harp

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Related to harp: Haarp

harp away at (someone or something)

To complain about or dwell upon someone or something repeatedly and to the point of tediousness. Mark is always harping away at how little money he makes. I wish he would come up with something new to talk about! You need to stop harping away at your boss and just quit already! It was one mistake—why do you keep harping away at me about it?

harp on (one) (about something)

To nag one persistently and annoyingly about some issue. It was one mistake—why do you keep harping on me about it? Tom's been harping on us to get the alpha build ready for testing. The more you harp on me about cleaning my room, the less I want to do it.

See also: harp, on

harp on (something)

To continue to mention or complain about some issue in a persistent and irritating manner. It was one mistake—why do you keep harping on it? I don't want to harp on this issue any longer, but I really need it to be resolved today. You can harp on your kids' messy rooms all you want, but it's not like they're suddenly gonna clean up.

See also: harp, on

harp on about (someone or something)

To continue to discuss, mention, or gripe about someone or something in a very persistent and irritating manner. He spent the whole date harping on about his research. I don't think he asked me about myself once! I don't want to harp on about this issue any longer, but I really need it to be resolved today. Sorry, I've harped on about the irritating people in my work for long enough.

See also: harp, on

harp on one string

To dwell tediously and repeatedly upon a single subject or topic, especially in complaint. Likened to playing the same note over and over again on a harp. Mark is always harping on one string about how little money he makes. I wish he would come up with something new to talk about! I get it, you don't like your job. Quit harping on one string! Come on, I know I made a mistake—there's no need to harp on one string about it!

harp on the same string

To dwell tediously and repeatedly upon a single subject or topic, especially in complaint. Likened to playing the same note over and over again on a harp. Mark is always harping on the same string about how little money he makes. I wish he would come up with something new to talk about! I get it, you don't like your job. Quit harping on the same string! Come on, I know I made a mistake—there's no need to harp on the same string about it!

keep harping on (someone or something)

1. To continue to discuss, mention, or gripe about something in a very persistent and irritating manner. I wish you would stop harping on my mistake. I said I was sorry! He said he liked the movie, but then he kept harping on all the problems he had with it.

2. To pester or harass someone frequently or continually (about something). My parents keep harping on me to try harder in school, but I just don't care about any of my classes. I don't want to keep harping on you about this issue, but I really need it to be resolved today.

keep harping on about (someone or something)

To continue to discuss, mention, or gripe about someone or something in a very persistent and irritating manner. My roommate keeps harping on about all the irritating people she works with. I wish she would just find a different job already. He just kept harping on about his various achievements throughout the whole date. I don't think he asked me about myself once! I don't want to keep harping on about this issue, but I really need it to be resolved today.

mouth harp

colloquial

1. A harmonica. My father can play all sorts of songs with his mouth harp, but I've never been able to make more than a few honks.

2. A Jew's harp. When I heard that distinctive twang, I realized that the performer had a mouth harp between his lips.

harp on someone or something

Fig. to keep talking or complaining about someone or something; to refer to someone or something again and again. I wish you would quit harping on Jeff all the time. He couldn't be all that bad. Stop harping on my mistakes and work on your own.

See also: harp, on

keep harping on something

to continue to talk or complain about something; to keep raising a topic of conversation. (See also harp on something.) Why do you keep harping on the same old complaint? You keep harping on my problems and ignore your own!

harp on

Dwell on; talk or write about to a tedious and excessive extent. For example, She kept harping on the fact that she had no household help at all. This expression is a shortening of harp on the same string, meaning "to play the same note over and over." It was first recorded in 1518.

See also: harp, on

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

harp on the same string

dwell tediously on one subject.

harp on

To talk about something to an excessive and tedious degree; dwell on something: Every day my teacher harps on the importance of getting to class on time.

See also: harp, on

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References in periodicals archive ?

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Some particularly innovative huntsmen of the time came up with the idea of adding a few more strings, transitioning their bows from weapons to harps and thereby creating the oldest known human-made instrument.

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HARP loans reach 3.38 million in 4Q

This is Class One 1 of a 5-part series that teaches Taoist and Chinese Medicine approaches to improvised harp music.

The Tao of Improv Workshop: The Basics of Healing Harp

Versions of the Jew's harp can be found in many parts of the world, but for its manufacture you have to turn to a handful of streets in the Black Country.

Don't go breakin' my harp; HISTORY Historian Chris Upton looks at the Black Country origins of an unusual instrument played by bands such as Black Sabbath and The Who to singer Leonard Cohen

Sometimes, the harp has difficulties being regarded as a solo instrument."

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It takes more than a year for the Chicago-based Lyon & Healy company to build each harp and they have floors of their workshop dedicated to each part.

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The two-day festival ends with a celebratory concert featuring eminent harpist Catrin Finch who will play different types of harps - from the Triple and early pedal harps to the modern concert harp the funky "Barbie" Electric harp.

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In fact, in my experience, many people today believe shape-note singing and Sacred Harp singing are synonymous; for them there is no other shape-note music.

The Makers of the Sacred Harp

LFM Harp Wire from Major Wire Industries Limited helps aggregate operations increase throughput over standard harp or piano wire while reducing downtime caused by worn wire cloth, according to the company.

Harp Wire

Traveling Home: Sacred Harp Singing and American Pluralism.

Traveling Home: Sacred Harp Singing and American Pluralism

ISTANBUL, Oct 12, 2010 (TUR) -- Harp masters from various world cultures will visit Istanbul within the scope of a music project developed by the Association for the Art of the Harp with the contributions of Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture Agency.

(CUL) HARP MASTERS TO GATHER IN ISTANBUL

In this article the Irish harp tradition is re-configured as a space consisting of visual and sonic dimensions.

A driving image of revolution: the Irish harp and its utopian space in the eighteenth century