get hold of (oneself)

get hold of (oneself)

To regain control of one's emotions and/or behavior. Get hold of yourself and stop arguing over minor details! We're nearly finished negotiating this thing. I was afraid Stu wasn't going to be able to get hold of himself after that outburst.

See also: get, hold, of

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

get hold of

Grasp, obtain; also, get in touch with. For example, If you can just get hold of one end, I'll get the other, or Jane had no luck getting hold of the book she needed, or I've phoned a dozen times but I can't seem to get hold of him. [c. 1300] Also see lay hold of.

See also: get, hold, of

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.

get hold of

1. To come into possession of; find: Where can I get hold of a copy?

2. To communicate with, as by telephone: tried to get hold of you but the line was busy.

3. To gain control of. Often used reflexively: You must get hold of yourself!

See also: get, hold, of

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.