Hit the hay

To 'hit the hay' means to go to bed.  It recalls a simpler time when people may have slept in a barn.

Example:

-Okay, kids!  Time to hit the hay!

-Aw!  5 more minutes?

Hemming and hawing

If someone is 'hemming and hawing,' it means they're stalling on making a (perhaps big) decision.

Example:
-I wish he'd just make up his mind!
-All this hemming and hawing is getting old.

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Hard to read

If someone is 'hard to read,' it means that is hard to anticipate what they are thinking or feeling.

Example:
-Do you think your mother-in-law liked your gift?
-I don't know. She's really hard to read.

Head-butt and butt heads

If you are 'head-butted,' it means someone has bumped or hit you with their head. It's usually something kids or pets do. Interestingly, it different from but related to 'butting heads.' This is when two people keep disagreeing and can't reach any consensus, as if their heads were actually bumping, or butting, together.

Examples:
-Your cat keeps head-butting me. I think she likes me.
-She just wants to get her smell on you.

-Dad and I just don't agree on anything! It's so frustrating to talk to him.
-Yeah, you guys do butt heads a lot!

Hate crime

A 'hate crime' is a committed against a person because the perpetrator hates them based solely on things such as their race, religion, country of origin or sexual orientation.

Example:
-Do you remember the names Matthew Sheppard and James Byrd, Jr.?
-Yes, they were victims of hate crimes.
-Yes, they were both killed; Matthew because he was gay and James because he was African-American.

Living high on the hog

A person who is living 'high on the hog' is someone who living a very comfortable or wealthy life. Sometimes the person can actually afford to do so, and sometimes they are living beyond their means, living on credit cards.

Example:
-Wow, your brother's new house sure is beautiful! He's living high on the hog!
-Yes, he's had some very successful deals at work this past year.

To hog

'To hog' means to keep something all to yourself, so that nobody else can have any or use it. It's a common expression that kids use.

Example:
-Mom, she's hogging the computer again!
-Okay, you have 5 more minutes and then it's your sister's turn.

Hitchhike

To 'hitchhike' means to travel via car with people you don't know. To do it, you stand on the side of the road and hold out your thumb. When someone stops, you get in. Of course, this can be extremely dangerous, but it is cheap.

Example:
-I can't believe your sister actually hitchhiked!
-Yeah, she could have gotten kidnapped or worse!

Hate to break it to you folks, but...

'"Hate to break it to you folks, but...' is used when bad news is about to be announced to a group. The speaker uses the word 'hate' to let the listeners know they feel sympathy for the people in the situation.

Example:
-Hate to break it to you folks, but our plane is experiencing some mechanical difficulties, so it'll be at least an hour before we can take off. We're doing everything as quickly as we can.
-(Deep sighs of frustration and groans from passengers.)

Hold your horses!

'Hold your horses!' is a way of telling someone not to get too excited about something because it isn't sure if it will happen or not.

Example:
-We're putting an offer down on the house.
-(child): For real?! I'll get my own room and my own bathroom! And...
-Hold your horses, sweetie. They haven't accepted our offer yet.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is the fourth Thursday in November (unless that day falls in an incomplete week -- then it's on the third Thursday). It's a celebration to commemorate the first Thanksgiving, which, according to popular belief, was a meal shared between the Pilgrims and the Indians (now referred to as Native Americans) to give thanks for the harvest and the goodwill between them. That is what kids learn in school.

Now a days, it is considered to be a day of family, in which many people take time to recognize and be thankful for the blessings in their lives. The typical foods are turkey with stuffing (little pieces of bread that are cooked with onion, celery and spices), mashed potatoes, green bean casserole (green beans covered with cream and mushroom sauce, topped with French fried onions) and pumpkin pie with whipped cream.

On TV, in the morning there is the famous Macy's Thanksgiving Parade, which takes place in New York, and later, various (American) football games. After such a large meal, many people fall asleep on the sofa.

Example:
-Happy Thanksgiving!
-Happy Turkey Day to you, too!

How come?

'How come?' is another way of asking "Why not?"

Example:
-I can't come over this Saturday.
-Oh? How come?

Hodge podge

A 'hodge podge' is a real variety or mix of something.

Example:
-What do people usually wear to work?
-You'll see a little bit of everything. It's a real hodge podge.

Hater

A 'hater' is literally a person who hates something, but it has taken on a more specific meaning. A 'hater' is a person who doesn't like you or holds a grudge against you. They doesn't necessarily want what you have, but they are jealous of your success and want to knock you down a few notches.

Examples:
-Justin Bieber sucks!
-Don't be a hater!

-People can be so judgmental.
-Yeah, there are a lot of haters.