halcyon days
A period of time in the past that was idyllically happy and peaceful
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hale and hearty
Strong and healthy, both physically and mentally
half a brain
a small amount of intelligence
half a grunter
A sixpence.
half a head
slightly smarter or more intelligent
half a loaf is better than no bread
Something is better than nothing
Half a mile from St
David's is a Logan stone, mounted on divers other stones, which may be shaken with one finger.
half a mind
To be almost decided or inclined to do something
half an hour
a period of thirty minutes
half bound
Leather back and corners, with cloth or paper sides.
half is more than the whale
This is what Hcsiod said to his brother Perseus, when he wished him to settle a dispute without going to law. He meant ",half of the estate without the expense of law will be better than the whole after the lawyers have had their pickings.'* The remark, however, has a very wide signification.
half joke
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
half lit
drunk
half murder
to exhaust or nearly kill someone with work or effort
half the battle
Half determines the battle. Thus, "The first stroke is half the battle," that is, the way in which the battle is begun determines what the end will be.
half-a-bull
Two shillings and sixpence.
half-a-hog
Sixpence; sometimes termed HALF-A-GRUNTER.
half-a-stretch
Six months in prison.
half-and-half
A mixture of ale and porter, much affected by medical students; occasionally Latinized into "dimidium dimidiumque." Cooper is HALF-AND-HALF, made of stout and porter. The term of HALF-AND-HALF is also applied to the issue of marriages between gipsies and "white people."
half-baked
Soft, doughy, half-witted, silly. HALF-ROCKED has a similar meaning.
half-foolish
Ridiculous; means often wholly foolish.
half-mast high
The position, of a flag flying from the middle of the flagstaff in token of respect to a dead person.
half-mourning
To have a black eye from a blow. As distinguished from "whole-mourning," two black eyes.
half-night stand
A brief, casual romantic encounter
half-rocked
Silly, half-witted. Derived from a vulgar idea that in the Westcountry children are nursed in a peculiar manner, which in afterlife affects their wits. They are said to be nursed bottom upwards, so as to sleep without much rocking. If this is inconsequent it is the fault of the saying and not of the dictionary. Compare HALF-BAKED.
half-seas over
Midway between one condition and another: now usually applied to a person slightly drunk.
half-seas-over
Reeling drunk.—Sea. Used by Swift.
half-tone block
A typographic printing- block for illustrations, produced by photo- graphing on to a prepared plate through a screen or grating which breaks up the picture of the object to be reproduced into small dots of varying intensity, thus giving the lights and shades, or tones.
halfway decent
Acceptable or satisfactory, though not excellent
hall
THE, Leadenhall Market, among folk who get their livings there, in the same way as "The Garden" refers to Covent Garden.
Hall Mark
The official mark stamped on gold and silver articles after they have been assayed, so called because the assaying or testing and the stamping was done at the Goldsmiths'
Hall Sunday
The Sunday preceding Shrove Tuesday; the next day is called Hall Monday or Hall Night. Shrove Tuesday is also called Pancake Day, and the day preceding it, Callop Monday, from the special foods popularly prepared for those days. All three were days of merrymaking. Hafl is a contraction of Hallow, meaning holy or festal.
Hallelujah Lass
A name given to female members of the Salvation Army in the early days of that movement.
Hallelujah Victory
A victory said to have been gained by some newly baptized Britons over the Picts and Scots near Mold, Flintshire in 429. They were led by Germanus, Bishop of Auxerre, and commenced the battle with loud shouts of "Hallelujah!
halliwell’s
Archaic Dictionary, 2 vols. 8vo. 1855.
hallmark moment
A moment that is quintessentially sentimental or emotionally significant
hall’s
(B.H.) Collection of College Words and Customs, 12mo. Cambridge (U.S.), 1856.
Ham Actor
A bad actor, especially one who over-acts or performs his part in a stiff and stilted fashion. The origin of the term is uncertain; it may arise from the delusion such bad actors often entertain that they can perform that most difficult of parts — Hamlet.
ham and eggs
A fixed-order word pair (irreversible binomial); full definition pending editorial review.
ham it up
To overact or exaggerate for comedic effect
ham sandwich
A vulva.
hamlet
A high constable. Cant.
hammer and nail
a perfect solution for a problem
hammer and sickle
A fixed-order word pair (irreversible binomial); full definition pending editorial review.
Hammer and Sickle
Since 1923, the em- blems of the U.S.S.R., symbolic of productive work in the factory and on the land.
hammer and tongs
A fixed-order word pair (irreversible binomial); full definition pending editorial review.
hammer away
to work or try hard at something over a long period
hammer home
to emphasize or repeat something to make it very clear
Hamnet and Judith
Hamnet died at the age of 11 ; Judith married Thomas Quiney, had three sons, all of whom died young acid unmarried, and died in 1662. Susanna married John Hall and died in 1649, leaving only one child, Elizabeth, the last descendant of the dramatist. She married twice, but had no children; and died as Lady Bernard, wife of Sir John Bernard, of Abmgton Manor, North- ampton, in 1670.
Hampstead Heath
teeth.
Hampton Court Conference
A conference held at Hampton Court in January, 1604, to settle the disputes between the Church party and the
hamster wheel
A situation where someone is working hard but getting nowhere
hamstered
Drunk.
hand
A sailor. We lost a hand; we lost a sailor. Bear a hand; make haste. Hand to fist; opposite: the same as tete-a-tete, or cheek by joul.
hand
A workman or helper, a person. "A cool HAND," explained by Sir Thomas Overbury to be "one who accounts bashfulness the wickedest thing in the world, and therefore studies impudence."
hand and blister
A fixed-order word pair (irreversible binomial); full definition pending editorial review.
hand and foot
completely or utterly
hand and pocket shop
An eating house, where ready money is paid for what is called for.
hand basket portion
A woman whose husband receives frequent presents from her father, or family, is said to have a hand-basket portion.
hand down
pass something to a younger generation