[horns of a dilemma]{n. phr.} Two choices possible in a situation in which neither is wanted. Usually used after "on". •/Joe found himself on the horns of a dilemma; if he went to work, he’d miss seeing Mary; if he stayed out, he’d he too broke to take her anywhere./
[horror] See: THROW UP ONE’S HANDS IN HORROR.
[horse] See: BET ON THE WRONG HORSE, CART BEFORE THE HORSE, CHANGE HORSES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREAM or CHANGE HORSES IN MIDSTREAM, EAT LIKE A HORSE, HOLD ONE’S HORSES. IRON HORSE, LOCK THE BARN DOOR AFTER THE HORSE IS STOLEN, LOOK A GIFT HORSE IN THE MOUTH, OFF ONE’S HIGH HORSE, ON ONE’S HIGH HORSE, PUT ONE’S MONEY ON A SCRATCHED HORSE, STRAIGHT FROM THE HORSE’S MOUTH.
[horsefeathers!]{n. phr.}, {slang} 1. Not true; I don’t believe what you’re saying. •/"Horsefeathers!" Brad cried. "I can’t believe a word of what you said about Jessica."/ 2. Exclamation of disgust. •/"Horsefeathers!" Fred cried. "We’ve just missed the bus."/ Compare: FIDDLESTICKS, BULLSHIT.
[horselaugh]{n. phr.} A loud, sarcastic, and derisive laugh. •/When the speaker praised politics as one of the oldest and noblest professions, his audience of college students gave him a horselaugh./
[horse around]{v.}, {slang} To join in rough teasing; play around. •/They were a hunch of sailors on shore leave, horsing around where there were girls and drinks./ •/John horsed around with the dog for a while when he came in from school./
[horse of a different color] or [horse of another color] {n. phr.}, {informal} Something altogether separate and different. •/Anyone can be broke, but to steal is a horse of a different color./ •/Do you mean that the boy with that pretty girl is her brother? I thought he was her boyfriend. Well, that’s a horse of another color./
[horse opera]{n. phr.} A Western movie in which cowboys and horses play a major part. •/John Wayne played in many horse operas./
[horseplay]{n.} Rough, practical joking. •/The newlyweds couldn’t get a wink of sleep all night because there was a lot of yelling and screaming outside of their window — the usual horseplay./
[horse sense]{n.}, {informal} A good understanding about what to do in life; good judgment; wisdom in making decisions. •/Bill had never been to college, but he had plenty of horse sense./ •/Some people are well educated and read many books, but still do not have much horse sense./
[horse trade]{n.} 1. The sale of a horse or the exchange of two horses. •/It was a horse trade in which the owner of the worse animal gave a rifle to make the trade equal./ 2. {informal} A business agreement or bargain arrived at after hard and skillful discussion. •/Party leaders went around for months making horse trades to get support for their candidate./ •/The horse trade finally called for a new car for the radio station in exchange for several weeks of advertising for the car dealer./
[hot] See: BLOW HOT AND COLD, MAKE IT HOT.
[hot air]{n.}, {informal} Nonsense, exaggerated talk, wasted words characterized by emotion rather than intellectual content. •/That was just a lot of hot air what Joe said./
[hot and bothered]{adj.}, {informal} Excited and worried, displeased, or puzzled. — A hackneyed phrase. •/Fritz got all hot and bothered when he failed in the test./ •/Leona was all hot and bothered when her escort was late in coming for her./ •/Jerry was hot and bothered about his invention when he couldn’t get it to work./ •/It is a small matter; don’t get so hot and bothered./
[hot and heavy]{adv. phr.}, {informal} Strongly; vigorously; emphatically. •/Fred got it hot and heavy when his wife found out how much he had lost at cards./ •/The partners had a hot and heavy argument before deciding to enlarge their store./
[hot dog]{n. phr.}, {informal} A frankfurter or wiener in a roll. •/The boys stopped on the way home for hot dogs and coffee./
[hot dog]{interj.}, {informal} Hurrah! — A cry used to show pleasure or enthusiasm. •/"Hot dog!" Frank exclaimed when he unwrapped a birthday gift of a small record player./
[hot dog roast] See: WIENER ROAST.
[hot number]{n.}, {slang} A person or thing noticed as newer, better, or more popular than others. •/The boys and girls thought that song was a hot number./ •/The new car that Bob is driving is a real hot number./ •/John invented a new can opener that was a hot number in the stores./
[hot off the press]{adj. phr.} Just appeared in print. •/This is the latest edition of the Chicago Tribune; it’s hot off the press./
[hot one]{n.}, {slang}, {informal} Something out of the ordinary; something exceptional, such as a joke, a person whether in terms of looks or intelligence. •/Joe’s joke sure was a hot one./ •/Sue is a hot one, isn’t she?/
[hot potato]{n.}, {informal} A question that causes strong argument and is difficult to settle. •/Many school boards found segregation a hot potato in the 1960s./
[hot rod]{n.}, {informal} An older automobile changed so that it can gain speed quickly and go very fast. •/Hot rods are used by young people especially in drag racing./
[hot seat]{n.}, {slang} 1. The electric chair used to cause death by electrocution in legal executions. •/Many a man has controlled a murderous rage when he thought of the hot seat./ 2. {informal} A position in which you can easily get into trouble. •/A judge in a beauty contest is on the hot seat. If he chooses one girl, the other girls will be angry with him./
[hot stuff]{n.}, {slang}, {citizen’s band radio jargon} Coffee. •/Let’s stop and get some hot stuff./
[hot under the collar]{adj. phr.}, {informal} Angry. •/Mary gets hot under the collar if you joke about women drivers./ •/Tom got hot under the collar when his teacher punished him./
[hot water]{n.}{informal} Trouble. — Used with "in", "into", "out", "of". •/John’s thoughtless remark about religion got John into a lot of hot water./ •/It was the kind of trouble where it takes a friend to get you out of hot water./
[hound] See: ROCK HOUND, RUN WITH THE HARE AND HUNT (RIDE) WFTH THE HOUNDS.
