H Series Flashcards
Had one’s chips
A person’s luck has run out and
he is about to fail.
Hand over fist
Makes reference to spending
money very fast
Hand in hand
Holding hands; doing things together.
Hang fire
To stop; delay or be delayed.
Hangs by a
thread
Makes reference to something
that is at great risk of failure.
Hard and fast
A rule that is strongly binding
but usually used in the opposite
Hard (tough) nut
to crack
A difficult problem or person.
Something difficult to overcome.
Hard of hearing
To suffer from a hearing
problem; a loss of hearing.
Hard up
To be short of money.
Harp on (the same string)
To keep repeating something or
caring on about something.
Have an axe to
grind
A cause of complaint.
Haul somebody
over the coals
To tell someone off severely.
Have a beef
To have a problem with
someone; to have a grudge.
Have one’s heart
in one’s boots
Be very despondent.
Have one’s heart
in one’s mouth.
Be frightened.
Have someone
over a barrel
Have a person in a position of
helplessness.
Head and
shoulders above
Clearly superior.
Heads will roll
Something has happened that
somebody will be punished for.
Heart and soul
Indicates passion and total
commitment
Hedge our bets
Support more than one cause to avoid a poor outcome.
Help oneself
Take without asking
Hen pecked
To be dominated by one’s wife.
High spirits
In a very good mood.
Hit below the belt
Act unfairly
Hit the ceiling
Become very angry.
Hit the nail on
the head
Be correct and directly to the
point.
Hob nobbing
To mix with the rich and famous.
Hobson’s choice
A free choice with only one
option offered.
Hoisted by one’s
own petard
To become a victim of your own action.
Hold a candle
usually cannot
When someone is equal to other (or not).
Hold the fort
To remain in charge; to be left in control
Hold good
Turn out to be true or correct.
Hold one’s tongue
Keep quiet.
Hook line and sinker (taken in)
Completely (taken in). Used to imply that a person has been deceived because they have incorrectly accepted an incorrect version of the facts
Horseplay
Rough play.
Fooling around
How the other
half lives
Reference to others being better off than you.
