American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms

someone employed for wages as opposed to a slave or serf. The use of girl now may be offensive.

hire out

Obtain work; also, grant the services or temporary use of for a fee, as in He hired out as a cook, or

They hired out the cottage for the summer. [Second half of 1700s]

history

hand. see ANCIENT HISTORY; GO DOWN (IN HISTORY); MAKE HISTORY; (HISTORY) REPEATS ITSELF.

hit

hand. In addition to the idioms beginning with HIT, also see (HIT) BELOW THE BELT;

CAN'T HIT THE BROAD SIDE OF A BARN; HEAVY HITTER; MAKE A HIT; PINCH HITTER; SMASH HIT.

hit a snag

Encounter a problem or obstacle. For example, We've hit a snag with this building project. The noun snag has been used in the sense of "a sharp or rough projection," such as would impede passage, since the 1500s.

hit below the belt

hand. see BELOW THE BELT.

hit between the eyes

Make someone suddenly aware of something, have a sudden impact on. For example, News of their divorce hit me right between the eyes. [Colloquial; early 1900s]

hit bottom Also, touch bottom. Reach the worst or lowest point. For example, When he lost his job again they knew they had hit bottom, or When wheat prices touch bottom, the farmers will be up in arms. [Second half of 1800s]

hitch a ride Also, thumb a ride. Solicit a free ride, especially by hitchhiking. For example, I've no car; can I hitch a ride home with you? or He was hoping to thumb a ride to the stadium. The verb hitch here alludes to walking unevenly, presumably to hop into a car or truck; raising one's thumb is the traditional signal for stopping a car on the road. [First half of 1900s]

hitch one's wagon to a star

Aim high, as in Bill's hitching his wagon to a star?

he plans to be a partner by age thirty. This metaphoric expression was invented by essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson in 1870.

hither and thither Also, hither and yon. Here and there, as in I've been wandering about, hither and thither, or Ruth went hither and yon, searching for her sister. These old words for

"here" and "there" are rarely heard outside these expressions, which themselves may be dying out.

[c. A.D. 725]

hit it big

Score a major success, especially a profit, as in Some investors hit it big in the stock market. The adverb big here means "with great success." [Slang; late 1800s]

hit it off

Get along well together, as in I was so glad that our parents hit it off. In the 17th century this phrase was put simply as hit it, the adverb off being added only in the mid-1800s.

hit on

1.Also, hit upon. Discover, happen to find, as in I've hit upon a solution to this problem. [c. 1700]

2.Make sexual advances to someone, especially unwanted ones, as in You can't go into that bar without being hit on. [Slang; mid-1900s]

hit on all cylinders

hand. see FIRE ON ALL CYLINDERS.

hit one's stride

1. Achieve a steady, effective pace, as in After the first few laps around the track he hit his stride.

This expression comes from horse racing, stride alluding to the regular pace of the horse. [Early 1900s] 2. Attain a maximum level of competence, as in Jack didn't really hit his stride until he started college. [First half of 1900s]

hit one where one lives

hand. see under CLOSE TO HOME.

hit or miss

Haphazardly, at random. For example, She took dozens of photos, hit or miss, hoping that some would be good. [c. 1600]

hit out

Make a violent verbal or physical attack; also, strike aimlessly. For example, The star hit out at the press for their lukewarm reviews, or The therapist said patients often hit out in frustration. [First half of 1800s]

hit parade

A listing of the most popular or best items or individuals of some kind, as in The library has a veritable hit parade of videos. This expression dates from the 1930s, when it was the name of a weekly radio show featuring the most popular songs as indicated by record sales.

hit the books

Study with concentrated effort, as in At exam time we all hit the books. [Slang; first half of 1900s]

hit the bottle Also, hit the booze or sauce. Drink alcoholic beverages, especially a great deal, as in I don't know if it will be a problem, but he hits the bottle every weekend, or She hardly ever hits the booze, but when she does, watch out, or It doesn't show in her work, but she hits the sauce every night. These slangy expressions date from the late 1800s and early 1900s.

