hang tight
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
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hang together
remain united and supportive
hang tough
to remain strong and determined despite difficulties
hang up
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
hang up
To rob with violence, to garrotte. Most likely from throttling associations in connexion with the practice of garrotting.
hang up one's boots
to retire from a job or activity
hang up one's fiddle
to give up or retire from a profession or activity
hang up one's hat
to retire or stop working
hang upon
to depend or rely on something
hang with
To spend time with; to hang out with; to socialize with.
hangar queen
An aircraft that is frequently in repair or maintenance
hangdog look
A guilty, shame-faced look. Hanging Gardens of Babylon. A square garden (according to Diodorus Siculus), 400 ft. each way, rising in a series of terraces from the river in the northern part of Babylon, and pro- vided with earth to a sufficient ^ depth to accommodate trees of a great size.
hanging
In difficulties. A man who is in great straits, and who is, therefore, prepared to do anything desperate to retrieve his fortunes, is said, among sporting men, to be "a man HANGING," i.e., a man to whom any change must be for the better.
hanging offence
an offence or mistake so serious it warrants severe punishment
hank
He has a hank on him; i.e. an ascendancy over him, or a hold upon him. A Smithfield hank; an ox, rendered furious by overdriving and barbarous treatment. See BULL HANK.
hanker
To hanker after any thing; to have a longing after or for it.
Hankey Pankey
Jugglery, fraud. The word is probably a variation of Hocus Pocus.
hannah
"that’s the man as married HANNAH," a Salopian phrase to express a matter begun or ended satisfactorily. Meaning actually, "that’s the thing."
hans in kelder
Jack in the cellar, i.e. the child in the womb: a health frequently drank to breeding women or their husbands.
Hanse Towns
The maritime cities of Germany, which belonged to the Hanseatic League (q.v.).
Hanseatic League
The confeder- acy, first established in 1239, between certain cities of Northern Germany for their mutual prosperity and protection. The diet which used to be held every three years was called the Hansa (Old High German for Association), and the members of it Hansards.
hansel
Or HANDSEL, the lucky money, or first money taken in the morning by a pedlar.—Cocker’s Dictionary, 1724. "Legs of mutton (street term for sheep’s trotters, or feet) two for a penny; who’ll give me a HANSEL? who’ll give me a HANSEL?" Hence, earnest money, first-fruits, &c. In Norfolk, HANSELLING a thing is using it for the first time, as wearing a new coat, taking seisin of it, as it were. Danish, HANDSEL; Anglo-Saxon, HANDSELEN.
Hansel and Gretel
People who leave a trail to find their way back
Hanway Yard
It is said to have been painted by Hogarth, and shows a man carrying a woman and a lot of other impedimenta on his back.
happen along
to arrive or occur by chance
happen to somebody
Experience something, often unexpectedly
happily ever after
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
happy as a pig in mud
Completely happy and content
happy as a pig in shit
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
happy as a sandboy
Very happy.
happy chappy
A cheerful and contented person
happy family
The name given in travelling menageries to a collection of all sorts of animals of different and antagonistic habits living together peaceably. It is now more generally associated with a children's card game.
happy hour
Flowers.
happy landings
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
happy man be his dole
May his share or lot be that of a happy or fortunate man. Your father and my uncle have made motions* if it be my luck, so ; if not, happy man be his dole ! — Merry Wives, iii, 4.
happy medium
A balance between two extremes
happy panda
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
happy place
A state of mind or location that brings joy and comfort
happy with somebody
satisfied or content with someone
happy-go-lucky
Careless, indifferent as to the favours or reverses of fortune.
haramzadeh
A very general Indian term of contempt, signifying base-born.—Anglo-Indian.
hard
Crack cocaine.
hard
Stale beer, nearly sour, is said to be hard. Hard also means severe: as, hard fate, a hard master.
hard and fast
Strictly adhered to, without flexibility
hard as iron
very hard
hard as nails
Stern, hard-hearted, unsympa- thetic; able to stand hard blows like nails. The phrase is used with both a physical and a figurative sense; a man in perfect training is "as hard as nails," and bigotry, straitlacedness, rigid puritanical phansaism, make people "hard as nails.
hard at work
Busy and actively engaged in a task
hard by
Near. Hard here means close, pressed close together; hence firm or solid, in close proximity to.
hard cases make bad law
Unusual situations can lead to poor legal precedents
hard cash
Money; especially actual money — as opposed to cheques or promises — "down on the nail"; formerly coin as distinguished from bank-notes.
hard cheese
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
hard done by
Unfairly treated or disadvantaged
hard feelings
Resentment or anger towards someone
hard hit
Seriously damaged by monetary losses; as "He was hard hit in the slump after the war"; also, badly smitten with love.
hard labour
Enforced labour added to the punishment of criminals receiving a sentence of six months or over. It used to consist largely of working the treadmill, stone-breaking, oakum picking, etc.
hard lines
Hard terms; "rather rough treatment"; exacting. Lines here means "one's lot in life," as, "The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage" (Ps. xvi, 6), i.e. my lot is excellent.
hard mouthed un
Any one difficult to deal with, a sharp bargainer, an obstinate person. Derivation obvious.
hard nut to crack
A difficult problem or person to deal with
hard of hearing
having difficulty hearing
hard on the eyes
Unpleasant or difficult to look at
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