[hedged in] See: FENCED IN.

[heed] See: TAKE HEED.

[heel] See: AT ONE’S HEELS, COOL ONE’S HEELS, DOWN AT-THE-HEEL orDOWN-AT-HEEL, DRAG ONE’S FEET or DRAG ONE’S HEELS, HEAD OVER HEELS, KICK UPONE’S HEELS, ON ONE’S HEELS or ON THE HEELS OF, SET BACK ON ONE’S HEELS orKNOCK BACK ON ONE’S HEELS, TAKE TO ONE’S HEELS also SHOW A CLEAN PAIR OF HEELS,TO HEEL, TURN ON ONE’S HEEL, WELL-HEELED.

[heels over head] See: HEAD OVER HEELS.

[he laughs best who laughs last] A person should go ahead with what he isdoing and not worry when others laugh at him. When he succeeds he will enjoylaughing at them for being wrong more than they enjoyed laughing at him. — Aproverb. •/Everyone laughed at Mary when she was learning to ski. She keptfalling down. Now she is the state champion. He laughs best who laughs last./Compare: CHANGE ONE’S TUNE, LAST LAUGH, LAUGH ON THE OTHER SIDE OF ONE’S MOUTH,SHOE ON THE OTHER FOOT.

[hell] See: COME HELL OR HIGH WATER, GO THROUGH HELL AND HIGH WATER,HELL-ON-WHEELS, LIKE HELL, TO HELL WITH, UNTIL HELL FREEZES OVER, WHEN HELLFREEZES OVER.

[hell and high water]{n. phr.} Troubles or difficulties of any kind.•/After John’s father died he went through hell and high water, but hemanaged to keep the family together./ Compare: COME HELL OR HIGH WATER.

[hell-on-wheels]{n.}, {slang} A short-tempered, nagging, or crabbyperson especially one who makes another unhappy by constantly criticizing himeven when he has done nothing wrong. •/Finnegan complains that his wife ishell on wheels; he is considering getting a divorce./

[help] See: CAN HELP, CAN’T HELP BUT or CANNOT BUT, SO HELP ME.

[help oneself]{v. phr.} To take what you want; take rather than ask orwail to be given. •/Help yourself to another piece of pie./ •/John helpedhimself to some candy without asking./

[help out]{v.} 1. To be helpful or useful; help sometimes or somewhat.•/Mr. Smith helps out with the milking on the farm./ •/Tom helps out inthe store after school./ 2. To help (someone) especially in a time of need;aid; assist. •/Jane is helping out Mother by minding the baby./ •/WhenJohn couldn’t add the numbers, the teacher helped him out./

[helter-skelter]{adv.} 1. At a fast speed, but in confusion. •/Thehatted ball broke Mr. Jones’s window, and the boys ran away helter-skelter./•/When the bell rang, the pupils ran helter-skelter out of the door./ 2. Ina confusing group; in disorder. •/The movers piled the furniturehelter-skelter in the living room of the new house./ •/Mary fell down andher books, papers, and lunch landed helter-skelter over the sidewalk./Compare: EVERY WHICH WAY.

[he-man]{n.}, {informal} A man who is very strong, brave, andhealthy. •/Larry was a real he-man when he returned from service with theMarines./

[hem and haw]{v. phr.} 1. To pause or hesitate while speaking, oftenwith little throat noises. •/The man was a poor lecturer because he hemmedand hawed too much./ 2. To avoid giving a clear answer; be evasive in speech.•/The principal asked Bob why he was late to school, and Bob only hemmed andhawed./ Compare: BEAT AROUND THE BUSH.

[hem in] or [hem around] or [hem about] {v.} 1. To putsomething around, or to be placed around; surround. •/Mountains hemmed thetown in on all sides./ •/As soon as Tom and Bob started to fight, they werehemmed around by other boys./ 2. See: FENCE IN.

[hen] See: MAD AS A HORNET or MAD AS HOPS or MAD AS A WET HEN.

