The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms

by Christine Ammer

  ground floor, get in on the Participate in the beginning of a venture, thereby gaining some advantage. For example, Investors were eager to get in on the ground floor of the new development. [First half of 1800s]

  ground rules Basic procedures of conduct, as in The press secretary sets the ground rules for all of the President’s press conferences. The term comes from baseball, where it refers to specific rules for a particular ballpark, which are based on special conditions such as a very high outfield fence or a field obstruction of some kind. It began to be transferred to more general use in the mid-1900s.

  grow → In addition to the idioms beginning with GROW, also see ABSENCE MAKES THE HEART GROW FONDER; LET THE GRASS GROW UNDER ONE’S FEET.

  growing pains Problems that arise in beginning or enlarging an enterprise, as in The company is undergoing growing pains but should be viable by next year. This expression, which dates from the late 1800s, originally referred to the joint and limb aches experienced by youngsters who are growing rapidly. By about 1900 it was being used figuratively.

  grow into 1. Develop so as to become, as in The army makes a boy grow into a man. [Mid-1500s] 2. Develop or change so as to fit, as in He’ll soon grow into the next shoe size, or She has grown into her job. [Early 1800s]

  grow on Also, grow upon. 1. Gradually become more evident. For example, A feeling of distrust grew upon him as he learned more about the way the account was handled. [c. 1600] 2. Gradually become more pleasurable or acceptable to, as in This music is beginning to grow on me. Jane Austen had it in Pride and Prejudice (1796): “Miss Bennet’s pleasing manners grew on the good-will of Mrs. Hurst.” [c. 1700]

  grow out of 1. Develop or come into existence from. For example, This article grew out of a few scribbled notes, or Their mutual trust grew out of long acquaintance. 2. Also, outgrow. Become too large or mature for, as in The baby’s outgrown of all her dresses.

  grow up 1. Become an adult, as in Sam wants to be a policeman when he grows up. [First half of 1500s] 2. Come into existence, arise, as in Similar social problems grew up in all the big cities. [Late 1500s] 3. Become mature or sensible, as in It’s time you grew up and faced the facts. This usage may also be in the form of an imperative (as in Don’t bite your nails—grow up!) [Mid-1900s]

  grudge → See BEAR A GRUDGE; NURSE A GRUDGE.

  guard → See OFF GUARD; STAND GUARD.

  guess → See ANYONE’S GUESS; EDUCATED GUESS; HAVE ANOTHER GUESS COMING; I SUPPOSE (GUESS) SO; YOUR GUESS IS AS GOOD AS MINE.

  guess again → See HAVE ANOTHER GUESS COMING.

  guest → See BE MY GUEST.

  gum up Ruin or bungle something, as in The front office has gummed up the sales campaign thoroughly. This idiom is also put as gum up the works, as in John’s changes in procedures have gummed up the works in the shipping department. [Slang; c. 1900]

  gun → In addition to the idiom beginning with GUN, also see AT GUNPOINT; BIG CHEESE (GUN); GREAT GUNS; HIRED GUN; HOLD A GUN TO SOMEONE’S HEAD; JUMP THE GUN; SMOKING GUN; SON OF A BITCH (GUN); STICK TO ONE’S GUNS; UNDER THE GUN.

  gun for 1. Pursue relentlessly so as to overcome or destroy. For example, He was sure they were gunning for him and asked for police protection, or The senator felt that the reporters were gunning for him with that article about his brother. [Slang; late 1800s] 2. Go after in earnest, try hard to obtain. For example, He’s been gunning for a raise all year. [Slang; mid-1900s]

  gung ho Also, gung-ho. Extremely enthusiastic or dedicated, as in She was gung ho about her new job. This expression was introduced in 1942 as a training slogan for a U.S. Marine battalion, derived from what an American officer thought were Mandarin Chinese words for “work together.” It was actually an abbreviation for the name of Chinese industrial cooperatives.

  gussied up Also, all gussied up. Dressed up, as in Dana loves to get all gussied up and go to a fine restaurant. The origin of this expression is not clear, though possibly it relates to the earlier use of the noun gussie (derived from a proper name) for an effeminate man. [Slang; mid-1900s]

  gut → In addition to the idiom beginning with GUT, also see BLOOD AND GUTS; BUST A GUT; HATE SOMEONE’S GUTS; HAVE THE GUTS.

  gut it out Also, tough it out. Show pluck and perseverance in the face of opposition or adversity. For example, I know it’s hard but we’ll just have to gut it out, or His boss has a terrible temper, but Joe is determined to tough it out. The first term dates from the mid-1900s; the variant was first recorded in 1860.

  gutter → See IN THE GUTTER.

  h

  habit → See KICK A HABIT.

