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Словарь американских идиом 8000 единиц - Letter B.
[babe in the woods] {n. phr.} A person who is inexperienced or
innocent in certain things. * /He is a good driver, but as a mechanic
he is just a babe in the woods./ Compare: OVER ONE'S HEAD, BEYOND
ONE'S DEPTH.
[baby] See: WAR BABY.
[baby boom] {n.} A sudden increase in the birth rate. * /The
universities were filled to capacity due to the baby boom that
followed World War II./
[baby grand] {n.} A small grand piano no longer than three feet,
maximally four feet. * /This apartment can't take a regular grand
piano, so we'll have to buy a baby grand./
[baby kisser] {n.}, {slang} A person campaigning for votes in his
quest for elected political office; such persons often kiss little
children in public. * /Nixon was a baby kisser when he ran for Vice
President with Eisenhower./
[back] See: BACK OF or IN BACK OF, BEHIND ONE'S BACK, BRUSH BACK,
COME BACK, CUT BACK, DOUBLE BACK, DRAW BACK, DROP BACK. EYES IN THE
BACK OF ONE'S HEAD, FADE BACK, FALL BACK, FALL BACK ON, FLANKER BACK.
FROM WAY BACK, GET BACK AT, GET ONE'S BACK UP, GIVE THE SHIRT OFF
ONE'S BACK, GO BACK ON, HANG BACK, HARK BACK, HOLD BACK, LIKE WATER
OFF A DUCK'S BACK, LOOK BACK, OFF ONE'S BACK, ON ONE'S BACK, PAT ON
THE BACK, PIGGY-BACK, PIN ONE'S EARS BACK, PUT BACK THE CLOCK or TURN
BACK THE CLOCK, PUT ONE'S BACK TO IT, SCRATCH ONE'S BACK, SET BACK,
SET BACK ON ONE'S HEELS, SIT BACK, STAB IN THE BACK, TAKE A BACK SEAT,
TAKE BACK, TALK BACK also ANSWER BACK, TURN ONE'S BACK ON, WEIGHT OF
THE WORLD ON ONE'S SHOULDERS or WORLD ON ONE'S BACK, WHILE BACK.
[back and forth] {adv.} Backwards and forwards. * /The chair is
rocking hack and forth./ * /The tiger is pacing hack and forth in his
cage./ Compare: TO AND FRO.
[back away] {v.} To act to avoid or lessen one's involvement in
something; draw or turn back; retreat. * The townspeople backed away
from the building plan when they found out how much it would cost.
[back door] {n.}, {slang}, {citizen's band radio jargon} Rear of
vehicle. * /I am watching your back door./
[back down] or [back off] {v.}, {informal} To give up a claim; not
follow up a threat. * /Bill said he could beat Ted, but when Ted put
up his fists Bill backed down./ * /Harry claimed Joe had taken his
book, but backed down when the teacher talked with him./ Syn.: BEAT A
RETREAT. Compare: BACK OUT, GIVE IN, GO BACK ON(1).
[back in circulation] {adv. phr.} 1. Socially active once again
(said about people); back on the dating circuit after a divorce or a
romantic breakup. * /Now that Sully is divorced from Jim she is hack
in circulation./ 2. Once again available to the public (said about
types of paper money, rare coins, or other commercially available
goods). * /In the USA the two-dollar hill was back in circulation for
a short time only in the 1950s and 1960s./
[back number] {n.} Something out of fashion, or out of date. *
/Among today's young people a waltz like "The Blue Danube" is a hack
number./
[backfire] {v.} To misfire; to have a reverse effect from what was
intended. * /Mimi's gossip about the Head of the Department backfired
wizen people began to mistrust her./
[backhanded compliment] {n. phr.} A remark that sounds like a
compliment but is said sarcastically. * /"Not had for a girl" the
coach said, offering a backhanded compliment./
[back of] or [in back of] {prep.} 1. In or at the rear of; to the
back of; behind. * /The garage is hack of the house./ * /Our car was
in hack of theirs at the traffic light./ 2. {informal} Being a cause
or reason for; causing. * /Hard work was back of his success./ * /The
principal tried to find out what was back of the trouble on the bus./
3. {informal} In support or encouragement of; helping, clones will be
elected because many powerful men are back of him. * /Get in back of
your team by cheering them at the game./
[back out] {v. phr.} 1. To move backwards out of a place or
enclosure. * /Bob slowly backed his car out of the garage./ 2. To
withdraw from an activity one has promised to carry out. * /Jim tried
to back out of the engagement with Jane, but she insisted that they
get married./ Compare: BEG OFF, GO BACK ON.
[back seat] See: TAKE A BACK SEAT.
[backseat driver] {n.}, {informal} A bossy person in a car who
always tells the driver what to do. * /The man who drove the car
became angry with the back seat driver./
[back street] {n.} A street not near the main streets or from which
it is hard to get to a main street. * /We got lost in the back streets
going through the city and it took us a half hour to find our way
again./ Compare: SIDE STREET.
[back talk] {n.} A sassy, impudent reply. * /Such back talk will
get you nowhere, young man!/ See: TALK BACK.
[back the wrong horse] {v. phr.} To support a loser. * /In voting
for George Bush, voters in 1992 were backing the wrong horse./
[back-to-back] {adv.} 1. Immediately following. * /The health
clinic had back-to-back appointments for the new students during the
first week of school./ 2. Very close to, as if touching. * /Sardines
are always packed in the can back-to-back./ * /The bus was so full
that people had to stand back-to-back./
[back to the salt mines] {informal} Back to the job; back to work;
back to work that is as hard or as unpleasant as working in a salt
mine would be. - An overworked phrase, used humorously. * /The lunch
hour is over, boys. Back to the salt mines!/ * /"Vacation is over,"
said Billy. "Back to the salt mines."/
[back to the wall] or [back against the wall] {adv. phr.} In a
trap, with no way to escape; in bad trouble. * /The soldiers had their
backs to the wall./ * /He was in debt and could not get any help; his
back was against the wall./ * /The team had their backs to the wall in
the second half./ Compare: BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA,
LAST DITCH, ON THE SPOT, UP AGAINST IT.
[back up] {v.} 1. To move backwards. * /The train was backing up./
2. To help or be ready to help; stay behind to help; agree with and
speak in support of. * /Jim has joined the Boy Scouts and his father
is backing him up./ * /The principal backs up the faculty./ * /Jim
told us what had happened and Bob backed him up./ Compare: BACK OF(3),
STAND BY(4). 3. To move behind (another fielder) in order to catch the
ball if he misses it. * /The shortstop backed up the second baseman on
the throw./
[backward] See: BEND OVER BACKWARD or LEAN OVER BACKWARD; FALL OVER
BACKWARDS or FALL OVER ONESELF.
[backward and forward] or [backwards and forwards] {adv. phr.} To
the full extent; in all details; thoroughly; completely. * /He
understood automobile engines backwards and forwards./ * /He knew
basketball rules backwards and forwards./ * /I explained matters to
him so that he understood backwards and forwards how it was./
[bacon] See: BRING HOME THE BACON.
[bad] See: GO FROM BAD TO WORSE, IN A BAD WAY, IN BAD, IN ONE'S BAD
GRACES, LEAVE A BAD TASTE IN ONE'S MOUTH, NOT BAD or NOT SO BAD or NOT
HALF BAD, ON ONE'S BAD SIDE, TOO BAD, WITH BAD GRACE.
[bad actor] {n.}, {informal} A person or animal that is always
fighting, quarreling, or doing bad things. * /The boy was a bad actor
and nobody liked him./
[bad blood] {n.}, {informal} Anger or misgivings due to bad
relations in the past between individuals or groups. * /There's a lot
of bad blood between Max and Jack; I bet they'll never talk to each
other again./ Compare: BAD SHIT.
[bad egg] {n.}, {slang} A ne'er-do-well; good-for nothing; a
habitual offender. * /The judge sent the bad egg to prison at last./
Contrast: GOOD EGG.
[bad mouth (someone)] {v.}, {slang} To say uncomplimentary or
libelous things about someone; deliberately to damage another's
reputation. * /It's not nice to had mouth people./
[bad news] {n.}, {slang} An event, thing, or person which is
disagreeable or an unpleasant surprise. * /What's the new professor
like? - He's all bad news to me./
[bad paper] {n.}, {slang} 1. A check for which there are no funds
in the bank. 2. Counterfeit paper money. * /Why are you so mad? - I
was paid with some bad paper./
[bad shit] {n.}, {vulgar}, {avoidable} An unpleasant event or
situation, such as a long lasting and unsettled quarrel or recurring
acts of vengeance preventing two people or two groups from reaching
any kind of reconciliation. * /There is so much had shit between the
two gangs that I bet there will he more killings this year./ Compare:
BAD BLOOD.
[bad trip] {n.}, {slang}, {also used colloquially} A disturbing or
frightening experience, such as terrifying hallucinations, while under
the influence of drugs; hence, by colloquial extension any bad
experience in general. * /Why's John's face so distorted? - He had a
bad trip./ * /How was your math exam? - Don't mention it; it was a bad
trip./
[bag] See: GRAB BAG, IN THE BAG, LEAVE HOLDING THE BAG, LET THE CAT
OUT OF THE BAG.
[bag and baggage] {adv.}, {informal} With all your clothes and
other personal belongings, especially movable possessions; completely.
* /If they don't pay their hotel bill they will be put out bag and
baggage./
[baggage] See: BAG AND BAGGAGE.
[bail] See: JUMP BAIL or SKIP BAIL.
[bail out(1)] {v.} 1. To secure release from prison until trial by
leaving or promising money or property for a while. * /When college
students got into trouble with the police, the college president would
always bail them out./ 2. {informal} To free from trouble by giving or
lending money. * /He started a small business, which prospered after
his father had to bail him out a couple of times./
[bail out(2)] {v.} To jump from an airplane and drop with a
parachute. * /When the second engine failed, the pilot told everyone
to bail out./
[bail out(3)] {v.} To dip water from a filling or leaking boat;
throw water out of a boat to prevent its sinking. * /Both men were
kept busy bailing out the rowboat after it began to leak./
[bait] See: FISH OR CUT BAIT.
[bake] See: HALF-BAKED.
[baker's dozen] {n.}, {informal} Thirteen. * /"How many of the
jelly doughnuts, Sir? " the salesclerk asked. "Oh, make it a baker's
dozen."/
[balance] See: HANG IN THE BALANCE, OFF BALANCE.
[ball] See: BASE ON BALLS, CARRY THE BALL, FLY BALL, FOUL BALL, GET
THE BALL ROLLING, SET THE BALL ROLLING, START THE BALL ROLLING, GOPHER
BALL, GROUND BALL, HAVE A HALL, HAVE SOMETHING ON THE BALL, JUMP BALL,
KEEP THE BALL. ROLLING, LONG BALL, ON THE BALL, PASSED BALL, PLAY
BALL.
[ball game] {n.}, {slang}, also {informal} The entire matter at
hand; the whole situation; the entire contest. * /You said we can get
a second mortgage for the house?! Wow! That's a whole new ball game./
[ball of fire] {n.}, {informal} A person with great energy and
ability; a person who can do something very well. * /He did poorly in
school but as a salesman he is a ball of fire./ * /The new shortstop
is a good fielder but certainly no ball of fire in batting./ Compare:
HOT NUMBER, HOT ONE.
[balloon] See: TRIAL BALLOON, LEAD BALLOON.
[ballot stuffing] See: STUFF THE BALLOT BOX.
[ball up] {v.}, {slang} To make a mess of; confuse. * /Don't ball
me up./ * /Hal balled up the business with his errors./ - Often used
in the passive. * /He was so balled up that he did not know if he was
coming or going./ Compare: MIXED UP.
[baloney] {n.}, {informal} Nonsense, unbelievable, trite, or
trivial. * /John brags that he's won the $10 million lottery, and I
think it's just a lot of baloney./ * /"Will you marry Joe?" mother
asked. "Baloney," Susie answered with a disgusted look./ * /Do you
still believe all that baloney about socialism excluding free
enterprise? Look at China and Hungary./
[banana oil] {n.}, {slang} Flattery that is an obvious
exaggeration; statements that are obviously made with an ulterior
motive. * /Cut out the banana oil; flattery will get you nowhere!/
[band] See: BEAT THE BAND.
[bandbox] See: LOOK AS IF ONE HAS COME OUT OF A BANDBOX.
[band together] {v. phr.} To join a group to exert united force. *
/The inhabitants of the ecologically threatened area banded together
to stop the company from building new smokestacks./
[bandwagon] See: JUMP ON THE BANDWAGON.
[bandy about] {v. phr.} To spread rumors or whisper secrets. * /The
news of Jim and Mary's divorce was bandied about until everyone at the
office had heard it./
[bang up] {adj.}, {informal} Very successful; very good; splendid;
excellent. * /The football coach has done a bang-up job this season./
* /John did a bang-up job painting the house./ Syn.: FIRST-CLASS.
[bank] See: PIGGY BANK.
[bank on] {v.}, {informal} To depend on; put one's trust in; rely
on. * /He knew he could bank on public indignation to change things,
if he could once prove the dirty work./ * /The students were banking
on the team to do its best in the championship game./ Syn.: COUNT ON.
[bar] See: BEHIND BARS, PARALLEL BARS.
[bargain] See: DRIVE A BARGAIN, IN THE BARGAIN or INTO THE BARGAIN.
[bargain for] or [bargain on] {v.} To be ready for; expect. * /When
John started a fight with the smaller boy he got more than he
bargained for./ * /The final cost of building the house was much more
than they had bargained on./ Compare: COUNT ON.
[barge in] {v. phr.}, {informal} To appear uninvited at someone's
house or apartment, or to interrupt a conversation. * /I'm sorry for
barging in like that, Sir, but my car died on me and there is no pay
phone anywhere./ * /I'm sorry for barging in while you two are having
a discussion, but could you please tell me where the nearest exit is?/
[bark up the wrong tree] {v. phr.}, {informal} To choose the wrong
person to deal with or the wrong course of action; mistake an aim. *
/If he thinks he can fool me, he is barking up the wrong tree./ * /He
is barking up the wrong tree when he blames his troubles on bad luck./
* /The police were looking for a tall thin man, but were barking up
the wrong tree; the thief was short and fat./
[bark worse than one's bite] {informal} Sound or speech more
frightening or worse than your actions. * /The small dog barks
savagely, but his bark is worse than his bite./ * /The boss sometimes
talks roughly to the men, but they know that his bark is worse than
his bite./ * /She was always scolding her children, but they knew her
bark was worse than her bite./
[barn] See: LOCK THE BARN DOOR AFTER THE HORSE IS STOLEN.
[barrel] See: OVER A BARREL also OVER THE BARREL, SCRAPE THE BOTTOM
OF THE BARREL.
[barrelhead] See: CASH ON THE BARREL-HEAD.
[bar the door] See: CLOSE THE DOOR.
[base] See: FIRST BASE, GET TO FIRST BASE or REACH FIRST BASE, LOAD
THE BASES or FILL THE BASES, OFF BASE, SECOND BASE, STOLEN BASE, THIRD
BASE.
[base on balls] {n.} First base given to a baseball batter who is
pitched four balls outside of the strike zone. * /He was a good judge
of pitchers and often received bases on balls./
[basket] See: PUT ALL ONE'S EGGS IN ONE BASKET.
