Expressions in English with the word 'Head'.

Tip No.8 ) Here you can see the amazing uses in English for the word ‘Head’.
The word is very basic, but we have a rich collection of expressions with ‘head’
and the word also combines with many others as you will see.
The first point to make is that the word ‘head’ is a noun. However, we also use
the word as a verb and a lot of people don’t know this. Perhaps it is a little more
colloquial, but the frequency of the use is very high. So, basically, we can say: ‘I
am heading to the shop’. This example is with the verb ‘to head’ in the present
continuous verb form. The meaning is ‘to go’, I am going to the shop. This is a
very important use because it is very frequent and I am sure you will hear it.
The list of expressions in the graphic is not extensive, and here is one I did not
include. However, we use this expression a lot also. People frequently say
‘keep your head’. The meaning is to stay calm, be composed, don’t be angry
nor do anything you normally would not do. For instance, you are late for a
meeting and you are stuck in traffic, you can either decide to be angry and
impatient or you can stay calm, keep your head and accept you cannot do much
to improve the situation.
The first noun on the list is a headbanger. This is a very humorous word. The
word is very informal, slang and I am not sure if this word will be understood
everywhere. But, in Ireland, the word is certainly commonly used. So, to
understand the word, you need to understand the verb ‘to bang’. To bang is
similar to ‘to hit’. Bang on the door for instance, I banged my head, I have a
banging headache (a little informal, s strong headache). Therefore, a
headbanger can mean a person who is not very calm and not rational. It is
possible this person is very unpredictable, risky and does dangerous activities
perhaps. According to the Oxford Dictionary, this word was not really in
existence until approximately the 1960s and then the use grew dramatically.
Similarly, a head case is used in the same way as a headbanger. Again, these
terms are very informal, colloquial but you will certainly hear them in relaxed
friendly environments in humorous ways. This structure is used in other
scenarios. For instance, you can say something is a ‘special case’. This literally
means the situation is maybe unique. An example, Matthew’s exam result was
a special case because he was ill. creatively, this can also be used as a slight
insult.
Furthermore, an empty head, without any doubt, is an expression that can be
used as an insult. The significance is very clear. The word empty is quite basic
and I expect most people to know it. Therefore if you say a person has an
empty head, of course, you are saying that there is no activity, no thought, no
creativity, no intelligence etc. There is no positivity in this term. However, the
word is often used as a mild insult and is not considered very strong, of course
depending on the tone and situation.
The next word, a head honcho, is ubiquitously used from my experience.
Having said that, like a lot of these words, I would have never heard a learner of
English use this word. I suspect most people that grew up in an English
speaking environment will have heard this word. Basically, the word means the
boss, the woman or man responsible, the person who makes the decision. He
or she is the head honcho.
Those first four words are very common for me to have heard. I have grown up
in an English speaking environment and these words are not rare. The four are
quite informal, colloquial and quite slang. The rest of the words on this list are
more neutral and general.
The next expression may appear in many other languages I imagine. The
meaning is logical. If a person has an old head on young shoulders, the person
is considered mature, more mature than their actual age. For example, Vivienne
is a teenager, however she is very sensible and responsible, more than her
peers. In this case, from Vivienne’s behaviour we can say she has an old head
on young shoulders.
If you have ‘a head for heights’ this means that you are comfortable and calm in
high altitudes. This expression is important because we can use it in other
contexts in a similar way. You may hear a person has a good head for numbers,
this means they have strong mathematical skills.
Similar to the case with Vivienne, we can also say Vivienne has her head
screwed on. Because, when a person is a little wild or even angry we can say
the person ‘lost their head’ and made bad decisions. However, if you have your
head screwed on, you are very aware, alert and you make sensible decisions.
I think this next expression will be similar in a lot of other languages. If a person
has their head in the clouds, this person is considered to be unrealistic and a
dreamer. If a person gives an opinion, but you believe the opinion or idea is
maybe ridiculous, unrealistic and not possible, this is the perfect moment to say
that you think the person’s head is in the clouds. Again, you may need to be
careful, because one can interpret this phrase as an insult.
A person can have their head in the sand. Like an ostrich, the person does not
want to see the news, know the information nor see anybody. Therefore, to
avoid everything, the person puts their head in the sand, metaphorically. This
expression is very well known and widely used.
A person can have a head start. A head start probably originated from athletics.
Imagine, you have two athletes in a race. One athlete is definitely slower than
the other. So, to make the competition more interesting and closer, the slower
athlete may receive a 10metre head start. Therefore, the slower athlete has an
advantage at the beginning. We use this expression across many sectors and
situations. The expression is very well known.
The penultimate expression is to head hunt. This is a creative verb because the
main verb is to hunt. This is common when a man or a woman searched for an
animal to kill and eat. But, creatively we say to headhunt. The head refers to a
worker. Therefore, when a company are searching for a suitable candidate,
often, the companies approaches the person directly instead of waiting or
hoping that the person will apply by themselves. This expression is also a well-
know and widely used term.
Finally, we have the adjective ‘level-headed’. Similar to Vivienne, when she was
considered an old head on young shoulders and that she had her head screwed
on. Perhaps, we can say that Vivienne is a very level-headed person. This term
may be seen in sports too. When a sports person is very successful, they
inevitable receive a lot of attention and affection. Some sports people become
more important in their own view, here with the sense of elevation. However, if
the sports person behaves humbly and does not indulge in the attention, people
may say the person is very level headed.
And that is it, as I said at the beginning, this list is not exclusive. There may
certainly a few other expressions that are used in English with the word ‘head’.
As you can see, the basic word head has been incorporated into many different
contexts with other words in English creatively.