  hack it Tolerate something. The verb “hack” has meant to cut or chop since about 1200, but the analogy is unclear. The current term is most often put in the negative, as in With his many allergies, Jack said he just couldn’t hack working outdoors in spring. [Slang, mid-1900s]

  hackles → See RAISE ONE’S HACKLES.

  had → In addition to the idioms beginning with HAD, also see NEVER HAD IT SO GOOD; also see under HAVE.

  had, to be → See BE HAD.

  had better Also, had best. Ought to, should. For example, You had better finish this one before starting another, or We had best be going. [Mid-1400s] Also see YOU’D BETTER BELIEVE IT.

  had enough → See HAVE HAD ENOUGH.

  had it → See HAVE HAD IT.

  had its day, has Is no longer useful or popular or successful, as in Some people think the railroad has had its day. This expression is the antonym of have its (or one’s) day, meaning “to experience success or prosperity,” as in Every dog has its day, a proverb dating from the 16th century. Both terms use day in the sense of “a propitious or opportune time.”

  had one’s fill Also, have one’s fill. → See GET ONE’S FILL.

  had rather Also, had sooner. Would prefer. For example, I had rather you let me do the driving, or He’d sooner switch than fight. This idiom today is often replaced by WOULD RATHER. [Late 1500s] Also see JUST AS SOON.

  hail → In addition to the idiom beginning with HAIL, also see WITHIN CALL (HAIL).

  hail from Come from, originate from, as in He hails from Oklahoma. This term originally referred to the port from which a ship had sailed. [Mid-1800s]

  hair → In addition to the idioms beginning with HAIR, also see BAD HAIR DAY; BY A HAIR; BY THE SHORT HAIRS; FAIR-HAIRED BOY; GET GRAY HAIR FROM; HANG BY A THREAD (HAIR); HIDE NOR HAIR; IN SOMEONE’S HAIR; LET ONE’S HAIR DOWN; MAKE ONE’S HAIR STAND ON END; PUT LEAD IN ONE’S PENCIL (HAIR ON ONE’S CHEST); SPLIT HAIRS; TEAR ONE’S HAIR; TURN A HAIR.

  hair of the dog that bit you Whatever made you ill used as a remedy, especially alcohol as a hangover cure. For example, A little hair of the dog will cure that hangover in no time. This expression, already a proverb in John Heywood’s 1546 compendium, is based on the ancient folk treatment for dogbite of putting a burnt hair of the dog on the wound. It is often shortened, as in the example.

  hair shirt A self-imposed punishment or penance, as in I apologized a dozen times—do you want me to wear a hair shirt forever? This term, mentioned from the 13th century on, alludes to wearing a coarse, scratchy hair shirt, the practice of religious ascetics. Its figurative use dates from the mid-1800s.

  hale and hearty In robust good health, as in After her long bout with pneumonia, I was glad to see her hale and hearty. This redundant expression, since both hale and hearty here mean “healthy,” probably survives owing to its pleasing alliteration. [Mid-1800s]

  half → In addition to the idioms beginning with HALF, also see AT HALF-MAST; BETTER HALF; BY HALF; GLASS IS HALF FULL; GO HALFWAY; GO OFF (HALF-COCKED); HELL’S HALF ACRE; IN HALF; NOT BAD (HALF BAD); SEE WITH HALF AN EYE ; SIX OF ONE, HALF A DOZEN OF THE OTHER; TIME AND A HALF. Also see under HALFWAY; HALVES.

  half a heart, with With only moderate enthusiasm, as in After his transfer he worked with half a heart, looking forward to early retirement. [Mid-1800s] For an antonym, see WITH ALL ONE’S HEART.

  half a loaf is better than none
Something is better than nothing, even if it is less than one wanted. For example, He had asked for a new trumpet but got a used one—oh well, half a loaf is better than none. This expression, often shortened, was already a proverb in 1546, where it was explicitly put: “For better is half a loaf than no bread.”

  half a mind An inclination that is not definite or resolute. For example, I’ve half a mind to drop the course, or He went out with half a mind to walk all the way there. [First half of 1700s] Also see HAVE A GOOD MIND TO.

  half of it Only part of something, as in You saw them together, but that’s just the half of it; she’s moved in with him. This phrase, signifying that the most important portion (more than half) is yet to come, is often put negatively as not the half of it, as in You thought they played badly? That’s not the half of it, because they’ve been kicked out of the league. [First half of 1900s]

  half the battle A successful beginning, as in You’ve got the shopping list done—that’s half the battle. This expression is an abbreviation of an 18th-century proverb, “The first blow is half the battle.”

  halfway → See GO HALFWAY.

  halt → See CALL A HALT; COME TO A HALT; GRIND TO A HALT.

