The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms

by Christine Ammer

  heart not in it → See under HEART IN IT.

  heart of gold A very kind and good nature, as in Bill is very generous; he has a heart of gold. This expression alludes to gold in the sense of “something valued for its goodness.” [Late 1500s]

  heart of stone A very cold and unfeeling nature, as in You’ll get no sympathy from her; she has a heart of stone. This idea dates from ancient times and in English appeared in the Bible (Job 41:24). [Early 1600s]

  heart of the matter → See CRUX OF THE MATTER.

  heart on one’s sleeve → See WEAR ONE’S HEART ON ONE’S SLEEVE.

  heart’s content → See TO ONE’S HEART’S CONTENT.

  heart sinks, one’s One’s courage or hope fails; one is very disappointed or dejected. For example, An hour before the picnic I heard thunder and my heart sank. This expression was first recorded in 1605 but was preceded in the 15th century by one’s heart is at one’s heels, or in one’s hose, or in one’s shoes. The present (and only surviving) usage was first recorded in 1605.

  heart stands still → See HEART MISSES A BEAT.

  heart to heart Candidly, sincerely, as in We need to talk heart to heart about her coming marriage. This expression is nearly always applied to a conversation of some kind. [Mid-1900s]

  hearty → See HALE AND HEARTY.

  heat → In addition to the idioms beginning with HEAT, also see DEAD HEAT; IF YOU CAN’T STAND THE HEAT GET OUT OF THE KITCHEN; IN HEAT; IN THE HEAT OF; TAKE THE HEAT; TURN UP THE HEAT ON.

  heat up Become acute or intense, as in If inflation heats up, the interest rate will surely rise, or The debate over the budget was heating up. [Early 1200s]

  heave-ho, give the → See under GET THE AX; GIVE SOMEONE THE AIR.

  heave into sight Rise or seem to rise into view. For example, We waited and waited, and finally the rest of our party heaved into sight. This expression was at first used for ships rising over the horizon. [Late 1700s]

  heaven → In addition to the idioms beginning with HEAVEN, also see FOR THE SAKE OF (HEAVEN’S SAKE); GOD (HEAVEN) FORBID; GOD (HEAVEN) KNOWS; IN SEVENTH HEAVEN; IN THE NAME OF (HEAVEN); MANNA FROM HEAVEN; MOVE HEAVEN AND EARTH; PENNIES FROM HEAVEN; STINK TO HIGH HEAVEN; THANK GOD (HEAVEN).

  heaven knows → See GOD KNOWS.

  heavenly days An exclamation similar to for heaven’s sake. See under FOR THE SAKE OF, def. 3.

  heavy → In addition to the idioms beginning with HEAVY, also see HOT AND HEAVY; PLAY THE HEAVY; TIME HANGS HEAVY.

  heavy going Also, heavy weather. 1. A difficult experience, as in Tom found calculus heavy going, or It’s going to be heavy weather for us from here on. The first expression originally referred to a road or path that was hard to negotiate; the variant alludes to bad weather at sea. [Mid-1800s] 2. make heavy weather of. Make hard work or a fuss over something, especially unnecessarily. For example, They made heavy weather of the differences between their proposals, which actually seemed much alike. This use of weather likens a commotion to a storm. [Mid-1900s]

  heavy hand, with a 1. In a clumsy manner, as in You can’t use that delicate equipment with a heavy hand. [Mid-1600s] 2. Overbearingly or severely, as in Children brought up with a heavy hand often rebel in later years. [Late 1800s]

  heavy heart, with a In a sad or miserable state, unhappily, as in He left her with a heavy heart, wondering if she would ever recover. The adjective heavy has been used in the sense of “weighed down with grief or sadness” since about 1300. Its antonym light dates from the same period. The latter use survives only in light heart, meaning “freedom from the weight of sorrow”—that is, “a happy feeling.” For example, She left for Europe with a light heart, knowing that the kids would be fine.

  heavy hitter An important or influential individual or organization. For example, This publishing house is one of the heavy hitters in the textbook industry. This expression originated in sports such as boxing, where it literally meant “one who hits hard,” and was transferred to other enterprises in the mid-1900s.

  hedge one’s bets Lessen one’s chance of loss by counterbalancing it with other bets, investments, or the like. For example, I’m hedging my bets by putting some of my money in bonds in case there’s another drop in the stock market. This term transfers hedge, in the sense of “a barrier,” to a means of protection against loss. [Second half of 1600s]

  heebie-jeebies → See under THE CREEPS.

