English Idioms & Idiomatic Expressions

Alphabetical List of Idioms - H

(Idioms H page4 : happy-go-lucky → have you gone out of your mind?)

happy-go-lucky	If you are a happy-go-lucky person, you are cheerful and carefree all the time. He's a happy-go-lucky sort of guy - always in good humour.
hard and fast	Something which is hard and fast is inflexible or cannot be altered. Unfortunately there are no hard and fast rules related to English spelling.
hard of hearing	If someone is hard of hearing, they can't hear very well. You'll have to speak louder to Mr. Jones. He's a bit hard of hearing.
hard as nails	A person who is (as) hard as nails is unsentimental and shows no sympathy. Don't expect any sympathy from him. He's as hard as nails.
(no) hard feelings	If you have no hard feelings, you feel no resentment or bitterness about something. When Alan was promoted instead of Steve, he said to Steve : 'No hard feelings I hope.'
hard up	If you are hard up, you have very little money. We were so hard up that we had to sleep in the car.
hard time	If you give someone a hard time, you annoy them or make things difficult for them. Susan says the pupils in her new school are giving her a hard time.
hard to come by	Something that is hard to come by is rare or difficult to find. Experienced carpenters are hard to come by these days.
hard to swallow	When something is difficult to accept or believe, it is hard to swallow. She invented an excuse that the teacher found hard to swallow.
run with the hare	If you run with the hare and hunt with the hounds, you want to stay on friendly terms with both sides in a quarrel. Bob always wants to keep everyone happy, but he can't run with the hare and hunt with the hounds this time - the issue is too important.
harebrained idea	A harebrained idea is an idea or suggestion that is considered to be silly, foolish or totally impractical. We'll never make any progress if you have nothing but harebrained ideas to offer!
harp on	If you harp on (about) something, you tire others by talking continuously and tediously about it. My parents are always harping on about my school results.
throw/toss one's hat in the ring	If you throw or toss your hat in the ring, you announce that you are going to enter a competition or take up a challenge. He finally threw his hat in the ring and announced that he was going to stand for election.
bury the hatchet	When people who have had a disagreement decide to forget their quarrel and become friends again, they bury the hatchet. I don't get on well with my mother-in-law, but to keep my wife happy I decided to bury the hatchet.
haul over the coals	If you haul someone over the coals, you reprimand them harshly because they have done something wrong or incorrectly. He was hauled over the coals for the poor quality of his presentation.
have down pat	If you memorize or practise something until you know it perfectly or have it exactly right, you have it down pat. I rehearsed my presentation until I had it down pat.
have you gone out of your mind?	If you ask someone if they have gone out of their mind, you think they are crazy, foolish or insane. You're going to ask for a 100% increase in salary? Have you gone out of your mind?

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alphabetical lists H ...

H10

H11

H12

more alphabetical lists ...

X-Y-Z