have one's head read

English

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

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Verb

have one's head read (third-person singular simple present has one's head read, present participle having one's head read, simple past and past participle had one's head read)

1. (dated) To have the bumps, indentations, and shape of one's skull examined and interpreted by a phrenologist.
   • 1931 January 1, “Pain stays in head after $8,500 "cure"”, in Deseret News, retrieved 29 April 2013, page 3:

     He told the police that he went to a couple of "phrenologists" to have his head read with the idea of getting rid of the pain in his stomach.

   • 2005 January 26, William Grimes, “The Brain: False Assumptions and Cruel Operations”, in New York Times, retrieved 29 April 2013:

     In the summer of 1849, Walt Whitman walked into an office on Nassau Street in Manhattan to have his head read. Lorenzo Niles Fowler, a phrenologist, palpated 35 areas on both sides of the skull corresponding to emotional or intellectual capacities in the brain.

2. (idiomatic) To have one's mental health assessed, to receive a psychiatric examination.

   Synonym: have one's head examined

   • 1957 January 30, Pete Pederson, “Spinney's Win Baffles Turf Experts”, in Los Angeles Times, retrieved 29 April 2013, page C4:

     "A guy who thinks he gets smart in this horse-race game oughta have his head read."

   • 1959 March 22, “Dear Abby: It's Bird-Bee Time”, in Milwaukee Sentinel, retrieved 29 April 2013, page 4D:

     She is not crazy so don't tell me to take her to a doctor to have her head read.

   • 2010 August 16, Tony Karon, “Bush left the White House but what else has changed?”, in lebanonwire.com, retrieved 29 April 2013:

     Mr Gibbs says those who think Mr Obama is like George W Bush need to “have their heads read”.

Usage notes

• Usually used in this passive-voice form, although passive variants do occur, such as:

• 2010 April 19, Wayne Smith, “Quade Cooper must look at big picture before selling out”, in The Australian, retrieved 29 April 2013:

  Quade Cooper needs his head read if he thinks mere money will compensate him for what he would lose if he walked out on Queensland.

See also

• read someone's mind