half of it

Idioms and Phrases

Only part of something, as in You saw them together, but that's just the half of it; she's moved in with him . This phrase, signifying the most important portion (more than half), is often put negatively as not the half of it , as in You thought they played badly? That's not the half of it, because they've been kicked out of the league . [First half of 1900s]