over someone's head

over someone's head
*over someone's head
1. Fig. [of the intellectual content of something] too difficult for someone to understand. (*Typically: be \over someone's head; go \over someone's head; pass \over someone's head.) •

All that talk about computers went over my head.

•

I hope my lecture didn't go over the students' heads.

2. and *over someone; *abovesomeone Fig. to an authority higher than someone. (*Typically: be \over someone's head; go \over someone's head.) •

I don't want to have to go over your head, but I will if necessary.

•

I had to go over Fran to get it done.

•

My boss wouldn't listen to my complaint, so I went above her.


Dictionary of American idioms. 2013.

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Look at other dictionaries:

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  • over someone's head — 1》 (also above someone s head) beyond someone s ability to understand. 2》 without consultation or involvement. → head …   English new terms dictionary

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  • go over (someone's) head — 1. to deal with someone at a higher level. I would occasionally go over my manager s head to complain to the top financial officer. 2. to fail to understand something. She was being sarcastic, but he took her seriously the joke totally went over… …   New idioms dictionary

  • (a) sword of Damocles hangs over someone's head — a sword of Damocles hangs over (someone s) head literary, literary if a sword of Damocles hangs over someone, they are in a situation where something bad is likely to happen to them very soon. You live with this sword of Damocles hanging over… …   New idioms dictionary

  • go over someone's head — 1) to go to a more important or powerful person in order to get what you want I was furious that he went over my head and complained to my manager. 2) to be too difficult for someone to understand A lot of what was said in the meeting went right… …   English dictionary

  • be hanging over someone's head — threaten to affect someone at any moment. → head …   English new terms dictionary

  • hold over someone's head — verb To harp on; to remind continuously (especially of a misstep or defeat) I get one parking ticket and he holds it over my head for six months. See Also: hold, hold over …   Wiktionary

  • go over someone's head — verb To take up an issue with another persons boss or other superior rather than beginning or continuing to deal with the original person. She went over his head and took her complaint directly to the president of the company …   Wiktionary

  • be hanging over someone's head — (of something unpleasant) threaten to affect someone at any moment …   Useful english dictionary

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