[hob] See: PLAY THE DEVIL WITH or PLAY HOB WITH.
[hoe] See: HARD ROW TO HOE or TOUGH ROW TO HOE.
[hoe one's own row] <v. phr.> To make your way in life by your own efforts; get along without help. * /David's father died when he was little, and he has always had to hoe his own row./ Syn.: PADDLE ONE'S OWN CANOE, STAND ON ONE'S OWN FEET.
[hog] See: EAT (LIVE) HIGH ON THE HOG or EAT (LIVE) HIGH OFF THE HOG, GO THE WHOLE HOG or GO WHOLE HOG, ROAD HOG.
[hog-tie] <v.>, <informal> 1. To tie (an animal) so it is unable to move or escape. * /The Cowboy caught a calf and hog-tied it./ 2. To make someone unable to act freely; limit. * /The welfare worker wanted to help at once, but rules and regulations hog-tied her, so she could only report the case./
[hoist with one's own petard] <adj. phr.> Caught in your own trap or trick. * /Jack carried office gossip to the boss until he was hoisted by his own petard./ (From Shakespeare; literally, blown up with one's own bomb.)
[hold] See: GET HOLD OF, LAY HOLD OF, LEAVE HOLDING THE BAG or LEAVE HOLDING THE SACK.
[hold a brief for] <v. phr.> To argue in support of; defend. Usually used with a negative. * /I hold no brief for John, but I do not think he was responsible for the accident./ * /The lawyer said he held no brief for thievery, but he considered the man should he given another chance./
[hold a candle to] also [hold a stick to] <v. phr.> To be fit to be compared with; be in the same class with. - A trite phrase used in negative, interrogative, and conditional sentences. * /Henry thought that no modern ball club could hold a candle to those of 50 years ago./
[hold all the trumps] <v. phr.> To have the best chance of winning; have all the advantages; have full control. * /Most of the team wants John for captain and he is the best player. He will he elected captain because he holds all the trumps./ * /Freddy has a quarter and I have no money, so he holds all the trumps and can buy whatever he wants with it./
[hold back] <v.> 1. To stay back or away; show unwillingness. * /The visitor tried to gel the child to come to her, but he held back./ * /John held back from social activity because he felt embarrassed with people./ 2. To keep someone in place; prevent from acting. * /The police held back the crowd./
[hold court] <v. phr.> 1. To hold a formal meeting of a royal court or a court of law. * /Judge Stephens allowed no foolishness when he held court./ 2. <informal> To act like a king or queen among subjects. * /Even at sixteen, Judy was holding court for numbers of charmed boys./
[hold down] <v.> 1. To keep in obedience; keep control of; continue authority or rule over. * /Kings used to know very well how to hold down the people./ 2. <informal> To work satisfactorily at. * /John had held down a tough job for a long time./
[hold everything] See: HOLD IT.
[hold fire] See: HOLD ONE'S FIRE.
[hold forth] <v.> 1. To offer; propose. * /As a candidate, Jones held forth the promise of a bright future./ 2. To speak in public; preach. - Usually used with little respect. * /Senator Smith was holding forth on free trade./
[hold good] <v.> 1. To continue to be good; last. * /The coupon on the cereal box offered a free toy, but the offer held good only till the end of the year./ * /Attendance at the basketball games held good all winter./ 2. To continue; endure: last. * /The demand for new houses held good all that year./ * /The agreement between the schools held good for three years./ See: HOLD TRUE.
