hammer (redirected from hammering out)

be/go at it hammer and tongs (informal)

to do something, especially to argue, with a lot of energy or violence. You should have heard last night's argument - they were at it hammer and tongs till four o'clock this morning.

come/go under the hammer

to be sold at an auction (= a public sale where objects are bought by the people who offer the most money). Both collections will come under the hammer and are expected to make £1m at Phillips' in London next month.

See also: come

drive/hammer something home

to say something very clearly and with a lot of force, often repeating it several times, so that you are sure that people understand it. She used charts and statistics to drive home her message that we need to economize.

See also: drive, home

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hammer home (something)

hammer home something

See also: home

hammer home something

to keep repeating an idea or opinion so it is understood. Politicians seem to think voters won't understand even a simple message unless it is hammered home in speech after speech.

drill something into someone

bring something home (to someone)

Etymology: based on the meaning of hammer home a nail (= to hit a nail deep into the wood)

See also: home

hammer out something

to create an agreement or solution to a problem. After months of just talk, we have begun to hammer out a deal which will join our two companies. We'd been arguing about the issue for weeks, so the four of us got together to hammer it out.