have one's cake and eat it too
To enjoy two opposite advantages.
You can either spend your money going to Europe or save it for a down payment on a house, but you can't do both. That would be having your cake and eating it too.
have one's hands full
To have as much work as you can do; be very busy.
The plumber said that he had his hands full and could not take another job for two weeks.
With three small children to take care of, Susie's mother has her hands full.
head and shoulders
By the measure of the head and shoulders.
The basketball player is head and shoulders taller than the other boys.
By far; by a great deal; very much.
She is head and shoulders above the rest of the class in singing.
heart and soul
with heart and soul
Eager love; strong feeling; great enthusiasm. Often used with a singular verb.
When Mr. Pitt plays the piano, his heart and soul is in it.
John plays tennis badly, but with heart and soul.
Mary wanted a puppy with all her heart and soul.
Wholly and eagerly; with all one's interest and strength; completely.
Will you try to make our city a better place? Then we are with you heart and soul.
Mike was heart and soul against the new rules.
heart stand still
To be very frightened or worried.
Johnny's heart stood still when he saw his dog run into the street in front of a car.
Everybody's heart stood still when the President announced that war was declared.
heavy-handed
Not skillful or graceful; clumsy.
George is heavy-handed and seldom catches the ball.
My sister plays the piano badly; she is too heavy-handed.
Tim told a heavy-handed joke about the principal's baldness that embarrassed everyone.
Likely to hit or punish hard; harsh or cruel in making (someone) obey.
Years ago many fathers were heavy-handed bosses in their homes.
Many American colonists believed that the English tax collectors were too heavy-handed.
Indelicate. Clumsy.
Paul is a little heavy-handed at times, but mostly he’s reasonable.
hell and high water
Troubles or difficulties of any kind.
After John's father died he went through hell and high water, but he managed to keep the family together.
hem and haw
To pause or hesitate while speaking, often with little throat noises.
The man was a poor lecturer because he hemmed and hawed too much.
To avoid giving a clear answer; be evasive in speech.
Избегать ясного ответа; быть уклончивым в своей речи.
The principal asked Bob why he was late to school, and Bob only hemmed and hawed.
Bobby hemmed and hawed when his parents asked him where he had spent the night.
Бобби что-то бормотал и мямлил, когда родители спрашивали его о том, где он провел ночь.