[hold it] or [hold everything] <v. phr.>, <informal> To stop something one is doing or getting ready to do. - Usually used as a command. * /The pilot was starting to take off, when the control tower ordered "Hold it!"/
[hold off] <v.> 1a. To refuse to let (someone) become friendly. * /The president's high rank and chilly manner held people off./ Compare: KEEP AT A DISTANCE. 1b. To be rather shy or unfriendly. * /Perkins was a scholarly man who held off from people./ Compare: KEEP AT A DISTANCE. 2. To keep away by fighting; oppose by force. * /The man locked himself in the house and held off the police for an hour./ 3. To wait before (doing something); postpone; delay. * /Jack held off paying for the television set until the dealer fixed it./ * /Mr. Smith held off from building while interest rates were high./
[hold on] <v.> 1. To keep holding tightly; continue to hold strongly. * /As Ted was pulling on the rope, it began to slip and Earl cried, "Hold on, Ted!"/ Syn.: HANG ON. 2. To wait and not hang up a telephone; keep a phone for later use. * /Mr. Jones asked me to hold on while he spoke to his secretary./ 3. To keep on with a business or job in spite of difficulties. * /It was hard to keep the store going during the depression, but Max held on and at last met with success./ 4. <informal> To wait a minute; stop. - Usually used as a command. * /"Hold on!" John's father said, "I want the car tonight."/
[hold one's breath] <v. phr.> 1. To stop breathing for a moment when you are excited or nervous. * /The race was so close that everyone was holding his breath at the finish./ 2. To endure great nervousness, anxiety, or excitement. * /John held his breath for days before he got word that the college he chose had accepted him./
[hold one's end up] or [hold up one's end] or [keep one's end up] or [keep up one's end] <v. phr.>, <informal> To do your share of work; do your part. * /Mary washed the dishes so fast that Ann, who was drying them, couldn't keep her end up./ * /Susan kept up her end of the conversation, but Bill did not talk very much./ * /Bob said he would lend me his bicycle if I repaired the flat tire, but he didn't keep up his end of the bargain./
[hold one's fire] or [hold fire] <v. phr.> To keep back arguments or facts; keep from telling something. * /Tow could have hurt Fred by telling what he knew, but he held his fire./ * /Mary held fire until she had enough information to convince the other club members./
[hold one's head up] <v. phr.> To show self-respect; not be ashamed; be proud. * /When Mr. Murray had paid off his debts, he felt that he could hold his head up again./
[hold one's horses] <v. phr.>, <informal> To stop; wait; be patient. - Usually used as a command. May be considered rude. * /"Hold your horses!" Mr. Jones said to David when David wanted to call the police./
[hold one's nose to the grindstone] See: KEEP ONE'S NOSE TO THE GRINDSTONE.
[hold one's own] <v. phr.> To keep your position; avoid losing ground; keep your advantage, wealth, or condition without loss. * /Mr. Smith could not build up his business, but he held his own./ * /The team held its own after the first quarter./ * /Mary had a hard time after the operation, but soon she was holding her own./
[hold one's peace] <v. phr.>, <formal> To be silent and not speak against something; be still; keep quiet. * /I did not agree with the teacher, but held my peace as he was rather angry./ Compare: HOLD ONE'S TONGUE
[hold one's temper] or [keep one's temper] <v. phr.> To make yourself be quiet and peaceful; not become angry. * /The meeting will go smoothly if the president keeps his temper./ * /Dave can't keep his temper when he drives in heavy traffic./ Contrast: LOSE ONE'S TEMPER, BLOW ONE'S STACK.
[hold one's tongue] <v. phr.> To be silent; keep still; not talk. May be considered rude. * /The teacher told Fred to hold his tongue./ * /If people would hold their tongues from unkind speech, fewer people would be hurt/
[hold on to] <v. phr.> 1a. or [hold to] To continue to hold or keep; hold tightly. * /When Jane played horse with her father, she held on to him tightly./ * /The teacher said that if we believed something was true and good we should hold on to it./ * /The old man held on to his job stubbornly and would not retire./ 1b. To stay in control of. * /Ann was so frightened that she had to hold on to herself not to scream./ Contrast: LET GO. 2. To continue to sing or sound. * /The singer held on to the last note of the song for a long time./
[hold on to your hat] See: HANG ON TO YOUR HAT.
