There are many words in English that include a name of a body part. There are lots of idioms with body parts as well. In this article we’re going to have a look at the most important words and idioms with the noun HEAD.
This article comes from issue 2 (1/2023) of Your American English Magazine. You’ll find much more interesting stuff there, I’m sure.
| There are many adjectives that include this part of the body. So, for example, you may be big-headed, which I hope you’re not, because it isn’t a good feature. But there are lots of big-headed politicians or celebrities nowadays. Or maybe you’re hardheaded? This may be good if you deal hardheadedly with facts and are not influenced by emotions. But this could be bad if you’re so hardheaded that you don’t accept anyone’s opinions even if they’re good. A hardheaded judgment or analysis are definitely good things. Then we have wrongheaded people with a wrongheaded approach to life or dealing with everyday problems. I hope you don’t belong to this group. Even worse, some people are thick-headed fools who make thick-headed decisions all the time. We can also say they’re empty-headed. There’s also a medical condition when you feel dizzy. Then you can say you’re light-headed. You may feel light-headed from lack of sleep or if you stand up too quickly, for example. Now, about work. If you have a hotheaded boss, I feel sorry for you. Especially if he or she uses a lot of hotheaded words. Working with such a hothead must cost you much. | big-headed – sure that you are better or more important than other people, conceited hardheaded – not willing to change ideas or opinions, very stubborn or having or involving careful and practical thoughts and ideas that are not influenced by emotions, practical and realistic wrongheaded – having or showing opinions or ideas that are wrong thick-headed – not intelligent or sensible, stupid empty-headed – not intelligent, stupid light-headed – unable to think and move in a normal way because of a weak and dizzy feeling hotheaded – easily angered or very angry hothead – a person who gets angry easily |
| And there’s a really huge number of idioms and expressions with the word HEAD. Let’s have a look at the most important ones. If people keep telling you how great you are all the time, it may give you a big head. Then they may stop liking you. Even worse if the compliments go to your head. Also, if you drink alcohol, it can go to your head and you can start behaving nastily. We also say that you’re out of your head then. If you prefer to avoid people’s attention, you should keep your head down. There are many idioms that deal with your mental abilities, intelligence, skills, etc. So, maybe you have a head for math, for example. If you don’t, you wouldn’t make heads or tails of all those formulas. By the way, as you can see, there are two body parts in this idiom, heads and tails, although the latter isn’t usually characteristic of humans. Actually, many people have problems with math. They say it’s over their heads. Sometimes it helps if you have a friend who is better at math than you. Then maybe you won’t be left scratching your heads. Two heads are better than one after all. If your friend is really good, he or she may hit the nail on the head with his or her solution to a difficult math problem. You’ll be able to solve all kinds of problems if you put your heads together. | a big/swelled head – an overly high opinion of yourself go to your head – to make you believe that you are better than other people or, of an alcoholic drink, to make you feel drunk out of your head – unable to act or think in a reasonable and controlled way because of drunkenness or strong emotion keep your head down – to behave in a quiet way that does not attract attention have a head for sth – to have an ability to understand or deal with sth not make heads or tails of sth – to be unable to understand sth over your head(s) – beyond your understanding or ability scratch your head – to be confused about sth and unable to understand the reason for it two heads are better than one – used to say that it is easier for two people who help each other to solve a problem than it is for one person to solve a problem alone hit the nail on the head – to be exactly right put your heads together – to think of a solution to a problem with another person |
| Sometimes you remember things well, sometimes worse. If you can’t remember something right away, like for example someone’s name, you can say you can’t remember that person’s name off the top of your head. We use this expression also if we can think of something immediately. For example, if someone asks you whether you know someone who speaks French and you can give them an immediate answer, you can say something like this: Off the top of my head, I can only think of my sister who teaches French at college. If you make someone else learn or remember something, you get it through their heads. If it’s you who accepts or understands something, you can say you get it through your head. It may be difficult for you to get it through your head that your friend did something wrong to you, for example. If you are smart, someone may say you have your head screwed on right or you have your head screwed on straight. But if the contrary is true, they may need to get your head screwed on right (or straight). Also, someone may want to knock some sense into your head. The head is the