have a head—(coll.) suffer from a hangover: Tom has a head this morning and won’t be coming into work. have a head on one’s shoulders—(coll.) be very smart and intelligent: He has a head on his shoulders and can be trusted to do any job well.
Category: Confusing Phrases
Difference between Have a hard day and Have a hard time
have a hard day—said of a busy day full of hard work: You look tired, dear. Did you have a hard day at the office? have a hard time—experiecnce difficulties or suffer for a period of time: I have had a hard time buying a house, even though my credit history is spotless.
Difference between Have a hand for something and Have a hand in something
have a hand for something—be skilful at dealing with smth.: A jockey must have a hand for all sorts of horses, and in the case of two and three year olds a very good hand it must be. have a hand in something—(also: have a finger in something) be involved in smth.; play a role […]
Difference between Have a good time and Make good time
have a good time—(also: have a good time of it) enjoy oneself: Gosh, he’s always reading now. It’s not my idea of having a good time in vacation. make good time—(also: make time) accomplish a distance in a short time; travel fast: I was leaping over mounds of snow and branches and I was making […]
Difference between Have a good head and Have a good mind
have a good head— 1. (also: have a good head on one’s shoulders) be smart and intelligent: I searched for Ann, because she has a good head and knows a lot about medicine. 2. (for) have a special talent in a certain area: You’ve got a good head for business, Thompson. It’s the rest of […]
Difference between Have a good bang for one’s buck and Have a good run for one’s money
have a good bang for one’s buck—(coll.) get a good value for one’s money (also: get a good bang for one’s buck): Russ has shown some pretty strong statistics that say we do have a good bang for our buck. have a good run for one’s money—(also: get a good run for one’s money) 1. […]
Difference between Have a go at it and Make a go of it
have a go at it—(coll.) give it a try; make an attempt at smth.: She said that she had never skied before but she was willing to have a go at it. Note: The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase have at it—(coll.) 1. start doing smth. promptly or with enthusiasm: “The […]
Difference between Have a gas and Run out of gas
have a gas —(sl.) have a great time doing smth.; enjoy oneself: I had a gas watching the improbably outrageous action and dialogue unfurl. run out of gas—(of a project, campaign, etc.) lose momentum; progress slowly or halt: Florida’s transportation program is running out of “gas” and attention needs to be focused on this issue.
Difference between Have a frog in one’s throat and Have a lump in one’s throat
have a frog in one’s throat—be suffering from temporary hoarseness: “I had a frog in my throat,” she says with a laugh “and so I was not at my peak singing voice.” have a lump in one’s throat—have a sensation of constriction in the throat (caused by some strong emotion): I had a lump in […]
Difference between Have a free hand and Have one’s hands free
have a free hand—have freedom of action in affairs that one has to deal with: The new president had a relatively free hand to implement reforms. have one’s hands free—said of smb. whose time is not occupied by anything: The Duke of Normandy now had his hands free to pursue the conquest of Maine. Note: […]
Difference between Have a fortune and Have the fortune
have a fortune—have a very large amount of money: Don’t imagine you have a fortune there. A hundred francs goes nowhere these days. have the fortune—have good luck; succeed in doing smth.: Israel has had the fortune to attract a nucleus of Jewish scientists from the Western countries.
Difference between Have a foot in both camps and Walk both sides of the street
have a foot in both camps—have connections with two mutually antagonistic groups: Evelio had his foot in both camps and had a significant influence in each of the two organizations. walk both sides of the street—(also: have it both ways) 1. achieve two mutually exclusive objectives; benefit from two different situations that do not normally […]