use (one's) head

use (one's) head

To use one's own intelligence and intellectual ability; to think logically and rationally. In this phrase, "head" refers to one's brain. Often said as an imperative. Come on, Dean, I know you can figure this out on your own. Use your head for a change!See also: head, use

use one's head

 and use one's noggin; use one's noodleFig. to use one's own intelligence. (The words noggin and noodle are slang terms for "head.") You can do better in math if you'll just use your head. Jane uses her noggin and gets things done correctly and on time. Yes, she sure knows how to use her noodle.See also: head, use

use one's head

Think, have common sense, as in Use your head, Martin. No one's coming out in this weather. This idiom uses head in the sense of "brain" or "intellect," a usage dating from the late 1300s. See also: head, use

use your ˈhead

(British English also use your ˈloaf) (informal) think carefully; use your intelligence: Use your loaf! Meena can’t read English, so there’s no point in writing her a letter!In rhyming slang, loaf of bread stands for ‘head’.See also: head, use