hole in one
In golf, to get the ball into the hole after hitting it only once. A: "I can't believe I got a hole in one!" B: "Eh, beginner's luck." My husband got a hole in one at his buddy's golf outing, and I've never seen him so excited! A: "What's all the screaming about?" B: "I think someone got a hole in one."
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
hole in one
1. Lit. an instance of hitting a golf ball from the tee to the hole in only one try. (From the game of golf.) John made a hole in one yesterday. I've never gotten a hole in one.
2. Fig. an instance of succeeding the first time. It worked the first time I tried it—a hole in one. Bob got a hole in one on that sale. A lady walked in the door, and he sold her a car in five minutes.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
hole in one
A perfect achievement, as in Tim scored a hole in one on that test. The term alludes to a perfect stroke in golf, where one drives the ball from the tee into the hole with a single stroke. [c. 1900]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.