Idioms H	Back to Vocabulary..
Hair of the dog If someone has a hair of the dog, they have an alcoholic drink as a way of getting rid of a hangover
Hale and hearty Someone who is hale and hearty is in very good health
Half a mind If you have half a mind to do something, you haven't decided to do it, but are thinking seriously about doing it
Half baked A half-baked idea or scheme has is something that has not been thought through or planned very well
Hammer and tongs If people are going at it hammer and tongs, they are arguing fiercely. The idiom can also be used when people are doing something energetically
Hand to mouth Someone who's living from hand to mouth, is very poor and needs the little money they have coming in to cover their expenses
Hang by a thread If something hangs by a thread, there is a very small chance indeed of it being successful or surviving
Hang in the balance If an outcome is hanging in the balance, there are at least two possibilities and it is impossible to predict which will win
Hang out to dry If you hang someone out to dry, you abandon them when they are in trouble
Happy medium If you reach a happy medium, you are making a compromise; reaching a conclusion or decision
Hard as nails A person who is as hard as nails is either physically tough or has little or no respect for other people's feelings
Hard cheese Hard cheese means hard luck
Hard of hearing Someone who's hard of hearing is a bit deaf
Hard on someone's heals If you are hard on someone's heels, you are close to them and trying to catch or overtake them
Hard sell If someone puts a lot of pressure on you to do or buy something, they are hard selling it
Hard to come by If something is hard to come by, it is difficult to find
Hard up If you are hard up, you have very little money
Hat trick Is three successes; one after the other
Hatchet job A piece of criticism that destroys someone's reputation is a hatchet job
Have a heart If someone has a heart, they are kind and sympathetic
Have the floor If someone has the floor, it is their turn to speak at a meeting
Have your cake and eat it If someone wants to have their cake and eat it too, they want everything their way
Have your fill If you have had your fill, you are fed up of somebody or something
Have your moment Someone who has his or her moment exhibits a positive behavior pattern on an occasional basis but not generally
Have your work cut out If you have your work cut out, you are very busy indeed
He that travels far knows much People who travel widely have a wide knowledge
He who hesitates is lost If one waits too long, the opportunity vanishes
Head for the hills If people head for the hills, they run away from trouble
Head in the clouds If a person has their head in the clouds, they have unrealistic, impractical ideas
Head on the block If someone's head is on the block, they are going to be held responsible and suffer the consequences for something that has gone wrong
Heads will roll If heads will roll, people will be punished or sacked for something that has gone wrong
Headstrong A headstrong person is obstinate and does not take other people's advice readily
Heard through the grapevine Is when you receive information indirectly through a series of third parties, similar to a rumour
Heart in the right place If someone's heart is in the right place, they are good and kind, though they might not always appear to be so
Heart in your boots If you're heart is in your boots, you are very unhappy
Heart in your mouth If your heart is in your mouth, then you feel nervous or scared
Heart isn't in it If your heart is not in something, then you don't really believe in it or support it
Heart misses a beat If your heart misses a beat, you are suddenly shocked or surprised
Heart of gold Someone with a heart of gold is a genuinely kind and caring person
Heavy handed If someone is heavy-handed, they are insensitive and use excessive force or authority when dealing with a problem
Hedge your bets If you hedge your bets, you don't risk everything on one opportunity, but try more than one thing
Hell for leather If you do something hell for leather, especially running, you do it as fast as you can
Hide nor hair When there's no trace of something or a person, you haven't seen hide nor hair of it or them
Hiding to nothing If people are on a hiding to nothing, their schemes and plans have no chance of succeeding
High and dry If you are left high and dry, you are left alone and given no help at all when you need it
High and mighty The high and mighty are the people with authority and power. If a person is high and mighty, they behave in a superior and condescending way
High as a kite If someone's as high as a kite, it means they have had too much to drink or are under the influence of drugs
High handed If someone is high-handed, they behave arrogantly and pompously
Hit a nerve If something hits a nerve, it upsets someone or causes them pain, often when it is something they are trying to hide
Hit and miss Something that is hit and miss is unpredictable and may produce results or may fail
Hit rock bottom When someone hits rock bottom, they reach a point in life where things could not get any worse
Hit the ceiling If someone hits the ceiling, they lose their temper and become very angry
Hit the hay When you hit the hay, you go to bed
Hit the mark If someone hits the mark, they are right about something
Hit the nail on the head If someone hits the nail on the head, they are exactly right about something
Hit the road When people hit the road, they leave a place to go somewhere else
Hit the roof If you lose your temper and get very angry, you hit the roof
Hit the sack When you hit the sack, you go to bed, same as hit the hay
Hobsons choice A Hobson's choice is something that appears to be a free choice, but is really no choice as there is no genuine alternative
Hold all the aces If you hold all the aces, you have all the advantages and your opponents or rivals are in a weak position
Hold the fort If you hold the fort, you look after something or assume someone's responsibilities while they are away
Hold the torch If you hold the torch for someone, you have an unrequited or unspoken love
Hold your horses If someone tells you to hold your horses, you are doing something too fast and they would like you to slow down
Hold your own If you can hold your own, you can compete or perform equally with other people
Hold your tongue If you hold your tongue, you keep silent even though you want to speak
Holier than thou Someone who is holier-than-thou believes that they are morally superior to other people
Hollow legs Someone who has a hollow leg drinks what seems to be more than his stomach can hold
Hollow victory A hollow victory is where someone wins something in name, but are seen not to have gained anything by winning
Home stretch The home stretch is the last part of something, like a journey, race or project
Hook line and sinker If somebody accepts or believes something hook, line, and sinker, they accept it completely, it comes from fishing
Hope in hell If something hasn't got a hope in hell, it stands absolutely no chance of succeeding
Hornets nest A hornets' nest is a violent situation or one with a lot of dispute
Horses for courses Horses for courses means that what is suitable for one person or situation might be unsuitable for another
Hot foot If you hot foot it out of a place, you leave very quickly, often running
Hot under the collar If you're hot under the collar, you're feeling angry or bothered
Hot water If you get into hot water, you get into trouble
Hot blooded Someone who is hot-blooded is easily excitable or passionate
Hot headed A hot-headed person gets angry very easily
Hour of need A time when someone really needs something, almost a last chance, is their hour of need
Hunky dory If something is hunky dory, it is perfectly satisfactory, fine