[basket case] {n.}, {slang}, {also informal} 1. A person who has
had both arms and both legs cut off as a result of war or other
misfortune. 2. A helpless person who is unable to take care of
himself, as if carted around in a basket by others. * /Stop drinking,
or else you'll wind up a basket case!/
[bat] See: AT BAT, GO TO BAT FOR, RIGHT AWAY or RIGHT OFF also
RIGHT OFF THE BAT.
[bat an eye] or [bat an eyelash] {v. phr.}, {informal} To show
surprise, fear, or interest; show your feelings. - Used in negative
sentences. * /When I told him the price of the car he never batted an
eye./ * /Bill told his story without batting an eyelash, although not
a word of it was true./ Compare: STRAIGHT FACE.
[bath] See: SPONGE BATH, THROW THE BABY OUT WITH THE BATH.
[bats in one's belfry] or [bats in the belfry] {n. phr.}, {slang}
Wild ideas in his mind; disordered senses; great mental confusion. *
/When he talked about going to the moon he was thought to have bats in
his belfry./
[bat the breeze] See: SHOOT THE BREEZE.
[batting average] {n. phr.} Degree of accomplishment (originally
used as a baseball term). * /Dr. Grace has a great batting average
with her heart transplant operations./
[battle] See: HALF THE BATTLE.
[battle of nerves] {n. phr.} A contest of wills during which the
parties do not fight physically but try to wear each other out. * /It
has been a regular battle of nerves to get the new program accepted at
the local state university./ See: WAR OF NERVES.
[bawl out] {v.}, {informal} To reprove in a loud or rough voice;
rebuke sharply; scold. * /The teacher bawled us out for not handing in
our homework./ Compare: HAUL OVER THE COALS, LIGHT INTO, TELL A THING
OR TWO.
[bay] See: AT BAY, BRING TO BAY.
[be] See: LET BE, TO-BE.
[beach] See: NOT THE ONLY PEBBLE ON THE BEACH.
[beach bunny] {n.}, {slang} An attractive girl seen on beaches -
mostly to show off her figure; one who doesn't get into the water and
swim. * /What kind of a girl is Susie? - She's a beach bunny; she
always comes to the Queen's Surf on Waikiki but I've never seen her
swim./
[bead] See: DRAW A BEAD ON.
[be a fly on the wall] {v. phr.} To eavesdrop on a secret
conversation. * /How I wish I could be a fly on the wall to hear what
my fiance's parents are saying about me!/
[be a good hand at] {v. phr.} To be talented, gifted, or skilled in
some activity. * /Florian is a good hand at both gardening and
building./
[beam] See: OFF THE BEAM, ON THE BEAM.
[bean] See: FULL OF BEANS, SPILL THE BEANS, USE ONE'S HEAD or USE
ONE'S BEAN.
[be an item] {v. phr.} To be a couple; belong to one another. * /No
one is surprised to see them together anymore; if is generally
recognized that they are an item./
[be a poor hand at] {v. phr.} To be inept, untalented, or clumsy in
some activity. * /Archibald is a poor hand at tennis so no one wants
to play with him./ Contrast: BE A GOOD HAND AT.
[be at pains] {v. phr.} To be extremely desirous to do something;
to take the trouble to do something. * /The captain was at pains to
see that everybody got safely into the lifeboats./
[bear] See: GRIN AND BEAR IT, LOADED FOR BEAR.
[bear a grudge] {v. phr.} To persist in bearing ill feeling toward
someone after a quarrel or period of hostility. * /Come on, John, be a
good sport and don't bear a grudge because I beat you at golf./
Contrast: BURY THE HATCHET.
[bear a hand] See: LEND A HAND.
[beard] See: LAUNCH UP ONE'S SLEEVE or LAUGH IN ONE'S SLEEVE or
LAUGH IN ONE'S BEARD.
[bear down] {v.} 1. To press or push harder; work hard at; give
full strength and attention. * /She is bearing down in her studies to
win a scholarship./ * /The baseball pitcher is bearing down./ * /The
pitcher bore down on the star batter./ * /Teachers of the deaf bear
down on English./ * /The sergeant bears down on lazy soldiers./
Contrast: LET UP(2b). 2. To move toward in an impressive or
threatening way. - Often used with "on". * /While he was crossing the
street a big truck bore down on him./ * /The little ship tried to
escape when the big pirate ship bore down./ * /After the boys threw
the snowballs they saw a large lady bearing down upon them from across
the street./
[bear down on] or [upon] {v. phr.} To draw constantly nearer with
great speed and force. * /The police cars were bearing down on the
bank robbers' get-away car./
[bear fruit] {v. phr.} To yield results. * /We hope that the
company's new investment policy will bear fruit./
[bear in mind] See: IN MIND.
[bear in the air] or [bear in the sky] {n. phr.}, {slang},
{citizen's band jargon} A police helicopter flying overhead watching
for speeders. * /Slow down, good buddy, there's a bear in the air./
[bear off the palm] See: CARRY OFF THE PALM.
[bear one's cross] See: CARRY ONE'S CROSS.
[bear out] {v.} To show to be right; prove; support. * /Modern
findings do not bear out the old belief that the earth is flat./ *
/Seward's faith in his purchase of Alaska was borne out, even though
it was once called "Seward's Folly."/
[bear trap] {n.}, {slang}, {citizen's band radio jargon} A police
radar unit designed to catch speeders. * /Watch the bear trap at exit
101./
[bear up] {v.} 1. To hold up; carry; support; encourage. * /The old
bridge can hardly bear up its own weight any more./ * /He was borne up
by love of country./ 2. To keep up one's courage or strength; last. -
Often used with "under". * /This boat will bear up under hurricane
winds./ * /She bore up well at the funeral./ Syn.: STAND UP. Compare:
CARRY ON.
[bear watching] {v. phr.} 1. To be worth watching or paying
attention to; have a promising future. * /That young ball player will
bear watching./ 2. To be dangerous or untrustworthy. * /Those tires
look badly worn; they will bear watching./ Compare: KEEP AN EYE ON.
[bear with] {v.}, {formal} To have patience with; not get angry
with. * /Your little sister is sick. Try to bear with her when she
cries./ * /It is hard to bear with criticism./ Syn.: PUT UP WITH.
Compare: CARRY ONE'S CROSS.
[beat] See: HEART SKIP A BEAT, OFF THE BEATEN TRACK.
[beat about the bush] or [beat around the bush] {v. phr.}, {slang}
To talk about things without giving a clear answer; avoid the question
or the point. * /He would not answer yes or no, but beat about the
bush./ * /He beat about the bush for a half hour without coming to the
point./ Compare: BESIDE THE POINT. Contrast: COME TO THE POINT.
[beat all] or [beat the Dutch] {v. phr.}, {informal} To be strange
or surprising. * /John found a box full of money buried in his garage.
Doesn't that beat all!/ * /It beats the Dutch how Tom always makes a
basket./
[beat all hollow] also [beat hollow] {v. phr.}, {slang} To do much
better than; to beat very badly. * /We beat their team all hollow./ *
/As a speaker, he beats us all hollow./
[beat a retreat] {v. phr.} 1. To give a signal, esp. by beating a
drum, to go back. * /The Redcoats' drums were beating a retreat./ 2.
To run away. * /They beat a retreat when they saw that they were too
few./ * /The cat beat a hasty retreat when he saw the dog coming./
Compare: BACK DOWN, FALL BACK.
[beat around the bush] See: BEAT ABOUT THE BUSH.
[beat down] {v.} 1. To crush or break the spirit of; win over;
conquer. * /All their defenses were beaten down by the tanks./ 2.
{informal} a. To try to get reduced; force down by discussing. * /Can
we beat down the price?/ b. To persuade or force (someone) to accept a
lower price or easier payments. * /He tried to beat us down, so we did
not sell the house./ 3. To shine brightly or hotly. * /At noon the sun
beat down on our heads as we walked home./
[beaten path] {n. phr.} The usual route or way of operating that
has been conventionally established, * /If we always follow the beaten
path, we'll never have the courage to try something new./
[beaten track] {n.} See: BEATEN PATH.
[beat hollow] See: BEAT ALL HOLLOW.
[beat into one's head] {v. phr.}, {informal} To teach by telling
again and again; repeat often; drill, also, to be cross and punish
often. * /Tom is lazy and stubborn and his lessons have to be beaten
into his head./ * /I cannot beat it into his head that he should take
off his hat in the house./
[beat it] {v.}, {slang} To go away in a hurry; get out quickly. *
/When he heard the crash he beat it as fast as he could./ - Often used
as a command. * /The big boy said, "Beat it, kid. We don't want you
with us."/ Compare: CLEAR OUT(2), LIGHT OUT, HEAD FOR THE HILLS.
[beat one to it] {v. phr.} To arrive or get ahead of another
person. * /I was about to call you, John, but you have beat me to it!
Thanks for calling me./
[beat one's brains out] or [beat one's brains] {v. phr.}, {slang}
To try very hard to understand or think out something difficult; tire
yourself out by thinking. * /It was too hard for him and he beat his
brains out trying to get the answer./ * /Some students are lazy, but
others beat their brains and succeed./
[beat one's gums] {v. phr.}, {slang} To engage in idle talk, or
meaningless chatter; generally to talk too much. * /"Stop beating your
gums, Jack," Joe cried. "I am falling asleep."/ Compare: CHEW THE FAT
or CHEW THE RAG, SHOOT THE BREEZE or BAT THE BREEZE or FAN THE BREEZE
or SHOOT THE BULL.
[beat one's head against a wall] {v. phr.} To struggle uselessly
against something that can't be beaten or helped; not succeed after
trying very hard. * /Trying to make him change his mind is just
beating your head against a wall./
[beat the band] {adv. phr.}, {informal} At great speed; with much
noise or commotion. - Used after "to". * /The fire engines were going
down the road to beat the band./ * /The audience cheered and stamped
and clapped to beat the band./
[beat the bushes] also [beat the brush] {v. phr.}, {informal} To
try very hard to find or get something. * /The mayor was beating the
bushes for funds to build the playground./ Contrast: BEAT ABOUT THE
BUSH or BEAT AROUND THE BUSH.
[beat the drum] {v. phr.} To attract attention in order to
advertise something or to promote someone, such as a political
candidate. * /Mrs. Smith has been beating the drum in her town in
order to get her husband elected mayor./
[beat the gun] See: JUMP THE GUN.
[beat the --- out of] or [lick the --- out of] or [whale the ---
out of] {v. phr.}, {informal} To beat hard; give a bad beating to. -
Used with several words after "the", as "daylights", "living
daylights", "tar". * /The big kid told Charlie that he would beat the
daylights out of him if Charlie came in his yard again./
[beat the meat] {v. phr.}, {vulgar}, {avoidable} To masturbate
(said primarily of men). * /"So what did you do for sex in prison for
seven years?" Joe asked. "Well, unless you want to become gay, you can
beat the meat and that's about it," Max answered./
[beat the pants off] {v. phr.} 1. To prevail over someone in a race
or competition. * /Jim beat the pants off George in the swimming
race./ 2. To give someone a severe physical beating. * /Jack beat the
pants off the two young men who were trying to hold him up in Central
Park./
[beat the rap] {v. phr.} To escape the legal penalty one ought to
receive. * /In spite of the strong evidence against him, the prisoner
beat the rap and went free./
[beat the shit out of] {v. phr.}, {vulgar}, {avoidable} See: KNOCK
THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS OUT OF.
[beat time] {v. phr.} To follow the rhythm of a piece of music by
moving one's fingers or feet. * /Jack was beating time with his foot
during the concert, which annoyed his neighbor./
[beat to] {v.}, {informal} To do something before someone else does
it. * /I was waiting to buy a ticket but only one ticket was left, and
another man beat me to it./ * /We were planning to send a rocket into
space but the Russians beat us to it./ Compare: GET THE JUMP ON.
[beat to the punch] or [beat to the draw] {v. phr.}, {slang} To do
something before another person has a chance to do it. * /John was
going to apply for the job, but Ted beat him to the draw./ * /Lois
bought the dress before Mary could beat her to the punch./
[beat up] {v.}, {informal} To give a hard beating to; hit hard and
much; thrash; whip. * /When the new boy first came, he had to beat up
several neighborhood bullies before they would leave him alone./ -
Used with "on" in substandard speech. * /The tough boy said to Bill,
"If you come around here again, I'll beat up on you."/
[beauty sleep] {n.} A nap or rest taken to improve the appearance.
* /She took her beauty sleep before the party./ * /Many famous
beauties take a beauty sleep every day./
[beaver] {n.}, {slang}, {vulgar}, {avoidable}, {citizen's band
radio jargon} A female, especially one driving along the highway and
operating a CB radio. * /I didn't know there was a beaver aboard that
eighteen wheeler./
[because of] {prep.} On account of; by reason of; as a result of. *
/The train arrived late because of the snowstorm./
[beck] See: AT ONE'S BECK AND CALL.
[become of] {v. phr.} To happen to; befall. * /What will become of
the children, now that both parents are in jail?/
[bed] See: GET UP ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE BED, GO TO BED WITH THE
CHICKENS, MAKE ONE'S BED AND LIE IN IT, PUT TO BED.
[bed of nails] {n. phr.} A difficult or unhappy situation or set of
circumstances. * /"There are days when my job is a regular bed of
nails," Jim groaned./ Contrast: BED OF ROSES.
[bed of roses] or [bowl of cherries] {n. phr.} A pleasant easy
place, job, or position; an easy life. * /A coal miner's job is not a
bed of roses./ * /After nine months of school, summer camp seemed a
bowl of cherries./ Compare: IN CLOVER, LIFE OF RILEY.
[bed of thorns] {n. phr.} A thoroughly unhappy time or difficult
situation. * /I'm sorry I changed jobs; my new one turned out to be a
bed of thorns./ See: BED OF NAILS.
[bee] See: BIRDS AND THE BEES.
[beef about] {v. phr.} To complain about something. * /Stop beefing
about your job, Jack. You could have done a lot worse!/
[beef up] {v.}, {informal} To make stronger by adding men or
equipment; make more powerful; reinforce. * /The general beefed up his
army with more big guns and tanks./ * /The university beefed up the
football coaching staff by adding several good men./
[bee in one's bonnet] {n. phr.}, {informal} A fixed idea that seems
fanciful, odd, or crazy. * /Robert Fulton had a bee in his bonnet
about a steamboat./ * /Grandmother has some bee in her bonnet about
going to the dance./
[beeline] See: MAKE A BEELINE FOR.
[be even-Steven] {v. phr.} To be in a position of owing no favors
or debt to someone. * /Yesterday you paid for my lunch, so today I
paid for yours; now we're even-Steven./
[before long] {adv. phr.} In a short time; without much delay; in a
little while, soon. * /Class will be over before long./ * /We were
tired of waiting and hoped the bus would come before long./
[before one can say Jack Robinson] {adv. cl.}, {informal} Very
quickly; suddenly. - An overused phrase. * /Before I could say Jack
Robinson, the boy was gone./ Compare: IN A FLASH, RIGHT AWAY.
[before swine] See: CAST PEARLS BEFORE SWINE or CAST ONE'S PEARLS
BEFORE SWINE.
[before you know it] {adv. phr.} Sooner than one would expect. *
/Don't despair; we'll be finished with this work before you know it!/
[beg] See: BEGGING.
[be game] {v. phr.} To be cooperative, willing, sporting. * /When I
asked Charlie to climb Mount McKinley with us, he said he was game if
we were./
[beggars can't be choosers] People who can not choose what they
will have, must accept what they get; if you are not in control, you
must take what you can gel. * /We wanted to leave on the train in the
morning but it doesn't go until afternoon, so we must go then. Beggars
can't he choosers./ * /Mary got a red dress from her sister, although
she didn't like red. She kept it because she said beggars should not
be choosers./ Compare: LOOK A GIFT HORSE IN THE MOUTH.