  heel → See ACHILLES’ HEEL; AT SOMEONE’S HEELS; BRING TO HEEL; COOL ONE’S HEELS; DIG IN (ONE’S HEELS); DOWN AT HEEL; DRAG ONE’S FEET (HEELS); HEAD OVER HEELS; KICK UP ONE’S HEELS; ON THE HEELS OF; OUT AT THE ELBOWS (HEELS); SET BACK ON ONE’S HEELS; SHOW ONE’S HEELS; TAKE TO ONE’S HEELS; TO HEEL; TURN ON ONE’S HEEL.

  hell → In addition to the idioms beginning with HELL, also see BREAK (ALL HELL BREAKS) LOOSE; DEVIL (HELL) OF A; FOR THE HELL OF IT; GIVE SOMEONE HELL; GO TO HELL; HOT AS BLAZES (HELL); LIKE A BAT OUT OF HELL; LIKE HELL; MAD AS A HORNET (HELL); NOT A HOPE IN HELL; RAISE CAIN (HELL); ROAD TO HELL IS PAVED WITH GOOD INTENTIONS; SHOT TO HELL; SNOWBALL’S CHANCE IN HELL; TILL HELL FREEZES OVER; TO HELL AND GONE; TO HELL WITH; WHAT THE HELL.

  hell-bent for leather Moving recklessly fast, as in Out the door she went, hell-bent for leather. The use of hell-bent in the sense of “recklessly determined” dates from the first half of the 1800s. Leather alludes to a horse’s saddle and to riding on horseback; this colloquial expression may be an American version of the earlier British army jargon hell for leather, first recorded in 1889.

  hell has no fury like a woman scorned No anger is worse than that of a jilted woman. For example, Nancy has nothing good to say about Tom—hell has no fury, you know. This term is a shortening of William Congreve’s lines, “Heav’n has no rage, like love to hatred turn’d, nor Hell a fury like a woman scorn’d” (The Mourning Bride, 1697). Today the proverb is often shortened even more, as in the example, and is also often put as hell hath no fury....

  hell of a Also, one hell of a 1. See DEVIL OF A. 2. This phrase is used as an intensive to emphasize certain qualities about the noun it modifies. By itself the idiom is ambiguous, for its exact meaning depends on the context. For example, He is a hell of a driver can mean either that he is very skillful or that he is a terrible driver. Similarly, We had one hell of a time can mean either that we enjoyed ourselves greatly or that we had an awful or difficult time. [Second half of 1700s]

  hell on wheels Tough, aggressive, wild, or mean, as in Watch out for the boss—he’s hell on wheels this week. This expression originated with the building of the Union Pacific Railroad in the 1860s, when it denoted the last town on the line, which was carried on freight cars as the track was extended. The town consisted mainly of tents occupied by construction gangs, liquor dealers, gamblers, and other camp followers known for their rough and often vicious ways.

  hell or high water, come Also, in spite of hell or high water. No matter what difficulty or obstacle, as in I’m going to finish this week, come hell or high water. This colloquial expression, alluding to the destructive forces of hellfire or flood, was first recorded in 1915 but is thought to be older.

  hell’s half acre A wild, desolate, dangerous place. The term originated in the American West, where numerous localities used it as a place name. It appears in the titles of a number of books, both fiction and nonfiction, about such places in the West. It also has been transferred to other bad situations, as in Avis D. Schorer’s book, A Half Acre of Hell: A Combat Nurse in WWII (2000). [Slang, 1860s]

  hell to pay Great trouble, as in If we’re wrong there’ll be hell to pay. [c. 1800]

  helm → See AT THE HELM.

  help → In addition to the idioms beginning with HELP, also see CAN’T HELP; EVERY LITTLE BIT HELPS; NOT IF ONE CAN HELP IT; SO HELP ME.

  helping hand → See under LEND A HAND.

  help oneself 1. Make an effort on one’s own behalf. Shakespeare used this expression in 2 Henry IV (3:2): “She is old, and cannot help herself,” and it also appears in the old proverb, God
(or heaven) helps those who help themselves. [First half of 1500s] Also see CAN’T HELP. 2. Serve oneself, as in The food’s in the kitchen; just help yourself. When it takes an object this phrase is put as help oneself to, as in I helped myself to more meat. It also is used as a euphemism for stealing, as in She simply helped herself to the hotel towels and left. The first usage dates from the late 1600s; the second, a colloquialism, from the mid-1800s.

