Словарь американских идиом (8000 единиц)
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[high time] <adj. phr.>, <used predicatively> (stress on "time") Dire, necessary, and sufficient circumstances prompting action. * /It is high time we sold the old house; it will fall apart within a year./
[highway] See: DIVIDED HIGHWAY or DUAL HIGHWAY.
[highway robbery] <n. phr.> 1. A hold-up of or theft from a person committed on an open road or street usually by an armed man. * /Highway robbery was common in England in Shakespeare's day./ 2. An extremely high price or charge; a profiteer's excessive charge. * /To someone from a small town, the prices of meals and theater tickets in New York often seem to he highway robbery./
[hill] See: GRASS IS ALWAYS GREENER ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FENCE or GRASS IS ALWAYS GREENER ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE HILL, HEAD FOR THE HILLS.
[hilt] See: TO THE HILT or UP TO THE HILT.
[hinge on] or [hinge upon] <v.> To depend on as decisive: be decided by. * /In a dictatorship, everything hinges on one man./ * /A tobacco grower's income for the year may hinge on what the weather is like in a few summer weeks./
[hired man] <n. phr.> A man employed to do jobs every day about a house or farm. * /The hired man was sick, and a lot of the daily chores were not done./
[hire out] <v.>, <informal> 1. To accept a job; take employment. * /Frank hired out as a saxophonist with a dance band./ 2. To rent (as owner). * /John used to hire out his tractor sometimes when he didn't need it himself./
[history] See: GO DOWN IN HISTORY or GO DOWN IN THE RECORDS.
[hit] See: HARD-HITTING, MAKE A HIT, SMASH HIT.
[hit and miss] See: HIT OR MISS.
[hit-and-run] <adj.> 1. Of or about an accident after which a motorist drives away without giving his name and offering help. * /Judges are stern with hit-and-run drivers./ 2. Striking suddenly and leaving quickly. * /The bandits often made hit-and-run attacks on wagon trains./
[hit below the belt] See: BELOW THE BELT.
[hit between the eyes] <v. phr.>, <informal> To make a strong impression on; surprise greatly. * /Helen hit Joe right between the eyes the moment he saw her./ * /It was a wonderfully lifelike picture, and it hit Sol right between the eyes./ * /To learn that his parents had endured poverty for his sake hit John between the eyes./
[hit bottom] or [touch bottom] <v. phr.>, <informal> 1. To be at the very lowest. * /In August there was a big supply of corn and the price hit bottom./ * /When Johnny failed the exam his spirits hit bottom./ 2. To live through the worst; not to be able to go any lower. * /After all their troubles, they thought they had hit bottom and then something else happened./ * /When they lost all their money they thought they had touched bottom and things would have to get better./
[hitch one's wagon to a star] <v. phr.> To aim high; follow a great ambition or purpose, * /In trying to be a famous pianist, Mary had hitched her wagon to a star./ * /John hitched his wagon to a star and decided to try to become President./
[hither and thither] or [hither and yon] <adv. phr.>, <literary> In one direction and then in another. * /Bob wandered hither and thither looking for a playmate./ Compare: HERE AND THERE.
[hither and yon] See: HITHER AND THITHER.
[hit home] <v. phr.> To go directly to the mark; strike a vulnerable spot. * /His remark hit home when he referred to those who do not contribute sufficiently to the college fund drive./
[hit it off] <v. phr.>, <informal> To enjoy one another's company; be happy and comfortable in each other's presence. * /Tom and Fred hit it off well with each other./ * /Mary and Jane hit it off from the first./ Syn.: GET ALONG.
[hit on] or [hit upon] <v.> To happen to meet, find, or reach; to choose or think by chance, * /John hit on a business that was just starting to grow rapidly./ * /There seemed to be several explanations of the crime, but the detectives hit on the right one the first time./ Compare: HAPPEN ON.
[hit on all cylinders] <v. phr.> 1. To run smoothly or at full power without any missing or skipping.
– Said of a motor. * /The mechanic tuned the car engine until it was hitting on all cylinders./ 2. <informal> To think or work well; to use all your ability. * /The football team was hitting on all cylinders and scored a big victory./ * /Bob began to write his examination, and found himself hitting on all cylinders./
[hit one's stride] <v. phr.> 1. To walk or run at your best speed; reach your top speed or game. * /After walking the first mile, Jim was just hitting his stride./ * /The horse began to hit his stride and moved ahead of the other horses in the race./ 2. To do your best work; do the best job you are able to. * /Mary didn't begin to hit her stride in school until the fifth grade./
[hit-or-miss] also [hit-and-miss] <adj.> Unplanned; uncontrolled; aimless; careless. * /John did a lot of hit-or-miss reading, some of it about taxes./ * /Mary packed her bag in hurried, hit-or-miss fashion./
[hit or miss] also [hit and miss] <adv.> In an unplanned or uncontrolled way; aimlessly; carelessly. * /George didn't know which house on the street was Jane's, so he began ringing doorbells hit or miss./
[hit parade] <n.> 1. A list of songs or tunes arranged in order of popularity. * /Tom was overjoyed when his new song was named on the hit parade on the local radio station./ 2. <slang> A list of favorites in order of popularity. * /Jack is no longer number one on Elsie's hit parade./
[hitter] See: PINCH HIT, PINCH HITTER, PULL HITTER.
[hit the books] <v. phr.>, <informal> To study your school assignments, prepare for classes. * /Jack broke away from his friends, saying, "I've got to hit the books."/
[hit the bull's-eye] <v. phr.>, <informal> To go to the important part of the matter; reach the main question. * /John hit the bull's-eye when he said the big question was one of simple honesty./
[hit the ceiling] or [hit the roof] <v. phr.>, <slang> To become violently angry; go into a rage. * /When Elaine came home at three in the morning, her father hit the ceiling./ * /Bob hit the roof when Joe teased him./ Syn.: BLOW A FUSE.
[hit the deck] <v. phr.> To get up from bed, to start working. (From sailor's language as in "All hands on the deck!") * /OK boys, it's time to hit the deck!/
[hit the dirt] <v. phr.>, <slang>, <military> To take cover under gunfire by falling on the ground. * /We hit the dirt the moment we heard the machine gun fire./
[hit the fan] <v. phr.>, <informal> To become a big public problem or controversy. * /The whole mess hit the fan when the judge was arrested for drunken driving for the second time./