make a hit
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Also, be a hit. Achieve (or be) a success, especially a popular one, as in She made a big hit in this performance, or In out-of-town tryouts the play was already a hit. This seemingly modern term, which transfers the literal meaning of hit as “a stroke or blow,” has been around since the early 1800s. It was used then, as now, for theatrical performances, books, songs, and the like
In underworld slang, commit a murder, as in Known for his deadly accuracy, he was about to make his third hit. This usage also has been extended to such terms as hit list, a roster of persons to be killed, and hit man, a killer who is usually hired by someone else. [Second half of 1900s]
QUIZ
THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?
Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
Question 1 of 7
In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…
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The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.