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be at half-mast

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be at half-mast

To be partially raised or lowered. The phrase most often describes a flag that has been lowered to honor a recently-deceased person. After our former president died, flags were at half-mast all across the country. When my daughter came home from the park, she was covered in dirt, and her ponytail was at half-mast.

be at half-mast

  (British humorous)

if someone's trousers are at half-mast, they are too short His hair was dirty and his trousers at half-mast.