Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 341 hire out (someone) - accept/give a job/employment He decided to hire himself out as a dancer while he was going to school. hire out (something) - rent something to someone We hired out our boat last summer because we were too busy to use it. hit Idioms hit a plateau - reach a certain level of activity/sales and then stop The performance of the basketball team hit a plateau and then declined. hit a snag - run into a problem The negotiations to end the teachers' strike hit a snag last night. hit-and-miss - unplanned/uncontrolled/aimless/careless We are looking for a new apartment but it is hit-and-miss whether we can find a good one or not. hit-and-run - an accident where the driver of the car drives away without stopping My sister was involved in a hit-and-run accident last Sunday afternoon. Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 342 hit-and-run - striking suddenly and leaving quickly The army made a hit-and-run attack on the enemy soldiers. hit bottom - be at the very lowest, not be able to go any lower The economy hit bottom last year but is finally starting to improve. hit close to home - affect one personally The strike by the trash collectors hit close to home when we had no place to put our garbage. hit home - make sense, make an impression on someone The amount of damage from the storm hit home when we saw the houses on the beach. hit it off (with someone) - get along well with someone We really hit it off at the party. hit on/upon (something) - think of something by chance We hit upon the idea of going to the lake for our holiday after our airline reservations were cancelled. Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 343 hit parade - a list of songs arranged in order of popularity We listened to all the songs on the hit parade last night. hit pay dirt - discover something of value The men hit pay dirt when they discovered oil in the farmer's field. hit (someone) below the belt - do something unfair or unsporting to someone The lawyer was hitting below the belt when he asked the woman very personal questions. hit (someone) hard - affect someone strongly The death of the woman's father hit her very hard. hit (someone) like a ton of bricks - surprise or shock someone When the small school went out of business it hit everyone like a ton of bricks. hit (someone) right between the eyes - make a strong impression on someone, surprise someone Her incredible performance really hit me between the eyes. hit (someone) up for (something) - ask someone for something My friend tried to hit me up for some money but I said no. Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 344 hit the books - study or prepare for class He stayed home all weekend and hit the books. hit the bottle - drink too much alcohol She started to hit the bottle soon after her divorce. hit the bricks - start walking, go out into the streets (on strike) The post office workers hit the bricks and went on strike. hit the bull`s-eye - go to the most important part of a matter, reach the main question She hit the bull`s-eye when she suggested that decreasing costs was more important than increasing sales. hit the ceiling - get angry His wife is going to hit the ceiling when she sees the bill for the car repair. hit the deck - get up from bed, start working "Let`s hit the deck and get this work done before supper." hit the dirt - fall on the ground and take cover under gunfire We were told to hit the dirt during the bank robbery. Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 345 hit the hay - go to bed I decided to hit the hay early last night because I was very tired. hit the high spots - consider or mention only the more important parts of something He only had time to hit the high spots in his report but still it was very interesting. hit the jackpot - be very lucky or successful She hit the jackpot when she bought a lottery ticket last week. hit the nail on the head - make a correct guess or analysis He hit the nail on the head when he wrote the report about the bank`s problems. hit the road - leave - usually in a car We should hit the road early tomorrow morning if we want to reach the seashore before evening. hit the roof - become very angry, go into a rage He hit the roof when he found out that his son had wrecked the family car. hit the sack - go to bed I`m a little bit tired so I think that I will hit the sack now. Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 346 hit the sauce - drink alcohol heavily and regularly He has been hitting the sauce recently although he says that he doesn`t drink. hit the skids - decline, decrease in value The prices of houses hit the skids recently in our city. hit the spot - refresh or satisfy Drinking the lemonade after the baseball game really hit the spot. . hitch one`s wagon to a star - aim high, follow a great ambition or purpose He wants to hitch his wagon to a star and pursue his dreams of becoming an actor. hither and thither - in one direction and then in another, here and there He looked hither and thither when he discovered that he had lost his wallet. hive of activity - a place where things are very busy The school was a hive of activity during the school festival. Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 347 Hobson's choice - the choice between taking what is offered or getting nothing at all (Hobson owned a stable in the 17th century in England and always offered his customers the horse nearest the door) The customer's were given a Hobson's choice. They could buy a car of any colour but only if it was black hold Idioms hold a candle to (someone or something) - be in the same class or level as someone or something (usually used with a negative) The new restaurant can`t hold a candle to the one that I usually go to. hold a grudge against (someone) - not forgive someone for something He has been holding a grudge against the company manager for many years. hold a meeting - meet, have a meeting The apartment owners decided to hold a meeting last week. hold all the trump cards/aces - have the best chance of winning, have full control It will be difficult to do well in the negotiations with him as he holds all the trump cards. hold back - stay back or away, show unwillingness to do something He always holds back during meetings and never says anything. Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 348 hold back (someone) - prevent someone from doing something The police officers tried to hold back the angry woman. hold court - act like a king or queen among his or her subjects He always acts like he is holding court when I see him in his office. hold down a job - keep a job He has a serious drinking problem and is unable to hold down a job. hold down (someone or something) - keep control of someone or something The government was able to hold down the rate of inflation for many years. hold forth - offer, propose The company held forth a proposal to give all of the employees a bonus in the summer. hold forth (on/about something) - speak in public, talk about something He was holding forth about taxes last night when I saw him in his office. Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 349 hold good - continue, endure, last The demand for air conditioners held good during July but decreased rapidly in August. hold off - delay, not begin The concert will be held off until next week. hold off - keep away by force The man was able to hold off the police for several hours before he was arrested. Hold on! - wait a minute, stop, wait and not hang up the phone "Please hold on for a minute while I go back and lock the window." hold on to (someone or something) - continue to hold or keep something, hold tightly You should hold on to your bag when you are in the bus or someone may steal it. hold one`s breath - stop breathing for a moment when you are excited or nervous I had to stop and hold my breath while I was waiting for the announcement of the winning name. Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 350 hold one's end of the bargain up - do one's part as you have agreed The students were not holding their end of the bargain up when they didn't do their homework. hold one`s fire - keep back arguments or facts, keep from telling something I tried to hold my fire during the meeting and save the rest of the information until next week. hold one's head up - keep one's dignity and pride The basketball players were able to hold their heads up even though they lost the game. hold one`s horses - stop and wait patiently "Hold your horses for a minute while I return to get my wallet." hold one`s own (in an argument) - defend one`s position Although her boss is very aggressive she is able to hold her own in any dispute with him. hold one`s peace - be silent and not speak against someone or something "Please try and hold your peace during the meeting as it will be to our disadvantage if we have a confrontation." . announcement of the winning name. Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 350 hold one's end of the bargain up - do one's part as you have agreed The students were not holding their end. beach. hit it off (with someone) - get along well with someone We really hit it off at the party. hit on/upon (something) - think of something by chance We hit upon the idea of going. office workers hit the bricks and went on strike. hit the bull`s-eye - go to the most important part of a matter, reach the main question She hit the bull`s-eye when she suggested that decreasing