hate someone’s guts to hate someone very
much. (Informal and rude.) Oh, Bob is
terrible. I hate his guts! You may hate
my guts for saying so, but I think you’re
getting gray hair.
haul someone in to arrest someone; [for a
police officer] to take someone to the po-
lice station. (Slang.) The cop hauled the
crook in. T They hauled in the suspects.
The traffic officer said, “Do you want me
to haul you in?”
haul someone over the coals Go to rake
someone over the coals.
haul up (somewhere) and pull up (some-
where) to stop somewhere; to come to rest
somewhere. The car hauled up in front
of the house. My hat blew away just as
the bus pulled up. The attackers hauled
up at the city gates.
have a bad effect (on someone or something)
to be bad for someone or something.
Aspirin has a bad effect on me. Cold
weather has a bad effect on roses.
have a ball have a really great time. (Slang.
This ball is a formal, social dancing
party.) The picnic was fantastic. We had
a ball! Hey, Mary! Have a ball at the
party tonight!
have a bee in one’s bonnet to have an idea
or a thought remain in one’s mind; to
have an obsession. I have a bee in my
bonnet that you’d be a good manager. I
had a bee in my bonnet about swimming.
I couldn’t stop wanting to go swimming.
have a big mouth to be a gossiper; to be
a person who tells secrets. (Informal.)
Mary has a big mouth. She told Bob what
I was getting him for his birthday. You
shouldn’t say things like that about people
all the time. Everyone will say you have a
big mouth.
have a blowout 1. [for one’s car tire] to
burst. I had a blowout on the way here.
I nearly lost control of the car. If you
have a blowout in one tire, you should
check the other tires. 2. to have a big, wild
party; to enjoy oneself at a big party.
Mary and Bill had quite a blowout at their
house Friday night. Fred and Tom had
quite a blowout last night.
have a bone to pick (with someone) to
have a disagreement to discuss with
someone; to have something to argue
about with someone. (See also bone of
contention.) Hey, Bill. I’ve got a bone to
pick with you. Where is the money you owe
me? I had a bone to pick with her, but
she was so sweet that I forgot about it.
You always have a bone to pick.
have a brush with something to have a brief
contact with something; to have a brief
experience with something. (Especially
with the law. Sometimes a close brush.
Compare this with have a scrape (with
someone or something).) Ann had a close
brush with the law. She was nearly arrested
for speeding. When I was younger, I had
a brush with scarlet fever, but I got over
it.
have a case (against someone) to have
much evidence that can be used against
someone. (See also build a case (against
someone).) Do the police have a case
against John? No, they don’t have a case.
have a change of heart to change one’s at-
titude or decision, usually from a nega-
tive to a positive position. I had a
change of heart at the last minute and gave
the old lady some money. Since I talked
to you last, I have had a change of heart.
I now approve of your marrying Sam.
have a chip on one’s shoulder to be
tempting someone else to an argument or
a fight; to seem willing to instigate con-
flict. Who are you mad at? You always
seem to have a chip on your shoulder.
John has had a chip on his shoulder ever
since he got his speeding ticket.
have a clean conscience (about someone
or something) Go to have a clear conscience
(about someone or something).
have a clear conscience (about someone
or something) and have a clean con-
science (about someone or something) to be
free of guilt about someone or some-
thing. I’m not sorry that John got the
blame. I have a clean conscience about the
whole affair. I have a clear conscience
about John and his problems. I didn’t do
it. I have a clean conscience. She can’t
sleep at night because she doesn’t have a
clear conscience.
have a close call Go to have a close shave.
have a close shave and have a close call
to have a narrow escape from something
dangerous. (See also have a brush with
something.) What a close shave I had! I
nearly fell off the roof when I was work-
ing there. I almost got struck by a speed-
ing car. It was a close shave.
have a clue (about something) to know any-
thing about something; to have even a
hint about something. (Usually negative.)
I don’t have a clue about where to start
looking for Jim. Why do you think I have
a clue about Tom’s disappearance?
have a conniption (fit) to get angry or
hysterical. (Folksy. See also have a fit.)
