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Apr 22, 2024 · What does the idiom "have at it" mean? "Have at it" is an expression used to encourage someone to proceed with an action, often with enthusiasm or without restraint. It implies permission or an invitation to engage in a particular activity.
To strike or attack someone or something. The two boys had at each other until the teacher arrived to break up the fight. 2. To attempt or try to do something. Now that finals are over, I need to have at cleaning up my room. 3. To do something with energy and enthusiasm.
Dec 21, 2010 · In modern usage, to have at is to attempt, to go ahead, or to attack physically. I suspect it comes from a shortening of the phrase have a go (at), which is used in the very same situations. Have at it means try (to do) it, have at thee! announces an attack in Shakespearian English, and he had at her with a knife means he attacked her with it.
- In modern usage, to have at is to attempt , to go ahead , or to attack physically . I suspect it comes from a shortening of the phrase have a...
- Straitdope's forum suggests The phrase "have at avail" means to have at an advantage and the earliest citation is to Malory (Le Morte D'Arthur) in...
- The OED dates "have at" to the 14th century: V 27 b. intransitive. With at. To go at, esp. aggressively or forcefully; to tackle or attack; (also...
Jan 18, 2013 · "Have at you" is the last and only warning you are going to get before being attacked. It means "arm yourself," in a somewhat similar sense as the term "en garde." When they say "have at you," they mean something like, "[you had better/I am warning you to] have [arms] at (i.e. with or about) you."
- Webster's 3rd New Int'l Dictionary gives it as have at to go at or deal with, usu. hostilely
- "Have at you" seems to be an elliptic formula from fencing comparable to French "En garde!". So I would assume that after "have" a noun is lacking,...
- Clearly this was formulaic as in the FR "en guarde", but suspect the confusion is due to an alternative meaning of "have". Could be "heft" or "hea...
- No one has mentioned "have a go at" as in "why are you having a go at me?" Possibly where the verb has been reinstated where sense seemed to be nee...
- It's a corruption of ' Habet! ', which means ' Has it! ' or ' Has had it! ' In ancient Roman gladiatorial combat, when the winning blow was struck...
- Sounds to me like our modern version of "Take that!".
Nov 11, 2011 · Is “be at it” an idiom, or simple combination of words, i.e. “They’ve been at it (the same place, status, position, level, relationship)”?
"have at it" is a correct and usable phrase in written English. It typically means to go ahead and try something, or to do something enthusiastically. For example: "I have a project that needs to be finished by tomorrow.
May 1, 2024 · : doing some activity. I didn't expect her to have started working yet, but she was already (hard) at it when I arrived. My neighbors are always arguing, and they were at it again last night. Examples of at it in a Sentence.