hit the bricks

Go out on strike, as in The union voted to hit the bricks as soon as their contract expired. [Slang; 1940s]

hit the bull's-eye Also, hit the mark or the nail on the head. Be absolutely right, as in Your remark about finances hit the bull's-eye, or Jane hit the mark with her idea for shuffling personnel, or The governor's speech on attracting new businesses hit the nail on the head. The round black center of a target has been called a bull's-eye since the 17th century; mark similarly alludes to a target; and the analogy to driving home a nail by hitting it on its head dates from the 16th century.

Also see OFF THE MARK.

hit the ceiling Also, hit the roof. Explode in anger, as in Jane hit the ceiling when she saw her grades, or Dad hit the roof when he didn't get his usual bonus. The first expression dates from the early 1900s; the second is a version of a 16th-century locution, up in the house roof or house-top, meaning "enraged."

hit the deck Also, hit the dirt. Fall to the ground, usually for protection. For example, As the planes approached, we hit the deck, or We heard shooting and hit the dirt. In the early 1900s the first expression was nautical slang for "jump out of bed," or "wake up," and somewhat later, "get going." The current meaning dates from the 1920s.

hit the fan

hand. see SHIT WILL HIT THE FAN.

hit the ground running

Seize an opportunity; begin at full speed. For example, As soon as the front office gave its approval for the new department, we hit the ground running. The origin of this term is disputed. It may come from troops dropped into a combat zone, from stowaways jumping off a freight train as it nears the station, or from Pony Express riders avoiding delay when they changed mounts.

hit the hay Also, hit the sack. Go to bed, as in I usually hit the hay after the eleven o'clock news, or I'm tired, let's hit the sack. The first colloquial expression dates from the early 1900s, the variant from about 1940.

hit the high spots Also, hit the high points. Pay attention only to the most important places or parts. For example, We only had a week in New York, but we managed to hit the high spots, or His speech was brief, but he hit all the high points. This idiom alludes to running a dustcloth or paintbrush over an uneven surface and touching only the raised portions. [c. 1900]

hit the jackpot

fear of making a scene. The first usage dates from the second half of the 1500s, the variant from the early 1800s. 3. Impede the progress of, as in The barriers held back traffic during the funeral procession, or Her daughter was kept back and had to repeat first grade.

hold court

Be surrounded by and command the attention of admirers, subordinates, or hangers-on. For example, After a match Judy generally held court in the locker room. This expression alludes to royalty convening courtiers as well as a judge convening a court of law.

hold down

1. Also, keep down. Limit, restrain, as in Please hold down the noise. [First half of 1500s] Also

see KEEP DOWN. 2. Work at or discharge one's duties satisfactorily, as in He managed to hold down two jobs at the same time. [Colloquial; late 1800s]

hold everything Also, hold it. Stop, wait. These expressions are usually used in the imperative, as in Hold everything, we can't unload the truck yet, or Hold it, you've gone far enough. [First half of 1900s]

hold forth

Speak in public, especially at great length. For example, Barbara loved to hold forth on the latest discoveries in astronomy. [Second half of 1600s]

hold good Also, hold true. Be valid, apply. For example, Does that version of events still hold good? or The account he gave ten years ago holds true today. Shakespeare used these terms frequently. [c. 1300]

hold it

hand. see HOLD EVERYTHING.

hold no brief for

Refuse to support, dislike, as in I hold no brief for liars. This term is a negative version of the legal expression hold a brief for, meaning "to support or defend a position by argument." The noun brief has been used in this way since the 1200s.

hold off

1.Keep at a distance, resist, delay, as in This payment should hold off the creditors. [Early 1400s]

