have (something) coming
had it coming
Deserved it, often due to one's poor or foolish behavior. The phrase is used when one is unsympathetic to someone who has suffered a hardship. I'm not surprised to hear that Amy broke up with Jack—he was always so rude to her that he definitely he had it coming.
See also: coming
have (something) coming
To deserve a particular consequence or benefit. A: "Why did you fight with that kid in the school yard?" B: "Because he's a bully to everyone else! He had it coming." You had this raise coming for a long time, with all the work you've done for our department.
See also: coming, have
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
have something coming (to one)
to deserve punishment (for something). Bill broke a window, so he has a spanking coming to him. That's it, Bill. Now you've got it coming!
See also: coming, have
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
have it coming
Deserve what one receives, as in You may not like being reprimanded, but you have to admit you had it coming, or When he won the Nobel Prize, everyone said he'd had it coming for a long time. [c. 1900]
See also: coming, have
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
have (something) coming
To deserve what one receives: You had that reprimand coming for a very long time.
See also: coming, have
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition.
- had it coming
- have it/that coming
- hard cheddar
- hard cheese
- tough cheddar
- tough cheese
- stiff cheddar
- stiff cheese
- a right one
- fool and his money are soon parted, a