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

have an influence on someone • have influence
with someone
have an influence on someone —have an effect on a person;
cause smb. to act or behave in a certain way: Some songs even
have violent lyrics which can have a bad influence on young
people.
have influence with someone —have the power to affect the
opinion of a person, especially smb. in authority: He had no
power, no elected office … but he had influence with those
who did.
have an interest in something • have interests in
something
have an interest in something —
1
. be keen to know or learn
about smth.: None of them had the slightest interest in music.
2. want smth. to be done: Governments have an interest in
seeing minimum wages kept above subsistence level. 3. have
a share in the ownership of a business: No resident of the Isle
of Man is entitled to have an interest in the company.
have interests in something — = have an interest in something
3: The region obtains much of its oil from Alaska, where the
combined group would have sizeable interests.
have an itching palm • one’s palm itches
have an itching palm —(coll.) have greed for money (being
susceptible to bribery, etc.): We guessed he had an itching
palm and was hoping to receive a present for his “advice.”
one’s palm itches —
1
. said of a strong compulsive urge to do
smth., especially to strike a person: Her palm itched to slap
the bland indifference from his face. Cf.: have itchy feet—(UK
coll.) be unable to stay in one place; have an urge to travel: After
three days we got really itchy feet and could not wait longer.
2. is used of an old superstition that if one’s palm itches one
is going to receive money: Unfortunately, every time my palm
itches it’s cause money is leaving my hands.