[have] or [hold the whip over] {v. phr.} To control; dominate. •/Eugene has always held the whip over his younger brothers and sisters./
[have in mind]{v. phr.} To plan; intend; select. •/We don’t know whom our boss has in mind for the new position./
[have in one’s hair] See: IN ONE’S HAIR.
[have in the palm of one’s hand]{v. phr.} To completely control; have a project finished, all wrapped up. •/Our boss felt that if he could calm his critics he would soon have the entire factory in the palm of his hand./
[have it]{v. phr.} 1. To hear or get news; understand. •/I have it on the best authority that we will be paid for our work next week./ 2. To do something in a certain way. •/Make up your mind, because you can’t have it both ways. You must either stay home or come with us./ •/Bobby must have it his way and play the game by his rules./ 3. To claim; say. •/Rumor has it that the school burned down./ •/Gossip has it that Mary is getting married./ •/The man is very smart the way his family has it, but I think he’s silly./ 4. To allow it. — Usually used with "will" or "would" in negative sentences. •/Mary wanted to give the party at her house, but her mother wouldn’t have it./ Syn.: HEAR OF, STAND FOR. 5. To win. •/When the senators vote, the ayes will have it./ 6. To get or find the answer; think of how to do something. •/"I have it!" said John to Mary. "We can buy Mother a nice comb for her birthday."/ 7. {informal} To have an (easy, good, rough, soft) time; have (certain kinds of) things happen to you; be treated in a (certain) way by luck or life. •/Everyone liked Joe and he had it good until he got sick./ •/Mary has it easy; she doesn’t have to work./ 8. See: AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT.
[have it all over] See: HAVE IT OVER.
[have it coming]{v. phr.} To deserve the good or bad things that happen to you. •/I feel sorry about Jack’s failing that course, but he had it coming to him./ •/Everybody said that Eve had it coming when she won the scholarship./ Compare: ASK FOR, GET WHAT’S COMING TO ONE, SERVE RIGHT.
[have it in for]{v. phr.}, {informal} To wish or mean to harm; have a bitter feeling against. •/George has it in for Bob because Bob told the teacher that George cheated in the examination./ •/After John beat Ted in a fight, Ted always had it in for John./
[have it made]{v. phr.}, {slang} To be sure of success; have everything you need. •/With her fine grades Alice has it made and can enter any college in the country./ •/The other seniors think Joe has it made because his father owns a big factory./
[have it out]{v. phr.} To settle a difference by a free discussion or by a fight. •/Joe called Bob a bad name, so they went back of the school and had it out. Joe got a bloody nose and Bob got a black eye./ •/The former friends finally decided to have it out in a free argument and they became friends again./
[have it over] or [have it all over] {v. phr.} To be better than; be superior to. •/Anne has it all over Jane in looks and charm./ •/A professional golfer usually has it all over an amateur./ •/A jeep has it over a regular car on rough mountain trails./ Compare: BEAT ALL HOLLOW.
[have kittens]{v. phr.}, {slang} To become very much worried or upset. •/Mrs. Jones was having kittens because if was very late and Susan wasn’t home yet./ Compare: HAVE A FIT.
[have lots (everything) going for one]{v. phr.} To have abilities or qualities that help in achieving one’s goal; assets working in one’s favor. •/The young woman will surely get the job; she has everything going for her./
[have money to burn] See: MONEY TO BURN.
[have no business]{v. phr.} To have no right or reason. •/Jack had no business saying those nasty things about Dick./ •/Vern’s mother told him he had no business going swimming that day./
[have none of]{v. phr.} To refuse to approve or allow. •/The teacher said she would have none of Mike’s arguing./ •/When the fullback refused to obey the captain, the captain said he would have none of that./
[have nothing on] or [not have anything on] {v. phr.} Not to be any better than; to have no advantage over. •/Susan is a wonderful athlete, but when it comes to dancing she has nothing on Mary./ •/Even though he is older, John has nothing on Peter in school./ •/Although the Smiths have a Rolls Royce, they have nothing on the Jones' who have a Cadillac and a Jaguar./ 2. To have no information or proof that someone broke the law. •/Mr. James was not worried when he was arrested because he was sure they had nothing on him./ •/Mr. Brown was an honest politician and they had nothing on him./
[have nothing to do with]{v. phr.} To not be involved with; not care about. •/Our firm has nothing to do with oil from the Near East; we are interested in solar energy./
[have no use for] See: NO USE.
[have on]{v.} 1. To be dressed in; wear. •/Mary had on her new dress./ 2. To have (something) planned; have an appointment; plan to do. •/Harry has a big weekend on./ •/I’m sorry I can’t attend your party, but I have a meeting on for that night./ 3. See: HAVE NOTHING ON, HAVE SOMETHING ON.
[have one’s ass in a sling]{v. phr.}, {slang}, {vulgar}, {avoidable} To be in an uncomfortable predicament; to be in the dog-house; to be at a disadvantage. •/Al sure had his ass in a sling when the boss found out about his juggling the account./
[have one’s cake and eat it too]{v. phr.} To enjoy two opposite advantages. •/You can either spend your money going to Europe or save it for a down payment on a house, but you can’t do both. That would be having your cake and eating it, too./
[have one’s ear]{v. phr.} To have access to someone in power; receive audiences rather frequently. •/The national security advisor has the president’s ear./
[have one’s ears on]{v. phr.}, {slang}, {citizen’s band radio jargon} To have one’s CB radio in receiving condition. •/Good buddy in the eighteen wheeler southbound, got your ears on?/
[have oneself]{v. phr.}, {nonstandard} To enjoy. — Sometimes used in very informal speech to provide emphasis. •/As soon as their parents left, the boys had themselves some fun./ •/After working hard all day, John had himself a good night’s sleep./
[have one’s feet planted firmly in the ground] See: FEET ON THE GROUND.
