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

give someone a head start • give someone a start
give someone a head start—put smb. in an advantageous posi-
tion allowing to start smth. earlier: If we give them a head
start they’re going to do as well as other children.
give someone a start—
1
. startle a person: I have to say that
the sirens went off at noon today and gave me a start. 2. help
a person start his stalled car: John gave me a start when my
car was stalled this morning. 3. assist smb. in entering on a
career: So she lent me some money and gave me a start in
business.
Note:
The expression does not correlate in meaning with the
phrase get someone started— cause a person to begin smth.: Tak-
ing your child for visits to museums will get him started to
having an interest in science.
give someone a heads-up • hold one’s head up
give someone a heads-up —(coll.) give a person an early warn-
ing about smth. that requires alert attention: Could anyone
give me a heads-up on what I need to have with me when I
go see the lawyer.
hold one’s head up —(also: keep one’s head up) stay proud;
not feel ashamed of oneself: He is a man who can hold his
head up high and know that he is who he is because of hard
work.
give someone a hot wash • throw cold water on
someone
give someone a hot wash —(U.S. military) said of a perform-
ance review, particularly after a training exercise or combat
operation: Troops are often given a “hot wash,” or a critique
of what they did and how they did it.
throw cold water on someone —(also: pour cold water on some-
one) discourage a person; curb smb.’s enthusiasm: People will
go tremendous lengths to help you, but will throw cold water
on you the instant you take them for granted.
give someone a knockdown • knock someone
down
give someone a knockdown —(UK sl.) introduce smb. to a
person: I heard one young fellow ask another to “give him a
knockdown to that tart in the green skirt.”
knock someone down —hit smb. so that a person falls to the
ground: A bus came screeching to a stop, practically knocking
him down.