[high and dry]{adv.} or {adj. phr.} 1. Up above the water; beyondthe reach of splashing or waves. •/Mary was afraid she had left her towelwhere the tide would reach it, but she found it high and dry./ •/When thetide went out the boat was high and dry./ 2. Without anyone to help; aloneand with no help. •/When the time came to put up the decorations, Mary wasleft high and dry./ •/At first the other boys helped, but when the work gothard. Bob found himself high and dry./ Compare: LEAVE IN THE LURCH, OUT INTHE COLD.

[high and low]{adv.} Everywhere. •/The police were searching for thecriminal high and low, but they couldn’t find him./

[high-and-mighty]{adj.}, {informal} Feeling more important orsuperior to someone else; too proud of yourself. •/John wasn’t invited to theparty, because he acted too high-and-mighty./ •/Mary become high-and-mightywhen she won the prize, and Joan would not go around with her any more./Compare: STUCK-UP.

[high as a kite]{adj.} 1. As excited and happy as one can possibly be.•/When Eric won the lottery he was high as a kite./ 2. Intoxicated or underthe influence of some drug. •/Jeff has been drinking again and he is high asa kite./ Compare: THREE SHEETS IN/TO THE WIND.

[highbrow]{adj.} Very well educated or even over-educated; belongingto the educated middle class; sophisticated. •/Certain novels are not foreveryone and are considered as highbrow entertainment./ Contrast: LOW BROW.

[high camp]{n.}, {slang}, {show business} 1. Kitsch, orpretentious material in bad taste that is still liked by higher classaudiences. •/"The Potsdam Quartet" is a play full of high camp./ 2. Anexaggerated movie or theater scene that loses believability. •/Scarecrow andMrs. King and Sledge Hammer are so full of high camp that no sensible peoplewatch them anymore./ [middle camp] and [low camp] refer to theatricalkitsch preferred by middle class and low class audiences, respectively.

[high-class]{adj.} Of the best quality; very good; superior. — Avoided by many careful speakers. •/When Mr. Brown got a raise in pay, Mrs.Brown started to look for a high-class apartment./ •/Mrs. Smith always getsher clothing at high-class shops./ •/Mr. Jones always gets his officeworkers from Burns Agency because they have high-class help./ Compare:FIRST-CLASS.

[higher education]{n.} Schooling after graduation from high school,especially in a college or university. •/Tom plans to get his highereducation at the state university./

[higher-up]{n.}, {informal} One of the people who has one of themore important positions in an organization; an important official. •/Theteacher’s problem was discussed by the higher-ups./ •/The local officers ofthe scout group approved the plan, but the state higher-ups did not acceptit./

[high fashion] or [high style] {n. phr.} The new style in women’sdress set each season by designers in Paris or other fashion centers andaccepted by fashionable women. •/The high styles designed in Paris are oftenquickly copied by makers of cheap clothing./

[high gear]{n. phr.}, {informal} Top speed; full activity.•/Production got into high gear after the vacation./ •/An advertisingcampaign for the new toothpaste promptly moved into high gear./

[high-handed]{adj.} Depending on force rather than right; bossy;dictatorial. •/With high-handed daring, John helped himself to the best foodon the table./ •/Mr. Smith was a high-handed tyrant in his office./

[high-hat(1)]{adj.}, {slang} Treating others as inferior; actingabove others. /It was an expensive place to eat, and the customers were likelyto be a little high-hat./ /Jones acted high-hat toward anyone poorer than he./

[high-hat(2)]{v.}, {slang} To treat others as inferior; look downon. •/After she had married a rich man, Mary high-hatted her formerfriends./ •/"Don’t high-hat me," Fred warned, when Harry began to walk awayas if he didn’t know him./ Compare: BRUSH OFF.

[high jinks]{n. phr.}, {informal} Noisy or rough gaiety; wildplay; tricks. •/The sailors were on shore leave, and high jinks were to beexpected./ •/The high school seniors engaged in high jinks aftercommencement./

[high off the hog] See: LIVE HIGH OFF THE HOG.

[high on]{adj. phr.} 1. Intoxicated on some drug or alcoholic drink.•/Rob was severely scolded by the dean for always being high on marijuana./2. Enthusiastic about something. •/Jeff is high on Beethoven and Brahms./

[high place]{n. phr.} A position of responsibility, honor, and power.•/Jones had reached a high place in the government at Washington./

[high seas]{n. phr.} The open ocean, not the waters near the coast.•/It was a big powerful liner built to sail on the high seas./ •/Theships of every country have the right to sail on the high seas./

[high season]{n. phr.} The time of year when the largest number ofpassengers are travelling; the time when airfare costs more. •/We had to pay$100 more for our tickets because it was the high season./ Contrast: LOWSEASON.

[high sign]{n. phr.}, {informal} A silent signal of recognition,greeting, or warning; an open or secret signal between two persons. — Usedwith "get" or "give". •/The Joneses saw us across the hotel dining room andgave us the high sign./ •/John could see that Grace wanted to tell himsomething, but he got her attention and frowned. She got the high sign andwaited until the teacher had moved on before speaking./

[high-sounding]{adj.} Sounding important; said for showing off; toofancy. •/The politician’s speech was full of high-sounding words./ •/Mr.Brown filled his son with many high-sounding ideas about life./

[high-strung]{adj.} Nervous; sensitive; tense. •/Gary has beenrather high-strung lately because of too much work at the office./

[high style] See: HIGH FASHION.

[hightail it]{v. phr.}, {slang} To travel fast; move rapidly.•/After school, Frank would hightail it home./ •/The two men who held upthe bank hightailed it out of town./

[high time]{adj. phr.}, {used predicatively} (stress on "time")Dire, necessary, and sufficient circumstances prompting action. •/It is hightime we sold the old house; it will fall apart within a year./

[highway] See: DIVIDED HIGHWAY or DUAL HIGHWAY.

[highway robbery]{n. phr.} 1. A hold-up of or theft from a personcommitted on an open road or street usually by an armed man. •/Highwayrobbery was common in England in Shakespeare’s day./ 2. An extremely highprice or charge; a profiteer’s excessive charge. •/To someone from a smalltown, the prices of meals and theater tickets in New York often seem to hehighway robbery./

[hill] See: GRASS IS ALWAYS GREENER ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FENCE or GRASSIS ALWAYS GREENER ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE HILL, HEAD FOR THE HILLS.

[hilt] See: TO THE HILT or UP TO THE HILT.

[hinge on] or [hinge upon] {v.} To depend on as decisive: bedecided by. •/In a dictatorship, everything hinges on one man./ •/Atobacco grower’s income for the year may hinge on what the weather is like in afew summer weeks./

[hired man]{n. phr.} A man employed to do jobs every day about a houseor farm. •/The hired man was sick, and a lot of the daily chores were notdone./