[have one’s fill]{v. phr.} To be satisfied; be surfeited; be overindulged. •/Howard says he’s had his fill of expensive golf tournaments in Europe./
[have one’s fling]{v. phr.} To have one or more romantic and/or sexual experiences, usually before marriage. •/Jack has had his fling and now seems to be ready to get married and settle down./
[have one’s hand in the till] See: ROB THE TILL.
[have one’s hands full]{v. phr.} To have as much work as you can do; be very busy. •/The plumber said that he had his hands full and could not take another job for two weeks./ •/With three small children to take care of, Susie’s mother has her hands full./
[have one’s hands tied] See: TIED ONE’S HANDS.
[have one’s head in the sand] See: HIDE ONE’S HEAD IN THE SAND.
[have one’s head screwed on backwards]{v. phr.} To lack common sense; behave in strange and irrational ways. •/Henry seems to have his head screwed on backwards; he thinks the best time to get a suntan is when it is raining and to sleep with his shoes on./
[have one’s heart in the right place] See: HEART IS IN THE RIGHT PLACE.
[have one’s hide]{v. phr.}, {informal} To punish severely. •/John’s mother said she would have his hide if he was late to school again./
[have one’s nose to the grindstone] See: KEEP ONE’S NOSE TO THE GRINDSTONE.
[have one’s number] See: GET ONE’S NUMBER.
[have one’s wings clipped] See: CLIP ONE’S WING.
[have one’s wits about one]{v. phr.} To be alert; remain calm; not panic. •/Sam was the only one who kept his wits about him when the floodwaters of the Mississippi broke into our yard./
[have one’s work cut out] See: CUT OUT(1).
[have on the ball] See: ON THE BALL.
[have qualms about]{v. phr.} To feel uneasy about; hesitate about something. •/Mike had no qualms in telling Sue that he was no longer in love with her./
[have rocks in one’s head]{v. phr.}, {informal} To be stupid; not have good judgment. •/When Mr. James quit his good job with the coal company to begin teaching school, some people thought he had rocks in his head./
[have second thoughts about] See: SECOND THOUGHT(s).
[have seen better days] See: SEE BETTER DAYS.
[have someone by the balls]{v. phr.}, {slang}, {vulgar}, {avoidable} To have someone at a disadvantage or in one’s power. •/The kidnappers had the company by the balls for six long weeks./
[have something going for one]{v. phr.}, {slang}, {informal} To have ability, talent; good looks, and/or influence in important places helping one to be successful. •/Well now, Pat Jones, that’s another story — she’s got something going for her./
[have something on]{v. phr.}, {informal} To have information or proof that someone did something wrong. •/Mr. Jones didn’t want to run for office because he knew the opponents had something on him./ •/Mr. Smith keeps paying blackmail to a man who has something on him./ •/Although Miss Brown is not a good worker, her boss does not fire her because she has something on him./ Compare: GET THE GOODS ON. Contrast: HAVE NOTHING ON.
[have something on the ball]{v. phr.}, {slang}, {colloquial} To be smart, clever; to be skilled and have the necessary know-how. •/You can trust Syd; he’s got a lot on the ball OR he’s got something on the ball./
[have sticky fingers] See: STICKY FINGERS.
[have or take a shot at] See: HAVE GO AT.
[have the best of] or [have the better of] See: GET THE BETTER OF(2).
[have the better of] or [have the best of] See: GET THE BETTER OF.
[have the cart before the horse] See: CART BEFORE THE HORSE.
[have the constitution of an ox]{v. phr.} To be able to work extremely hard and to have the stamina to overcome misfortune. •/Stan, who has lost both of his parents within one year and is constantly working late, seems to be indestructible, as if he had the constitution of an ox./
[have the courage of one’s convictions]{v. phr.} To be brave enough to act according to your beliefs. •/Steve showed that he had the courage of his convictions by refusing to help another student cheat in the exam./ •/Owen knew that Pete had started the fight, but he was afraid to say so; he did not have the courage of his convictions./
[have the goods on] See: GET THE GOODS ON.
[have the guts to do something]{v. phr.}, {informal} To be brave enough to do something difficult or dangerous. •/Jack wants to marry Jilt, but he doesn’t have the guts to pop the question./
[have the jump on] See: GET THE JUMP ON.
[have the last laugh] or [get the last laugh] {v. phr.} To make someone seem foolish for having laughed at you. •/Other schools laughed at us when our little team entered the state championship, but we had the last laugh when we won it./ Compare: HE LAUGHS BEST WHO LAUGHS LAST, TURN THE TABLES.
[have the laugh on]{v. phr.} To emerge as the victor. •/We were trying to fool Paul by setting him up with a blind date who was reportedly unattractive, but he had the laugh on us when this girl turned out to be beautiful./
[have the lead]{v. phr.} To occupy the most prominent part in something. •/Maria has the lead in our school play./
