Словарь американских идиом: 8000 единиц - Makkai Adam - Страница 102

[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./

[have the makings of]{v. phr.} To possess the basic ingredients; have the basic qualities to do something. •/Tom is still young but he seems to have the makings of an excellent pianist./

[have the right-of-way]{v. phr.} To have priority in proceeding in traffic on a public highway while other vehicles must yield and wait. •/"Go ahead," he said. "We have the right-of-way at this intersection."/

[have the time of one’s life] See: TIME OF ONE’S LIFE.

[have the worst of] See: GET THE WORST OF.

[have to] or [have got to] {v.}, {informal} To be obliged or forced to; need to; must. •/Do you have to go now?/ •/He had to come. His parents made him./ •/I have got to go to the doctor./ •/I have to go to Church./