[hour] See: AFTER HOURS, ALL HOURS, COFFEE HOUR, ON THE HOUR, ZERO HOUR.
[house] See: BOARDING HOUSE REACH, BRING DOWN THE HOUSE, PUN HOUSE, HASH HOUSE, KEEP HOUSE, ON THE HOUSE, PARISH HOUSE, PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN GLASS HOUSES SHOULD NOT THROW STONES, PLAGUE ON BOTH YOUR HOUSES or PLAGUE O' BOTH YOUR HOUSES, PUT ONE’S HOUSE IN ORDER or SET ONE’S HOUSE TN ORDER.
[housebroken]{adj.} Trained to go outside to relieve themselves (said of domestic pets, primarily dogs). •/All young puppies must eventually be housebroken./
[house detective]{n.} A detective employed by a hotel, store, or other business to watch for any trouble. •/The one-armed man sweeping the bank floor was really the house detective./
[house of cards]{n. phr.} Something badly put together and easily knocked down; a poorly founded plan, hope, or action. •/John’s business fell apart like a house of cards./
[house of ill fame] or [of ill repute] {n. phr.} A bordello; a brothel. •/At the edge of town there is a house of ill repute run by a Madame who used to be a singer in a bar./
[housetop] See: SHOUT FROM THE HOUSETOPS or SHOUT FROM THE ROOFTOPS.
[hover over]{v. phr.} 1. To remain close or above. •/The rescue helicopter was carefully hovering above the stranded rock climbers./ 2. To watch over; supervise. •/"Mother!" Phillip cried, "if you don’t stop hovering over me, I’ll go bananas!"/
[how] See: AND HOW!
[how about] or [what about] {interrog.} — Used to ask for a decision, action, opinion, or explanation. 1. Will you have or agree on? •/How about another piece of pie?/ •/What about a game of tennis?/ •/How about going to the dance with me Saturday?/ 2. Will you lend or give me? •/How about five dollars until Friday?/ •/What about a little help with these dishes?/ 3. What is to be done about? •/What about the windows? Shall we close them before we go?/ 4. How do you feel about? What do you think about? What is to be thought or said? •/What about women in politics?/ •/How about this button on the front of the typewriter?/
[how about that] or [what about that] {informal} An expression of surprise, congratulation, or praise. •/When Jack heard of his brother’s promotion, he exclaimed, "How about that!"/ •/Bill won the scholarship! What about that!/
[how come]{informal} also {nonstandard} [how’s come] {interrog.} How does it happen that? Why? •/How come you are late?/ •/You’re wearing your best clothes today. How come?/ Compare: WHAT FOR.
[how do you do]{formal} How are you? — Usually as a reply to an introduction; it is in the form of a question but no answer is expected. •/"Mary, I want you to meet my friend Fred. Fred, this is my wife, Mary." "How do you do, Mary?" "How do you do, Fred?"/
[how goes it?]{v. phr.}, {interrog.} How are you and your affairs in general progressing? •/Jim asked Bill, "how goes it with the new wife and the new apartment?"/
[howling success]{n.}, {informal} A great success; something that is much praised; something that causes wide enthusiasm. •/The party was a howling success./ •/The book was a howling success./
[how’s come] See: HOW COME.
[how so]{interrog.} How is that so? Why is it so? How? Why? •/I said the party was a failure and she asked. "How so?"/ •/He said his brother was not a good dancer and I asked him, "How so? "/
[how’s that]{informal} What did you say? Will you please repeat that? •/"I’ve just been up in a balloon for a day and a half." "How’s that?"/ •/"The courthouse is on fire." "How’s that again?"/
[how the land lies] See: LAY OF THE LAND.
[how the wind blows] See: WAY THE WIND BLOWS.
[huddle] See: GO INTO A HUDDLE.
[hue and cry]{n.} 1. An alarm and chase after a supposed wrongdoer; a pursuit usually by shouting men. •/"Stop, thief," cried John as he ran. Others joined him, and soon there was a hue and cry./ 2. An excited mass protest, alarm, or outcry of any kind. •/The explosion was so terrible that people at a distance raised a great hue and cry about an earthquake./
[hug the road]{v. phr.} To stay firmly on the road; ride smoothly without swinging. •/A heavy car with a low center of gravity will hug the road./ •/At high speeds a car will not hug the road well./
[huh-uh] or [hum-um] or [uh-uh] {adv.}, {informal} No. — Used only in speech or to record dialogue. •/Did Mary come? Huh-uh./ •/Is it raining out? Uh-uh./ Contrast: UH-UH.
[humble] See: EAT HUMBLE PIE.
[hump] See: OVER THE HUMP.
[hundred] See: BY THE DOZEN or BY THE HUNDRED or BY THE THOUSAND.
[hunky-dory]{adj.} OK; satisfactory; fine. •/The landlord asked about our new apartment and we told him that so far everything was hunky-dory./
[hunt] See: RUN WITH THE HARE AND HUNT (RIDE) WITH THE HOUNDS.
[hunt and peck]{n. phr.}, {informal} Picking out typewriter keys by sight, usually with one or two fingers; not memorizing the keys. •/Many newspaper reporters do their typing by hunt and peck./ — Often used, with hyphens, as an adjective. •/Mr. Barr taught himself to type, and he uses the hunt-and-peck system./