  halves → See BY HALVES; GO HALVES. Also see under HALF.

  hammer → In addition to the idioms beginning with HAMMER, also see UNDER THE HAMMER.

  hammer and tongs Forcefully, with great vigor. For example, She went at the weeds hammer and tongs, determined to clean out the long neglected flowerbed. Often put as go at it hammer and tongs, this phrase alludes to the blacksmith’s tools. [c. 1700]

  hammer away at Keep at something continuously, as in The reporters hammered away at the candidate. This phrase employs hammer in the sense of “beat repeatedly,” a usage dating from the mid-1600s.

  hammer out Work out with considerable effort, as in It took weeks of negotiations to hammer out an acceptable compromise. This usage likens intellectual effort to shaping metal with the blows of a hammer. [Mid-1700s]

  ham up Exaggerate or overdo, especially with extravagant emotion, as in Hamming up the eulogy was disgraceful, especially since he didn’t even know the deceased. It is also put as ham it up, meaning “overact,” as in She loves to ham it up in front of the class. This idiom probably alludes to the hamfat (lard) used to remove stage makeup, mentioned in the minstrel song, “The Ham-Fat Man.” From this hamfatter came to mean “an inexpert and flamboyant actor,” and was in the late 1800s shortened to ham. The idiom here was first recorded in 1933.

  hand → In addition to the idioms beginning with HAND, also see AT FIRST HAND; AT HAND; AT SECOND HAND; AT THE HAND OF; BACK OF ONE’S HAND; BARE HANDS; BIRD IN THE HAND; BITE THE HAND THAT FEEDS YOU; BOUND HAND AND FOOT; BY HAND; CATCH RED-HANDED; CHANGE HANDS; CLEAN HANDS; COLD HANDS, WARM HEART; DEAL IN (ONE A HAND); DIRTY ONE’S HANDS; EAT OUT OF SOMEONE’S HAND; FEED (HAND) SOMEONE A LINE; FORCE SOMEONE’S HAND; FREE HAND; FROM HAND TO HAND; GIVE A HAND; GLAD HAND; GREASE SOMEONE’S PALM (HAND); HAT IN HAND; HAVE A HAND IN; HAVE ONE’S HANDS FULL; HEAVY HAND; HELPING HAND; IN GOOD HANDS; IN HAND; IN ONE’S HANDS; IN THE HANDS OF; IRON HAND; KEEP ONE’S HAND IN; KNOW LIKE A BOOK (THE BACK OF ONE’S HAND); LAY HANDS ON; LEFT HAND DOESN’T KNOW WHAT THE RIGHT HAND IS DOING; LEFT-HANDED COMPLIMENT; LEND A HAND; MANY HANDS MAKE LIGHT WORK; OFF SOMEONE’S HANDS; ON HAND; ON ONE’S HANDS; ON THE ONE HAND; ON THE OTHER HAND; OUT OF CONTROL (HAND); OUT OF HAND; PLAY INTO THE HANDS OF; PUTTY IN SOMEONE’S HANDS; RAISE A HAND AGAINST; RIGHT-HAND MAN; RUB ONE’S HANDS; SHAKE HANDS; SHOW OF HANDS; SHOW ONE’S HAND; SIT ON ONE’S HANDS; SLEIGHT OF HAND; TAKE IN HAND; TAKE INTO ONE’S OWN HANDS; TAKE SOMEONE’S LIFE (ONE’S LIFE IN ONE’S HANDS); TAKE THE LAW INTO ONE’S HANDS; THROW IN ONE’S HAND; THROW UP ONE’S HANDS; TIE ONE’S HANDS; TIME HANGS HEAVY (ON ONE’S HANDS); TIME ON ONE’S HANDS; TIP ONE’S HAND; TO HAND; TRY ONE’S HAND; TURN ONE’S HAND TO; UPPER HAND; WAIT ON HAND AND FOOT; WASH ONE’S HANDS OF; WITH ONE ARM (HAND) TIED BEHIND ONE’S BACK.

  hand and foot → See BOUND HAND AND FOOT; WAIT ON SOMEONE HAND AND FOOT.

  hand down 1. Bequeath to one’s heirs, as in The silver and jewels have been handed down from generation to generation in that family. [Late 1600s] 2. Make and pronounce an official decision, especially the verdict of a court. For example, The judge wasted no time in handing down a sentence of contempt of court. [First half of 1900s] Also see HAND ON; HAND OVER.

  hand in glove On intimate terms, in close association, as in The internist is hand in glove with the surgeon, so you’d better get a second opinion. This metaphoric expression for a close fit was already included in John Ray’s 1678 collection of proverbs, when it was put hand and glove.

