stand on one’s own two feet—(also: stand on one’s own feet) be independent and able to take care of oneself: I want to be able to stand on my own two feet without my parents telling me what to do. have bowels • have the guts have bowels—(dated) have compassion or sympathy: I am a man that can feel for my neighbors. I have bowels — yes I have bowels. have the guts—(coll., also: have guts) 1. be a tough, coura- geous type of person: A boy’s got to have guts to make his way in this rat race of a modern world. 2. be insolent enough to do smth.: You abandoned her. How could you have the guts to show your face again? have egg on one’s chin • have egg on one’s face have egg on one’s chin—(euph.) used as a caution to a man having his trouser zip undone: After the game John came up to the bar with his flies undone. “You have egg on your chin , John,” said Gus. have egg on one’s face—(coll.) look foolish; be embarrassed: Gallacher has had some difficult tasks being in Opposition, and he has had egg on his face on a number of occasions. have eyes in the back of one’s head • have one’s head screwed on backwards have eyes in the back of one’s head—said of the ability to know what happens even if one is not looking: I remember thinking my mom must have eyes in the back of her head when she would know what I was doing without even turning around to see. have one’s head screwed on backwards—lack common sense; behave in a strange and irrational way: I had my head screwed on backwards when I was packing my things, so I left all my Baltimore telephone numbers in my desk in Towson! Cf.: have one’s head screwed on the right way—(also: have one’s head screwed on right) be wise and sensible; act in a reasonable way: The general remark was that Colin had his head screwed on the right way and that some day he would come out on top. have fun with someone • make fun of someone have fun with someone—1. enjoy a good time in the company of others: Ashlyn was a girl who just wanted to have fun with her friends, play sports, and everything else a girl would do. 2. derive pleasure from ridiculing or taunting a person: They were about to have some fun with “the old man,” as they gen- erally called the Captain. 3. (euph.) used with sexual impli- cation: The communications contained overtures for a meeting and indications that he wanted to “have fun” with her. make fun of someone—find smb. amusing; make a person appear ridiculous: I don’t understand why you’re always mak - ing fun of me. have hot pants • wear hot pants have hot pants —(sl.) be excited with sexual desire: Genaro smiled and winked at me. “I understand that you’ve got hot pants for her,” he said. wear hot pants—(sl.) wear tight fitting shorts: The lineup also included Charlie’s pretty daughter Wanda, wearing hot pants , who sang a mixture of songs. have it • have it in one have it—1. get or find the answer to smth.: “I have it ,” said the student after a long pause. 2. hear or get news: I have it that the new president will be coming to see us. 3. (Perfect Tense) is used to say that one cannot tolerate it anymore: Let them know you have had it with their insufficient perform- ance. have it in one—be intelligent; have a natural ability for smth.: I know well that I have it in me to make my name famous. See also: one will have it / one won’t have it. have it away with someone • have it out with someone have it away with someone —(sl.) have sex with a person (also: have it off with someone): No one would dream of having it away with his mistress. Note: The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase have it away on one’s toes—(UK sl.) escape, run away: Terry too had evaded the guard and in today’s parlance “had it away on his toes .” have it out with someone—discuss the matter with smb. in order to settle a dispute, misunderstanding, etc.: You must have this out with Emmeline, find how she stands with this young man and strongly discourage the whole affair. have it good • have the worst of it have it good —have enough money; be comfortably off: Mr. Goss said employers should realise that they had it good in Queensland compared with other states. have the worst of it—1. suffer the most harm: We had the worst of it back there across the swamps — working up to our waists in water. 2. (Sport) be defeated: I would have had the worst of it in a sprint against Bettini, but I had the nerve against the other men. have it large • make it big have it large—(UK sl., also: large it up) go out and enjoy oneself, typically with drink or drugs: I was out last night till the very early hours of the morning having it large . make it big—(coll.) become successful and famous: If you want to make it big as a musician in the United States, the festival in Austin is a good place to start. have it made • have made it have it made —(coll.) be assured of success: Michael thought he had it made when he landed a job as a big band singer. have made it—have achieved what one intended or hoped to do: The sales charts showed we had made it , and big. have it over someone • have the edge over someone have it over someone—(also: have it all over someone) be supe- rior to a person; be better than smb.: She is not my boss but she likes to think she has it over me because I happen to be a lot younger. have the edge over someone—(also: have the edge on someone) have an advantage over a person: The only thing I envy the Asian communities is their extended Family system, that is where they have the edge over us. have money to spend • have spending money have money to spend—have plenty of money at one’s dis- posal: She’s a really happy woman now because for once she’s got money to spend . have spending money—have some cash for small personal needs: Make sure your child has spending money . All children need to have some discretionary funds at their disposal. have no conscience about something • have some- thing on one’s conscience have no conscience about something—have no scruples about smth. morally wrong: They have no conscience about the plight of the poor; and although they talk patriotically, they treat the country like a colony to be exploited. have something on one’s conscience—feel guilty about smth. one has done or failed to do: And now he had Jergensen’s – 167 – have no conscience about something