[begin with] {adv. phr.} As a preliminary statement; in the first
place. * /To begin with, you are far too young to get married./
[beg off] {v.} To ask to be excused. * /Father told Tom to rake the
yard, but Tom tried to beg off./ * /Mrs. Crane accepted an invitation
to a luncheon, but a headache made her beg off./ Compare: BACK OUT.
[beg the question] {v. phr.}, {literary} To accept as true
something that is still being argued about, before it is proved true;
avoid or not answer a question or problem. * /The girls asked Miss
Smith if they should wear formal dresses to the party; Miss Smith said
they were begging the question because they didn't know yet if they
could get permission for a party./ * /Laura told Tom that he must
believe her argument because she was right. Father laughed and told
Laura she was begging the question./ Compare: TAKE FOR GRANTED.
[behalf] See: IN BEHALF OF or ON BEHALF OF, IN ONE'S BEHALF or ON
ONE'S BEHALF.
[behavior] See: ON ONE'S GOOD BEHAVIOR.
[be hard on] {v. phr.} To be strict or critical with another; be
severe. * /"Don't be so hard on Jimmy," Tom said. "He is bound to
rebel as he gets older."/
[behind] See: DRY BEHIND THE EARS, FALL BEHIND, GET BEHIND, HANG
BACK or HANG BEHIND.
[behind bars] {adv. phr.} In jail; in prison. * /He was a
pickpocket and had spent many years behind bars./ * /That boy is
always in trouble and will end up behind bars./
[behind one's back] {adv. phr.} When one is absent; without one's
knowledge or consent; in a dishonest way; secretly; sneakily. * /Say
it to his face, not behind his back./ * /It is not right to criticize
a person behind his back./ Contrast: TO ONE'S FACE.
[behind the eight-ball] {adj. phr.}, {slang} In a difficult
position; in trouble. * /Mr. Thompson is an older man, and when he
lost his job, he found he was behind the eight-ball./ * /Bill can't
dance and has no car, so he is behind the eight-ball with the girls./
Compare: HAVE TWO STRIKES AGAINST ONE(2), IN A HOLE.
[behind the scenes] {adv. phr.} Out of sight; unknown to most
people; privately. * /Much of the banquet committee s work was done
behind the scenes./ * /John was president of the club, but behind the
scenes Lee told him what to do./
[behind the times] {adj. phr.} Using things not in style; still
following old ways; old-fashioned. * /Johnson's store is behind the
times./ * /The science books of 30 years ago are behind the times
now./ * /Mary thinks her parents are behind the times because they
still do the foxtrot and don't know any new dances./
[behind time] {adv.} or {adj. phr.} 1a. Behind the correct time;
slow. * /That clock is behind time./ 1b. Behind schedule; late. * /The
train is running behind time today./ 2. Not keeping up; not at the
proper time; overdue. * /Your lessons are good, but why are you behind
time?/ * /We are behind time in paying the rent./ Contrast: AHEAD OF
TIME, IN TIME, ON TIME.
[be-in] {n.}, {slang}, {hippie culture} A gathering or social
occasion with or without a discernible purpose, often held in a public
place like a park or under a large circus tent. * /The youngsters
really enjoyed the great springtime jazz be-in at the park./
[be in a stew] {v. phr.} To be worried, harassed, upset. * /Al has
been in a stew ever since he got word that his sister was going to
marry his worst enemy./
[being] See: FOR THE TIME BEING.
[be in labor] {v. phr.} To be in parturition; experience the
contractions of childbirth. * /Vane had been in labor for eight hours
before her twin daughters were finally born./
[be in someone else's shoes] {v. phr.} To be in someone else's
situation. * /Fred has had so much trouble recently that we ought to
be grateful we're not in his shoes./
[be into something] {v. phr.}, {informal} To have taken something
up partly as a nobby, partly as a serious interest of sorts (basically
resulting from the new consciousness and self-realization movement
that originated in the late Sixties). * /Roger's wife is into women's
liberation and women's consciousness./ * /Did you know that Syd is
seriously into transcendental meditation?/ * /Jack found out that his
teenage son is into pot smoking and gave him a serious scolding./
[be itching to] {v. phr.} To have a very strong desire to do
something. * /Jack is itching to travel abroad./
[be it so] See: SO BE IT.
[belabor the point] {v. phr.} To overexplain something to the point
of obviousness, resulting in ridicule. * /"Lest I belabor the point,"
the teacher said, "I must repeat the importance of teaching good
grammar in class."/
[belfry] See: BATS IN ONE'S BELFRY or BATS IN THE BELFRY.
[believe] See: MAKE BELIEVE, SEEING IS BELIEVING.
[believe one's ears] {v. phr.} 1. To believe what one hears; trust
one's hearing. - Used with a negative or limiter, or in an
interrogative or conditional sentence. * /He thought he heard a horn
blowing in the distance, but he could not believe his ears./ 2. To be
made sure of (something). * /Is he really coming? I can hardly believe
my ears./
[believe one's eyes] {v. phr.} 1. To believe what one sees; trust
one's eyesight. - Used with a negative or limiter or in an
interrogative or conditional sentence. * /Is that a plane? Can I
believe my eyes?/ 2. To be made sure of seeing something. * /She saw
him there but she could hardly believe her eyes./
[bell] See: RING A BELL, WITH BELLS ON.
[bellyache] {v.} To constantly complain. * /Jim is always
bellyaching about the amount of work he is required to do./
[belly up] {adj.}, {informal} Dead, bankrupt, or financially
ruined. * /Tom and Dick struggled on for months with their tiny
computer shop, but last year they went belly up./
[belly up] {v.}, {informal} To go bankrupt, become afunctional; to
die. * /Uncompetitive small businesses must eventually all belly up./
[below par] {adj.} or {adv.} Below standard. * /Bob was fired
because his work has been below par for several months now./ Contrast:
UP TO PAR or UP TO SNUFF.
[below the belt] {adv. phr.} 1. In the stomach; lower than is legal
in boxing. * /He struck the other boy below the belt./ 2. {informal}
In an unfair or cowardly way; against the rules of sportsmanship or
justice; unsportingly; wrongly. * /It was hitting below the belt for
Mr. Jones's rival to tell people about a crime that Mr. Jones
committed when he was a young boy./ * /Pete told the students to vote
against Harry because Harry was in a wheelchair and couldn't be a good
class president, but the students thought Pete was hitting below the
belt./
[belt] See: BELOW THE BELT, SEAT BELT, TIGHTEN ONE'S BELT, UNDER
ONE'S BELT.
[belt out] {v.}, {slang} To sing with rough rhythm and strength;
shout out. * /She belted out ballads and hillbilly songs one after
another all evening./ * /Young people enjoy belting out songs./
[be my guest] {v. phr.} Feel free to use what I have; help
yourself. * /When Suzie asked if she could borrow John's bicycle, John
said, "Be my guest."/
[beneath one] {adj. phr.} Below one's ideals or dignity. * /Bob
felt it would have been beneath him to work for such low wages./
[bench] See: ON THE BENCH, WARM THE BENCH.
[bench warmer] See: WARM THE BENCH.
[bend over backward] or [lean over backward] {v. phr.}, {informal}
To try so hard to avoid a mistake that you make the opposite mistake
instead; do the opposite of something that you know you should not do;
do too much to avoid doing the wrong thing; also, make a great effort;
try very hard. * /Instead of punishing the boys for breaking a new
rule, the principal bent over backward to explain why the rule was
important./ * /Mary was afraid the girls at her new school would be
stuck up, but they leaned over backward to make her feel at home./
Compare: GO OUT OF ONE'S WAY.
[benefit] See: GIVE THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT.
[bent on] or [bent upon] Very decided, determined, or set. * /The
sailors were bent on having a good time./ * /The policeman saw some
boys near the school after dark and thought they were bent on
mischief./ * /The bus was late, and the driver was bent upon reaching
the school on time./
[be nuts about] {v. phr.} To be enthusiastic or very keen about
someone or something; be greatly infatuated with someone. * /Hermione
is nuts about modern music./ * /"I am nuts about you, Helen," Jim
said. "Please let's get married!"/
[be off] {v. phr.} 1. {v.} To be in error; miscalculate. * /The
estimator was off by at least 35% on the value of the house./ 2. {v.}
To leave. * /Jack ate his supper in a hurry and was off without saying
goodbye./ 3. {adj.} Cancelled; terminated. * /The weather was so bad
that we were told that the trip was off./ 4. {adj.} Crazy. * /I'm sure
Aunt Mathilda is a bit off; no one in her right mind would say such
things./ 5. {adj.} Free from work; having vacation time. * /Although
we were off for the rest of the day, we couldn't go to the beach
because it started to rain./
[be on] {v. phr.} 1. To be in operation; be in the process of being
presented. * /The news is on now on Channel 2; it will be off in five
minutes./ 2. To be in the process of happening; to take place. * /We
cannot travel now to certain parts of Africa, as there is a civil war
on there right now./
[be one's age] See: ACT ONE'S AGE.
[be oneself] {v.} To act naturally; act normally without trying
unduly to impress others. * /Just try being yourself; I promise people
will like you more./
[be on the outs with] {v. phr.} To not be on speaking terms with
someone; be in disagreement with someone. * /Jane and Tom have been on
the outs with one another since Tom started to date another woman./
[be on the rocks] See: ON THE ROCKS, GO ON THE ROCKS.
[be on the verge of] {v. phr.} To be about to do something; be very
close to. * /We were on the verge of going bankrupt when,
unexpectedly, my wife won the lottery and our business was saved./
[be on the wagon] See: ON THE WAGON, FALL OFF THE WAGON.
[be on to] {v. phr.} To understand the motives of someone; not be
deceived. * /Jack keeps telling us how wealthy his family is, but we
are on to him./
[be over] {v. phr.} To be ended; be finished. * /The show was over
by 11 P.M./ * /The war will soon be over./
[be out] {v. phr.} 1. To not be at home or at one's place of work.
* /I tried to call but they told me that Al was out./ 2. To be
unacceptable; not be considered; impossible. * /I suggested that we
hire more salespeople but the boss replied that such a move was
positively out./ 3. To be poorer by; suffer a loss of. * /Unless more
people came to the church picnic, we realized we would be out $500 at
least./ 4. To be in circulation, in print, published. * /Jane said
that her new novel won't be out for at least another month./ 5. A
baseball term indicating that a player has been declared either unfit
to continue or punished by withdrawing him. * /The spectators thought
that John was safe at third base, but the umpire said he was out./
[be out to] {v. phr.} To intend to do; to plan to commit. * /The
police felt that the gang may be out to rob another store./
[berth] See: GIVE A WIDE BERTH.
[be set on] or [upon] {v. phr.} To be determined about something. *
/Tow is set upon leaving his Chicago job for Tokyo, Japan, although he
speaks only English./
[beside oneself] {adj. phr.} Very much excited; somewhat crazy. *
/She was beside herself with fear./ * /He was beside himself, he was
so angry./ * /When his wife heard of his death, she was beside
herself./
[beside the point] or [beside the question] {adj.} or {adv. phr.}
Off the subject; about something different. * /What you meant to do is
beside the point; the fact is you didn't do it./ * /The judge told the
witness that his remarks were beside the point./ Compare: BEAT AROUND
THE BUSH, NEITHER HERE NOR THERE.
[best] See: AS BEST ONE CAN, AT BEST, FOR THE BEST, GET THE BETTER
OF or GET THE BEST OF, HAD BETTER or HAD BEST, HE LAUGHS BEST WHO
LAUGHS LAST, MAKE THE BEST OF, PUT ONE'S BEST FOOT FORWARD, SECOND
BEST, TO THE BEST OF ONE'S KNOWLEDGE, WITH THE BEST or WITH THE BEST
OF THEM.
[best bib and tucker] or [Sunday best] or [Sunday go-to-meeting
clothes] {n. phr.}, {informal} Best clothes or outfit of clothing. *
/The cowboy got all dressed up in his best bib and tucker to go to the
dance./ * /Mary went to the party in her Sunday best and made a hit
with the boys./ Compare: GLAD RAGS.
[best man] {n.} The groom's aid (usually his best friend or a
relative) at a wedding. * /When Agnes and I got married, my brother
Gordon was my best man./
[best seller] {n.} An item (primarily said of books) that outsells
other items of a similar sort. * /Catherine Neville's novel "The
Eight" has been a national best seller for months./ * /Among imported
European cars, the Volkswagen is a best seller./
[bet] See: YOU BET or YOU BET YOUR BOOTS or YOU BET YOUR LIFE.
[be the making of] {v. phr.} To account for the success of someone
or something. * /The strict discipline that we had to undergo in
graduate school was the making of many a successful professor./ * /The
relatively low cost and high gas mileage are the making of Chevrolet's
Geo Metro cars./
[bet one's boots] or [bet one's bottom dollar] or [bet one's shirt]
{v. phr.}, {informal} 1. To bet all you have. * /This horse will win.
I would bet my bottom dollar on it./ * /Jim said he would bet his
boots that he would pass the examination./ 2. or [bet one's life]. To
feel very sure; have no doubt. * /Was I scared when I saw the bull
running at me? You bet your life I was!/
[bet on the wrong horse] {v. phr,}, {informal} To base your plans
on a wrong guess about the result of something; misread the future;
misjudge a coming event. * /To count on the small family farm as an
important thing in the American future now looks like betting on the
wrong horse./ * /He expected Bush to be elected President in 1992 but
as it happened, he bet on the wrong horse./
[better] See: ALL BETTER, DISCRETION IS THE BETTER PART OF VALOR,
FOR BETTER OR WORSE, FOR THE BETTER, GET THE BETTER OF, GO --- ONE
BETTER, HAD BETTER, HALF A LOAF IS BETTER THAN NONE or HALF A LOAF IS
BETTER THAN NO BREAD, SEE BETTER DAYS, THINK BETTER OF.
[better half] {n.}, {informal} One's marriage partner (mostly said
by men about their wives.) * /"This is my better half, Mary," said
Joe./
[better late than never] It is better to come or do something late
than never. * /The firemen didn't arrive at the house until it was
half burned, but it was better late than never./ * /Grandfather is
learning to drive a car. "Better late than never," he says./ Compare:
HALF A LOAF IS BETTER THAN NONE.
[better than] {prep. phr.} More than; greater than; at a greater
rate than. * /The car was doing better than eighty miles an hour./ *
/It is better than three miles to the station./
[between] See: BETWIXT AND BETWEEN, COME BETWEEN, PEW AND FAR
BETWEEN.
[between a rock and a hard place] See: BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE
DEEP BLUE SEA.
[between life and death] {adv. phr.} In danger of dying or being
killed; with life or death possible. * /He held on to the mountainside
between life and death while his friends went to get help./ * /The
little sick girl lay all night between life and death until her fever
was gone./
[between the devil and the deep blue sea] or {literary} [between
two fires] or [between a rock and a hard place] {adv. phr.} Between
two dangers or difficulties, not knowing what to do. * /The pirates
had to fight and be killed or give up and be hanged; they were between
the devil and the deep blue sea./ * /The boy was between a rock and a
hard place; he had to go home and be whipped or stay in town all night
and be picked up by the police./ * /When the man's wife and her mother
got together, he was between two fires./ Compare: COMING AND GOING(2),
IN A BIND.
