hook (redirected from hooking)

*crooked as a barrel of fish hooks and *crooked as a fish hook; *crooked as a dog's hind leg

very dishonest. (*Also: as ~.) Don't play cards with him. He's as crooked as a barrel of fish hooks. Mary says all politicians are crooked as a dog's hind leg.

See also: barrel, fish

*off the hook

Fig. freed from an obligation. (Alludes to a fish freeing itself from a fishhook. *Typically: be ~; get ~; get someone ~; let someone ~.) Thanks for getting me off the hook. I didn't want to attend that meeting. I couldn't get myself off the hook no matter what I tried.

by hook or (by) crook

by any means, legal or illegal. I'll get the job done by hook or by crook. I must have that house. I intend to get it by hook or crook.

See also: crook

get one's hooks in(to) someone or something and get one's hooks in

Fig. to obtain a strong and possessive hold on someone or something. She just can't wait to get her hooks into him. He finally got in his hooks and guarded her jealously.

See also: get

hook someone or something up (to someone or something) and hook someone or something up (with someone or something)

1. Lit. to attach someone or something to someone or something. The nurse hooked the patient up to the oxygen tubes. They hooked up the patient with the tubes.

See also: up

hook someone on something

Fig. to addict someone to a drug or alcohol. Careful, or you'll hook yourself on those tranquilizers. Some friend at school hooked Roger on dope. Sharon has hooked herself on cocaine.

hook someone up (with someone)

Fig. to arrange for someone to go out with someone. I hooked Alice up with Tom last year, and now they're getting married.

See also: up

hook something down 

1. Lit. to attach something and hold it down with a hook. Please hook the lid down so it doesn't fall off. Please hook down the lid.

2. Sl. to toss something down to someone. Hook another can of beer down to me, will you? Hook down another can of beer.

3. Sl. to eat something quickly; to gobble something up. Wally hooked the first hamburger down and ordered another. He hooked down two more burgers in a few minutes.

hook something into something

to connect something to something. I want to hook another communication line into the system. Is it possible to hook my computer into your network?

hook something on (to someone or something) and hook something on

to attach something to someone or something by a hook. Hook this sign on her and let her walk around advertising our play. Hook on the sign and hope that it stays. Hook it onto the tree carefully.

hook something up

to set something up and get it working. (The object is to be connected to a power supply, electronic network, telephone lines, etc.) Will it take long to hook the telephone up? As soon as they hook up the computer to the network, I can e-mail my friends.

See also: up

hook in (to something)

to connect into something. We will hook into the water main tomorrow morning. We dug the pipes up and hooked in.

hook oneself on someone or something

Fig. to become enamored of someone or something. I'm afraid I've hooked myself on Alice. He hooked himself on Bach organ music.

See also: oneself

hook up with someone 

1. Fig. Inf. to meet with someone. Fancy hooking up with you here, Bill. How have you been? Well, hello, Tom. I didn't think I'd hook up with you again so soon.

2. Fig. to join forces with someone. If we hook up with each other it'll be easier to defeat the others. These two competitors have hooked up together and we now have a real problem.

See also: up

hook, line, and sinker.

Fig. totally. She fell for our story hook, line, and sinker. They believed every word hook, line, and sinker.

See also: and, sinker

on one's own hook

all by oneself. I don't need any help, lean do it on my own hook. She did it on her own hook without having to call on anyone.

ring off the hook

Fig. [for a telephone] to ring incessantly and repeatedly. What a busy day! The telephone has been ringing off the hook all day long. The telephone has been ringing off the hook ever since the ad appeared in the paper.

See also: ring

swallow something hook, line, and sinker

Fig. to believe something completely. (These terms refer to fishing and fooling a fish into being caught.) I made up a story about why I was so late. The boss swallowed it hook, line, and sinker. I feel like a fool. I swallowed her lies hook, line, and sinker.

See also: and, sinker, swallow

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be off the hook

if a telephone is off the hook, the part that you speak into is not lying in the part that holds it so the telephone will not ring He left the telephone off the hook because he didn't want to be disturbed.

by hook or by crook

if you intend to do something by hook or by crook, you are determined not to let anything stop you doing it and are ready to use any methods I decided that I was going to get that job by hook or by crook.

See also: crook

fall for somebody hook, line and sinker

to fall very much in love with someone I'd never seen such a good-looking bloke - I just fell for him hook, line and sinker.

See also: and, fall, line, sinker

fall for something hook, line and sinker

to completely believe something someone tells you which is not true I told him I needed the money for my baby, and he fell for it hook, line and sinker.

See also: and, fall, line, sinker

get your hooks into something/somebody

to get control or influence over something or someone We'll all be seeing a lot less of Robert if Joanna gets her hooks into him.

See also: get

get/let somebody off the hook

to allow someone to escape from a difficult situation or to avoid doing something that they do not want to do John's agreed to go to the meeting in my place, so that lets me off the hook.

See fall for hook, line and sinker, ring off the hook, fall for hook, line and sinker, Sling hook!, off the peg

See also: get

off the peg  (British) also off the hook (American & Australian)

if you buy clothes off the peg, you buy them in a standard size from a shop rather than having them made specially for you If I buy trousers off the peg, they're always too short.

See have down to a fine art, off hands, be out of head

See also: peg

on your own hook  (American)

if you do something on your own hook, you do it without anyone else telling you or asking you to do it Barbara took up painting on her own hook and developed into a talented artist.

See of own accord, on own account, off own bat, with own fair hands, dig own grave, on head be it, hold own, be of own making, cut own throat, feather own nest, leave to own devices, Mind own business!, pay back in own coin, play at own game, save own skin, stand on own two feet, tell its own tale, under own steam

ring off the hook  (American informal)

if your telephone rings off the hook, it rings a lot The box office phones were ringing off the hook all day.

See also: ring

Sling your hook!  (British informal, old-fashioned)

an impolite way of telling someone to go away When he couldn't pay the rent, she told him to sling his hook.

See sling mud at

See also: sling

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by hook or by crook

using any method possible Templeton was recruited to obtain the formula by hook or by crook.

See also: crook

hook up (with somebody)

to meet someone and spend time together I was traveling alone, but then I hooked up with another woman about my age.

See also: up

hook, line, and sinker

completely The public isn't swallowing the administration's policies hook, line, and sinker. They made up such a good story that we fell for it hook, line, and sinker.

Usage notes: often used in the forms fall for something hook, line, and sinker or swallow something hook, line, and sinker (to be tricked into believing something without any doubts)

Etymology: based on the idea of a fish so hungry it swallows the hook (the part that catches the fish), the line ( the string) and the sinker (a weight attached to the line to keep it under water)

See also: and, sinker

off the hook

having avoided a difficult situation He's just happy to be off the hook on that harassment charge.

Usage notes: often used with the verbs get or let: She got him off the hook by lending him her class notes.

ring off the hook

to receive an extremely large number of telephone calls The box office phones were ringing off the hook all day.

Etymology: based on the idea of having the telephone ring so much it causes the part you hold in your hand to fall off the part it rests on

See also: ring