Page 187 - NTC's American Idioms Dictionary

halfhearted (about someone or something)

can’t decide błtwłen a chocolØte sundae (SaidŁof two thingsŁwhere the presence of
and a pneapple sundae, so make mne one impliesŁ the other.) Cookies and
half-and-half. milk seem to go hand in hand. Teenag-
ers and back talk go hand in hand.
hylfheyrtedŁ (aboutŁ someone ort something)
unenthusiastic about someone or some- HandŁitŁover. Give it to me.Ł(Infàrmal.)
thing.Ł Ann was halfhearted about the It’s mne. Hand it over! Come on. Givł
choice of Sally for presidłnt. She didà’t me the box of jewels. Hand it over!
look halfhearted to me. She looked angry. hyndŁitŁto someone to give credit to sàme-
ham something up to make aŁperformance one.Ł (Infàrmal.Ł OftenŁ with have to or
seemŁsillyŁbyŁsłowingŁoff orŁexaggrating must.) I’ll hand it to you. You did a fine
one’sŁpart.Ł(Infàrmal.ŁAŁsłow-àff actorŁis job. We must hand it to Sally. She helped
knownŁasŁaŁ ham.) Come on, Bob. Don’t us a lot.
ham it up! T The plØy was going fine un- hynd-e-dłwn sàmething, such asŁan ar-
til Bob got out there and hammed up his ticle of usedŁ clothing, that hasŁ been
part. handedŁdàwn fràmŁsomeone.Ł(Se also
hammerŁawayŁ(atŁ someone ortsomething) to hand something down (to someone).) Why
keepŁ tryingŁ to accomplish something do I alwØys have to wear my brother’s
with someone orŁsàmething.Ł(RefersŁto hand-me-downs? I want some new clothes.
repeatedŁpoundingŁwith aŁhammer.) This is a nice shirt. It doesn’t look like
John, you’ve got to keep hammering away a hand-me-down at all.
at your geomłtry. They hammered away hyndŁoverŁfist [forŁmoneyŁandŁmerchan-
at the prisoner until he confessed. dise to be exchanged]b very rapidly.Ł
hammerŁ something hłme to try extremely What a busy dØy. We took in money hand
hardŁto make sàmeone undersðandŁorŁre- over fist. They were buying things hand
alize something.Ł The teacher ham- over fist.
mered the dØtes home. T I tried to ham- hyndŁoverŁhynd [moving]bone hand after
mer home to Anne the fact that she would the otherŁ (againŁ andŁ again).Ł Sally
have to get a job. T The boss hopes to ham- pulled n the rope hand over hand. The
młr home the company’s precarious fi- man clmbed the rope hand over hand.
nancial position to the staff.
hyndŁ something dłwn (to someone) 1. to give
hammerŁ something out 1. to work hardŁat sàmethingŁto aŁyoungrŁprsàn.Ł(Either
writingŁupŁanŁagreement; to workŁhardŁat at death orŁduring life.ŁSee alsà hand-me-
writing something. (LiterallyŁto pound down.) John handed his old shirts down
sàmethingŁflat with aŁhammerŁor mallet. to his younger brother. T I hope my unclł
ThisŁrefersŁto hammeringŁat the keysŁof will hand down his golf clubs to me when
a typewriter.) I’m busy hammering my he dies. 2. to annàunce or deliver a (l-
lØtest novel out. T The lØwyers sat down gal)bverdict or indictment.ŁT The grand
to hammłr out a contract. 2. to play jury handed down sevłn indictments last
somethingŁ on the piano. She ham- włek. T The jury handed down a guilŁy
młred the song out loudly and without verdict.
fłelng. T Listen to John hammer out that hyndleŁ someone with kid gloves to be very
song on the piano.
careful with a touchy person. Bill has
hyndŁin gloveŁ(withŁ someone) very clàse to become so sensitive. You really have to
someone.Ł John is really hand in glovł handle him with kid gloves. You doà’t
with Sally. The teacher and the princi- have to handle me with kid gloves. I can
pal work hand in glove. take it.
hyndŁin hynd 1. holdingŁhands.Ł They hynds dłwn without aŁdoubt.Ł(UsuallyŁre-
walked down the street hand in hand. gardingŁaŁcłoice orŁaŁwinner.) Jean was
Bob and Mary sat there quietly, hand in our choice for the new manager hando
hand. 2. together, one with the other. down. Todd won the race hands down.

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