Idiom Category: Body and bodily functions, Page 4

Get on your nerves

If something gets on your nerves, it annoys or irritates you.

Get the nod

(UK) If you get the nod to something, you get approval or permission to do it.

Get your feet wet

If you get your feet wet, you gain your first experience of something.

Get your hands dirty

If you get your hands dirty, you become involved in something where the realities might compromise your principles. It can also mean that a person is not just stuck in an ivory tower dictating strategy, but is prepared to put in the effort and hard work to make the details actually happen.

Get your head around something

If you get your head around something, you come to understand it even though it is difficult to comprehend.

Get your teeth into

If you get your teeth into something, you become involved in or do something that is intellectually challenging or satisfying.  ('Dig you teeth into' and 'sink your teeth into' are also used.)

Gird one's loins

If you gird your loins, you prepare for conflict or a difficult time.

Give a big hand

Applaud by clapping hands. 'Let's give all the contestents a big hand.'

Give me a hand

If someone gives you a hand, they help you.

Give someone a leg up

If you give someone a leg up, you help them to achieve something that they couldn't have done alone.

Give the nod

(UK) If you give the nod to something, you approve it or give permission to do it.

Give your eye teeth

If you really want something and would be prepared to sacrifice a lot to get it, you would give your eye teeth for it.

Go for the jugular

If you go for the jugular, you attack someone where they are most vulnerable.

Go hand in hand

If things go hand in hand, they are associated and go together.

Go to your head

If something goes to your head, it makes you feel vain.  If alcohol goes to your head, it makes you feel drunk quickly.

Good hand

If you are a good hand at something, you do it well.

Grease someone's palm

If you grease someone's palm, you bribe them to do something.

Great minds think alike

If two people have the same thought at the same time, one of them might say "Great minds think alike."

Growing pains

If a business is going through some growing pains, it is experiencing the typical problems that arise when a company becomes stronger and bigger.

Hair on fire

If something sets your hair on fire, it excites you or catches your attention urgently.

Hairy at the heel

(UK) Someone who is hairy at the heel is dangerous or untrustworthy.

Hale and hearty

Someone who is hale and hearty is in very good health.

Half a mind

If you have half a mind to do something, you haven't decided to do it, but are thinking seriously about doing it.

Hand in hand

Hand in hand= work together closely When people in a group, say in an office or in a project, work together with mutual understanding to achieve the target, we say they work hand in hand. There is no lack of co-operation and each synchoranises the activity with that of the other.

Hand to mouth

Someone who's living from hand to mouth, is very poor and needs the little money they have coming in to cover their expenses.

Hands down

If someone is better hands down than everyone else, they are much better.

Handwriting like chicken scratch

If your handwriting is very hard to read, it is like chicken scratch.

Hate someone's guts

If you hate someone's guts, you really hate them, hate everything about them.

Have a foot in both camps

Someone who plays a part or who is involved in two different groups of people, opinions, ways of thinking or living, etc, has a foot in both camps.

Have a heart

If someone has a heart, they arekind and sympathetic.  If you say, 'Have a heart' to someone, you are asking them to be understanding and sympathetic.

Have the guts

Someone who has enough courage to do something has the guts to do it.

Have your tail up

If someone has their tail up, they are optimistic and expect to be successful.

Head is mince

(Scot) When someone's thoughts are in a state of abject confusion, especially when facing a severe dilemma, their head is mince.

Head nor tail

If you can't make head nor tail of something, you cannot understand it at all or make any sense of it.

Head on a spike

If someone wants a head on a spike, they want to be able to destroy or really punish a person.

Head on the block

If someone's head is on the block, they are going to be held responsible and suffer the consequences for something that has gone wrong.

Head over heels in love

When someone falls passionately in love and is intoxicated by the feeling has fallen head over heels in love.

Heads will roll

If heads will roll, people will be punished or sacked for something that has gone wrong.

Heart in the right place

If someone's heart is in the right place, they are good and kind, though they might not always appear to be so.

Heart in your boots

If you're heart is in your boots, you are very unhappy.

Heart in your mouth

If your heart is in your mouth, then you feel nervous or scared.

Heart isn't in it

If your heart is not in something, then you don't really believe in it or support it.

Heart misses a beat

If your heart misses a beat, you are suddenly shocked or surprised. ('Heart skips a beat' is an alternative)

Heart of glass

When someone has a heart of glass, they are easily affected emotionally.

Heart of steel

When someone has a heart of steel, they do not show emotion or are not affected emotionally.

Heart-to-heart

A heart-to-heart is a frank and honest conversation with someone, where you talk honestly and plainly about issues, no matter how painful.

Hide nor hair

When there's no trace of something or a person, you haven't seen hide nor hair of it or them.('Neither hide nor hair' is also used.)

Hit a nerve

If something hits a nerve, it upsets someone or causes them pain, often when it is something they are trying to hide.

Hold your hands up

(UK) If you hold your hands up, you accept responsibility for something you have done wrong.

Hold your tongue

If you hold your tongue, you keep silent even though you want to speak.

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