[between the eyes] See: HIT BETWEEN THE EYES.
[between the lines] See: READ BETWEEN THE LINES.
[between two fires] See: BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA.
[between two shakes of a lamb's tail] See: BEFORE ONE CAN SAY JACK
ROBINSON.
[be up to no good] {v. phr.}, {informal} To be plotting and
conniving to commit some illegal act or crime. * /"Let's hurry!" Susan
said to her husband. "It's dark here and those hoodlums obviously are
up to no good."/
[be up to something] {v. phr.}, {informal} 1. To feel strong enough
or knowledgeable enough to accomplish a certain task. * /Are you up to
climbing all the way to the 37th floor?/ * /Are we up to meeting the
delegation from Moscow and speaking Russian to them?/ 2. Tendency to
do something mischievous. * /I'm afraid Jack is up to one of his old
tricks again./
[beyond measure] {adj.} or {adv. phr.}, {formal} So much that it
can not be measured or figured without any limits. * /With her parents
reunited and present at her graduation, she had happiness beyond
measure./ * /No one envied him for he was popular beyond measure./
[beyond one's depth] {adj.} or {adv. phr.} 1. Over your head in
water; in water too deep to touch bottom. * /Jack wasn't a good
swimmer and nearly drowned when he drifted out beyond his depth./ 2.
In or into something too difficult for you; beyond your understanding
or ability. * /Bill decided that his big brother's geometry book was
beyond his depth./ * /Sam's father started to explain the atom bomb to
Sam but he soon got beyond his depth./ * /When Bill played checkers
against the city champion, Bill was beyond his depth./ Compare: OVER
ONE'S HEAD(1).
[beyond one's means] {adj. phr.} Too expensive, not affordable. *
/Unfortunately, a new Mercedes Benz is beyond my means right now./
[beyond one's nose] See: SEE BEYOND ONE'S NOSE.
[beyond question(1)] {adj. phr.} Not in doubt certain; sure. - Used
in the predicate. * /People always believe anything that Mark says;
his honesty is beyond question./ Contrast: IN QUESTION.
[beyond question(2)] or [without question] {adv. phr.} Without
doubt or argument; surely; unquestionably. * /Beyond question, it was
the coldest day of the winter./ * /John's drawing is without question
the best in the class./
[beyond reasonable doubt] {adv. phr.}, {formal and legal} Virtually
certain; essentially convincing. * /The judge instructed the jurors to
come up with a verdict of guilty only if they were convinced beyond a
reasonable doubt that Algernon was the perpetrator./
[beyond the pale] {adv.} or {adj. phr.} In disgrace; with no chance
of being accepted or respected by others; not approved by the members
of a group. * /After the outlaw killed a man he was beyond the pale
and not even his old friends would talk to him./ * /Tom's swearing is
beyond the pale; no one invites him to dinner any more./
[beyond the shadow of a doubt] {adv. phr.}, {formal and legal}
Absolutely certain, totally convincing. * /Fred burglarized Mrs.
Brown's apartment, beyond the shadow of a doubt./
[bib] See: BEST BIB AND TUCKER.
[bide one's time] {v. phr.} To await an opportunity; wait patiently
until your chance comes. * /Refused work as an actor, Tom turned to
other work and bided his time./ * /Jack was hurt deeply, and he bided
his time for revenge./
[bid fair] {v.}, {literary} To seem likely; promise. * /He bids
fair to be a popular author./ * /The day bids fair to be warm./
[big] See: IN A BIG WAY, LITTLE FROG IN A BIG POND, LITTLE PITCHERS
HAVE BIG EARS, TALK BIG, TOO BIG FOR ONE'S BREECHES, WHAT'S THE BIG
IDEA.
[big as life] or [large as life] {adj. phr.} 1. or [life-size] The
same size as the living person or thing. * /The statue of Jefferson
was big as life./ * /The characters on the screen were life-size./ 2.
or [big as life and twice as natural] {informal} In person; real and
living. * /I had not seen him for years, but there he was, big as life
and twice as natural./
[big cheese] or [big gun] or [big shot] or [big wheel] or [big wig]
{n.}, {slang} An important person; a leader; a high official; a person
of high rank. * /Bill had been a big shot in high school./ * /John
wanted to be the big cheese in his club./ Compare: WHOLE CHEESE.
[big daddy] {n.}, {slang}, {informal} The most important, largest
thing, person or animal in a congregation of similar persons, animals,
or objects. * /The whale is the big daddy of everything that swims in
the ocean./ * /The H-bomb is the big daddy of all modern weapons./ *
/Al Capone was the big daddy of organized crime in Chicago during
Prohibition./
[big deal] {interj.}, {slang}, {informal} (loud stress on the word
"deal") Trifles; an unimportant, unimpressive thing or matter. * /So
you became college president - big deal!/
[big frog in a small pond] {n. phr.}, {informal} An important
person in a small place or position; someone who is respected and
honored in a small company, school, or city; a leader in a small
group. * /As company president, he had been a big frog in a small
pond, but he was not so important as a new congressman in Washington./
Contrast: LITTLE FROG IN A BIG POND.
[bigger than one's stomach] See: EYES BIGGER THAN ONE'S STOMACH.
[big hand] {n.} Loud and enthusiastic applause. * /When Pavarotti
finished singing the aria from Rigoletto, he got a very big hand./
[big head] {n.}, {informal} Too high an opinion of your own ability
or importance; conceit. * /When Jack was elected captain of the team,
it gave him a big head./ Compare: SWELLED HEAD.
[big house] {n.} A large jail or prison. * /The rapist will spend
many years in the big house./
[big lie, the] {n.}, {informal} A major, deliberate
misrepresentation of some important issue made on the assumption that
a bold, gross lie is psychologically more believable than a timid,
minor one. * /We all heard the big lie during the Watergate months./ *
/The pretense of democracy by a totalitarian regime is part of the big
lie about its government./
[big mouth] or [big-mouthed] See: LOUD MOUTH, LOUD-MOUTHED.
[big shot] or [big wig] {n.} An important or influential person. *
/Elmer is a big shot in the State Assembly./
[big stink] {n.}, {slang} A major scandal; a big upheaval. * /I'll
raise a big stink if they fire me./
[big time] {n.}, {informal} 1. A very enjoyable time at a party or
other pleasurable gathering. * /I certainly had a big time at the club
last night./ 2. The top group; the leading class; the best or most
important company. * /After his graduation from college, he soon made
the big time in baseball./ * /Many young actors go to Hollywood, but
few of them reach the big time./
[big-time] {adj.} Belonging to the top group; of the leading class;
important. * /Jean won a talent contest in her home town, and only a
year later she began dancing on big-time television./ * /Bob practices
boxing in the gym every day; he wants to become a big time boxer./ -
Often used in the phrase "big-time operator". * /Just because Bill has
a new football uniform he thinks he is a big-time operator./ Compare:
SHOW OFF. Contrast: SMALL-TIME.
[big top] {n.} The main tent under which a circus gives its show;
the circus and circus life. * /Lillian Leitzel was one of the great
stars of the big top./ * /The book tells of life under the big top./
[big wheel] {n.}, {informal} An influential or important person who
has the power to do things and has connections in high places. *
/Uncle Ferdinand is a big wheel in Washington; maybe he can help you
with your problem./
[big yawn] {n.} A very boring person, story or event. * /I love my
grandma very much, but the stories she tells sure are a yawn./
[bill] See: CLEAN BILL OF HEALTH, FILL THE BILL.
[bind] See: DUTY BOUND, IN A BIND, MUSCLE BOUND, ROOT-BOUND.
[bingo card] {n.}, {slang} A response card, bound into a
periodical, containing numbers keyed to editorial or advertising
matter, giving the reader the opportunity to send for further
information by marking the numbers of the items he is interested in;
such a card can be mailed free of charge. * /Jack thinks he is saving
time by filling out bingo cards instead of writing a letter./
[bird] See: EARLY BIRD CATCHES THE WORM or EARLY BIRD GETS THE
WORM, EAT LIKE A BIRD, FINE FEATHERS DO NOT MAKE FINE BIRDS, FOR THE
BIRDS, KILL TWO BIRDS WITH ONE STONE.
[bird has flown] {slang} The prisoner has escaped; the captive has
got away. * /When the sheriff returned to the jail, he discovered that
the bird had flown./
[bird in the hand is worth two in the bush (a)] Something we have,
or can easily get, is more valuable than something we want that we may
not be able to get; we shouldn't risk losing something sure by trying
to get something that is not sure. - A proverb. * /Johnny has a job as
a paperboy, but he wants a job in a gas station. His father says that
a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush./
[bird of a different feather] {n. phr.} A person who is free
thinking and independent. * /Syd won't go along with recent trends in
grammar; he created his own. He is a bird of a different feather./
[birds of a feather flock together] People who are alike often
become friends or are together; if you are often with certain people,
you may be their friends or like them. - A proverb. * /Don't be
friends with bad boys. People think that birds of a feather flock
together./
[birds and the bees (the)] {n. phr.}, {informal} The facts we
should know about our birth. * /At various ages, in response to
questions, a child can be told about the birds and the bees./
[bird watcher] {n.} A person whose hobby is to study birds close-up
in their outdoor home. * /A bird watcher looks for the first robin to
appear in the spring./
[birthday suit] {n.} The skin with no clothes on; complete
nakedness. * /The little boys were swimming in their birthday suits./
[bit] See: A BIT, CHAMP AT THE BIT, FOUR BITS, QUITE A LITTLE or
QUITE A BIT, SIX BITS, TAKE THE BIT IN ONE'S MOUTH, TWO BITS.
[bitch] See: SON OF A BITCH.
[bite] See: BARK WORSE THAN ONE'S BITE, PUT THE BITE ON, ONCE
BITTEN, TWICE SHY at BURNT CHILD DREADS THE FIRE.
[bite off more than one can chew] {v. phr.}, {informal} To try to
do more than you can; be too confident of your ability. * /He bit off
more than he could chew when he agreed to edit the paper alone./ * /He
started to repair his car himself, but realized that he had bitten off
more than he could chew./
[bite one's head off] {v. phr.} To answer someone in great anger;
answer furiously. * /I'm sorry to tell you that I lost my job, but
that's no reason to bite my head off!/
[bite one's lips] {v. phr.} To force oneself to remain silent and
not to reveal one's feelings. * /I had to bite my lips when I heard my
boss give the wrong orders./
[bite the dust] {v. phr.}, {informal} 1. To be killed in battle. *
/Captain Jones discharged his gun and another guerrilla bit the dust./
2. To fall in defeat; go down before enemies; be overthrown; lose. *
/Our team bit the dust today./
[bite the hand that feeds one] {v. phr.} To turn against or hurt a
helper or supporter; repay kindness with wrong. * /He bit the hand
that fed him when he complained against his employer./
[bitter] See: TO THE BITTER END.
[bitter pill] {n.} Something hard to accept; disappointment. *
/Jack was not invited to the party and it was a bitter pill for him./
[black] See: BLACK AND WHITE, IN THE BLACK, LOOK BLACK, POT CALLS
THE KETTLE BLACK.
[black and blue] {adj.} Badly bruised. * /Poor Jim was black and
blue after he fell off the apple tree./
[black and white] {n. phr.} 1. Print or writing; words on paper,
not spoken; exact written or printed form. * /He insisted on having
the agreement down in black and white./ * /Mrs. Jones would not
believe the news, so Mr. Jones showed her the article in the newspaper
and said, "There it is in black and white."/ 2. The different shades
of black and white of a simple picture, rather than other colors. *
/He showed us snapshots in black and white./
[black-and-white] {adj.} Divided into only two sides that are
either right or wrong or good or bad, with nothing in between;
thinking or judging everything as either good or bad. * /Everything is
black-and-white to Bill; if you're not his friend, you are his enemy./
* /The old man's religion shows his black-and-white thinking;
everything is either completely good or completely bad./
[black day] {n.} A day of great unhappiness; a disaster. * /It was
a black day when our business venture collapsed./
[black eye] {n.} 1. A dark area around one's eye due to a hard blow
during a fight, such as boxing. * /Mike Tyson sported a black eye
after the big fight./ 2. Discredit. * /Bob's illegal actions will give
a black eye to the popular movement he started./
[blackout] {n.} 1. The darkening of a city curing an air raid by
pulling down all curtains and putting out all street lights. * /The
city of London went through numerous blackouts during World War II./
2. A cessation of news by the mass media. * /There was a total news
blackout about the kidnapping of the prime minister./
[black out] {v.} 1. To darken by putting out or dimming lights, *
/In some plays the stage is blacked out for a short time and the
actors speak in darkness./ * /In wartime, cities are blacked out to
protect against bombing from planes./ 2. To prevent or silence
information or communication; refuse to give out truthful news. * /In
wartime, governments often black out all news or give out false news./
* /Dictators usually black out all criticism of the government./ *
/Some big games are blacked out on television to people who live
nearby./ 3. {informal} To lose consciousness; faint. * /It had been a
hard and tiring day, and she suddenly blacked out./
[black sheep] {n.} A person in a family or a community considered
unsatisfactory or disgraceful. * /My brother Ted is a high school
dropout who joined a circus; he is the black sheep in our family./
[blame] See: TO BLAME.
[blank check] {n.} 1. A bank check written to a person who can then
write in how much money he wants. * /John's father sent him a blank
check to pay his school bills./ 2. {informal} Permission to another
person to do anything he decides to do. * /The teacher gave the pupils
a blank check to plan the picnic./
[blanket] See: WET BLANKET.
[blast off] {v.} 1. To begin a rocket flight. * /The astronaut will
blast off into orbit at six o'clock./ 2. Also [blast away] {informal}
To scold or protest violently. * /The coach blasted off at the team
for poor playing./
[blaze a trail] {v. phr.} 1. To cut marks in trees in order to
guide other people along a path or trail, especially through a
wilderness. * /Daniel Boone blazed a trail for other hunters to follow
in Kentucky./ 2. To lead the way; make a discovery; start something
new. * /Henry Ford blazed a trail in manufacturing automobiles./ *
/The building of rockets blazed a trail to outer space./ See:
TRAILBLAZER.
[bleep out] See: BLIP OUT.
[bless one's heart] {v. phr.} To thank someone; consider one the
cause of something good that has happened. * /Aunt Jane, bless her
heart, left me half a million dollars!/
[blessing] See: MIXED BLESSING.
[blind] See: FLY BLIND.
[blind alley] {n.} 1. A narrow street that has only one entrance
and no exit. * /The blind alley ended in a brick wall./ 2. A way of
acting that leads to no good results. * /John did not take the job
because it was a blind alley./ * /Tom thought of a way to do the
algebra problem, but he found it was a blind alley./
[blind as a bat/beetle/mole/owl] {adj. phr.} Anyone who is blind or
has difficulty in seeing; a person with very thick glasses. * /Without
my glasses I am blind as a bat./
[blind date] {n.} An engagement or date arranged by friends for
people who have not previously known one another. * /A blind date can
be a huge success, or a big disappointment./
[blind leading the blind] One or more people who do not know or
understand something trying to explain it to others who do not know or
understand. * /Jimmy is trying to show Bill how to skate. The blind
are leading the blind./
[blind spot] {n.} 1. A place on the road that a driver cannot see
in the rearview mirror. * /I couldn't see that truck behind me,
Officer, because it was in my blind spot./ 2. A matter or topic a
person refuses to discuss or accept. * /My uncle Ted has a real blind
spot about religion./
[blink] See: ON THE BLINK.
