[have a soft spot in one's heart for] <v. phr.> To be sympathetically inclined towards; entertain a predilection for. * /Ron always had a soft spot in his heart for intellectual women wearing miniskirts./
[have a sweet tooth] <v. phr.> To be excessively fond of dessert items, such as ice cream, pies, etc. * /Jill has a sweet tooth; she always orders apple pie after a meal in a restaurant./
[have a time] <v. phr.>, <informal> 1. To have trouble; have a hard time. * /Poor Susan had a time trying to get the children to go to bed./ * /John had a time passing his math course./ 2. To have a good time; to have fun. - Used with a reflexive pronoun. * /Bob had himself a time going to every night club in town./ * /Mary had herself a time dancing at the party./ Syn.: HAVE A BALL.
[have a way with] <v. phr.> To be able to lead, persuade, or influence. * /Dave has such a way with the campers that they do everything he tells them to do./ * /Ted will be a good veterinarian, because he has a way with animals./
[have a word with] <v. phr.> 1. To talk, discuss, or speak briefly with. * /Robert, I need to have a word with you about tomorrow's exam./ 2. To engage in a sincere discussion with the purpose of persuading the other person or let him or her know of one's dissatisfaction. * /Our boss has been making funny decisions lately; I think we ought to have a word with him./
[have been around] <v. phr.>, <informal> Have been to many places and done many things; know people; have experience and be able to take care of yourself. * /Uncle Willie is an old sailor and has really been around./ * /Betty likes to go out with Jerry, because he has been around./ * /It's not easy to fool him; he's been around./ Compare: GET AROUND, KNOW ONE'S WAY AROUND.
[have dibs on] or [put dibs on] <v. phr.>, <slang> To demand a share of something or to be in line for the use of an object usable by more than one person. * /Don't throw your magazine away! I put (my) dibs on it, remember?/
[have done] <v.>, <formal> To stop; finish. * /When the teacher had done, she asked for questions from the class./ * /If you have done, I will explain the matter./
[have done with] <v.> To stop doing or using something. * /When you have done with that paintbrush, Barbara, I would like to use it. * /I wish you would have done with your criticisms./
[have eyes only for] <v. phr.> To see or want nothing else but; give all your attention to; be interested only in. * /Of all the horses in the show, John had eyes only for the big white one./ * /All the girls liked Fred, but he had eyes only for Helen./
[have fits] See: HAVE A FIT.
[have got to] <v. phr.> Must; be in great need to do something; be obliged to. * /I am sorry but we have got to leave, otherwise, we'll miss the last train./
[have had it] <v. phr.>, <slang> To have experienced or suffered all you can; to have come to the end of your patience or life. * /"I've had it," said Lou, "I'm resigning from the job of chairman right now."/ * /When the doctor examined the man who had been shot, he said, "He's had it."/
[have hair] <v. phr.>, <slang> To possess courage, fortitude, guts, sex-appeal. * /I like him, he's got a lot of hair./
[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./