hames
hames
Pronunciation
Here is the phonetic spelling, word form analysis, and definitions for the word "hames."
Phonetic Spelling: /heɪmz/
Syllable Breakdown (One Syllable):
/h/: The 'h' sound, a voiceless puff of air made in the throat (as in "hat").
/eɪ/: The 'a' sound, a diphthong that glides from an 'eh' to an 'ee' sound (as in "face" or "pain").
/m/: The 'm' sound, a voiced nasal sound made with the lips together (as in "ma_n_").
/z/: The 's' sound, which is voiced in this word (as in "zoo" or "rose").
Word Form Variations
The word "hames" has two distinct meanings with different word forms.
Primary Meaning (Harness Part):
Singular: hame
Plural: hames (This is the most common form in which the word is encountered).
Colloquial Meaning (Mess):
Singular: hames (In this sense, the word is treated as a singular noun, e.g., "He made a hames of it.")
Plural: (This form is not used.)
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
(plural) hames
Definition: The two curved, rigid pieces of wood or metal that are attached to the collar of a draft animal (such as a horse or mule) and to which the traces (straps for pulling) are fastened. The hames serve to distribute the weight of the load from the collar onto the animal's shoulders.
Synonyms (as components): collar bars, harness supports, trace holders.
Antonyms: (There are no direct antonyms for this specific object).
(singular, colloquial) hames
Definition: A state of complete disorder, confusion, or ineptitude; a mess, often resulting from clumsiness or poor management. This usage is chiefly found in Irish and Scottish English, most commonly in the phrase "to make a hames of (something)."
Synonyms: mess, muddle, botch, shambles, hash, bungle.
Antonyms: success, triumph, masterpiece, perfection, order.
Examples of Use
1. Hames (as part of a harness)
This is the original and most common definition, referring to the rigid supports on a horse's collar.
In Literature
"On the wall by the window hung a broken trace chain, a set of hames with a split collar, a single-tree, and a trace..." (John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men)
"The harness was stiff and cracked and the hames were plated with rust." (Cormac McCarthy, Blood Meridian)
In Online Publications & Specialty Sites
"The fit of the hames to the collar is critical; poorly fitted hames can create pressure points, causing sores on the horse's shoulders." (Rural Heritage Magazine)
"This pair of antique wooden hames features ornate brass balls on the ends and would make a beautiful rustic decoration." (Online antique store description)
In General Discourse (Farming/History)
"When you're harnessing a draft horse, you put the collar on first, then you fit the hames into the groove of the collar and buckle them tight at the top and bottom." (Spoken instruction by an experienced teamster)
2. Hames (as a mess or botch)
This colloquial use, primarily from Irish and Scottish English, is almost always found in the phrase "to make a hames of" something.
In Newspapers & Online News
"The opposition party claimed the government 'made a complete hames' of the new healthcare budget, leaving critical services underfunded." (The Irish Times)
"He really made a hames of the final fence, but thankfully the horse had enough of a lead to still win the race." (Irish Independent, reporting on a horse race)
In Entertainment & Media
"Well, you really made a hames of that, didn't you?" (A common reprimand in the Irish TV series Derry Girls, used when a character has thoroughly messed up a plan.)
"I tried to bake my own birthday cake, but I made a right hames of it. We had to go buy one." (A contestant on The Great British Bake Off)
In General Public Discourse (Social Media/Online Forums)
"Our airline made an absolute hames of our booking. We ended up stranded in Chicago for 12 hours." (Tweet)
"Don't let that contractor near your house. He made a hames of my neighbor's kitchen, and they had to hire someone else to fix it." (Post on a local community forum)
10 Famous Quotes Using Hames
On the wall by the window hung a broken trace chain, a set of hames with a split collar, a single-tree, and a trace... (John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men)
The harness was stiff and cracked and the hames were plated with rust. (Cormac McCarthy, Blood Meridian)
You might be shit, make a hames of it. But you owe it... to at least have a go. (Hotpress)
He said he was sorry... and didn't mean to make a hames of everything. (Roscommon People)
We didn't take it... we made a hames of it. (Gaa.ie)
The old farmer polished the brass knobs on the hames until they shone like gold.
You really made a hames of that presentation; the slides were all out of order.
The power of the draft horse is transferred from its shoulders to the plow through the collar and hames.
Stop fiddling with that, or you'll make a right hames of it before the guests arrive.
He hung the heavy hames on a peg in the barn, his day's work finally done.
Etymology
The word "hames" is fascinating because it has two completely different origins for its two different meanings.
1. The Original Meaning: A Harness Part
First Meaning: The original "hames" (almost always used in the plural) are the two curved, rigid bars of wood or metal that fit around a horse's collar.
Origin: This word came into English around the 1300s from the Middle Dutch word hame, which meant "horse collar" or "harness."
Easy-to-Understand Root: That Dutch word itself comes from an even older Germanic word (hamô) that simply meant "a cover" or "skin." This makes perfect sense: a harness is a "covering" for the animal.
So, for hundreds of years, "hames" just meant this one specific piece of equipment. Because they always come in a pair, the plural form "hames" became more common than the singular "hame."
2. The Colloquial Meaning: A Mess
Second Meaning: This is the meaning you hear in Irish and Scottish English, in the phrase "to make a hames of" something, which means to make a total mess or botch of it.
Origin: This meaning is much newer and is a direct, colorful metaphor based on the first meaning.
The Connection: The hames are the central, rigid pieces that hold a horse's entire harness together. If you were to put them on incorrectly—upside down, tangled, or not properly buckled—the entire harness would be a useless, chaotic jumble. The horse couldn't pull, and you'd have a big, complicated mess to fix.
From this, the expression "to make a hames of it" was born, literally meaning "to mess up the harness so badly it's a total botch." Over time, this vivid farming expression was applied to any situation that has been completely mismanaged or turned into a disaster.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Hames
Here is a list of phrases and idioms using the word "hames."
Phrases Using "Hames" (as a mess)
To make a hames of (it/something): The most common idiom, meaning to make a complete mess or botch of a task.
To make a right hames of (it): An emphatic version of the above.
What a hames!: An exclamation meaning "What a total mess!"
A hames of a job: Describing a task that was done very poorly.
Descriptive Phrases Using "Hames" (as harness parts)
A pair of hames
Collar and hames
To buckle the hames
The hames strap
Wooden hames
Brass-balled hames
Idioms with a Similar Meaning (to "make a hames of")
To make a hash of it
To make a mess of it
To make a muddle of it
To make a dog's breakfast (or dog's dinner) of it
To botch the job
To drop the ball
To screw it up
To be all thumbs
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of hames from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
