does "have a sweet tooth" mean?	have a desire to eat sweet foods	The girl has a sweet tooth and loves to eat chocolate.
have a taste for (something) What does "have a taste for (something)" mean?	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) What does "have a thing going with (someone)" mean?	have a romantic relationship with someone	I think that the secretary has a thing going with one of the salesmen.
have a time What does "have a time" mean?	have trouble, have a hard time	She really had a time last night when her car stopped working.
have a time What does "have a time" mean?	have a good time, have fun	We really had a time at the party last night.
have a try/crack at (something) What does "have a try/crack at (something)" mean?	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) What does "have a vested interest in (something)" mean?	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) What does "have a way with (someone or something)" mean?	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) What does "have a weakness for (someone or something)" mean?	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 What does "have a whale of a time" mean?	have an exciting time	Everybody had a whale of a time at the school picnic.
have a word with (someone) What does "have a word with (someone)" mean?	talk briefly with someone	I will have a word with my boss before he goes home tonight.
have an accident What does "have an accident" mean?	experience something that was not intended	I had an accident on my way to work this morning.
have an ace up one's sleeve What does "have an ace up one's sleeve" mean?	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) What does "have an ax to grind (with someone)" mean?	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) What does "have an ear for (something)" mean?	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) What does "have an edge on/over (someone or something)" mean?	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) What does "have an eye for (something)" mean?	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) What does "have an in with (someone)" mean?	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 What does "have an itch to do something" mean?	have a desire to do something	I have an itch to go fishing this summer.
have an out What does "have an out" mean?	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
have arrived What does "have arrived" mean?	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) What does "have bearing on (something)" mean?	affect or influence something	The company decision had much bearing on the way that the company was managed.
have been around What does "have been around" mean?	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 What does "have been had" mean?	have been cheated or dealt with badly	I felt that I had been had when the salesman sold me the bad product.

American Idioms and Expressions

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