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

high class • upper class
high class —
1
. said of high quality items: The place was a
“saloon” … drinking and smoking went on during the per-
formance, but the pieces put upon the stage were all of a high
class. 2. exclusive; select : It was a high-class school at
Brighton, where girls are taught to use lipstick and adore the
heroes of Hollywood.
upper class —the highest class of society; the aristocracy:
Increased access to education helped carry some individuals
into the ranks of the upper class.
high ground • high land
high ground —
1
. a mountainous region in a country: The
river then does really occupy a hollow, enclosed on three sides
by high ground. 2. an advantageous position or moral supe-
riority: The document is an attempt to win back the political
high ground.
high land — = high ground 
1
: It is the high land nearest to
the shore which falls most abruptly.
high language • high-flown language
high language —
1
. pompous and pretentious language: Many
talked in high language about sacrificing their lives and for-
tunes for their country. 2. the language regarded as superior
when two (related) languages are spoken: The Zulu, as the
high language, has ever exercised a controlling influence upon
the low languages.
high-flown language — = high language 
1
: They talk in high-
flown language, not always conveying very precise ideas.
See also: high words / high-sounding words.
high man on the totem pole • high-up man
high man on the totem pole —(U.S. coll.) smb. who has the
most important position in an organization: I don’t want to
talk to a secretary. I demand to talk to the high man on the
totem pole.
high-up man —(coll.) a person of high place or rank : A
“high-up” man in the International Skating Union previewed
serious changes to be considered at the next meeting.
See also: low man / low man on the totem pole; man upstairs /
top man.