[blip out] or [bleep out] {v. phr.}, {informal} To delete
electronically a word on television or on radio either because it
mentions the name of an established firm in a commercial or because it
is a censored word not allowed for television audiences, resulting in
a sound resembling the word "bleep." * /What was the old product they
compared Spic-n-Span to? - I don't know; they've bleeped it out./
[blitz] See: SAFETY BLITZ.
[block] See: CHIP OFF THE OLD BLOCK, KNOCK ONE'S BLOCK OFF, ON THE
BLOCK.
[blockhead] {n.}, {informal} An unusually dense, or stupid person
whose head is therefore exaggeratedly compared to a solid block of
wood. * /Joe is such a blockhead that he flunked every course as a
freshman./
[blood] See: DRAW BLOOD, FLESH AND BLOOD, IN COLD BLOOD, IN ONE'S
BLOOD or INTO ONE'S BLOOD, MAKE ONE'S BLOOD BOIL or MAKE THE BLOOD
BOIL, NEW BLOOD, OUT OF ONE'S BLOOD, RUN IN THE BLOOD or RUN IN THE
FAMILY, SPORTING BLOOD, SWEAT BLOOD, WARM ONE'S BLOOD.
[blood and thunder] {n. phr.} The violence and bloodshed of stories
that present fast action rather than understanding of character. *
/Crime movies and westerns usually have lots of blood and thunder./ -
Often used like an adjective. * /John likes to watch blood-and-thunder
stories on television./
[blood freezes] See: BLOOD RUNS COLD.
[blood is thicker than water] Persons of the same family are closer
to one another than to others; relatives are favored or chosen over
outsiders. * /Mr. Jones hires his relatives to work in his store.
Blood is thicker than water./
[blood runs cold] also [blood freezes] or [blood turns to ice] You
are chilled or shivering from great fright or horror; you are
terrified or horrified. - Usually used with a possessive. * /The
horror movie made the children's blood run cold./ * /Mary's blood
froze when she had to walk through the cemetery at night./ * /Oscar's
blood turned to ice when he saw the shadow pass by outside the
window./ Compare: HAIR STAND ON END, THE CREEPS.
[blood turns to ice] See: BLOOD RUNS COLD.
[bloody] See: SCREAM BLOODY MURDER.
[blot out] {v. phr.} 1. To obstruct; cover; obscure. * /The
high-rise building in front of our apartment house blots out the view
of the ocean./ 2. To wipe out of one's memory. * /Jane can't remember
the details when she was attacked in the streets; she blotted it out
of her memory./
[blow] See: AT A BLOW, BODY BLOW, COME TO BLOWS, IT'S AN ILL WIND
THAT BLOWS NOBODY GOOD, WAY THE WIND BLOWS or HOW THE WIND BLOWS.
[blow a fuse] or [blow a gasket] or [blow one's top] or [blow one's
stack] {v. phr.}, {slang} To become extremely angry; express rage in
hot words. * /When Mr. McCarthy's son got married against his wishes,
he blew a fuse./ * /When the umpire called Joe out at first, Joe blew
his top and was sent to the showers./ Syn.: BLOW UP(1b), FLIP ONE'S
LID, LOSE ONE'S TEMPER. Compare: BLOW OFF STEAM(2).
[blow great guns] See: GREAT GUNS.
[blow hot and cold] {v. phr.} To change your ways or likes often;
be fickle or changeable. * /Tom blows hot and cold about coming out
for the baseball team; he cannot decide./ * /Mary blew hot and cold
about going to college; every day she changed her mind./ * /The boys
will get tired of Ann's blowing hot and cold./
[blow in] {v.}, {slang} To arrive unexpectedly or in a carefree
way. * /The house was already full of guests when Bill blew in./
Compare SHOW UP(3).
[blow into] {v.}, {slang} To arrive at (a place) unexpectedly or in
a carefree way. * /Bill blows into college at the last minute after
every vacation./ * /Why Tom, when did you blow into town?/
[blow off steam] See: LET OFF STEAM.
[blow one's brains out] {v. phr.} 1. To shoot yourself in the head.
* /Mr. Jones lost all his wealth, so he blew his brains out./ 2.
{slang} To work very hard; overwork yourself. * /The boys blew their
brains out to get the stage ready for the play./ * /Mary is not one to
blow her brains out./ Compare: BREAK ONE'S NECK.
[blow one's cool] {v. phr.}, {slang}, {informal} To lose your
composure or self-control. * /Whatever you say to the judge in court,
make sure that you don't blow your cool./
[blow one's lines] or [fluff one's lines] {v. phr.}, {informal} To
forget the words you are supposed to speak while acting in a play. *
/The noise backstage scared Mary and she blew her lines./
[blow one's mind] {v. phr.}, {slang}, {informal}; {originally from
the drug culture} 1. To become wildly enthusiastic over something as
if understanding it for the first time in an entirely new light. *
/Read Lyall Watson's book "Supernature", it will simply blow your
mind!/ 2. To lose one's ability to function, as if due to an overdose
of drugs, * /Joe is entirely incoherent - he seems to have blown his
mind./ Contrast: BLOW ONE'S COOL.
[blow one's own horn] or [toot one's own horn] {v. phr.}, {slang}
To praise yourself; call attention to your own skill, intelligence, or
successes; boast. * /People get tired of a man who is always blowing
his own horn./ * /A person who does things well does not have to toot
his own horn; his abilities will be noticed by others./
[blow one's top] {v. phr.} To become very excited, angry,
hysterical, or furious. * /"No need to blow your top, Al," his wife
said, "just because you lost a few dollars."/
[blow out] {v. phr.} 1. To cease to function; fail; explode (said
of tires and fuses). * /The accident occurred when Jim's tire blew out
on the highway./ * /The new dishwasher blew out the fuses in the whole
house./ 2. To extinguish. * /Jane blew out her birthday cake candles
before offering pieces to the guests./
[blowout] {n.} 1. An explosion of a tire or a fuse. * /Jim's van
veered sharply to the right after his car had a blowout./ 2. A big
party. * /After graduation from college, my son and his friends staged
a huge blowout./
[blow over] {v.} To come to an end; pass away with little or no bad
effects. * /The sky was black, as if a bad storm were coming, but it
blew over and the sun came out./ * /They were bitter enemies for a
while, but the quarrel blew over./ * /He was much criticized for the
divorce, but it all blew over after a few years./
[blow taps] {v. phr.} To sound the final bugle call of the evening
in a camp or military base. * /After taps is blown the boy scouts go
to their bunks to sleep./
[blow the gaff] {v. phr.} To open one's mouth to reveal a secret. *
/When Al cheated on his wife, his younger brother blew the gaff on
him./
[blow the lid off] {v. phr.}, {informal} Suddenly to reveal the
truth about a matter that has been kept as a secret either by private
persons or by some governmental agency. * /The clever journalists blew
the lid off the Watergate cover-up./
[blow the whistle on] {v. phr.}, {slang} 1. To inform against;
betray. * /The police caught one of the bank robbers, and he blew the
whistle on two more./ 2. To act against, stop, or tell people the
secrets of (crime or lawlessness). * /The mayor blew the whistle on
gambling./ * /The police blew the whistle on hot reading./
[blow up] {v.} 1a. To break or destroy or to be destroyed by
explosion. * /He blew up the plane by means of a concealed bomb./ *
/The fireworks factory blew up when something went wrong in an
electric switch./ 1b. {informal} To explode with anger or strong
feeling; lose control of yourself. * /When Father bent the nail for
the third time, he blew up./ Compare: BLOW A FUSE. 1c. To stop playing
well in a game or contest, usually because you are in danger of losing
or are tired; {especially}: To lose skill or control in pitching
baseball. * /The champion blew up and lost the tennis match./ * /Our
team was behind but the pitcher on the other team blew up and we got
the winning runs./ 2. {informal} To be ruined as if by explosion; be
ended suddenly. * /The whole scheme for a big party suddenly blew up./
3a. To pump full of air; inflate. * /He blew his tires up at a filling
station./ 3b. To make (something) seem bigger or important. * /It was
a small thing to happen but the newspapers had blown it up until it
seemed important./ 4. To bring on bad weather; also, to come on as bad
weather. * /The wind had blown up a storm./ * /A storm had blown up./
5. To copy in bigger form; enlarge. * /He blew up the snapshot to a
larger size./
[blow up in one's face] {v. phr.}, {informal} To fail completely
and with unexpected force. * /The thief's plan to rob the bank blew up
in his face when a policeman stopped him./
[blue] See: BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA, BOLT FROM THE
BLUE, ONCE IN A BLUE MOON, OUT OF THE BLUE or OUT OF A CLEAR BLUE SKY.
[blue around the gills] See: GREEN AROUND THE GILLS.
[blue collar worker] {n. phr.} A manual laborer who is probably a
labor union member. * /Because Jack's father is a blue collar worker,
Jack was so anxious to become an intellectual./ Contrast: WHITE COLLAR
WORKER.
[blue in the face] {adj. phr.}, {informal} Very angry or upset;
excited and very emotional. * /Tom argued with Bill until he was blue
in the face./ * /Mary scolded Jane until she was blue in the face, but
Jane kept on using Mary's paints./
[blue Monday] {n.} A Monday when you have to work after a happy
weekend. * /It was blue Monday and John nodded sleepily over his
books./ * /Housewives sometimes wish they could sleep through blue
Monday./
[blue-pencil] {v.} To edit. * /The editor blue-penciled John's
manuscript./
[bluff] See: CALL ONE'S BLUFF.
[blurt out] {v. phr.} To suddenly say something even if one was not
planning to do so, or if it was not expected of them. * /"My brother
Bob is in jail," Tony blurted out, before anybody could stop him./
[blush] See: AT FIRST BLUSH.
[board] See: ACROSS THE BOARD, COLLEGE BOARDS, GO BY THE BOARD or
PASS BY THE BOARD, ON BOARD, SANDWICH BOARD.
[boat] See: BURN ONE'S BRIDGES also BURN ONE'S BOATS, IN THE SAME
BOAT, MISS THE BOAT, ROCK THE BOAT.
[bobby-soxer] {n.} A teen-aged girl. (1940s idiom) * /My two
daughters, age 13 and 14, are typical bobby-soxers./
[bob up] See: POP UP(1).
[body] See: KEEP BODY AND SOUL TOGETHER.
[body blow] {n.}, {informal} A great disappointment; a bitter
failure. * /When he failed to get on the team it came as a body blow
to him./
[body English] {n.}, {informal} The wishful attempt to make a ball
move in the right direction after it has been hit or let go, by
twisting the body in the desired direction. * /He tried to help the
putt fall by using body English./
[bog down] {v. phr.} To be immobilized in mud, snow, etc.; slow
down. * /Our research got bogged down for a lack of appropriate
funding./ * /Don't get bogged down in too much detail when you write
an action story./
[bog down, to get bogged down] {v. phr.}, {mostly intransitive or
passive} 1. To stop progressing; to slow to a halt. * /Work on the new
building bogged down, because the contractor didn't deliver the needed
concrete blocks./ 2. To become entangled with a variety of obstacles
making your efforts unproductive or unsatisfying. * /The novelist
wrote tittle last summer because she got bogged down in housework./
[boggle the mind] {v. phr.}, {informal} To stop the rational
thinking process by virtue of being too fantastic or incredible. * /It
boggles the mind that John should have been inside a flying saucer!/
[boil] See: MAKE ONE'S BLOOD BOIL or MAKE THE BLOOD BOIL.
[boil down] {v.} 1. To boil away some of the water from; make less
by boiling. * /She boiled down the maple sap to a thick syrup./ * /The
fruit juice boiled down until it was almost not good for jelly./ 2. To
reduce the length of; cut down; shorten. * /The reporter boiled the
story down to half the original length./ 3. To reduce itself to; come
down to; be briefly or basically. * /The whole discussion boils down
to the question of whether the government should fix prices./
[boil over] {v. phr.} 1. To rise due to boiling and overflow down
the sides of a pan or a pot. * /"Watch out!" Jane cried. "The milk is
boiling over on the stove!"/ 2. To become enraged to the point of
being unable to contain oneself. * /John took a lot of abuse from his
boss, but after 25 minutes he suddenly boiled over and told him what
he thought of him./
[boiling point] {n.} 1. The temperature at which a liquid boils. *
/The boiling point of water is 272{sup}o{/sup} Fahrenheit./ 2. The time when you
become very angry. * /He has a low boiling point./ * /After being
teased for a long time, John reached the boiling point./ * /When John
made the same mistake for the fourth time, his teacher reached the
boiling point./ Compare: BLOW UP(1b), MAKE ONE'S BLOOD BOIL.
[bolt from the blue] {n. phr.} Something sudden and unexpected; an
event that you did not see coming; a great and usually unpleasant
surprise; shock. * /We had been sure she was in Chicago, so her sudden
appearance was a bolt from the blue./ * /His decision to resign was a
bolt from the blue./ Compare: OUT OF THE BLUE.
[bombshell] See: EXPLODE A BOMBSHELL.
[bond] See: SAVINGS BOND.
[bone] See: BRED IN THE BONE, FEEL IN ONE'S BONES or KNOW IN ONE'S
BONES, FUNNY BONE, MAKE NO BONES, SKIN AND BONES, T-BONE STEAK, WORK
ONE'S FINGERS TO THE BONE.
[bonehead] {n.}, {slang} An unusually dense or stupid person. *
/John is such a bonehead - small wonder he flunks all of his courses./
[bone of contention] {n. phr.} Something to fight over; a reason
for quarrels; the subject of a fight. * /The boundary line between the
farms was a bone of contention between the two farmers./ * /The use of
the car was a bone of contention between Joe and his wife./
[bone to pick] or [crow to pick] {n. phr.}, {informal} A reason for
dispute; something to complain of or argue about. - Often used
jokingly. * /"I have a bone to pick with you," he said./ * /There was
always a crow to pick about which one would shave first in the
morning./ Compare: BONE OF CONTENTION.
[bone up] {v.}, {informal} To fill with information; try to learn a
lot about something in a short time; study quickly. * /Carl was boning
up for an examination./ * /Jim had to make a class report the next day
on juvenile delinquency, and he was in the library boning up on how
the courts handle it./
[bonnet] See: BEE IN ONE'S BONNET.
[book] See: CLOSED BOOK, CLOSE THE BOOKS, HIT THE BOOKS, KEEP
BOOKS, NOSE IN A BOOK, ONE FOR THE BOOKS, READ ONE LIKE A BOOK,
TALKING BOOK, THROW THE BOOK AT.
[boom] See: LOWER THE BOOM.
[boot] See: DIE IN ONE'S BOOTS, IN ONE'S SHOES also IN ONE'S BOOTS,
LICK ONE'S BOOTS, SHAKE IN ONE'S SHOES or SHAKE IN ONE'S BOOTS, TO
BOOT, TOO BIG FOR ONE'S BREECHES or TOO BIG FOR ONE'S BOOTS, YOU BET
or YOU BET YOUR BOOTS.
[boot hill] {n.} A cemetery in the old Wild West where cowboys and
cops and robbers used to be buried with their boots on. Hence,
jokingly, any cemetery. * /Good old Joe, the cowboy, is resting
comfortably in the nearby boot hill./
[boot out] See: KICK OUT.
[boot strap] See: PULL ONESELF UP BY THE BOOTSTRAPS.
[border on] {v. phr.} To be adjacent to; come close to; adjoin. *
/Our village borders on the Mississippi River./ * /John's actions
border on irresponsibility./
[bore to death] See: TO DEATH.
