‘a hold’ vs ‘a hold’

Question

Which are correct below, the one- or two-word versions of ‘ahold / a hold’?

You really got a hold / ahold on me!

Try to get a hold / ahold of Mike. His phone number is 456.7890.

Grab a hold / ahold of that end of the furniture, and we'll lift it over the doorway.

Thank you.

Victo · Accepted Answer

Never mind. I'm going to trust Grammar Girl's spin on this.

The one-worder “ahold” often goes with the verb “get” and the preposition “of,” as in “Get ahold of yourself!” You could also say, “I grabbed ahold of his arm” to mean “I grasped his arm.” Dictionary.com (1) calls the word “ahold” informal, but it’s been around since 1600 or 1610. As for the two words “a hold,” you could say, “He’s got a hold on me” or “I put a hold on that library book.”

In accordance with her guidance, these, then, are correct, agreed?

You really got a hold on me!

Try to get ahold of Mike. His phone number is 456.7890.

Grab ahold of that end of the furniture, and we'll lift it over the doorway.

‘a hold’ vs ‘a hold’

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