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[high-hat(1)]{adj.}, {slang} Treating others as inferior; acting above others. /It was an expensive place to eat, and the customers were likely to 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 down on. •/After she had married a rich man, Mary high-hatted her former friends./ •/"Don’t high-hat me," Fred warned, when Harry began to walk away as if he didn’t know him./ Compare: BRUSH OFF.

[high jinks]{n. phr.}, {informal} Noisy or rough gaiety; wild play; tricks. •/The sailors were on shore leave, and high jinks were to be expected./ •/The high school seniors engaged in high jinks after commencement./

[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./ •/The ships of every country have the right to sail on the high seas./

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

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

[high-sounding]{adj.} Sounding important; said for showing off; too fancy. •/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 been rather 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 up the bank hightailed it out of town./

[high time]{adj. phr.}, {used predicatively} (stress on "time") Dire, necessary, and sufficient circumstances prompting action. •/It is high time 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 person committed on an open road or street usually by an armed man. •/Highway robbery was common in England in Shakespeare’s day./ 2. An extremely high price or charge; a profiteer’s excessive charge. •/To someone from a small town, the prices of meals and theater tickets in New York often seem to he highway robbery./

[hill] See: GRASS IS ALWAYS GREENER ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FENCE or GRASS IS 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: be decided by. •/In a dictatorship, everything hinges on one man./ •/A tobacco grower’s income for the year may hinge on what the weather is like in a few summer weeks./

[hired man]{n. phr.} A man employed to do jobs every day about a house or farm. •/The hired man was sick, and a lot of the daily chores were not done./

[hire out]{v.}, {informal} 1. To accept a job; take employment. •/Frank hired out as a saxophonist with a dance band./ 2. To rent (as owner). •/John used to hire out his tractor sometimes when he didn’t need it himself./

[history] See: GO DOWN IN HISTORY or GO DOWN IN THE RECORDS.

[hit] See: HARD-HITTING, MAKE A HIT, SMASH HIT.

[hit and miss] See: HIT OR MISS.

[hit-and-run]{adj.} 1. Of or about an accident after which a motorist drives away without giving his name and offering help. •/Judges are stern with hit-and-run drivers./ 2. Striking suddenly and leaving quickly. •/The bandits often made hit-and-run attacks on wagon trains./

[hit below the belt] See: BELOW THE BELT.

[hit between the eyes]{v. phr.}, {informal} To make a strong impression on; surprise greatly. •/Helen hit Joe right between the eyes the moment he saw her./ •/It was a wonderfully lifelike picture, and it hit Sol right between the eyes./ •/To learn that his parents had endured poverty for his sake hit John between the eyes./