I got so mad I thought I was going to have
a conniption. My father had a connip-
tion fit when I got home this morning.
have a crack at something Go to have a try
at something.
have a familiar ring [for a story or an ex-
planation] to sound familiar. Your ex-
cuse has a familiar ring. Have you done
this before? This term paper has a fa-
miliar ring. I think it has been copied.
have a feeling about something Go to have
a feeling (that).
have a feeling (that) and have a feel-
ing about something to have a premoni-
tion that [something might happen]; to
have an intuition about something. I
had a feeling that you might be dropping
by this afternoon. I didn’t have any facts
to support it. I just had a feeling.
have a field day to experience freedom
from one’s usual work schedule; to have
a wild time. (Refers to a day when chil-
dren are released from classes to take part
in sports and athletic contests.) The
boss was gone and we had a field day to-
day. No one got anything done. The air
was fresh and clear, and everyone had a
field day in the park during the lunch
hour.
have a finger in the pie and have one’s
finger in the pie to have a role in some-
thing; to be involved in something.
Tess wants to have a finger in the pie. She
doesn’t think we can do it by ourselves.
Sally always wants to have a finger in the
pie.
have a fit to be very angry. (Informal.)
The teacher had a fit when the dog ran
through the classroom. John had a fit
when he found his car had been damaged.
have a foot in both camps to have an in-
terest in or to support each of two op-
posing groups of people. The shop
steward had been promised a promotion
and so had a foot in both camps during the
strike—workers and management. Mr.
Smith has a foot in both camps in the
parent-teacher dispute. He teaches math,
but he has a son at the school.
have a frog in one’s throat to have a feel-
ing of hoarseness. I cannot speak more
clearly. I have a frog in my throat. I had
a frog in my throat, and the telephone re-
ceptionist couldn’t understand me.
have a glass jaw to be susceptible to col-
lapsing when struck on the head. (Infor-
mal. Said only of boxers who are fre-
quently knocked down by a blow to the
head.) When the prizefighter was
knocked out in his third fight, the news-
papers said he had a glass jaw. Once a
fighter has a glass jaw, he’s finished as a
boxer.
have a go (at something) to make a try at
something. (See also take a try at some-
I’ve never fished before, but I’d
like to have a go at it. Great, have a go
right now. Take my fishing pole and give
it a try.
have a good command of something to
know something well. Bill has a good
command of French. Jane has a good
command of economic theory.
have a good head on one’s shoulders to
have common sense; to be sensible and
intelligent. Mary doesn’t do well in
school, but she’s got a good head on her
shoulders. John has a good head on his
shoulders and can be depended on to give
good advice.
have a (good) mind to do something to be
tempted to do something; to be on the
verge of doing something that one has
thought about. I have a good mind to
tell her just exactly what I think of her.
She had a mind to leave the room right
then and there.
have a good thing going to have some-
thing arranged for one’s benefit. (Infor-
mal.) Sally paints pictures and sells
them at art fairs. She has a good thing go-
ing, and she makes good money. John
inherited a fortune and doesn’t have to
work for a living anymore. He’s got a good
thing going.
have a green thumb to have the ability to
grow plants well. Just look at Mr. Simp-
son’s garden. He has a green thumb. My
mother has a green thumb when it comes
to houseplants.
have a grudge (against someone) Go to
bear a grudge (against someone).
have a hand in something to play a part in
(doing) something. I had a hand in the
picnic plans. I want to have a hand in
any revision of the script.
have a handle on something and get a
handle on something to have or get con-
trol of something; to have or get an un-
derstanding of something. Get a handle
on your temper and calm down. The po-
lice chief had a handle on the potential riot
situation.
have a hard time to experience unneces-
sary difficulties. I get a hard time every
time I come to this store. I never have
a hard time at the store across the street.
have a head for something have the mental
capacity for something. Jane has a good
head for directions and never gets lost.
Bill doesn’t have a head for figures and
should never become an accountant.
have a heart to be compassionate; to be
generous and forgiving. Oh, have a
heart! Give me some help! If Ann had
a heart, she’d have made us feel more
welcome.
have a heart of gold to be generous, sin-
cere, and friendly. Mary is such a lovely
person. She has a heart of gold. You
think Tom stole your watch? Impossible!