part of the body where emotions are born. Maybe that’s why there are so many idioms related to emotions with this noun. Let’s have a look at some of them. One of the most positive emotions is when you love someone. You may fall or go head over heels for that person. You can also say you two are head over heels in love, or just head over heels. Another positive emotion is that of pride. Even if something goes wrong, you can still hold up your head or hold your head (up) high in other words if you know you did all you could. But there are negative emotions two. What if you have to knock heads with someone you work with for example? Or, what if your employees behave badly and you have to knock their heads together to make them cooperate? Otherwise they may be butting heads over the most trivial issues for ages. In other words, if you are the boss and your employees don’t know how to behave, you may need to go in there and bang their heads together. I hope you’re not the kind of boss who bites their heads off when they ask you for something. Remember that if this is what you do, they may go over your head to your boss, maybe the company’s president, to complain about you. So, if your employees ask you for something, don’t bury your head in the sand if you don’t know how to help them right away, but rather try to find a solution. On the other hand, if you’re an employee, you should do your job as best you can. If the employees make a lot of mistakes and their boss finds out about it, heads will roll. If your boss is a violent person, he or she may lose his or her head and want to knock your head (or block) off, although this would be an extreme situation. Even if you have problems at work, always try to keep your head. Yes, I know, it’s easier said than done. Especially, if you have financial problems. If this is the case, you may be barely able to keep your head above water. Maybe there will be someone who will give you a heads-up that things are going in the wrong direction. But if your company does go bankrupt, it will probably be on your head. If your company was a big and important one, its bankruptcy may have consequences. It may even turn the world on its head, but this would only be the case if your company was head and shoulders above the competition. | off the top of your head – immediately by thinking quickly about sth get it through sb’s head – to cause sb to learn and remember sth get it through your head – to accept or understand sth have/get your head screwed on right/straight – to think or act in a smart and sensible way knock some sense into your head – to cause sb to stop thinking or behaving foolishly head over heels – very deeply in love hold up your head / hold your head (up) high – to be proud, to not feel ashamed knock heads – to argue or disagree or (often followed by together) to use angry or forceful methods to control or punish people butt heads – to disagree about how sth should be done bang heads together – to use angry or forceful methods to control or punish people bite sb’s head off – to yell at someone or to be very critical of someone especially very suddenly and without a good reason go over sb’s head – to discuss sth with a person who is higher in rank than sb else bury/have/hide your head in the sand – to ignore sth unpleasant that you should be dealing with heads will roll – used to say that people will be severely punished or will lose their jobs because of sth that has happened lose your head – to become very upset or angry knock sb’s head/block off – to hit sb very hard keep your head – to remain calm keep your head above water – to avoid financial failure while having money problems heads-up – a message that tells or warns sb about sth that is going to happen on one’s head – used to say that one will be blamed for sth; it also means in or into great disorder. head and shoulders above – used to say that sb or sth is much better than others |
| In some countries you might be even forced to run away in such a situation. Someone may put a price on your head. Then you would have to be very careful and have eyes in the back of your head! If fear tries to rear its ugly head, there’s nothing to laugh about. Speaking of which… If you laugh very loudly, or if you scream, shout or yell very loudly, you laugh, scream, shout or yell your head off. For example, you will probably laugh your head off if you see something funny. This will make you react very emotionally. You may also react emotionally if you see something extraordinary, something that is bound to turn heads. And just one more thing before we move on to the next part of the body. The noun head often refers to a person. For example something may cost $5 a head, which simply means each person has to pay this price. You may also say the price is $5 per head. If you’re in a group, it may be necessary to count heads from time to time so that nobody gets lost. | a price on sb’s head – an amount of money that will be given to anyone who kills or captures sb have eyes in the back of your head – used when people are surprised that you have seen or noticed sth that is behind you rear/raise its ugly head – to suddenly become obvious or cause trouble laugh/scream/shout/yell your head off – to laugh/scream/shout/yell very loudly or for a long time turn heads – to attract attention or notice a/per head – for each person count heads – to count how many people are present at a place |
