higher

Related to higher: higher education

be higher than a kite

1. To be very intoxicated by alcohol or (especially) drugs. I tried tutoring him in math, but he was always higher than a kite when I came by.
2. To be elated or euphorically happy. I was higher than a kite when I found out I got into Stanford.
See also: higher, kite

higher than a cat's back

1. Very expensive. I'm sorry, but I refuse to spend my hard-earned money on clothes that are higher than a cat's back. They're just clothes—secondhand ones do me just fine.
2. dated slang Drunk. In my day, it was gauche for a man to get higher than a cat's back at the bar. Now, that's just a Saturday night for most people.
See also: back, higher

higher than a kite

1. Very intoxicated by alcohol or (especially) drugs. I tried tutoring him in math, but he was always higher than a kite when I came by.
2. Elated; euphorically happy. I was higher than a kite when I found out I got into my first choice school.
See also: higher, kite

higher than Gilderoy's kite

Extremely high; so high that it can hardly be seen. "Gilderoy" was the nickname of notorious 17th-century highwayman Patrick MacGregor, who was hanged at a time when the height of the gallows corresponded to the severity of a criminal's misdeeds. Thus, MacGregor was hanged higher than his accomplices—like a kite in the sky. Why did you put the dishes on a shelf higher than Gilderoy's kite? You know I can't reach anything up there! A: "Can you see the plane?" B: "It's higher than Gilderoy's kite! All I see is a tiny speck!"
See also: higher, kite

higher-ups

People who are especially important, influential, and authoritative, often in comparison to oneself. I don't have the authority to make a decision like that—you'll have to talk to one of the higher-ups. Did you hear that the higher-ups want us to wear uniforms now?

modulate to (some other) key

To transition from one musical key to another. The skilled composer can modulate to a higher or lower key without the listener even noticing.
See also: key, modulate

move (something) into a higher gear

To begin to act or do something in a more energetic, vigorous, or effective manner than previously. Likened to a vehicle, such as a car or bike, using a higher gear to attain greater speed or power. They're going to have to move things into a higher gear if they want to beat the returning champions. I notice that you've really moved into a higher gear with your work lately. Great job!
See also: gear, higher, move

rank higher than (one)

To have a higher rank or position than one in a business, government, or military hierarchy. Well, I technically rank higher than Sarah, but we operate more like equals in the office. He ranks higher than you, so you'd better do what he says.
See also: higher, rank

set a high/low bar

To establish an expected, required, or desired (but ultimately constrictive) standard of quality. A: "At this point, I'm willing to go out with just about any guy, so long as he isn't living in his parents' basement." B: "Don't you think you're setting a bit of a low bar?" While you shouldn't take just any job you can get after college, be sure not to set too high a bar for an entry level job, or you may have trouble landing one at all.
See also: bar, high, low, set

set the bar (high/low)

To establish an expected, required, or desired standard of quality. (Often said of a standard that is constrictive in being either too low or too high). A: "At this point, I'm willing to go out with just about any guy, so long as he isn't living in his parents' basement." B: "Don't you think you're setting the bar a little low?" While you shouldn't take just any job you can get after college, be sure not to set the bar too high for an entry level job, or you may have trouble landing one at all. I hear that the new restaurant around the corner really sets the bar for exquisite seafood.
See also: bar, set
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

move (something) into a higher gear

If someone or something moves into a higher gear or if someone moves it into a higher gear, people act with more energy and effort or something starts to be done with more energy and effort. Note: The image in the following idioms is of driving a car. The road-building programme has moved into a higher gear. Now he has moved into a higher gear, launching two new companies in the US. After moving the country's war preparations into a higher gear, the prime minister is taking a weekend break. Note: Other verbs such as shift or switch are sometimes used instead of move. Cancer research could shift into a higher gear thanks to these new findings.
See also: gear, higher, move
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

high ups

and higher ups
n. the people in charge. One of the higher ups is coming down to talk to you.
See also: high, UPS

higher ups

verb
See high ups
See also: higher, UPS
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions
See also:
  • be higher than a kite
  • higher than a kite
  • be as high as a kite
  • be out of (one's) skull
  • skull
  • get stupid
  • be out of (one's) face
  • be out of (one's) brain
  • out of (one's) brain
  • snaved
References in periodicals archive
Union National Bank ended 0.36 per cent higher at Dh5.52.
Talks of possible merger boost Shuaa's shares; value jumps 12-fold
Moreover, despite HEC regulatory policies and rules, higher education as a commercial commodity is being traded at numerous price levels by the private higher education institutions in Pakistan, which have no objective of social welfare of society.
An Instrumental Perspective of Higher Education in Pakistan: From Public Good to Commercial Commodity
'Entities and cantons have the right to enact laws on education, including higher education, and now in terms of legal regulations, we have non-uniform regulations.
Roundable on challenges faced by higher education in BiH
Total assets of all commercial banks stood at Rs17,300.741bn, higher by 3.71pc over previous week's figure of Rs16,682.124bn, while total assets of specialised banks at Rs293.235bn were higher 2.52pc over the previous week's Rs.286.020bn.
Bank deposits increase by 3.32pc
Global sales of Jaguar Land Rover in March 2012 were at 36,471 vehicles, higher by 51 percent over March 2011.
Tata Motors Group global wholesales at 139,655 vehicles in March
Stuart David Tam Kilmarnock v Motherwell Lower Higher Lower Dundee Utd v Inverness Higher Higher Higher Hamilton v St Johnstone Higher Lower Lower Hearts v St Mirren Lower Lower Higher Falkirk v Dundee Lower Higher Lower Celtic v Rangers Lower Higher Higher
The challenge
In September 2009, the unemployment rate for France was 10 per cent, 0.2 percentage point higher than the previous month and two percentage points higher than a year earlier.
OECD unemployment rate stable at 8.6 per cent in September 2009
In the Euro area, the unemployment rate was 8.9% in March, 0.2 percentage point higher than the previous month and 1.7 percentage points higher than the same period last year.
Global unemployment rises: OCED
The National Protocols for Higher Education Approval Processes (the "National Protocols") are a key element of the national quality assurance framework for Australian higher education.
National Protocols for Higher Education Approval Processes
Higher ed "will be an important topic in public policy discussions at the federal and state levels," said a statement from the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU).
Shaping the issues: political changes impact higher ed agendas
Consistent concentrate is essential to getting higher loadings into film, says Heritage Bags' Ruiz.
More filler, less resin: bag films load up to cut costs
Recent literature has focused on individual success associated with followers gaining compliance from leaders in a higher organizational level (c.f.
Upward influence and grades in higher education
Overall, the prevalence of having rarely or never worn a seat belt was higher among male (12.5%) than female (7.8%) students; higher among white male (11.5%), black male (17.7%), and Hispanic male (12.5%) than white female (7.2%), black female (9.4%), and Hispanic female (8.7%) students, respectively; and higher among 9th-grade male (13.0%), 11th-grade male (13.2%), and 12th-grade male (14.1%) than 9th-grade female (8.7%), 11th-grade female (7.1%), and 12th-grade female (7.5%) students, respectively.
Youth risk behavior surveillance--United States, 2005
(1) However, black women had a higher rate of stillbirth than white women, and blacks who had had a cesarean were more likely to have a stillbirth than were blacks who had delivered vaginally A second study by the same team of researchers using the same data found that the rate of stillbirth in the second pregnancy was higher for those who had had a stillbirth than for those who had not.
Blacks have a greater risk of stillbirth than whites following a cesarean, and higher stillbirth recurrence