happy hunting ground

A utopia. Used by Native Americans to describe the afterlife. The annual car swap meet is a happy hunting ground for automotive enthusiasts. I'm sorry, but no town is going to be a happy hunting ground. We have to take the good with the bad wherever we live.

See also: ground, happy, hunting

headhunt

To recruit employees for a business or corporation. Yes, I'm currently headhunting, but none of the candidates I've interviewed so far has wowed me. That big company enlisted me to headhunt for them, and I think I've found them the perfect match! When I headhunt, I know I have to sell candidates on the job and the company, but it's a delicate balance—I can't push too hard either.

hunt after (someone or something)

To search or look for someone or something. Please try not to worry too much—the police are hunting after the suspect right now. A: "Hey, I'm hunting after some wrapping paper." B: "Oh, that's in the drawer over here." I'm hunting after my math textbook. Have you seen it anywhere?

hunt and peck

1. noun A method of typing in which one seeks out and presses each letter on the keyboard individually, especially using only one's index fingers to do so. Often hyphenated as "hunt-and-peck." Hunt-and-peck was the only way my grandmother knew, because she just couldn't develop the muscle memory to remember where each letter was on the keyboard. If you want to be my assistant, you've got to ditch the hunt and peck. I can't sit around waiting for you to find each letter while I'm dictating a memo! Come on, Dad, we've had a computer for decades. Why are you still doing the hunt and peck?

2. verb To type on a keyboard in such a manner. The new intern clearly doesn't have much computer experience. Watching him hunt and peck his way through each email is just excruciating! I don't know how she churns out so much material, given the fact that she still hunts and pecks! Kids don't hunt and peck anymore—it's like they come out of the womb knowing how to use a keyboard!

hunt down

1. To pursue and find someone or something. A noun or pronoun can be used between "hunt" and "down." The police have vowed to hunt down the perpetrators of this crime. If you hurt my daughter, I'll hunt you down, you hear me? I have to hunt down my engagement ring before my husband finds out I misplaced it—again.

2. To search for someone or something. A noun or pronoun can be used between "hunt" and "down." I'm trying to hunt down an extra cookie pan, but I've been unsuccessful so far. Hey, can you help me hunt down some missing files? You're still hunting down your math textbook?

hunt for (someone or something)

1. To engage in the sport of hunting. Last I heard, they were going out to hunt for quail. No way am I going into the woods with you guys! I have no desire to hunt for innocent animals! You've never hunted for deer before? OK, so you're not from around here, huh?

2. To search for someone or something. I'm hunting for an extra cookie pan, but I can't find a thing in all this mess! Hey, can you help me hunt for some missing files? You're still hunting for your math textbook?

hunt high and low (for someone or something)

To look absolutely everywhere for someone or something. We've been hunting high and low for an apartment we can afford, but the housing market in this town is atrocious. I hunted high and low, but I couldn't find my passport anywhere. A: "You still haven't found your math book?" B: "No, and I've hunted high and low!"

hunt out

To seek out or search for someone or something. A noun or pronoun can be used between "hunt" and "out." Thanks to your description of his physical appearance, the police were able to hunt out the suspect. I'll need a phone book. Sarah, could you go hunt one out for me, please? I say we start hunting out a new manufacturing partner.

hunt the gowk

To play a prank on someone on April 1 (April Fool's Day). A "gowk" is a fool. Primarily heard in Scotland. Watch out, John always hunts the gowk on April 1. If you find some strange message on your desk during the course of the day, that's why. A: "I've got a great plan to hunt the gowk—stay tuned." B: "Hey, you have to tell me what it is in advance, so I'm not one of the fools!" A: "Ah, there's Jenny. OK, it's time to hunt the gowk!" B: "Ugh, I can't watch you play a joke on this poor girl."

hunt through (something) (for something)

To dig or rummage aimlessly in or through some cluttered place or collection of things in order to find something. I caught my brother hunting through my purse again. A raccoon was hunting through the dumpster for something to eat. We spent the whole afternoon hunting through old photographs of Granny Mary, picking the best ones for her memorial service.

hunt up

1. To engage in a lengthy search to attempt to locate someone or something. A noun or pronoun can be used between "hunt" and "up." Hey, look at this! I hunted those pins up that you were looking for. The company is going to be hunting up a new PR manager soon. I have to hunt up my engagement ring before my husband finds out I misplaced it—again.