  hand in hand In cooperation, jointly, as in Industrial growth and urbanization often go hand in hand. This phrase, often put as go hand in hand with, was first recorded in 1576.

  hand in the till, with one’s Also, with one’s fingers in the till; have one’s hand in the cookie jar. Stealing from one’s employer. For example, He was caught with his hand in the till and was fired immediately, or They suspected she had her hand in the cookie jar but were waiting for more evidence. The noun till has been used for a money box or drawer since the 15th century; cookie jar, perhaps alluding to the “sweets” of money, dates only from about 1940.

  hand it to Give credit to, congratulate, as in You’ve got to hand it to her; she knows what she’s doing. [c. 1900]

  handle → In addition to the idioms beginning with HANDLE, also see FLY OFF THE HANDLE; GET A FIX (HANDLE) ON.

  handle to one’s name A nickname or title, as in He was knighted and now had a handle to his name, or His gluttony earned him a handle to his name, Big Mouth. [First half of 1800s]

  handle with gloves Also, handle with kid gloves. Treat with great care or very gently, as in She has a terrible temper, so try to handle her with kid gloves. This usage probably alludes to the antonym, handle without gloves, meaning “to treat harshly.” Gloves made of kidskin, the hide of a young goat, are soft and pliable, whence the transfer to delicate treatment. [Second half of 1800s]

  hand on Turn over to another, as in When you’ve read it, please hand it on to Sam. This term can also be used in the sense of “bequeath” (see HAND DOWN, def. 1). [Second half of 1800s]

  hand out Distribute, as in The teacher handed out the test papers. [Late 1800s] For a synonym, see PASS OUT, def. 1.

  hand over Release or relinquish to another’s possession or control. For example, You may as well hand over the money, or He decided to hand the store over to his children. [c. 1800] For a synonym, see TURN OVER, def. 5.

  hand over fist Rapidly, at a tremendous rate, as in He’s making money hand over fist. This expression is derived from the nautical hand over hand, describing how a sailor climbed a rope. [First half of 1800s]

  hand over hand → See HAND OVER FIST.

  hands are tied → See TIE ONE’S HANDS.

  hands down 1. Also, in a breeze; in a walk. Easily, without effort, as in she won the election hands down, or They won in a breeze, 10–0, or The top players get through the first rounds of the tournament in a walk. All of these expressions originated in sports. Hands down, dating from the mid-1800s, comes from horse racing, where jockeys drop their hands downward and relax their hold when they are sure to win. In a breeze, first recorded in a baseball magazine in 1910, alludes to the rapid and easy passage of moving air; in a walk, also from baseball, alludes to taking a base on balls, that is, reaching first base without having hit a pitched ball because of the pitcher’s mistakes. 2. Unquestionably, without a doubt, as in Hands down, it was the best thing I’ve ever done.

  handshake → See GOLDEN HANDSHAKE.

  hands off An order to stop touching or interfering with something, as in Hands off the cake, children! This idiom is also put as keep one’s hands off, as in She knew she had to keep her hands off so he could learn to tie his shoes by himself. [Mid-1500s]

  handsome is as handsome does How one acts is more important than how one looks. For exampl
e, He may be homely, but he’s the kindest man I’ve ever met—handsome is as handsome does. This expression already appeared in John Ray’s 1670 collection of proverbs.

  hands up A direction or order to hold one’s hands high, as in Hands up or I’ll shoot! This imperative is used by police officers and criminals so that they can see if someone is holding a weapon. [Second half of 1800s]

  hand to hand 1. In close combat; also, at close quarters. For example, If the enemy came any closer they would soon be fighting hand to hand. This expression, dating from about 1400, is usually restricted to military contexts but occasionally sees more general use. 2. from hand to hand. From one person to another; through a succession of persons. For example, The instructions were passed from hand to hand until everyone had seen them, or Over the generations the family albums went from hand to hand. [Mid-1500s]

  hand to mouth, from With only the bare essentials, existing precariously. For example, After she lost her job she was living from hand to mouth. This expression alludes to eating immediately whatever is at hand. [c. 1500]

  hand to on a silver platter Also, serve up on a plate. Provide with something valuable for nothing, or give an unearned reward to; also, make it easy for. For example, She did no work at all, expecting to have everything handed to her on a silver platter, or just ask them — they’ll serve up the data on a plate. Both terms allude to being elaborately served at the table. [Early 1900s] Also see BORN WITH A SILVER SPOON.

  handwriting on the wall Also, writing on the wall. A warning or presentiment of danger, as in The company was losing money, and seeing the handwriting on the wall, she started to look for another job. This expression comes from the Bible (Daniel 5:5–31), in which the prophet interprets some mysterious writing that a disembodied hand has inscribed on the palace wall, telling King Belshazzar that he will be overthrown.