H

Hair of the dog
If someone has a hair of the dog, they have an alcoholic drink as a way of getting rid of a hangover, the unpleasant effects of having drunk too much alcohol the night before. It is commonly used as a way of excusing having a drink early on in the day.
Half-baked
A half-baked idea or scheme hasn’t not been thought through or planned very well.
Hammer and tongs
If people are going at it hammer and tongs, they are arguing fiercely. The idiom can also be used when people are doing something energetically.
Hand in glove
If people are hand in glove, they have an extremely close relationship.
Hand to mouth
Someone who’s living from hand to mouth, is very poor and needs the little money they have coming in to cover their expenses.
Handwriting like chicken scratch
If your handwriting is very hard to read, it is like chicken scratch.
Hang in the balance
If an outcome is hanging in the balance, there are at least two possibilities and it is impossible to predict which will win out.
Hang out to dry
If you hang someone out to dry, you abandon him when he is in trouble.
Hangdog expression
A hangdog expression is one where the person’s showing their emotions very clearly, maybe a little too clearly for your liking. It’s that mixture of misery and self-pity that is similar to a dog when it’s trying to get something it wants but daren’t take without permission.
Hanged for a sheep as a lamb
This is an expression meaning that if you are going to get into trouble for doing something, then you ought to stop worrying and should try to get everything you can before you get caught.
Hard cheese
Hard cheese means hard luck.
Hard of hearing
Someone who’s hard of hearing is a bit deaf.
Hard sell
If someone puts a lot of pressure on you to do or buy something, they are hard selling it.
Haste makes waste
This idiom means that if you try to do something quickly, without planning it, you’re likely to end up spending more time, money, etc, doing it.
Hat trick
Three successes one after the other is a hat trick.
Hatchet job
A piece of criticism that destroys someone’s reputation is a hatchet job.
Have a trick up your sleeve
If you have a trick up your sleeve, you have a secret strategy to use when the time is right.
Having a gas
If you’re having a gas, you are having a laugh and enjoying yourself in company.
He’ll rue the day
He’ll rue the day that he crossed me. This means that the person will one day bitterly regret what they have done.
Head is in the clouds
If a person has their head in the clouds, they have unrealistic, impractical ideas.
Head nor tail
If you can’t make head nor tail of something, you cannot understand it at all or make any sense of it.
Head on the block
If someone’s head is on the block, they are going to be held responsible and suffer the consequences for something that has gone wrong.
Head over heels in love
When someone falls passionately in love and is intoxicated by the feeling has fallen head over heels in love.
Heads will roll
If heads will roll, people will be punished or sacked for something that has gone wrong.
Headstrong
A headstrong person is obstinate and does not take other people’s advice readily.
Hear a pin drop
If there is complete silence in a room, you can hear a pin drop.
Heart in your boots
If you’re heart is in your boots, you are very unhappy.
Heart of gold
Someone with a heart of gold is a genuinely kind and caring person.
Heaven knows
If you ask someone a question and they say this, they have no idea.
Heavenly bodies
The heavenly bodies are the stars.
Heavy-handed
If someone is heavy-handed, they are insensitive and use excessive force or authority when dealing with a problem.
Hedge your bets
If you hedge your bets, you don’t risk everything on one opportunity, but try more than one thing.
Hell for leather
If you do something hell for leather, especially running, you do it as fast as you can.
Hell in a handcart
If something is going to hell in a handcart, it is getting worse and worse, with no hope of stopping the decline.
Herding cats
If you have to try to co-ordinate a very difficult situation, where people want to do very different things, you are herding cats.
Here today, gone tomorrow
Money, happiness and other desirable things are often here today, gone tomorrow, which means that they don’t last forever.
Hiding to nothing
If people are on a hiding to nothing, their schemes and plans have no chance of succeeding. ‘Hiding to nowhere’ is an alternative.
High-handed
If someone is high-handed, they behave arrogantly and pompously.
High-wire act
A high-wire act is a dangerous or risky strategy, plan, task, etc.
Hit the bull’s eye
If someone hits the bull’s eye, they are exactly right about something or achieve the best result possible.
Hit the fan
When it hits the fan, or, more rudely, the shit hits the fan, serious trouble starts.
Hit the ground running
If someone hits the ground running, they start a new job or position in a very dynamic manner.
Hit the hay
When you hit the hay, you go to bed.
Hit the mark
If someone hits the mark, they are right about something.
Hit the nail on the head
If someone hits the nail on the head, they are exactly right about something.
Hit the roof
If you lose your temper and get very angry, you hit the roof.
Hit the sack
When you hit the sack, you go to bed.
Hoist with your own petard
If you are hoist with your own petard, you get into trouble or caught in a trap that you had set for someone else.
Hold all the aces
If you hold all the aces, you have all the advantages and your opponents or rivals are in a weak position.
Hold the baby
If someone is responsible for something, they are holding the baby.
Hold the bag
If someone is responsible for something, they are holding the bag.
Hold the fort
If you hold the fort, you look after something or assume someone’s responsibilities while they are away.
Hold your horses
If someone tells you to hold your horses, you are doing something too fast and they would like you to slow down.
Hollow victory
A hollow victory is where someone wins something in name, but is seen not to have gained anything by winning.
Home stretch
The home stretch is the last part of something, like a journey, race or project.
Home, James
This is a cliched way of telling the driver of a vehicle to start driving. It is supposed to be an order to a chauffeur.
Honest truth
If someone claims that something is the honest truth, they wish to sound extra-sincere about something.
Honours are even
If honours are even, then a competition has ended with neither side emerging as a winner.
Hook, line, and sinker
If somebody accepts or believes something hook, line, and sinker, they accept it completely.
Hope against hope
If you hope against hope, you hope for something even though there is little or no chance of your wish being fulfilled.
Hope in hell
If something hasn’t got a hope in hell, it stands absolutely no chance of succeeding.
Horns of a dilemma
If you are on the horns of a dilemma, you are faced with two equally unpleasant options and have to choose one.
Horse of a different colour
If something is a horse of a different colour, it’s a different matter or separate issue altogether.
Horse trading
Horse trading is an idiom used to describe negotiations, especially where these are difficult and involve a lot of compromise.
Horses for courses
Horses for courses means that what is suitable for one person or situation might be unsuitable for another.
Hostile takeover
If a company is bought out when it does not want to be, it is known as a hostile takeover.
Hot ticket
A hot ticket is something that is very much in demand at the moment.
Hot water
If you get into hot water, you get into trouble.
How come
If you want to show disbelief or surprise about an action, you can ask a question using ‘how come’. How come he got the job? (You can’t believe that they gave the job to somebody like him.)
How do you like them apples
This idiomatic expression is used to express surprise or shock at something that has happened. It can also be used to boast about something you have done.
How long is a piece of string
If someone has no idea of the answer to a question, they can ask ‘How long is a piece of string?’ as a way of indicating their ignorance.
Hue and cry
Hue and cry is an expression that used to mean all the people who joined in chasing a criminal or villain. Now-a-days, if you do something without hue and cry, you do it discreetly and without drawing attention.