[hen party]{n. phr.}, {informal} A party to which only women orgirls are invited. •/The sorority gave a hen party for its members./Contrast: STAG PARTY. See: GO STAG.

[Henry] See: JOHN HANCOCK or JOHN HENRY.

[her] See: GIVE IT THE GUN or GIVE HER THE GUN.

[herd] See: RIDE HERD ON.

[here] See: ALL THERE or ALL HERE, NEITHER HERE NOR THERE, SAME HERE.

[here and now(1)]{adv. phr.} At this very time and place; right now;immediately. •/I want my dime back, and I want it here and now./ Compare:THEN AND THERE.

[here and now(2)]{n.} The present time and place; today. •/He enjoysthe pleasures of the here and now and never worries about the future./ •/"Iwant my steak here and now!"/

[here and there]{adv. phr.} 1. In one place and then in another. •/Ilooked here and there for my pen, but I didn’t look everywhere./ •/Here andthere in the yard little yellow flowers had sprung up./ 2. In variousdirections. •/We went here and there looking for berries./ Compare: HITHERAND THITHER.

[here goes]{interj.}, {informal} I am ready to begin; I am nowready and willing to take the chance; I am hoping for the best. — Saidespecially before beginning something that takes skill, luck, or courage.•/"Here goes!" said Charley, as he jumped off the high diving board./•/"Here goes!" said Mary as she started the test./

[here goes nothing]{interj.}, {informal} I am ready to begin, butthis will be a waste of time; this will not be anything great; this willprobably fail. — Used especially before beginning something that takes skill,luck or courage. •/"Here goes nothing," said Bill at the beginning of therace./

[hide] See: HAVE ONE’S HIDE, TAN ONE’S HIDE.

[hide one’s face] or [hide one’s head] {v. phr.} 1. To lower yourhead or turn your face away because of shame or embarrassment. •/The teacherfound out that Tom had cheated, and Tom hid his head./ •/When Bob said howpretty Mary was, she blushed and hid her face./ 2. To feel embarrassed orashamed. •/We will beat the other team so badly that they will hide theirheads in shame./

[hide one’s head in the sand] or [bury one’s head in the sand] or[have one’s head in the sand] To keep from seeing, knowing, orunderstanding something dangerous or unpleasant; to refuse to see or facesomething. •/If there is a war, you cannot just bury your head in thesand./

[hide one’s light under a bushel]{v. phr.} To be very shy and modestand not show your abilities or talents; be too modest in letting others seewhat you can do. •/When Joan is with her close friends she has a wonderfulsense of humor, but usually she hides her light under a bushel./ •/Mr.Smith is an expert in many fields, but most people think he is not very smartbecause he hides his light under a bushel./ •/All year long Tommy hid hislight under a bushel and the teacher was surprised to see how much he knew whenshe read his exam paper./

[hide or hair] or [hide nor hair] {n. phr.}, {informal} A signor trace of someone that is gone or lost; any sign at all of something missing.Usually used in negative or interrogative sentence. •/Tommy left the housethis morning and I haven’t seen hide or hair of him since./ •/A button felloff my coat and I could find neither hide nor hair of it./

[hide out]{v. phr.} To go into hiding, as in the case of a criminal onthe run. •/He tried to hide out but the police tracked him down./

[hideout]{n.} A place where one hides. •/The wanted criminal usedseveral hideouts but he was captured in the end./

[high] See: COME HELL OR HIGH WATER, FLYING HIGH, GO THROUGH HELL AND HIGHWATER, HELL AND HIGH WATER, HIT THE HIGH SPOTS, LIVE HIGH OFF THE HOG or EATHIGH ON THE HOG, OFF ONE’S HIGH HORSE, ON TOP OF THE WORLD or SITTING ON TOP OFTHE WORLD also ({southern}) SITTING ON HIGH COTTON, RIDING HIGH.