[bore to tears] {v. phr.} To fill with tired dislike; tire by
dullness or the same old thing bore. * /The party was dull and Roger
showed plainly that he was bored to tears./ * /Mary loved cooking, but
sewing bores her to tears./
[born] See: NATURAL-BORN, TO THE MANNER BORN.
[born out of wedlock] {adj. phr.} Born to parents who are not
married to each other; without legal parents. * /Sometimes when a
married couple can't have children, they adopt a child who was born
out of wedlock./ * /Today we no longer make fun of children born out
of wedlock./
[born with a silver spoon in one's mouth] {adj. phr.} Born to
wealth and comfort; provided from birth with everything wanted; born
rich. * /The stranger's conduct was that of a man who had been born
with a silver spoon in his mouth./ Compare: WELL-HEELED.
[born yesterday] {adj. phr.} Inexperienced and easily fooled; not
alert to trickery; easily deceived or cheated. - Usually used in
negative sentences. * /When Bill started the new job, the other
workers teased him a little, but he soon proved to everyone that he
wasn't born yesterday./ * /I won't give you the money till I see the
bicycle you want to sell me. Do you think I was born yesterday?/
Compare: NOBODY'S FOOL.
[borrow] See: LIVE ON BORROWED TIME.
[borrow trouble] {v. phr.} To worry for nothing about trouble that
may not come; make trouble for yourself needlessly. * /Don't borrow
trouble by worrying about next year. It's too far away./ * /You are
borrowing trouble if you try to tell John what to do./ Compare: ASK
FOR, CROSS ONE'S BRIDGES BEFORE ONE COMES TO THEM, CRY BEFORE ONE IS
HURT.
[bosom friend] {n. phr.} A very close friend; an old buddy with
whom one has a confidential relationship. * /Sue and Jane have been
bosom friends since their college days./
[boss] See: STRAW BOSS.
[boss one around] {v. phr.} To keep giving someone orders; to act
overbearingly toward someone. * /"If you keep bossing me around,
darling," Tom said to Jane, "the days of our relationship are surely
numbered."/
[botch up] {v. phr.} To ruin, spoil, or mess something up. * /"I
botched up my chemistry exam," Tim said, with a resigned sigh./
[both] See: CUT BOTH WAYS, PLAGUE ON BOTH YOUR HOUSES.
[both --- and] {coord. conj.} Used to emphasize that two or more
things are talked about. * /Both Frank and Mary were at the party./ *
/Millie is both a good swimmer and a good cook./ * /In the program
tonight Mary will both sing and dance./ * /The frog can move quickly
both on land and in the water./ Compare: AS WELL AS. Contrast EITHER
OR.
[bothered] See: HOT AND BOTHERED.
[bottle blond] {n.}, {slang} A person who is obviously not a
natural blond but whose hair is artificially colored. * /I doubt that
Leonora's hair color is natural; she strikes me as a bottle blond./
[bottleneck] {n.} A heavy traffic congestion. * /In Chicago the
worst bottleneck is found where the Kennedy and the Eden's expressways
separate on the way to the airport./
[bottle up] {v.} 1. To hide or hold back; control. * /There was no
understanding person to talk to, so Fred bottled up his unhappy
feeling./ 2. To hold in a place from which there is no escape; trap. *
/Our warships bottled up the enemy fleet in the harbor./
[bottom] See: BET ONE'S BOOTS or BET ONE'S BOTTOM DOLLAR, FROM THE
BOTTOM OF ONE'S HEART, FROM --- TO ---, GET TO THE BOTTOM OF, HIT
BOTTOM or TOUCH BOTTOM, ROCK BOTTOM, SCRAPE THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL.
[bottom dollar] {n.}, {v. phr.}, {informal} One's last penny, one's
last dollar. * /He was down to his bottom dollar when he suddenly got
the job offer./
[bottom drop out] or [bottom fall out] {v. phr.} {informal} 1. To
fall below an earlier lowest price. * /The bottom dropped out of the
price of peaches./ 2. To lose all cheerful qualities; become very
unhappy, cheerless, or unpleasant. * /The bottom dropped out of the
day for John when he saw his report card./ * /The bottom fell out for
us when the same ended with our team on the two yard line and six
points behind./
[bottom line] {n.}, {informal} (stress on "line") 1. The last word
on a controversial issue; a final decision. * /"Give me the bottom
line on the proposed merger," said John./ 2. The naked truth without
embellishments. * /Look, the bottom line is that poor Max is an
alcoholic./ 3. The final dollar amount; for example, the lowest price
two parties reach in bargaining about a sale. * /"Five-hundred, " said
the used car dealer, "is the bottom line. Take it or leave it."/
[bottom line] {v.}, {informal} (stress on "bottom") To finish; to
bring to a conclusion. * /Okay, you guys, let's bottom line this
project and break for coffee./
[bottom out] {v. phr.} To reach the lowest point (said chiefly of
economic cycles). * /According to the leading economic indicators the
recession will bottom out within the next two months./
[bounce] See: GET THE BOUNCE, GIVE THE BOUNCE.
[bound] See: BIND, BY LEAPS AND BOUNDS, OUT OF BOUNDS, WITHIN
BOUNDS.
[bound for] {adj. phr.} On the way to; going to. * /I am bound for
the country club./ * /The ship is bound for Liverpool./
[bound up with] {v. phr.} To be connected; be involved with. *
/Tuition at our university is bound up with the state budget./
[bow] See: TAKE A BOW.
[bow and scrape] {v.} To be too polite or obedient from fear or
hope of gain; act like a slave. * /The old servant bowed and scraped
before them, too obedient and eager to please./
[bowl of cherries] See: BED OF ROSES.
[bowl over] {v.}, {informal} 1. To knock down as if with a bowled
ball. * /The taxi hit him a glancing blow and bowled him over./ 2. To
astonish with success or shock with misfortune; upset; stun. * /He was
bowled over by his wife's sudden death./ * /The young actress bowled
over everybody in her first movie./
[bow out] {v.}, {informal} 1. To give up taking part; excuse
yourself from doing any more; quit. * /Mr. Black often quarreled with
his partners, so finally he bowed out of the company./ * /While the
movie was being filmed, the star got sick and had to bow out./ 2. To
stop working after a long service; retire. * /He bowed out as train
engineer after forty years of railroading./
[box] See: IN A BIND or IN A BOX, PENALTY BOX, PRESS BOX, STUFF THE
BALLOT BOX, VOICE BOX.
[box office] {n.}, {informal} 1. The place at movies and theaters
where tickets may be purchased just before the performance instead of
having ordered them through the telephone or having bought them at a
ticket agency. * /No need to reserve the seats; we can pick them up at
the box office./ 2. A best selling movie, musical, or drama (where the
tickets are all always sold out and people line up in front of the box
office). * /John Wayne's last movie was a regular box office./ 3.
Anything successful or well liked. * /Betsie is no longer box office
with me./
[boy] See: ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKES JACK A DULL BOY, FAIR-HAIRED
BOY, MAMA'S BOY, OLD BOY, SEPARATE THE MEN FROM THE BOYS.
[boyfriend] {n.}, {informal} 1. A male friend or companion. *
/"John and his boyfriends have gone to the ball game," said his
mother./ 2. A girl's steady date, a woman's favorite man friend; a
male lover or sweetheart. * /Jane's new boyfriend is a senior in high
school./ Contrast: GIRL FRIEND.
[boys will be boys] Boys are only children and must sometimes get
into mischief or trouble or behave too roughly. * /Boys will be boys
and make a lot of noise, so John's mother told him and his friends to
play in the park instead of the back yard./
[brain] See: BEAT ONE'S BRAINS OUT, BLOW ONE'S BRAINS OUT, ON THE
BRAIN, RACK ONE'S BRAIN, GET ONE'S BRAINS FRIED.
[brain bucket] {n.}, {slang} A motorcycle helmet. * /If you want to
share a ride with me, you've got to wear a brain bucket./
[brain drain] {n.}, {informal} 1. The loss of the leading
intellectuals and researchers of a country due to excessive emigration
to other countries where conditions are better. * /Britain suffered a
considerable brain drain to the United States after World War II./ 2.
An activity requiring great mental concentration resulting in fatigue
and exhaustion * /That math exam I took was a regular brain drain./
[brain-storm] {v.} To have a discussion among fellow researchers or
co-workers on a project in order to find the best solution to a given
problem. * /Dr. Watson and his research assistants are brain-storming
in the conference room./
[brainstorm] {n.} A sudden insight; a stroke of comprehension. *
/Listen to me, I've just had a major brainstorm, and I think I found
the solution to our problem./
[brain trust] {n.} A group of specially trained, highly intelligent
experts in a given field. * /Albert Einstein gathered a brain trust
around himself at the Princeton Institute of Advanced Studies./
[brake] See: RIDE THE BRAKE.
[branch off] {v.} To go from something big or important to
something smaller or less important; turn aside. * /At the bridge a
little road branches off from the highway and follows the river./ *
/Martin was trying to study his lesson, but his mind kept branching
off onto what girl he should ask to go with him to the dance./
[branch out] {v.} To add new interests or activities; begin doing
other things also. * /First Jane collected stamps; then she branched
out and collected coins, too./ * /John started a television repair
shop; when he did well, he branched out and began selling television
sets too./
[brand-new] also [bran-new] {adj.} As new or fresh as when just
made and sold by the manufacturer; showing no use or wear. * /He had
taken a brand-new car from the dealer's floor and wrecked it./ * /In
Uncle Tom's trunk, we found a wedding ring, still in its little
satin-lined box, still brand-new./
[brass] See: DOUBLE IN BRASS, GET DOWN TO BRASS TACKS.
[brass hat] {n.}, {slang} 1. A high officer in the army, navy, or
air force. * /The brass hats In Washington often discuss important
secrets./ 2. Any person who has a high position in business, politics,
or other work. * /Mr. Woods, the rich oil man, is a political brass
hat./
[brass tacks] See: GET DOWN TO BRASS TACKS.
[brave it out] {v. phr.} To endure something difficult or dangerous
through to the end; keep on through trouble or danger. * /It was a
dangerous ocean crossing in wartime, but captain and crew braved it
out./
[brazen it out] {v. phr.} To pretend you did nothing wrong; be
suspected, accused, or scolded without admitting you did wrong; act as
if not guilty. * /The teacher found a stolen pen that the girl had in
her desk, but the girl brazened it out; she said someone else must
have put it there./
[bread] See: HALF A LOAF is BETTER THAN NONE, KNOW WHICH SIDE ONE'S
BREAD IS BUTTERED ON, TAKE THE BREAD OUT OF ONE'S MOUTH.
[bread and butter(1)] {n. phr.} The usual needs of life; food,
shelter, and clothing. * /Ed earned his bread and butter as a
bookkeeper, but added a little jam by working with a dance band on
weekends./
[bread and butter(2)] {adj.} Thanking someone for entertainment or
a nice visit; thank-you. * /After spending the weekend as a guest in
the Jones' home, Alice wrote the Joneses the usual bread-and-butter
letter./ See: BREAD AND BUTTER LETTER.
[bread and butter(3)] {interj.}, {informal} Spoken to prevent bad
luck that you think might result from some action. * /We'd say "Bread
and butter!" when we had passed on opposite sides of a tree./
[bread-and-butter letter] {n.} A written acknowledgment of
hospitality received. * /Jane wrote the Browns a bread-and-butter
letter when she returned home from her visit to them./
[breadbasket] {n}, {slang} The stomach. * /John is stuffing his
breadbasket again./
[break] See: COFFEE BREAK.
[break away] or [break loose] {v. phr.} To liberate oneself from
someone or something. * /Jane tried to break loose from her attacker,
but he was too strong./
[break camp] {v. phr.} To take down and pack tents and camping
things; take your things from a camping place. * /The scouts broke
camp at dawn./
[break down] {v.} (stress on "down") 1. To smash or hit (something)
so that it falls; cause to fall by force. * /The firemen broke down
the door./ 2. To reduce or destroy the strength or effect of; weaken;
win over. * /By helpful kindness the teacher broke down the new boy's
shyness./ * /Advertising breaks down a lot of stubbornness against
change./ 3. To separate into elements or parts; decay. * /Water is
readily broken down into hydrogen and oxygen./ * /After many years,
rocks break down into dirt./ 4. To become unusable because of breakage
or other failure; lose power to work or go. * /The car broke down
after half an hour's driving./ * /His health broke down./ * /When the
coach was sick in bed, the training rules of the team broke down./
Compare: GO BACK ON(2).
[breakdown] See: NERVOUS BREAKDOWN.
[breaker] See: JAW-BREAKER.
[break even] {v. phr.}, {informal} (stress on "even") To end a
series of gains and losses having the same amount you started with;
have expenses equal to profits; have equal gain and loss. * /The
storekeeper made many sales, but his expenses were so high that he
just broke even./ * /If you gamble you are lucky when you break even./
[break-even] {n.} The point of equilibrium in a business venture
when one has made as much money as one had invested, but not more -
that would be "profit." * /"We've reached the break-even point at long
last!" - Max exclaimed with joy./
[break ground] {v. phr.} To begin a construction project by digging
for the foundation; especially, to turn the formal first spadeful of
dirt. * /City officials and industrial leaders were there as the
company broke ground for its new building./ See: BREAK NEW GROUND.
[break in] {v.} (stress on "in") 1a. To break from outside. * /The
firemen broke in the door of the burning house./ 1b. To enter by force
or unlawfully. * /Thieves broke in while the family was away./ 2. To
enter suddenly or interrupt. * /A stranger broke in on the meeting
without knocking./ * /The secretary broke in to say that a telegram
had arrived./ Compare: CUT IN(2). 3. To make a start in a line of work
or with a company or association; begin a new job. * /He broke in as a
baseball player with a minor league./ 4. To teach the skills of a new
job or activity to. * /An assistant foreman broke in the new man as a
machine operator./ 5. To lessen the stiffness or newness of by use. *
/He broke in a new pair of shoes./ * /Breaking in a new car requires
careful driving at moderate speeds./
[break-in] {n.} (stress on "break") A robbery; a burglary. * /We
lost our jewelry during a break-in./
[break into] {v.} 1. To force an entrance into; make a rough or
unlawful entrance into. * /Thieves broke into the store at night./ 2.
{informal} To succeed in beginning (a career, business, or a social
life) * /He broke into television as an actor./ 3. To interrupt. * /He
broke into the discussion with a shout of warning./ 4. To begin
suddenly. * /He broke into a sweat./ * /She broke into tears./ * /The
dog heard his master's whistle and broke into a run./
[break new ground] {v. phr.} 1. To start a new activity previously
neglected by others; do pioneering work. * /Albert Einstein broke new
ground with his theory of relativity./ 2. To begin something never
done before. * /The school broke new ground with reading lessons that
taught students to guess the meaning of new words./
[break off] {v.} 1. To stop suddenly. * /The speaker was
interrupted so often that he broke off and sat down./ * /When Bob came
in, Jean broke off her talk with Linda and talked to Bob./ 2.
{informal} To end a friendship or love. * /I hear that Tom and Alice
have broken off./ * /She broke off with her best friend./
[break one's balls] {v. phr.}, {slang}, {vulgar}, {avoidable} To do
something with maximum effort; to do something very difficult or
taxing * /I've been breaking my balls to buy you this new color TV set
and you aren't the least bit appreciative!/ Compare: BREAK ONE'S NECK.