  help out Give additional assistance, as in I offered to help out with the holiday rush at the store. [Early 1600s]

  hem and haw Be hesitant and indecisive; avoid committing oneself, as in When asked about their wedding date, she hemmed and hawed, or The President hemmed and hawed about new Cabinet appointments. This expression imitates the sounds of clearing one’s throat. [Late 1700s]

  hem in → See FENCE IN.

  hen → See MAD AS A HORNET (WET HEN); SCARCE AS HEN’S TEETH.

  herd → See RIDE HERD ON.

  here → In addition to the idioms beginning with HERE, also see BUCK STOPS HERE; DOWNHILL ALL THE WAY (ALL DOWNHILL FROM HERE); HAVE HAD IT (UP TO HERE); NEITHER HERE NOR THERE; SAME HERE; WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE.

  here and now 1. At this moment, as in We must reach a decision here and now. [Early 1800s] 2. the here and now. This life, the present, as in We’d better think of the here and now before worrying about future generations. [Early 1900s]

  here and there 1. In various places, as She’s lived here and there, never for more than a year in one city. [c. 1300] 2. In various directions, hither and thither, as in She turned her eyes here and there, looking for him in the audience. [Late 1200s] Also see HERE, THERE, AND EVERYWHERE.

  here goes 1. An expression or exclamation declaring one’s resolution to do something, as in This hill is steeper than any I’ve skied before, but here goes! This usage is sometimes amplified to here goes nothing, meaning one is starting something that one doubts will succeed, as in I’ve never tried this before, but here goes nothing. [Early 1800s] 2. here one goes again. Someone is repeating the same action or speech, especially an undesirable one. For example, Here he goes again, criticizing all his colleagues, or The power’s out—here we go again. [Colloquial; mid-1900s]

  here’s to One salutes someone or something. For example, Here’s to Bill on his retirement, or Here’s to the new project. This phrase, nearly always used as a toast to someone or something, is a shortening of here’s a health to and has been so used since the late 1500s. Shakespeare had it in Romeo and Juliet (5:3): “Here’s to my Love.”

  here, there, and everywhere In every possible place. For example, Flags hung here, there, and everywhere, making it a colorful occasion. [Late 1500s]

  here today, gone tomorrow Lacking permanence, fleeting. For example, His book attracted a great deal of attention but quickly went out of print—here today and gone tomorrow. Originally alluding to the briefness of the human lifespan, this phrase was first recorded in John Calvin’s Life and Conversion of a Christian Man (1549): “This proverb that man is here today and gone tomorrow.”

  here to stay Permanent or established, as in I’m afraid the uncertainty about energy costs is here to stay. [First half of 1900s]

  herring → See DEAD AS A DOORNAIL (HERRING); RED HERRING.

  he who hesitates is lost One who cannot come to a decision will suffer for it, as in I couldn’t make up my mind, and now the offer has expired—he who hesitates is lost. Although the idea is undoubtedly older, the present wording is a misquotation or an adaptation from Joseph Addison’s play Cato (1712): “The woman that deliberates is lost.”

  hidden agenda An ulterior motive or concealed intent behind an action, statement, or policy. The term is most often used with reference to organizations or government agencies. For example, They thought the town manager has a hidden agenda that will close a number of schools. [1950s]

  hide → In addition to the idioms beginning with HIDE, also see COVER ONE’S ASS (HIDE); TAN SOMEONE’S HIDE.

  hide and seek → See PLAY HIDE AND SEEK.

  hide nor hair, neither Also, hide or hair. No trace of something lost or missing. For example, I haven’t seen hide nor hair of the children. This expression alludes to the entire outer coat of an animal. [Mid-1800s]

  hide one’s face Also, hide one’s head. Feel shame or embarrassment. For example, You needn’t hide your face—you’re not to blame, or Whenever the teacher singled her out for something, shy little Mary hid her head. This idiom alludes to the gesture indicative of these feelings. [Late 1500s]

  hide one’s head in the sand Also, bury one’s head in the sand. Refuse to face something by pretending not to see it. For example, For years we have been hiding our heads in the sand, refusing to admit that the store is losing money, or When it comes to a family quarrel, Dean just buries his head in the sand. This expression, transferred to human behavior in the early 1600s, alludes to the belief that ostriches burrow in sand thinking they will not be seen because they cannot see. In fact, however, when they do this, they are consuming sand and gravel to aid their digestive system.