2. To contact someone, typically when you are in the area where they live. A noun or pronoun can be used between "hunt" and "up." Be sure to hunt me up if you're ever in New York. You should hunt up Aunt Maureen when you're out West. Should I hunt up that cute guy when I'm in San Francisco? He said he lives in the heart of the city.

hunting and pecking

A method of typing in which one seeks out and presses each letter on the keyboard individually, especially using only one's index fingers to do so. Hunting and pecking was the only way my grandmother knew, because she just couldn't develop the muscle memory to remember where each letter was on the keyboard. If you want to be my assistant, you've got to ditch the hunting and pecking. I can't sit around waiting for you to find each letter while I'm dictating a memo! Kids today don't even know what hunting and pecking is. It's like they come out of the womb knowing how to use a keyboard!

run with the hare and hunt with the hounds

1. To support or attempt to placate both sides of a conflict or dispute. Many have criticized the government of running with the hare and hunting with the hounds regarding the territorial dispute between the two nations.

2. To act duplicitously or hypocritically; to speak or act out against something while engaging or taking part in it. How can you be taken seriously as a reformer when you have continued to accept gifts? You can't run with the hare and hunt with the hounds, Senator.

See also: and, hare, hound, hunt, run

the/(one's) old hunting grounds

1. Literally, a location where one used to frequently hunt. After five years in protective captivity, the tiger returned instinctively to her old hunting grounds when released back into the wild. It's good to be back in the old hunting grounds after so many years. This is where my pa taught me how to shoot.

2. A location where one used to frequently seek out or search for something. When I started getting into treasure hunting, my uncle took me out to his old hunting grounds to test out my new metal detector. Back in the day, we used to find tons of fossils here, but the old hunting grounds are pretty tapped out these days.

hunt someone or something down

1. to chase and catch someone or something. I don't know where Amy is, but I'll hunt her down. I'll find her. I will hunt down the villain.

2. to locate someone or something. I don't have a big enough gasket. I'll have to hunt one down. I have to hunt down a good dentist.

hunt someone or something out

to find someone or something even if concealed. We will hunt them all out and find every last one of those guys. We will hunt out all of them. They hunted out the murderer.

in quest of someone or something

and in search of someone or something

seeking or hunting something; trying to find something. They went into town in quest of a reasonably priced restaurant. Monday morning I'll go out in search of a job.

run with the hare and hunt with the hounds

Fig. to support both sides of a dispute. In our office politics, Sally always tries to run with the hare and hunt with the hounds, telling both the clerical workers and the management that she thinks they should prevail.

See also: and, hare, hound, hunt, run

happy hunting ground

A place where one can find or do what one wishes without restriction. For example, The North Shore is a happy hunting ground for antique collectors. This term alludes to the Native American idea of an afterlife where hunters find unlimited game. [Early 1800s]

See also: ground, happy, hunting

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.

run with the hare and hunt with the hounds

BRITISH, LITERARY

If someone runs with the hare and hunts with the hounds, they try to support both sides in an argument or fight. They want to keep the peace and have everybody happy. For this reason they learn very quickly to run with the hares and hunt with the hounds. Note: A hound is a dog that has been bred for hunting.

See also: and, hare, hound, hunt, run

Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012

happy hunting ground

a place where success or enjoyment is obtained.

This phrase originally referred to the optimistic hope of Native Americans that the afterlife will be spent in a country where there are good hunting grounds.

1991 Antique Collector With Old Master drawings still considered an undervalued genre, this should prove a happy hunting ground for those in search of a bargain.

See also: ground, happy, hunting

run with the hare and hunt with the hounds

try to remain on good terms with both sides in a conflict or dispute. British

This expression has been in use since the mid 15th century.

See also: and, hare, hound, hunt, run

a happy ˈhunting ground

(humorous) a very good place to find what you want: The Sunday antique market is a happy hunting ground for collectors.

See also: ground, happy, hunting

run with the ˌhare and hunt with the ˈhounds

try to remain friendly with both sides in a quarrel: I know you want to keep everyone happy, but I’m afraid you can’t run with the hare and hunt with the hounds on this issue.

See also: and, hare, hound, hunt, run

hunt down

1. To pursue, track, or search for something or someone: The panther hunted down the deer. The police hunted the kidnappers down.

2. To find something or someone after a long or difficult search: I hunted down my watch—it was at the bottom of my sock drawer. After two weeks, the detectives finally hunted the suspect down.

happy hunting ground

Heaven; a place of abundance, replete with what one wants. The idea comes from the beliefs of Native American tribes that after death they will go to a paradise with an abundance of game and therefore always have enough to eat. The term appears in the works of James Fenimore Cooper and other writers on Indian subjects. As Cooper wrote in The Pathfinder (1840), “‘Do the dead of the savages ever walk?’ demanded Cap. ‘Ay, and run, too, in their happy hunting grounds.’” Later the term became a euphemism for death, and still later it was transferred to any place of abundant treasures.

See also: ground, happy, hunting

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