[break one's heart] {v. phr.} To discourage greatly; make very sad
or hopeless. * /His son's disgrace broke his heart./ * /When Mr. White
lost everything he had worked so hard for, it broke his heart./
[break one's neck] {v. phr.}, {slang} To do all you possibly can;
try your hardest. - Usually used with a limiting adverb or negative. *
/John nearly broke his neck trying not to be late to school./ *
/Mother asked Mary to go to the store when she was free, but not to
break her neck over it./
[break one's word] {v. phr.} To renege on a promise. * /When Jake
broke his word that he would marry Sarah, she became very depressed./
[break out] {v.} 1. To begin showing a rash or other skin disorder.
- Often used with "with". * /He broke out with scarlet fever./ 2. To
speak or act suddenly and violently. * /He broke out laughing./ * /She
broke out, "That is not so!"/ 3. To begin and become noticeable. *
/Fire broke out after the earthquake./ * /War broke out in 1812./
Compare: FLARE UP. 4. {informal} To bring out; open and show. * /When
word of the victory came, people began breaking out their flags./ *
/When Mr. Carson's first son was born, he broke out the cigars he had
been saving./
[break the ice] {v. phr.}, {informal} 1. To conquer the first
difficulties in starting a conversation, getting a party going, or
making an acquaintance. * /To break the ice Ted spoke of his interest
in mountain climbing, and they soon had a conversation going./ * /Some
people use an unusual thing, such as an unusual piece of jewelry, to
break the ice./ 2. To be the first person or team to score in a game.
* /The Wolves broke the ice with a touchdown./
[break the record] {v. phr.} To set or to establish a new mark or
record. * /Algernon broke the record in both the pentathlon and the
decathlon and took home two gold medals from the Olympics./
[break through] {v.} To be successful after overcoming a difficulty
or bar to success. * /Dr. Salk failed many times but he finally broke
through to find a successful polio vaccine./ * /Jim studied very hard
this semester in college, and he finally broke through onto the Dean's
List for the first time./
[breakthrough] {n.} A point of sudden success after a long process
of experimentation, trial and error. * /The U.S. Space Program
experienced a major breakthrough when Armstrong and Aldrin landed on
the moon in June of 1969./
[break up] {v. phr.} To end a romantic relationship, a marriage, or
a business partnership. * /Tom and Jane broke up because Tom played so
much golf that he had no time for her./
[break up] {v.} 1. To break into pieces. * /The workmen broke up
the pavement to dig up the pipes under it./ * /River ice breaks up in
the spring./ 2. {informal} To lose or destroy spirit or self-control.
- Usually used in the passive. * /Mrs. Lawrence was all broken up
after her daughter's death, and did not go out of the house for two
months./ Compare: CRACK UP, GO TO PIECES. 3. To come or to put to an
end, especially by separation; separate. * /Some men kept interrupting
the speakers, and finally broke up the meeting./ * /The party broke up
at midnight./ - Often used in the informal phrase "break it up". *
/The boys were fighting, and a passing policeman ordered them to break
it up./ Compare: CUT OUT(1). 4. {informal} To stop being friends. *
/Mary and June were good friends and did everything together, but then
they had a quarrel and broke up/ Compare: BREAK OFF.
[break-up] {n.} The end of a relationship, personal or commercial.
* /The break-up finally occurred when Smith and Brown decided to sue
each other for embezzlement./
[break with] {v.} To separate yourself from; end membership in;
stop friendly association with. * /He broke with the Democratic party
on the question of civil rights./ * /He had broken with some friends
who had changed in their ideas./
[breast] See: MAKE A CLEAN BREAST OF.
[breath] See: CATCH ONE'S BREATH, DRAW A LONG BREATH or TAKE A LONG
BREATH, HOLD ONE'S BREATH, IN THE SAME BREATH, OUT OF BREATH, SAVE
ONE'S BREATH, SECOND WIND also SECOND BREATH, TAKE ONE'S BREATH AWAY,
UNDER ONE'S BREATH, WASTE ONE'S BREATH.
[breathe down one's neck] {v. phr.}, {informal} To follow closely;
threaten from behind; watch every action. * /Too many creditors were
breathing down his neck./ * /The carpenter didn't like to work for Mr.
Jones, who was always breathing down his neck./
[breathe easily] or [breathe freely] {v.} To have relief from
difficulty or worry; relax; feel that trouble is gone; stop worrying.
* /Now that the big bills were paid, he breathed more easily./ * /His
mother didn't breathe easily until he got home that night./
[breathe one's last] {v. phr.} To die. * /The wounded soldier fell
back on the ground and breathed his last./
[bred in the bone] {adj. phr.} Belonging to your nature or
character, especially from early teaching or long habit; natural from
belief or habit; believing deeply. * /The Willett children's cleanness
is bred in the none./ Often used, with hyphens before the noun. * /Joe
is a bred-in-the-bone horseman; he has been riding since he was six./
Contrast: SKIN-DEEP.
[breeches] See: TOO BIG FOR ONE'S BREECHES.
[breeze] See: SHOOT THE BREEZE or BAT THE BREEZE or FAN THE BREEZE,
WIN IN A WALK or WIN IN A BREEZE.
[breeze in] {v. phr.}, {slang}, {informal} To walk into a place
casually (like a soft blowing wind). * /Betsie breezed in and sat down
at the bar./
[brew] See: HOME BREW.
[brick] See: MAKE BRICKS WITHOUT STRAW.
[brick wall] See: STONE WALL.
[bridge] See: BURN ONE'S BRIDGES, CROSS A BRIDGE BEFORE ONE COMES
TO IT, WATER OVER THE DAM or WATER UNDER THE BRIDGE.
[brief] See: HOLD A BRIEF FOR, IN BRIEF or IN SHORT or IN A WORD.
[bright and early] {adj. phr.} Prompt and alert; on time and ready;
cheerful and on time or before time. * /He came down bright and early
to breakfast./ * /She arrived bright and early for the appointment./
[bring about] {v.} To cause; produce; lead to. * /The war had
brought about great changes in living./ * /Drink brought about his
downfall./
[bring around] or [bring round] {v.} 1. {informal} To restore to
health or consciousness cure. * /He was quite ill, but good nursing
brought him around./ Compare: BRING TO(1). 2. To cause a change in
thinking; persuade; convince; make willing. * /After a good deal of
discussion he brought her round to his way of thinking./
[bringdown] {n.}, {slang}, {informal} 1. (from "bring down", past
"brought down"). A critical or cutting remark said sarcastically in
order to deflate a braggard's ego. * /John always utters the right
bringdown when he encounters a braggard./ 2. A person who depresses
and saddens others by being a chronic complainer. * /John is a regular
bringdown./
[bring down] {v. phr.}, {slang}, {informal} 1. To deflate
(someone's ego). * /John brought Ted down very cleverly with his
remarks./ 2. To depress (someone). * /The funeral brought me down
completely./
[bring down about one's ears] or [bring down around one's ears]
See: ABOUT ONE'S EARS.
[bring down the house] {v. phr.}, {informal} To start an audience
laughing or clapping enthusiastically. * /The principal's story was
funny in itself and also touched their loyalties, so it brought down
the house./ * /The President made a fine speech which brought down the
house./
[bring home] {v.} To show clearly; emphasize; make (someone)
realize; demonstrate. * /The accident caused a death in his family,
and it brought home to him the evil of drinking while driving./ * /A
parent or teacher should bring home to children the value and pleasure
of reading./
[bring home the bacon] {v. phr.}, {informal} 1. To support your
family; earn the family living. * /He was a steady fellow, who always
brought home the bacon./ 2. To win a game or prize. * /The football
team brought home the bacon./
[bring in] {v.} In baseball: To enable men on base to score, score.
* /Dick's hit brought in both base runners./ * /A walk and a triple
brought in a run in the third inning./
[bring into line] {v. phr.} To make someone conform to the accepted
standard. * /Sam had to be brought into line when he refused to take
his muddy shoes off the cocktail table./
[bring off] {v.} To do (something difficult); perform successfully
(an act of skill); accomplish (something requiring unusual ability). *
/By skillful discussion, Mr. White had brought off an agreement that
had seemed impossible to get./ * /He tried several times to break the
high jump record, and finally he brought it off./ Compare: PUT
OVER(2).
[bring on] {v.} To result in; cause; produce. * /The murder of
Archduke Franz Ferdinand in the summer of 1914 brought on the First
World War./ * /Spinal meningitis brought on John's deafness when he
was six years old./ * /Reading in a poor light may bring on a
headache./
[bring out] {v.} 1. To cause to appear; make clear. * /His report
brought out the foolishness of the plan./ * /Brushing will bring out
the beauty of your hair./ 2. To help (an ability or skill) grow or
develop. * /The teacher's coaching brought out a wonderful singing
voice of great power and warmth./ 3. To offer to the public by
producing, publishing, or selling. * /He brought out a new play./ *
/The company brought out a line of light personal airplanes./
[bring round] See: BRING AROUND.
[bring suit against] {v. phr.} To sue someone in a court of law. *
/Fred brought suit against Tom for fraud and embezzlement./
[bring to] {v.} (stress on "to") 1. To restore to consciousness;
wake from sleep, anesthesia, hypnosis, or fainting. * /Smelling salts
will often bring a fainting person to./ Compare: BRING AROUND(1). 2.
To bring a ship or boat to a stop. * /Reaching the pier, he brought
the boat smartly to./
[bring to a close] {v. phr.} To terminate; cause to end. * /The
meeting was brought to an abrupt close when the speaker collapsed with
a heart attack./
[bring to a head] {v. phr.} To cause some activity to reach the
point of culmination. * /Time is running out, gentlemen, so let us
bring this discussion to a head./
[bring to bay] {v. phr.} To chase or force into a place where
escape is impossible without a fight; trap; corner. * /The police
brought the robber to bay on the roof and he gave up./ * /The fox was
brought to bay in a hollow tree and the dogs stood around it barking./
Compare: AT BAY.
[bring to heel] See: TO HEEL.
[bring to light] {v. phr.} To discover (something hidden); find out
about; expose. * /Many things left by the ancient Egyptians in tombs
have been brought to light by scientists and explorers./ * /His
enemies brought to light some foolish things he had done while young,
but he was elected anyway because people trusted him./ Compare: COME
TO LIGHT.
[bring to one's knees] {v. phr.} To seriously weaken the power or
impair the function of. * /The fuel shortage brought the automobile
industry to its knees./
[bring to pass] {v. phr.}, {informal} To make (something) happen;
succeed in causing. * /By much planning, the mother brought the
marriage to pass./ * /The change in the law was slow in coming, and it
took a disaster to bring it to pass./ Compare: BRING ABOUT, COME TO
PASS.
[bring to terms] {v. phr.} To make (someone) agree or do; make
surrender. * /The two brothers were brought to terms by their father
for riding the bicycle./ * /The war won't end until we bring the enemy
to terms./ Contrast: COME TO TERMS.
[bring up] {v.} 1. To take care of (a child); raise, train,
educate. * /He gave much attention and thought to bringing up his
children./ * /Joe was born in Texas but brought up in Oklahoma./ 2.
{informal} To stop; halt. - Usually used with "short". * /He brought
the car up short when the light changed to red./ * /Bill started to
complain, I brought him up short./ 3. To begin a discussion of; speak
of; mention. * /At the class meeting Bob brought up the idea of a
picnic./
[bring up the rear] {v. phr.} 1. To come last in a march, parade,
or procession; end a line. * /The fire truck with Santa on it brought
up the rear of the Christmas parade./ * /The governor and his staff
brought up the rear of the parade./ 2. {informal} To do least well; do
the most poorly of a group; be last. * /In the race, John brought up
the rear./ * /In the basketball tournament, our team brought up the
rear./
[bring] or [wheel in] or [out] or [up the big guns] {v. phr.} To
make use of a concealed plan in order to defeat an opponent in an
argument or in a game, debate, or competition. * /The new computer
software company decided to bring out the big guns to get ahead of the
competition./
[broke] See: GO BROKE, GO FOR BROKE, STONE-BROKE OT DEAD BROKE or
FLAT BROKE, STRAW THAT BROKE THE CAMEL'S BACK.
[Bronx cheer] {n. phr.}, {slang} A loud sound made with tongue and
lips to show opposition or scorn. * /When he began to show anti-union
feelings, he was greeted with Bronx cheers all around./
[broom] See: NEW BROOM SWEEPS CLEAN.
[broth] See: SCOTCH BROTH.
[brow] See: BY THE SWEAT OF ONE'S BROW.
[brown] See: DO UP BROWN.
[brown-bagger] {n.}, {slang}, {informal} A person who does not go
to the cafeteria or to a restaurant for lunch at work, but who brings
his homemade lunch to work in order to save money. * /John became a
brown-bagger not because he can't afford the restaurant, but because
he is too busy to go there./
[brown-nose] {v.}, {slang}, {avoidable}, {though gaining in
acceptance} To curry favor in a subservient way, as by obviously
exaggerated flattery. * /Max brown-noses his teachers, that's why he
gets all A's in his courses./ Compare: POLISH THE APPLE.
[brown paper bag] {n.}, {slang}, {citizen's band radio jargon} An
unmarked police car. * /The beaver got a Christmas card because she
didn't notice the brown paper bag at her back door./ See: PLAIN WHITE
WRAPPER.
[brown study] {n. phr.} A time of deep thought about something; a
deep thoughtful mood. * /When his wife found him, he had pushed away
his books and was in a brown study./
[brush] See: BEAT THE BUSHES or BEAT THE BRUSH.
[brush aside] {v. phr.} To ignore; give no reply. * /Brushing aside
the editor's comments, the young novelist proceeded with his story,
which was subsequently rejected by the publisher./
[brush back] {v.} To throw a baseball pitch close to. * /The
pitcher threw a high inside pitch to brush the batter back./ Syn.:
DUST OFF.
[brushoff] See: GET THE BRUSHOFF, BRUSH OFF or GIVE THE BRUSHOFF.
[brush off] or [give the brush off] {v. phr.} 1. To refuse to hear
or believe; quickly and impatiently; not take seriously or think
important. * /John brushed off Bill's warning that he might fall from
the tree./ * /I said that it might rain and to take the bus, but Joe
gave my idea the brushoff./ * /Father cut his finger but he brushed it
off as not important and kept working./ 2. {informal} To be unfriendly
to; not talk or pay attention to (someone); get rid of. * /Mary
brushed off Bill at the dance./ * /I said hello to Mr. Smith, but he
gave me the brushoff./ Compare: COLD SHOULDER, HIGH-HAT. Contrast: GET
THE BRUSH OFF.
[brush up] or [brush up on] {v.} To refresh one's memory of or
skill at by practice or review; improve; make perfect. * /She spent
the summer brushing up on her American History as she was to teach
that in the fall./ * /He brushed up his target shooting./
[bubble gum music] {n.}, {slang} The kind of rock'n'roll that
appeals to young teenagers. * /When will you learn to appreciate
Mozart instead of that bubble gum music?/
[bubble trouble] {n.}, {slang}, {citizen's band radio jargon} Tire
trouble, flat tire. * /The eighteen wheeler ahead of me seems to have
bubble trouble./
[buck] See: FAST BUCK or QUICK BUCK, PASS THE BUCK.
[bucket] See: KICK THE BUCKET, RAIN CATS AND DOGS or RAIN BUCKETS.
[bucket of bolts] {n.}, {slang} A very old and shaky car that
barely goes. * /When are you going to get rid of that old bucket of
bolts?/
[buckle] See: BUCKLE DOWN or KNUCKLE DOWN.
