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The H drawer
52 phrases beginning with H.
- Hair of the dog An alcoholic drink taken in the belief that it will ease a hangover caused by earlier drinking.
- Halcyon days A remembered period of happiness, prosperity, calm, or ideal conditions, almost always invoked retrospectively ('the halcyon days of something'). In…
- Hale and hearty Strong, healthy and energetic, particularly when describing an older person who remains vigorous. Old-fashioned and frequently applied to older…
- Hammer and tongs With great energy, force or aggression, as in working, arguing or attacking without restraint. Usually modifies a vigorous activity and often follows…
- Hang a Larry Turn left, especially while driving. Current but informal and regionally variable Regional use: Canada.
- Hang a Roger Turn right, especially while driving. Current but informal and regionally variable Regional use: Canada.
- Hang by a thread In a precarious, fragile state, teetering on the edge of collapse or survival, held by the slimmest chance.
- Hang in there To endure or persist through tough times, holding on.
- Hang up your skates Retire from hockey or, figuratively, give up a career or activity. Current, especially in hockey contexts Regional use: Canada, with some use in other…
- Happy as a clam Very contented, comfortable, and satisfied. Current and widely understood Regional use: United States, probably associated early with the Northeast…
- Happy as a sandboy Extremely happy, carefree and high-spirited, often with a suggestion of simple contentment. Cheerful and informal. The occupational reference is…
- Happy as Larry Extremely happy and carefree. Usually positive and informal, with no necessary reference to a real Larry. Regional use: Australia, New Zealand, United…
- Hard and fast Strictly fixed, definite and not open to alteration, evasion or flexible interpretation. Most common before rule, distinction, deadline or boundary…
- Hard pass A firm, emphatic refusal or rejection of an offer, invitation, or suggestion; a non-negotiable no, often with a note of distaste. Stronger than a…
- Hate-watching The practice of following a television show, film, or video that you dislike on purpose, taking entertainment from mocking its flaws rather than from…
- Have a bone to pick Holding a grievance or issue to settle, itching for a confrontation.
- Have a butcher's To take a quick peek or look, a glance.
- Have a Captain Cook Have a look at something. Informal rhyming slang. Shortened Captain forms depend more heavily on shared cultural knowledge. Regional use: Australia.
- Have a chip on your shoulder Carry a lasting sense of grievance and behave defensively or combatively because you believe you have been treated unfairly or regarded as inferior…
- Have a dekko Have a look or inspect something briefly. Informal. Spellings vary because the term was transliterated and transmitted orally. Regional use: British…
- Have a screw loose Behave or think in a way the speaker considers eccentric, irrational, or mentally unsound. Informal and potentially offensive. It is often used as…
- Have a tiger by the tail Hold a wild risk or force, can't let go.
- Have an axe to grind Possess a private, often selfish motive or grievance that shapes one's advice, argument, or involvement in a matter. Usually critical. American…
- Have bigger fish to fry To have more important things to deal with.
- Have your cake and eat it Wanting it all, keeping and using.
- Heavens to Betsy A mild, old-fashioned exclamation expressing surprise, alarm, disbelief, or exasperation without using a stronger oath. Playful, theatrical, or…
- Helicopter parent A parent who hovers over a child's everyday life with excessive supervision and intervention, managing schoolwork, conflicts, and even adult…
- Hell in a handbasket A rapid or unchecked decline into ruin, disorder, or moral decay. Current informal idiom Regional use: United States and Britain.
- Hell-bent for leather Moving with reckless speed or pursuing something with fierce determination. Colourful, somewhat old-fashioned Regional use: Blended American and…
- Helter-skelter In confused haste or disorder, without an orderly plan, sequence or arrangement. Works as an adverb, adjective or noun for disorder. In British…
- High muckety-muck An important or powerful person, usually mentioned with mockery rather than respect. Informal and mildly disparaging Regional use: Pacific Northwest…
- High on the hog In an affluent or luxurious manner, with access to expensive comforts. Informal and chiefly American.
- Hit the ground running To begin a new task, job, or project immediately, energetically, and effectively, with little or no settling-in time. It suggests readiness, momentum…
- Hit the hay To go to bed, especially to go to sleep for the night. It is an informal, chiefly American expression, though it is widely understood elsewhere…
- Hit the nail on the head To describe or address something with perfect accuracy, pinpointing the truth or solution without error or excess. It evokes a carpenter's precise…
- Hither and thither In many different, changing or apparently aimless directions; repeatedly from one place to another. Literary or old-fashioned in ordinary prose…
- Hobson's choice A supposed choice in which the only real options are to accept what is offered or take nothing. Often confused with a dilemma between two bad…
- Hoist with your own petard Harmed or defeated by the very scheme or device intended to harm another. Hoist is Shakespeare's past participle. Both with and by occur today, though…
- Hold the fort To keep things steady or safe in someone's absence, standing guard.
- Hold the line To stand firm or keep steady, resisting pressure.
- Hold thumbs Hope for good luck or wish that something will succeed. The local equivalent of cross your fingers. It can refer either to the gesture or simply to…
- Hold water To stand up or hold true, solid as fact.
- Hold your horses To wait, slow down, or exercise patience before acting or proceeding, often used as a gentle command to curb impulsive behavior. It implies reining in…
- Hold your own To stand firm or compete well, keeping your ground.
- Hold your tongue To stay quiet or hold back words, biting them down.
- Holy mackerel An exclamation of surprise, alarm, or amazement. Mild, comic, and somewhat old-fashioned Regional use: United States, later wider English.
- Horse of a different color A person, thing, argument, or situation that is fundamentally different from the one previously discussed or expected. Informal but widely understood…
- Hue and cry A loud public outcry, alarm or protest raised collectively against a person or event. Often implies noisy or excessive protest. The historical phrase…
- Humblebrag A statement, usually a complaint or a show of modesty, that is really intended to boast; for example sighing about how exhausting it is to be asked…
- Hunky-dory Fine, satisfactory, or proceeding without trouble. Current, light-hearted, and slightly old-fashioned Regional use: United States.
- Hurly-burly Noisy disorder, uproar or tumult created by confused activity, argument or conflict. More colourful than commotion or confusion and often suggests…
- Hustle culture An ethos, associated with startup and social-media-era workplaces, that treats constant work, long hours and relentless self-optimisation as the…