A-Z Database

A-Z Database

All A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Headless chicken

see Run around like a headless chicken


Headlong

Wild, impetuous progress with the head pointing foremost, dates from the late 1400s and, according to the OED, is derived from the earlier and now obs...

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Heads or tails

The question heads or tails is asked when tossing a coin and dates from the late 1600s when English coins of the day generally bore the head of a mona...

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Heads-up

Heads up is an American expression that started life as an interjection during the early 20th century meaning, pay attention. As time went by, from ar...

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Hear something on the grapevine

see Grapevine


Heart

To have the heart for something means to have the resolve and courage to persist or succeed in some task or other and this usage is very old from at l...

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Heart in one’s mouth

To have one’s heart in one’s mouth is to be extremely fearful or anxious. It is a very old expression and although Shakespeare uses it in King Lear Ac...

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Heart of hearts

Describes one inner depths or core. Coined by Shakespeare but the original expression was 'heart of heart' in the singular. Although now it is used mo...

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Heart on one’s sleeve

see Wear one’s heart on one’s sleeve


Heart to heart

Usually in the form of a conversation between two people, an intimate, frank and sincere exchange, dates from the early 19th century, coined by Sir Wa...

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Heath Robinson

If something is a bit Heath Robinson or is a Heath Robinson device, it usually describes an absurdly complicated contraption, especially one that has...

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Heave-ho

Originally, a nautical expression dates from the 14th century, used communually by sailors at work, pulling up anchors, hauling on sails etc. To give...

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Heavy going/weather

To make heavy going or heavy weather of something is to struggle or complicate matter, usually unnecessarily and dates in this figurative sense from t...

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heavy weather

see Heavy going/weather


Hectic

A vogue word that means great or awesome used mainly by adolescents since c. 2000.


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