He has a heart of gold.
have a heart of stone to be cold and un-
friendly. Sally has a heart of stone. She
never even smiles. The villain in the play
had a heart of stone. He was an ideal
villain.
have a heart-to-heart (talk) to have a sin-
cere and intimate talk. I had a heart-
to-heart talk with my father before I went
off to college. I have a problem, John.
Let’s sit down and have a heart-to-heart.
have a hold on someone to have a strong
and secure influence on someone. The
strange religion seemed to have a strong
hold on its followers. The drug has a
hold on the minds of those who use it.
have a hunch about something Go to have
a hunch (that).
have a hunch (that) something will happen
and have a hunch about something to
have an idea about what did, will, or
should happen; to have a feeling that
something will or should happen.
had a hunch that you would be here when
I arrived. I have a hunch about the way
things will happen.
have a look for someone or something Go to
take a look for someone or something.
have a lot going (for one) to have many
things working to one’s benefit. Jane
is so lucky. She has a lot going for her.
She has a good job and a nice family. She
has a lot going.
have a lot of promise to be very promis-
ing; to have a good future ahead. Sally
is quite young, but she has a lot of promise.
This bush is small, but it has a lot of
promise.
have a lot on one’s mind to have many
things to worry about; to be preoccupied.
I’m sorry that I’m so grouchy. I have a
lot on my mind. He forgot to go to his
appointment because he had a lot on his
mind.
have a low boiling point to anger easily.
(Informal.) Be nice to John. He’s upset
and has a low boiling point. Mr. Jones
sure has a low boiling point. I hardly said
anything, and he got angry.
have a mind like a steel trap to have a
very sharp and agile mind; to have a
mind capable of fast, incisive thought.
Sally can handle the questioning. She has
a mind like a steel trap. If I had a mind
like a steel trap, I wouldn’t have so much
trouble concentrating.
have an accident 1. to experience some-
thing that was not foreseen or intended.
Traffic is very bad. I almost had an ac-
cident. Drive carefully. Try to avoid hav-
ing an accident. 2. to lose control of the
bowels or the bladder. (Euphemistic.
Usually said of a young child.) “Oh,
Ann,” cried Mother. “It looks like you’ve
had an accident!” Mother asked Billy
to go to the bathroom before they left so
that he wouldn’t have an accident in the
have an ax to grind (with someone) to have
something to complain about. (Infor-
mal.) Tom, I need to talk to you. I have
an ax to grind with you. Bill and Bob
went into the other room to argue. They
had an ax to grind.
have an ear for something to have the abil-
ity to learn music or languages.
doesn’t have an ear for music. He can’t
carry a tune. Mary has a good ear for
languages.
have a near miss to nearly crash or col-
lide. The airplanes—f lying much too
close—had a near miss. I had a near
miss while driving over here.
have an eye for someone or something to have
a taste or an inclination for someone or
something. Bob has an eye for beauty.
He has an eye for color. Ann has an
eye for well-dressed men.
have an eye on someone or something and
keep an eye on someone or something to
keep watch on someone or something; to
keep track of someone or something.
(The an can be replaced by one’s.) I
have my eye on the apple tree. When the
apples ripen, I’ll harvest them. Please
keep an eye on the baby. Will you please
keep your eye on my house while I’m on
vacation?
have an eye out (for someone or something)
and keep an eye out (for someone or
something) to watch for the arrival or ap-
pearance of someone or something. (The
an can be replaced by one’s.) Please try
to have an eye out for the bus. Keep an
eye out for rain. Have your eye out for
a raincoat on sale. Okay. I’ll keep my eye
out.
have an in (with someone) to have a way
to request a special favor from someone;
to have influence with someone. Do
you have an in with the mayor? I have to
ask him a favor. Sorry, I don’t have an
in, but I know someone who does.
have an itch for something to have a desire
for something. I have an itch for a nice
cool glass of lemonade. Who besides me
has an itch for pizza?
have an itching palm Go to have an itchy
palm.
have an itch to do something to have a de-
sire to do something. I have an itch to
see a movie tonight. Tom has an itch to
go swimming.
have an itchy palm and have an itching
palm to be in need of a tip; to tend to ask
for tips. (As if placing money in the palm
would stop the itching.) All the wait-
ers at that restaurant have itchy palms.
The cabdriver was troubled by an itching
palm. Since he refused to carry my bags, I
gave him nothing.
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