General
hames
What does hames mean?
A mess or botch. To 'make a hames of' something is to do it very badly or ineptly.
"He made a right hames of painting the fence."
Origin
From 'hames', the curved wood/metal pieces of a horse collar (via Middle Dutch); the collar was easily put on upside down, giving 'to make a hames of'.
Frequently asked questions
What does 'make a hames of' mean?
It means to make a mess of something or botch it — to do something very badly.
Where does 'hames' come from?
From 'hames', the curved parts of a horse collar (via Middle Dutch). Because the collar was easily fitted upside down, 'making a hames of' it came to mean botching a job.
How do you use hames?
Describe a badly done job, e.g. 'He made a right hames of painting the fence.'
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