A dictionary of Confusable Phrases: More Than 10,000 Idioms and Collocations

have something on the brain
(have
something in one’s brain)
have spending money 
(have money to
spend)
have the advantage of someone 
(take
advantage of someone)
have the advantage over something
(have the advantage of something )
have the ball at one’s feet 
(ball is in
someone’s court, the)
have the best of both worlds
(have a
foot in both camps)
have the blues 
(have the baby blues)
have the drop 
(have a drop)
have the edge over someone 
(have it
over someone)
have the feel of something
(have a feel
for something )
have the fortune
(have a fortune)
have the game in one’s hands 
(give the
game away)
have the guts 
(have bowels)
have the laugh of someone
(have a
laugh at someone)
have the neck
(be stiff-necked)
have the needle to someone
(needle
someone)
have the option of something
(have
an option on something )
have the pull of someone
(have a pull
with someone)
have the rags on
(be dressed in rags)
have the run of something
(have a run
of something )
have the runs
(have a run)
have the say 
(have a say)
have the time 
(have a time)
have the use of something 
(have a use
for something )
have the wit to do something
(have
one’s wit about one)
have the world by the tail 
(have a tiger
by the tail)
have the worst of it 
(have it good)
have tickets on oneself 
(get one’s ticket)
have time for something 
(have no time
for something )
have to go some
(have to go)
have trouble (be in trouble)
have trouble with someone
(be in
trouble with someone)
have two strings to one’s bow 
(have
two faces)
have Van Gogh’s ear for music 
(have
an ear for music)
have voice 
(have a voice)
have words 
(have word)
have words with someone 
(have a
word with someone)
head and shoulders above someone
(cut above someone, a)
head figure 
(figurehead)
head for the hills 
(go over the hill)
head to head 
(face to face)
headline
(head line)
headsman
(head man)
healthy food 
(health food)
heart-broken 
(heart-breaking )
heart-sickness
(heart disease)
heartburn 
(heart-burning )
heat is on, the 
(have a heat on)
heavenly days 
(happy day)
heavy-handed
(heavy in hand)
help oneself to something 
(help someone
to something )
help someone off with something
(help someone off something )
help someone with something 
(help
someone to something )
her rabbit died 
(has your cat died)
here below 
(down here)
here, there and everywhere
(here and
there)
hide one’s head in the sand 
(hide one’s
head)
hide one’s light under a bushel 
(carry
light)
high beams 
(high beam)
high-browed 
(high-brow)
High Commissioner 
(Lord Commis-
sioner)
high-dried
(high and dry)
high-flown language
(high language)
high land
(high ground)
high old time 
(good old time)
high school 
(US) (high school [UK])
high seas
(high sea)
high-sounding words
(high words)
high spirits
(high spirit)
high summer 
(high season)
high-up man 
(high man on the totem
pole)
highball 
(high ball)
highwaters
(high water)
hire something 
(hire out something )
historical event
(historic event)
hit and run (cut and run)
hit home 
(hit close to home)
hit it out of the ball park 
(hit it)
hit it up
(hit it off )
hit me up
(hit me)
hit on all four 
(be on all fours)
hit someone in the eye
(do someone in
the eye)
hit someone like a ton of bricks
(come down on someone like a ton of
bricks)
hit the bottle
(crack a bottle)
hit the breeze 
(beat the wind)
hit the dirt
(hit pay dirt)
hit the dust 
(hit pay dirt)
hit the eye 
(hit the bull’s eye)
hit the ground running 
(hit the
ground)
hit the roof 
(hit bottom)
hit the spot 
(hit the high spots)
hit the streets 
(hit the road)
hit the target 
(beat the target)
hit the wall running
(run into a stone
wall)
hoist the flag 
(hoist one’s flag )
hold a candle to someone
(hold a can-
dle for someone)
hold an eel by the tail
(have a tiger by
the tail)
hold court
(hold a trial)
hold down a job 
(hold a job)
hold forth something 
(hold forth on
something )
hold one’s head up 
(give someone a
heads-up)
hold one’s liquor 
(hold one’s water)
hold oneself together 
(get oneself
together)
hold someone’s hand 
(hold one’s
hand)
hold something in the hand 
(hold
something in hand)
hold something out to someone
(hold
something out on someone)
hold something over someone’s head
(be over someone’s head)
hold something up to contempt
(hold
something in contempt)
hold the age
(carry one’s age)
hold the line
(draw the line)
hold the line at someone
(hold the line
against someone)
hold the purse strings 
(have one’s
fingers in the till)
hold the reins of something 
(hold a
rein on something )
hold the spotlight
(carry light)
hold to something
(hold on to some-
thing )
hold up on something 
(hold something
up)
hold water
(hold one’s water)
Holy Land, the (God’s Country)
Holy Moses
(Holy Joe)
Holy Office, the
(Divine Office)
holy water
(angel-water)
Holy Willie 
(Holy Joe)
home and dry 
(high and dry)
home zone 
(home ground)
honest penny, an 
(bad money)
honors degree
(honorary degree)
hook up with someone 
(hook someone
up)
hop to it
(hop it)
Horologe of Flora 
(floral clock)
horse around 
(horse-play)
hot and hot
(hot and cold)
hot dog man
(dog man)
hot money 
(cold cash)
hot seating
(hot seat)
hot stuff 
(hot goods)
hot wire
(hot line)
hot words 
(fiery words)
– 355 –
Phrase Index

---

hotdogger 
(dog man)
hotfoot it
(get cold feet)
hotter than blazes 
(hotter than a pistol)
hound someone down 
(hound some-
one)
house father
(Father of the House, the)
house husband 
(house man)
house in the country
(country house)
house phone
(home phone)
house physician 
(family doctor)
house warming 
(warm-house)
house-boy
(home boy)
houseboat 
(boathouse)
housecraft 
(homecraft)
housekeeper 
(householder)
housekeeping 
(home-keeping )
how do you do
(how are you doing )
how goes it
(how comes it)
however 
(how ever)
how’s that for high
(how’s that)
I dare say
(dare I say)
I have seen worse 
(I have seen better)
I hear what you say
(I am listening )
ice maiden
(ice man)
ice palace
(ice house)
identify oneself with someone 
(iden-
tify oneself to someone)
if anything 
(if any)
if at all
(if any)
if you lie down with dogs, you will
get up with fleas 
(if you fly with the
crows, you get shot with the crows)
I’ll say 
(I say)
I’m telling you
(I say)
immoral behavior 
(amoral behavior)
impatient for something 
(impatient of
something )
impatient with something 
(impatient
of something )
impose oneself on someone
(impose on
someone)
improve on something
(improve in
something )
in a black mood 
(in black)
in a breeze
(be in the wind)
in a clap
(at a clap)
in a dead heat
(at a white heat)
in a few words
(in a few well-chosen
words)
in a great way
(in a big way)
in a moment 
(at a moment)
in a tick 
(on the tick)
in a walk
(at a walk)
in a way 
(in the way)
in a word
(at a word)
in all
(all in all)
in and in 
(out and away)
in any event
(at all events)
in bits 
(in a bit)
in bonds
(in bond)
in command 
(at command)
in commission 
(on commission)
in conclusion
(at the conclusion)
in conference 
(at the conference)
in contempt of something 
(contemptu-
ous of something )
in danger
(at danger)
in either event 
(at all events)
in excess of something
(in an excess of
something )
in extremis 
(in extremes)
in fact 
(au fait)
in fashion
(in a fashion)
in favor with someone
(in favor of
someone)
in fear of something
(for fear of some-
thing )
in fits and starts
(in fits)
in fog
(in a fog )
in for it 
(in at it)