halves
(one's) better half
One's spouse or romantic partner. I'd love to come out with you guys after work, but I'd better check in with my better half to make sure we don't have any plans for this evening. The work retreat is meant to be for couples, so be sure to bring your better half!
See also: better, half
(one's) other half
One's spouse, romantic partner, or boyfriend/girlfriend. I'd love to come out to the bars with you after work, but I'd better check in with my other half to make sure we don't have any plans for this evening. The work retreat is meant to be for couples, so be sure to bring your other half!
See also: half, other
at half-mast
Partially raised or lowered. The phrase most often describes a flag that has been lowered to honor a recently-deceased person. After our former president died, flags were at half-mast all across the country. My daughter came home from the park covered in dirt, her ponytail at half-mast.
be a game of two halves
sports cliché In football (soccer), to have one team outplay the other in the first half of the game, only to be outplayed themselves in the second half. Used especially in sports reporting and analysis. In a stunning conclusion, Barcelona has overcome a four-goal deficit at half-time to defeat Real Madrid! It truly was a game of two halves.
See also: game, halves, of, two
by halves
Half-heartedly or only partially. You kids need to clean your rooms today, and don't do it by halves—I want every last toy picked up!
See also: by, halves
do (something) by halves
To do something half-heartedly or only partially. You kids need to clean your rooms today, and don't do it by halves—I want every last toy picked up!
See also: by, halves
football's a game of two halves
proverb In football (soccer), the fortunes of each team can reverse dramatically between the two 45-minute halves of play. Used especially in sports reporting and analysis. Barcelona has overcome a four-goal deficit to defeat Real Madrid. Football really is a game of two halves.
See also: game, halves, of, two
go halves
To share the cost of something equally between two people. We each had about the same amount to eat and drink, so let's go halves on the bill. I'm pretty broke, but I'll go halves with you on a bottle of wine.
See also: go, halves
never do things by halves
Never do anything half-heartedly or without effort. My parents constantly told me to never do things by halves, so I always try my hardest in school and aim for straight A's.
See also: by, halves, never, thing
not do anything by halves
To not do anything half-heartedly or without maximum effort. Of course Stephanie always gets straight A's—she just can't do anything by halves.
See also: anything, by, halves, not
not do things by halves
To not do anything half-heartedly or without effort. Of course Stephanie always gets straight A's—she just can't do things by halves.
See also: by, halves, not, thing
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
at half-mast
and at half-staff[of a flag] halfway up or down its flagpole. The flag was flying at half-mast because the general had died. Americans fly flags at half-staff on Memorial Day.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
at half-mast
Halfway up or down, as in The church bells tolled off and on all day and the flags were at half-mast. This term refers to placing a flag halfway up a ship's mast or flagpole, a practice used as a mark of respect for a person who has died or, at sea, as a distress signal. Occasionally the term is transferred to other objects, as in Tom's pants were at half-mast as he raced around the playground, or The puppy's tail was at half-mast. [First half of 1600s]
by halves
Imperfectly, reluctantly, or half-heartedly, as in You really can't paint a portrait by halves. [Mid-1500s]
See also: by, halves
go halves
Also, go fifty-fifty. Share equally. For example, Ann suggested that they go halves on the rent, or The brothers are going fifty-fifty in their new business. The first term dates from the late 1600s, the variant from the early 1900s.
See also: go, halves
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
not do things by halves
If you do not do things by halves, you always do things very well and thoroughly or in an extreme way. Kim and Christopher Dunn are not a couple to do things by halves. When it came to furnishing their new home, they decided to completely redecorate the whole house. Note: You can also say that someone does not do anything by halves. Joe never did anything by halves. He regularly worked 12-hour days, was always in training for the next marathon and in his spare time, built his own house.
See also: by, halves, not, thing
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.
go halves (or shares)
share something equally.See also: go, halves
not do things by halves
do things thoroughly or extravagantly.See also: by, halves, not, thing
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
do nothing/not do anything by ˈhalves
do whatever you do completely and thoroughly: She does nothing by halves. When she decided to write a book, it was 1 000 pages long.See also: anything, by, halves, not, nothing
go ˈhalves (with somebody)
,go ˌhalf and ˈhalf (with somebody)
(informal) share the total cost of something equally with somebody else: If you drive me up to Edinburgh, we’ll go halves on the petrol.See also: go, halves
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
by halves
In a reluctant manner; unenthusiastically.
See also: by, halves
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition.
- (one's) better half
- better half
- one’s better half
- one's better half
- so much the better
- all to the better
- all the better
- better half, my
- (one) (had) better be off
- make a better fist of (something)