  hide one’s light under a bushel Show extreme modesty, as in Even after Paul won the scholarship he went on hiding his light under a bushel. This expression, which does not necessarily express approval of this behavior, has its origin in the New Testament (Matthew 5:15): “Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick.” [Early 1600s]

  hide out Go into or stay in hiding, especially from the authorities. For example, The cattle thieves hid out in the canyon, or He decided to hide out from the press. [Late 1800s]

  high → In addition to the idioms beginning with HIGH, also see BLOW SKY-HIGH; FLY HIGH; FRIEND IN COURT (FRIENDS IN HIGH PLACES); HELL OR HIGH WATER; HIT THE HIGH SPOTS; HOLD ONE’S HEAD HIGH; IN HIGH DUDGEON; KNEE-HIGH TO A GRASSHOPPER; ON A HIGH; ON HIGH; ON ONE’S HIGH HORSE; RIDE HIGH; RUN HIGH; STINK TO HIGH HEAVEN; THINK A LOT (HIGHLY) OF; TURN ON (GET HIGH).

  high and dry Stranded, as in They walked out on the party, leaving me high and dry. This expression originally alluded to a ship that had run aground or was in dry dock. Its figurative use dates from the late 1800s.

  high and low Everywhere, as in We searched high and low but couldn’t find the ring, or He hunted high and low for a parking space.

  high and mighty Conceited, haughty, as in She was too high and mighty to make her own bed. This expression originally alluded to high-born rulers and was being transferred to the merely arrogant by the mid-1600s.

  high as a kite Intoxicated, as by alcohol, as in After three beers she’s high as a kite. The adjective high has been used in the sense of “drunk” since the early 1600s; the addition of kite dates from the early 1900s. The phrase is now used of disorientation due to any drug.

  high five A congratulatory slap in which one person slaps the other’s palm as it is held up. Originating in sports in the late 1900s and referring to the fact that all five fingers are involved, it soon was extended to other circumstances, as in That was great driving through rush hour; he deserves a high five. The expression also has a verbal form, to high-five, that is, to give someone a high five.

  high gear A state of maximum activity, energy, or force. For example, His mind was in high gear as he studied for the medical exam, or The political campaign is finally moving into high gear. This expression alludes to the high gear of an engine transmission, used at the fastest speeds.

  high hopes → See IN HOPES OF.

  high horse → See ON ONE’S HIGH HORSE.

  high jinks Playful or rowdy activity, often involving mischievous pranks. For example, All sorts of high jinks go on at summer camp after “lights out.” About 1700 this term denoted a gambling game accompanied by much drinking, but by the mid-1800s it acquired its present meaning.

  high off the hog, eat Also, live high on the hog. Prosper, live luxuriously, as in When Aunt Ida dies and they inherit her estate, they’ll be eating high off the hog, or Since their loan was approved, they’ve been living high on the hog. I
t alludes to the choicest cuts of meat, which are found on a pig’s upper flanks. [Late 1800s]

  high on 1. Under the influence of alcohol or a drug. For example, I think he got high on marijuana before he came to the party. [c. 1930] 2. Very enthusiastic about, as in They were high on video games. [1940s]

  high places, friends in → See under FRIEND IN COURT.

  high seas Open waters of an ocean or sea, beyond the territorial jurisdiction of a country. For example, Commercial fishermen are being forced to go out on the high seas in order to make a living. [c. 1100]

  high sign A secret signal intended to warn or inform, as in Dad gave us the high sign when it was time to leave. This expression presumably alludes to a gesture such as a hand wave. [c. 1900]

  hightail it Go as fast as possible, especially in leaving; rush off. For example, With the police now searching for them, they hightailed it out of town, or When Jane remembered it was his birthday, she hightailed it to the bakery for a cake. This expression alludes to the raised tail of a rabbit or other animal that is fleeing. [Colloquial; late 1800s]

  high time The appropriate time for something; also, past the appropriate time. For example, It’s high time we did something about Martha’s dog, or It’s high time you children were in bed. The precise meaning of this term depends on the tone of voice and/or the context. For a synonym, see ABOUT TIME.

  high-water mark The peak of something, especially an achievement. For example, This composition is the high-water mark of his entire output. This expression alludes to the highest mark left on shore by the tide. [Mid-1800s]

  highway robbery The exaction of an exorbitantly high price or fee. For example, You paid ten dollars for that meat? That’s highway robbery. This term, used figuratively since the late 1800s, alludes to literal robbery of travelers on or near a public road. A more recent British equivalent is daylight robbery [mid-1900s].