Hair idioms

Here are some idiomatic expressions involving the word hair.

Bad hair day

When your hair is unmanageable, it is quite natural to have a bad hair day. Over the years, however, this expression has broadened its scope. Today it is used to refer to a wide variety of situations when everything seems to go wrong.
What is wrong with her? She has such a long face. Is she having a bad hair day?

Hair of the dog

Sometimes a small amount of something that made you ill can be used to make you feel better. For example, someone recovering from drinking too much might benefit from a drop of alcohol.

  • Here, have a drop of this. It’s a hair of the dog that bit you!

Hair’s breadth

When you escape from something by a hair’s breadth, you escape narrowly.

  • A stone fell off the roof and missed the worker by a hair’s breadth.

Get in someone’s hair

When someone gets in your hair, they keep annoying you.

  • If my children weren’t getting in my hair, I would finish this job more quickly.

Let your hair down

To let your hair down is to relax and enjoy yourselves.

  • I desperately needed a holiday and when I finally had one, I let my hair down.

Make hair stand on end

Your hair stands on end when you are absolutely terrified of something.

  • Just the thought of being alone in that big home makes my hair stand on end.

Not a hair out of place

When you don’t have a hair out of place, you look perfect.

  • She is always impeccably dressed. You will never find a hair out of place.

Tear one’s hair out

When you tear your hair out, you are extremely agitated about something.

  • I have been tearing my hair out all day trying to fix my bike.

Not turn a hair

When you don’t turn a hair you don’t show any emotions in situations where you are expected to react.

  • When income tax officials came to raid his home, he didn’t turn a hair.

Split hairs

To split hairs is to pay too much attention to small differences.

  • Don’t waste time splitting hairs. Accept things the way they are.

Manjusha Nambiar

Hi, I am Manjusha. This is my blog where I give English grammar lessons and worksheets.

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