[holdout] <n.> A rebel who refuses to go with the majority. * /Sam was a lone holdout in town; he refused to sell his old lakefront cottage to make place for a skyscraper./
[hold out] <v. phr.> 1. To put forward; reach out; extend; offer. * /Mr. Ryan held out his hand in welcome./ * /The clerk held out a dress for Martha to try on./ * /The Company held out many fine promises to Jack in order to get him to work for them./ 2. To keep resisting; not yield; refuse to give up. * /The city held out for six months under siege./ Compare: HANG ON, HOLD ON. 3. To refuse to agree or settle until one's wishes have been agreed to. * /The strikers held out for a raise of five cents an hour./ 4. <slang> To keep something from; refuse information or belongings to which someone has a right. * /Mr. Porters partner held out on him when the big payment came in./ * /Mother gave Bobby cookies for all the children in the yard, but he held out on them and ate the cookies himself./ * /John knew that the family would go to the beach Saturday, but he held out on his brother./
[hold out an olive branch] See: BURY THE HATCHET.
[holdover] <n.> 1. A successful movie or theater production that plays longer than originally planned. * /Because of its great popularity. Star Wars was a holdover in most movie theaters./ 2. A reservation not used at the lime intended, but used later. * /They kept my seat at the opera as a holdover because I am a patron./
[hold over] <v.> 1. To remain or keep in office past the end of the term. * /The city treasurer held over for six months when the new treasurer died suddenly./ * /The new President held the members of the Cabinet over for some time before appointing new members./ 2. To extend the engagement of; keep longer. * /The theater held over the feature film for another two weeks./ 3. To delay action on; to postpone: to defer. * /The directors held over their decision until they could get more information./
[hold still] <v. phr.> To remain motionless. * /"Hold still," the dentist said. "This won't hurt you at all."/
[hold the bag] <v. phr.> To be made liable for or victimized. * /We went out to dinner together but when it was time to pay I was left holding the bag./
[hold the fort] <v. phr.> 1. To defend a fort successfully; fight off attackers. * /The little group held the fort for days until help came./ 2. <informal> To keep a position against opposing forces. * /Friends of civil liberties held the fort during a long debate./ 3. <informal> to keep service or operations going * /It was Christmas Eve, and a few workers held the fort in the office./ * /Mother and Father went out and told the children to hold the fort./
[hold the line] <v. phr.> To keep a situation or trouble from getting worse; hold steady; prevent a setback or loss. * /The mayor held the line on taxes./ * /The company held the line on employment./
[hold the stage] [v. phr.] 1. To continue to be produced and to attract audiences. * /"Peter Pan" holds the stage year after year at its annual Christmas showing in London./ 2. To be active in a group; attract attention. * /We had only an hour to discuss the question and Mr. Jones held the stage for most of it./ * /Jane likes to hold the stage at any party or meeting, so she does and says anything./
[hold to] See: HOLD ON TO.
[hold true] or [hold good] <v. phr.> To remain true. * /It has always held true that man cannot live without laws./ * /Bob is a good boy and that holds true of Jim./
[holdup] <n.> 1. Robbery. * /John fell victim to a highway holdup./ 2. A delay, as on a crowded highway. * /Boy we're late! What's causing this holdup?/
[hold up] <v.> 1. To raise; lift. * /John held up his hand./ 2. To support; hear; carry. * /The chair was too weak to hold up Mrs. Smith./ 3. To show; call attention to; exhibit. * /The teacher held up excellent models of composition for her class to imitate./ 4. To check; stop; delay. * /The wreck held up traffic on the railroad's main line tracks./ 5. <informal> To rob at gunpoint. * /Masked men held up the bank./ 6. To keep one's courage or spirits up; remain calm; keep control of oneself. * /The grieving mother held up for her children's sake./ 7. To remain good; not get worse. * /Sales held up well./ * /Our team's luck held up and they won the game./ * /The weather held up and the game was played./ 8. To prove true. * /The police were doubtful at first, but Tony's story held up./ 9. To delay action; defer; postpone. Often used with "on". * /The college held up on plans for the building until more money came in./ * /The President held up on the news until he was sure of it./
[hold up one's end] See: HOLD ONE'S END UP.
[hold water] <v. phr.> 1. To keep water without leaking. * /That pail still holds water./ 2. <informal> To prove true; stand testing; bear examination. - Usually used in negative, interrogative, or conditional sentences. * /Ernest told the police a story that wouldn't hold water./
[hold your hat] See: HANG ON TO YOUR HAT.