2.Stop or delay from action, as in Let's hold off until we know more. [c. 1600]

hold on

1. Also, hold on to. Maintain one's grip, cling, as in Hold on to your hat in this wind, or The early Christians held on to their beliefs despite strong opposition. [Early 1500s] 2. Continue to do something, persist, as in Please hold on for a while longer. [Late 1800s] 3. Stop, wait, as in Hold on! We can't go past this gate. [Mid-1800s] 4. Remain on a telephone line, as in If you can hold on a minute I'll go and find her. [Late 1800s]

for your decision? These terms are often put negatively, as in The town won't hold still for another increase in property taxes, or The teacher won't stand still for this kind of behavior. The first expression employs hold in the sense of "sustain a particular position or attitude," a usage dating from about 1300.

hold sway over

Dominate, have a controlling influence over, as in He held sway over the entire department. This idiom uses the noun sway in the sense of "power" or "dominion," a usage dating from the late 1500s.

hold the bag

hand. see LEAVE HOLDING THE BAG.

hold the fort

Assume responsibility, especially in another's absence; also, maintain a secure position. For example, Harry did a good job of holding the fort until his boss recovered, or Can you hold the fort in the kitchen? This expression has been traced to an order given by General William Tecumseh Sherman in 1864, which was repeated as "Hold the fort [against the enemy at Allatoona] at all costs, for I am coming."

hold the line

Maintain the existing position or state of affairs. For example, We'll have to hold the line on spending until our profits rise. This term alludes to former military tactics, in which a line of troops was supposed to prevent an enemy breakthrough. Eventually, it was transferred to civilian enterprises. [Mid1900s]

hold the phone

Stop what one is doing, as in Hold the phone! There's no sense in continuing this argument. This expression is often put as an imperative, as in the example. [Colloquial; second half of 1900s] Also

see HOLD EVERYTHING.

hold the purse strings

hand. see PURSE STRINGS.

hold to

Remain loyal or faithful to, abide by, as in She held to her resolutions, or He held to his view that the interest rate should be lowered. [c. 1200] Also see

hold true

hand. see under HOLD GOOD.

hold up

1. Offer or present as an example, as in The teacher held Bernie's essay up as a model for the class to follow. [c. 1600] 2. Obstruct or delay, as in We were held up in traffic. [c. 1900] 3. Rob, as in He was held up in a dark alley, with no help nearby. This usage, which gave rise to the noun holdup for a robbery, alludes to the robbers' demand that the victims hold their hands high. [Late 1800s] 4. Also, hold out. Continue to function without losing force or effectiveness, endure. For example, We held up through that long bitter winter, or The nurse was able to hold out until someone could relieve her. [Late 1500s] 5. See HOLD ONE'S HEAD HIGH.

hold water

Stand up to critical examination, be sound and valid, as in This argument just won't hold water, or Her reasons for quitting don't hold water. This metaphoric expression alludes to a container that can hold water without leaking. [c. 1600]

hold with

Agree with, support, as in I don't hold with that view of the situation. [c. 1300] hold your

hand. see under HOLD ONE'S.

hole

hand. In addition to the idioms beginning with HOLE, also see ACE IN THE HOLE;

BLACK HOLE; IN A BIND (HOLE); IN THE HOLE; MONEY BURNS A HOLE IN ONE'S POCKET; NEED LIKE A HOLE IN THE HEAD; PICK HOLES IN; SQUARE PEG IN A ROUND HOLE.

hole in one

A perfect achievement, as in Tim scored a hole in one on that test. The term alludes to a perfect stroke in golf, where one drives the ball from the tee into the hole with a single stroke. [c. 1900]

hole in the wall

A small, modest, or obscure place, as in My new apartment is just a hole in the wall, or Believe it or not, that little hole in the wall is a great restaurant. This graphic term is often used disparagingly. [First half of 1800s]

hole up

Take refuge or shelter, hide, as in I spent most of the cruise holed up in my cabin. This usage alludes to animals hibernating in winter or hiding from attack in caves or holes. [Late 1800s]

holiday

hand. see BUSMAN'S HOLIDAY.

hollow