HAIR

have a bad hair day

to not feel attractive or happy all day because you cannot make your hair look nice

e.g. I'm having a bad hair day today - I just couldn't do a thing with it this morning.

(humorous) if a machine has a bad hair day, it does not work as it should all day

e.g. My computer's having a bad hair day.

not a hair out of place

if someone does not have a hair out of place, their appearance is very tidy

e.g. She was immaculate as ever, not a hair out of place.

a hair shirt

if someone wears a hair shirt, they choose to make their life unpleasant by not having or experiencing anything that gives them pleasure

e.g. I don't think you have to put on a hair shirt in order to be a socialist.

the hair of the dog (that bit you)

an alcoholic drink that you drink to cure the pain in your head that was caused by drinking too much alcohol the night before

In the past people believed that if you were bitten by a crazy dog, the injury could be made better by putting hairs from the dog's tail on it.

e.g. It was early in the morning and Catherine reached for her glass. 'Hair of the dog?' asked Lee with a smile.

get in somebody's hair

to annoy someone, especially by being near them for a long period

e.g. Harry usually keeps the kids occupied so they don't get in my hair while I'm cooking.

OPPOSITE out of somebody's hair

e.g. I don't care where she is now. She's out of my hair and that's all that matters.

e.g. I was hoping James would take the kids to the park for a couple of hours just to get them out of my hair. (= stop them annoying me by taking them away)

a hair's breadth

a very small distance or amount

e.g. Enemy forces are within a hair's breadth of the city.

e.g. We were a hair's breadth away from getting caught. (= we were almost caught)

harm a hair on somebody's head

to hurt someone

e.g. He adores the girl - he wouldn't harm a hair on her head. [often negative]

e.g. If he so much as harms a hair on her head, I won't be responsible for my actions.

let your hair down

to relax and enjoy yourself without worrying what other people will think

e.g. It's nice to let your hair down once in a while and go a bit wild.

make somebody's hair stand on end

to make someone feel very frightened

e.g. The thought of jumping out of an aeroplane makes my hair stand on end.

pull/tear your hair out

to be very anxious about something

e.g. I've been tearing my hair out trying to get the job finished on time. [often in continuous tenses]

not turn a hair

to not show any emotion when you are told something bad or when something bad happens

e.g. I was expecting her to be furious but she didn't turn a hair.

curl somebody's hair / make somebody's hair curl

to frighten or shock someone

e.g. The scene where the guy follows her into the apartment curled my hair.

hair-raising

very frightening

e.g. Driving through the mountains was a hair-raising experience.

haven't seen hide nor hair of somebody/something

if you have not seen hide nor hair of someone or something, you have not seen them for a period of time

e.g. I haven't seen hide nor hair of her since last Sunday, and I'm beginning to get rather worried. [often + since]