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Words and Their StoriesLearning Expressions with VOA
Processed with VS1Compare “by hook or by crook” with “come hell or high water,” and learn how determined effort can sound.
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Source: VOA Learning English · Words and Their Stories
View original article & transcript“By hook or by crook” means using any means or method to reach a goal. “Come hell or high water” means staying determined despite serious difficulty. The source also explains how speakers sometimes use double negatives for emphasis; in formal edited writing, prefer a standard positive construction when that is the intended meaning.
Cultural note: “By hook or by crook” can suggest an anything-goes attitude, so it may sound ethically questionable in some contexts. “Come hell or high water” is dramatic and emphatic. Double negatives are used differently across English varieties; avoid treating one standardized school rule as a judgment on all dialects.
Keep exploringOne expression emphasizes finding any method; the other emphasizes refusing to give up despite obstacles.
Phrase guide · 4 expressions
Original explanations and examples, created for learners. Save a card for later or hear the phrase spoken by your browser.
Describe an intense effort to reach a goal by any available means.
Meaning
By any method or means necessary to reach a goal.
Tone & use
Informal and forceful. Depending on context, it may imply bending rules or using questionable methods.
Example
“They were determined to finish the community garden by hook or by crook.”
Meaning
By some method, even if the exact method is not yet known.
Tone & use
A common, relatively neutral alternative when you mean determination without suggesting rule-breaking.
Example
“We will find a way to get the equipment to the school one way or another.”
Show determination to continue when circumstances are difficult.
Meaning
No matter what difficulties happen; despite every obstacle.
Tone & use
Dramatic and emphatic. Use it for a strong commitment, not a routine plan.
Example
“Come hell or high water, I will be at my sister’s graduation.”
Notice how dramatic wording or informal grammar changes tone.
Meaning
Two negative words used together to express a strong positive idea in some informal speech.
Tone & use
For formal standardized writing, use a direct positive form such as “He is definitely getting the job.” Different English dialects have their own grammatical systems.
Example
“In a casual conversation, a speaker might say “There is no way she is not coming”; in a formal report, write “She is definitely coming.””
Knowledge check
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