hook

1. noun, slang A means of captivating or attracting others, especially a potential customer or consumer; a gimmick. The movie's hook at the time was its incredible computer-generated graphics. Unfortunately, the visual effects look pretty laughable by today's standards. You've always got to have a hook when you're trying to sell something. A mystery with a good hook will always suck me in.

2. verb, slang To attract (someone). The company offers a huge range of benefits in order to hook the most talented people in the industry. If you want to be a model, you need to have impressive headshots to hook a prominent agent in the industry. Quite honestly, the house won't hook any buyers in its current ramshackle state.

3. verb, slang To captivate (someone). Her latest novel hooked me from the very first page. Mom, he's a known con man. Don't let him hook you with these bogus get-rich-quick schemes. Peter hooked the audience with the exciting tales of his world travels.

4. verb, informal To addict (someone). He got hooked on heroin in college. Well, if you never smoke, you'll never get hooked—see how that works? He says he's not hooked, but I think he smokes weed most days.

5. verb, informal To prostitute oneself. It's not uncommon to see women hooking in this area at night. From what I heard, she gave up hooking and went back to school. Ew, you creep! I'm not out here hooking—I'm waiting for the bus!

hook it

1. To flee or run away. Primarily heard in UK. We hooked it when we heard police sirens advancing. The would-be burglars hooked it as soon as they triggered the security alarm. We've committed our troops to this cause, and we will not hook it just because the path has proved difficult.

2. To solicit and accept a car ride from someone, usually a stranger; to hitchhike. The phrase refers to the thumb (used to attract a passing driver's attention) as a "hook." If the bus isn't running today, what are we going to do, hook it? We didn't have any money for a taxi, so we had to hook it to get to the train station. We can't hook it! Are you trying to get us home or get us killed?

See also: hook

hooked

slang

1. Addicted to a particular substance or activity. Yeah, I used to be hooked, but my gambling days are long behind me. I've smoked pot before, but I'm not hooked or anything. The boss is hooked on caffeine, so, if you want a favorable response, don't go in there until he's had at least one coffee.

2. Very interested in or infatuated with someone or something; constantly desiring more of or more time with someone or something. I never thought I'd like a show like Game of Thrones, but I just finished the first season and I'm hooked. Oh, Dave's eyes light up whenever you're around—he's definitely hooked. The new bakery in town makes these amazing cupcakes, and I'm totally hooked.

hooks

slang One's hands. Get your damn hooks off of me—who do you think you are? I can never open tiny clasps like this with these giant hooks of mine. Have you seen Tom's clumsy hooks? The guy could never be a surgeon, that's for sure!

See also: hook

hook it

run away. British informal

See also: hook

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017

hook

1. tv. to cheat someone. Watch the clerk in that store. He might try to hook you.

2. tv. to steal something. Lefty hooked a couple of candy bars just for the hell of it.

3. tv. to addict someone (to something). (Not necessarily drugs.) The constant use of bicarb hooked him to the stuff.

4. n. the grade of C. I didn’t study at all and I still got a hook!

5. tv. to earn or pull the grade of C on something in school. History? I hooked it without any trouble.

hook it

tv. to get a ride by hitchhiking. (The hook is the thumb. Compare to foot it.) My car broke down and I had to hook it home.

See also: hook

hooked

verb

See hooked on someone/something

hooked

verb

See hooked on something

hooks

n. the hands. (see also meathooks. Probably a shortening of shit hooks.) Don’t stand there with your hooks in your pocket. Get busy!

See also: hook

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References in periodicals archive

As you practice hooking the ball, be sure to remember that a hook won't be effective:

Hooks can reel in points off serve

Descriptive social norms for hooking up were assessed with a single item adapted from Fielder and Carey (2010): "What percent of students would you say hook up at [school name]?" Possible responses ranged from 0 to 100%.

About 37% (n = 50) of the sample reported hooking up during the transition to college.

Moving in and hooking up: women's and men's casual sexual experiences during the first two months of college

J hooks were more effective at hooking fish for many user group-species combinations (Fig.

The effect of hook type on deep hooking was species dependent.

A comparison between circle hook and J hook performance in the dolphinfish, yellowfish tuna, and wahoo troll fishery off the coast of North Carolina

Hooking locations were classified as external when all or part of the hook was visible outside of the fish's mouth, including fish that were foul hooked (hooked in areas away from the fish's mouth), and internal if no part of the hook was visible when the fish's mouth was closed.

Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel (CMH) or Fisher's exact tests were used to address the effect of the J hooks and circle hooks on hooking location, hook-induced trauma, and survival.

Asymmetric conservation benefits of circle hooks in multispecies billfish recreational fisheries: a synthesis of hook performance and analysis of blue marlin (Makaira nigricans) postrelease survival

They conclude that while the capture efficiency for circle hooks was lower than for J-hooks, circle hooks appear to have potential to reduce deep hooking in stream trout.

Deep hooking and angling success when passively and actively fishing for stream-dwelling trout with baited J and circle hooks.

Trout hooking

Hooking mortality was highest for fish that bled heavily and were deeply hooked.

Relative hooking mortality among walleyes caught on barbed and barbless octopus hooks and barbed jigs.

Hooking mortality of walleyes

It points at the shank, and the gap between the point and the shank seems to be the culprit with respect to gut hooking, especially with non-offset designs.

The angle of the plane has to be 90[degrees] or gut hooking increases.

Circles for smallies

The bent, offset shank allows the hook to rotate on the shank's axis when pulled, resulting in better hooking. Tru-Turns are available in sizes for smaller channels to big flatheads.

With J-hooks, however, this can increase chances for deep hooking. In most instances, once you feel a bite, all you need to do is slowly drop the rod tip from about 45 degrees until it points at the catfish, then set.

From bones to barbs to the modern age of hooks for catfish