hate

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.