[buckle down] or [knuckle down] {v.} To give complete attention (to
an effort or job); attend. * /They chatted idly for a few moments then
each buckled down to work./ * /Jim was fooling instead of studying; so
his father told him to buckle down./
[buck passer], [buck-passing] See: PASS THE BUCK.
[buck up] {v. phr.}, {informal} To make or become more cheerful;
make or become free from discouragement; become more hopeful. * /After
the heavy rain, the scoutmaster bucked up the boys by leading them in
a song./ * /Tom was disappointed that he didn't make the team; but he
soon bucked up./
[bud] See: NIP IN THE BUD.
[bug-eyed] {adj.}, {slang} Wide-eyed with surprise. * /He stood
there bug-eyed when told that he had won the award./
[buggy-whip] {n.}, {slang} An unusually long, thin radio antenna on
a car that bends back like a whip when the car moves fast. * /He's
very impressed with himself ever since he got a buggy whip./
[bughouse(1)] {n.}, {slang} An insane asylum. * /They took Joe to
the bughouse./
[bughouse(2)] {adj.}, {slang} Crazy, insane. * /Joe's gone
bughouse./
[bug in one's ear] {n. phr.}, {informal} A hint; secret information
given to someone to make him act; idea. * /I saw Mary at the jeweler's
admiring the diamond pin; I'll put a bug in Henry's ear./
[build] See: JERRY-BUILT.
[build a fire under] {v. phr.} To urge or force (a slow or
unwilling person) to action; get (someone) moving; arouse. * /The
health department built a fire under the restaurant owner and got him
to clean the place up by threatening to cancel his license./
[build castles in the air] or [build castles in Spain] {v. phr.} To
make impossible or imaginary plans, dream about future successes that
are unlikely. * /He liked to build castles in the air, but never
succeeded in anything./ * /To build castles in Spain is natural for
young people and they may work hard enough to get part of their
wishes./
[build on sand] {v. phr.} To lay a weak or insufficient foundation
for a building, a business, or a relationship. * /"I don't want to
build my business on sand," John said, "so please. Dad, give me that
loan I requested."/
[build up] {v.} 1. To make out of separate pieces or layers;
construct from parts. * /Johnny built up a fort out of large balls of
snow./ * /Lois built up a cake of three layers./ 2. To cover over or
fill up with buildings. * /The fields where Tom's father played as a
boy are all built up now./ * /A driver should slow down when he comes
to an area that is built up./ 3a. To increase slowly or by small
amounts; grow. * /John built up a bank account by saving regularly./ *
/The noise built up until Mary couldn't stand it any longer./ 3b. To
make stronger or better or more effective. * /Fred exercised to build
up his muscles./ * /Joanne was studying to build up her algebra./ 3c.
{informal} To advertise quickly and publicize so as to make famous. *
/The press agent built up the young actress./ * /The movie company
spent much money building up its new picture./
[build up to] {v. phr.} To be in the process of reaching a
culmination point. * /The clouds were building up to a violent storm./
* /Their heated words were building up to a premature divorce./
[bull] See: HIT THE BULLS-EYE, SHOOT THE BREEZE or SHOOT THE BULL,
TAKE THE BULL BY THE HORNS.
[bullet lane] {n.}, {slang}, {citizen's band radio jargon} The
passing lane. * /Move over into the bullet lane, this eighteen wheeler
is moving too slow./
[bull in a china shop] {n. phr.} A rough or clumsy person who says
or does something to anger others or upset plans; a tactless person. *
/We were talking politely and carefully with the teacher about a class
party, but John came in like a bull in a china shop and his rough talk
made the teacher say no./
[bull session] {n.}, {slang} A long informal talk about something
by a group of persons. * /After the game the boys in the dormitory had
a bull session until the lights went out./
[bullshit] {n.}, {vulgar, but gaining in acceptance by some}
Exaggerated or insincere talk meant to impress others. * /"Joe, this
is a lot of bullshit!"/
[bullshit] {v.}, {vulgar to informal}, {gaining in social
acceptance by some} To exaggerate or talk insincerely in an effort to
make yourself seem impressive. * /"Stop bullshitting me, Joe, I can't
believe a word of what you're saying."/
[bullshit artist] {n.}, {slang}, {vulgar, but gaining in social
acceptance} A person who habitually makes exaggerated or insincerely
flattering speeches designed to impress others. * /Joe is a regular
bullshit artist, small wonder he keeps gettine promoted ahead of
everyone else./
[bum around] {v. phr.}, {slang} To aimlessly wander in no definite
direction, like a vagabond. * /Jim had been bumming around in the
desert for three days and nights before he was able to remember how he
got there in the first place./
[bump] See: GOOSE BUMPS.
[bump into] {v.}, {informal} To meet without expecting to; happen
to meet; come upon by accident. * /Mary was walking down the street,
when she suddenly bumped into Joan./ * /Ed was surprised to bump into
John at the football game./ Syn.: RUN INTO.
[bump off] {v.}, {slang} To kill in a violent way; murder in
gangster fashion. * /Hoodlums in a speeding car bumped him off with
Tommy guns./
[bum's rush] {n. phr.}, {slang} Throwing or pushing someone out
from where he is not wanted. * /When John tried to go to the party
where he was not invited, Bill and Fred gave him the bum's rush./ *
/Tom became too noisy, and he got the bum's rush./ 2. To hurry or rush
(someone). * /The salesman tried to give me the bum's rush./
[bum steer] {n.} Wrong or misleading directions given naively or on
purpose. * /Man, you sure gave me a bum steer when you told me to go
north on the highway; you should have sent me south!/
[bundle of laughs] {n. phr.} A very amusing person, thing, or
event. * /Uncle Lester tells so many jokes that he is a bundle of
laughs./
[bundle up] See: WRAP UP(1).
[burn] See: EARS BURN, KEEP THE HOME FIRES BURNING, MONEY TO BURN.
[burn a hole in one's pocket] {v. phr.} To make you want to buy
something; be likely to be quickly spent. * /Money burns a hole in
Linda's pocket./ * /The silver dollar that Don got for his birthday
was burning a hole in his pocket, and Don hurried to a dime store./
[burn down] {v. phr.} To burn to the ground; be totally gutted by
fire. * /The old frame house burned down before the firefighters could
get to it./
[burn in effigy] See: HANG IN EFFIGY.
[burn one's bridges] also [burn one's boats] {v. phr.} To make a
decision that you cannot change; remove or destroy all the ways you
can get back out of a place you have got into on purpose; leave
yourself no way to escape a position. * /Bob was a good wrestler but a
poor boxer. He burned his boats by letting Mickey choose how they
would fight./ * /When Dorothy became a nun, she burned her bridges
behind her./
[burn one's fingers] {v. phr.}, {informal} To get in trouble doing
something and fear to do it again; learn caution through an unpleasant
experience. * /He had burned his fingers in the stock market once, and
didn't want to try again./ * /Some people can't be told; they have to
burn their fingers to learn./
[burn out] {v. phr.} 1. To destroy by fire or by overheating. *
/Mr. Jones burned out the clutch on his car./ 2. To destroy someone's
house or business by fire so that they have to move out. * /Three
racists burned out the Black family's home./ 3a. To go out of order;
cease to function because of long use or overheating. * /The light
bulb in the bathroom burned out, and Father put in a new one./ * /The
electric motor was too powerful, and it burned out a fuse./ 3b. To
break, tire, or wear out by using up all the power, energy, or
strength of. * /Bill burned himself out in the first part of the race
and could not finish./ * /The farmer burned out his field by planting
the same crop every year for many years./
[burn-out] {n.} A point of physical or emotional exhaustion. *
/There are so many refugees all over the world that charitable
organizations as well as individuals are suffering from donor
burn-out./
[burn rubber] {v. phr.}, {slang} 1. To start up a car or a
motorcycle from dead stop so fast that the tires leave a mark on the
road. * /The neighborhood drag racers burned a lot of rubber - look at
the marks on the road!/ 2. To leave in a hurry. * /I guess I am going
to have to burn rubber./
[burnt child dreads the fire] or [once bitten, twice shy] A person
who has suffered from doing something has learned to avoid doing it
again. - A proverb. * /Once Mary had got lost when her mother took her
downtown. But a burnt child dreads the fire, so now Mary stays close
to her mother when they are downtown./
[burn the candle at both ends] {v. phr.} To work or play too hard
without enough rest; get too tired. * /He worked hard every day as a
lawyer and went to parties and dances every night; he was burning the
candle at both ends./
[burn the midnight oil] {v. phr.} To study late at night. * /Exam
time was near, and more and more pupils were burning the midnight
oil./
[bum to a crisp] {v. phr.} To burn black; burn past saving or using
especially as food. * /While getting breakfast, Mother was called to
the telephone, and when she got back, the bacon had been burned to a
crisp./
[burn up] {v.} 1. To burn completely; destroy or be destroyed by
fire. * /Mr. Scott was burning up old letters./ * /The house burned up
before the firemen got there./ 2. {informal} To irritate, anger,
annoy. * /The boy's laziness and rudeness burned up his teacher./ *
/The breakdown of his new car burned Mr. Jones up./
[burn up the road] {v. phr.}, {informal} To drive a car very fast.
* /In his eagerness to see his girl again, he burned up the road on
his way to see her./ * /Speed demons burning up the road often cause
accidents./
[burst at the seams] {v. phr.}, {informal} To be too full or too
crowded. * /John ate so much he was bursting at the seams./ * /Mary's
album was so full of pictures it was bursting at the seams./
[burst into] {v. phr.} 1. To enter suddenly. * /Stuart burst into
the room, screaming angrily./ 2. To break out. * /The crowd burst out
cheering when the astronauts paraded along Fifth Avenue./
[burst into flames] {v. phr.} To begin to burn suddenly. * /The
children threw away some burning matches and the barn burst into
flames./
[burst into tears] {v. phr.} To suddenly start crying. * /Mary
burst into tears when she heard that her brother was killed in a car
accident./
[burst with joy] or [pride] {v. phr.} To be so full of the feeling
of joy or pride that one cannot refrain from showing one's exuberant
feelings. * /Armstrong and Aldrin burst with pride when they stepped
out on the moon in July, 1969./
[bury one's head in the sand] See: HIDE ONE'S HEAD IN THE SAND.
[bury the hatchet] {v. phr.}, {informal} To settle a quarrel or end
a war; make peace. * /The two men had been enemies a long time, but
after the flood they buried the hatchet./ Compare: MAKE UP(5).
[bus] See: MISS THE BOAT or MISS THE BUS.
[bush] See: BEAT ABOUT THE BUSH, BIRD IN THE HAND IS WORTH TWO IN
THE BUSH.
[bushel] See: HIDE ONE'S LIGHT UNDER A BUSHEL.
[bushes] See: BEAT THE BUSHES.
[business] See: DO THE BUSINESS, HAVE NO BUSINESS, LAND-OFFICE
BUSINESS, MEAN BUSINESS, MONKEY BUSINESS, THE BUSINESS.
[bust up] {v. phr.}, {slang} To terminate a partnership, a
relationship, a friendship, or a marriage. * /If Jack keeps drinking
the way he does, it will bust up his marriage to Sue./
[busy work] {n.} Work that is done not to do or finish anything
important, but just to keep busy. * /When the teacher finished all she
had to say it was still a half hour before school was over. So she
gave the class a test for busy work./
[but for] See: EXCEPT FOR.
[but good] {adv. phr.}, {informal} Very much so; thoroughly
completely; forcefully. - Used for emphasis. * /Jack called Charles a
bad name, and Charles hit him, but good./ * /Tom fell and broke his
leg. That taught him but good not to fool around in high trees./
Compare: AND HOW.
[but not least] See: LAST BUT NOT LEAST.
[butter] See: BREAD AND BUTTER.
[butterflies in one's stomach] {n. phr.} A queer feeling in the
stomach caused by nervous fear or uncertainty; a feeling of fear or
anxiety in the stomach. * /When Bob walked into the factory office to
ask for a job, he had butterflies in his stomach./
[butter up] {v.}, {informal} To try to get the favor or friendship
of (a person) by flattery or pleasantness. * /He began to butter up
the boss in hope of being given a better job./ Compare: POLISH THE
APPLE.
[butter wouldn't melt in one's mouth] {informal} You act very
polite and friendly but do not really care, you are very nice to
people but are not sincere. * /The new secretary was rude to the other
workers, but when she talked to the boss, butter wouldn't melt in her
mouth./
[butt in] {v.}, {slang} To join in with what other people are doing
without asking or being asked; interfere in other people's business;
meddle. * /Mary was explaining to Jane how to knit a sweater when
Barbara butted in./ Often used with "on". * /John butted in on Bill
and Tom's fight, and got hurt./ Compare: HORN IN.
[button] See: HAVE ALL ONE'S BUTTONS, ON THE BUTTON, PUSH THE PANIC
BUTTON.
[button down] {v.}, {slang} (stress on "down") To state precisely,
to ascertain, to pin down, to peg down. * /First let's get the facts
buttoned down, then we can plan ahead./
[button-down] {attrib. adj.}, {slang} (stress on "button")
Well-groomed, conservatively dressed. * /Joe is a regular button-down
type./
[buttonhole] {v.} To approach a person in order to speak with him
or her in private. * /After waiting for several hours, Sam managed to
buttonhole his boss just as she was about to leave the building./
[button one's lip] also [zip one's lip] {v. phr.}, {slang} To stop
talking; keep a secret; shut your mouth; be quiet. * /The man was
getting loud and insulting and the cop told him to button his lip./ *
/John wanted to talk, but Dan told him to keep his lip buttoned./
Syn.: KEEP ONE'S MOUTH SHUT, SHUT UP.
[buy for a song] {v. phr.} To buy something very cheaply. * /Since
the building on the corner was old and neglected, I was able to buy it
for a song./
[buy off] {v.} To turn from duty or purpose by a gift. * /When the
police threatened to stop the gambling business, the owner bought them
off./ * /The Indians were going to burn the cabins, but the men bought
them off with gifts./ Compare: PAY OFF.
[buy out] {v.} 1. To buy the ownership or a share of; purchase the
stock of. * /He bought out several small stockholders. 2. To buy all
the goods of; purchase the merchandise of./ * /Mr. Harper bought out a
nearby hardware store./ Contrast: SELL OUT.
[buy up] {v. phr.} To purchase the entire stock of something. *
/The company is trying to buy up all the available shares./
[buzz] See: GIVE A RING also GIVE A BUZZ.
[buzz word] {n.} A word that sounds big and important in a sentence
but, on closer inspection, means little except the speaker's
indication to belong to a certain group. * /The politician's speech
was nothing but a lot of misleading statements and phony promises
hidden in a bunch of buzz words./
[by] See: TOO --- BY HALF.
[by a hair] See: HANG BY A THREAD or HANG BY A HAIR
[by] or [in my book] {adv. phr.} In my opinion; as far as I am
concerned; in my judgment. * /By my book, Mr. Murgatroyd is not a very
good department head./
[by all means] also [by all manner of means] {adv. phr.} Certainly,
without fail. * /He felt that he should by all means warn Jones./
Contrast: BY NO MEANS.
[by all odds] {adv. phr.} Without question; certainly. * /He was by
all odds the strongest candidate./ * /By all odds we should win the
game, because the other team is so weak./ Compare: FAR AND AWAY.
[by a long shot] {adv. phr.}, {informal} By a big difference; by
far. - Used to add emphasis. * /Bert was the best swimmer in the race,
by a long shot./ Often used with a negative. * /Tom isn't the kind who
would be fresh to a teacher, by a long shot./ * /Our team didn't win -
not by a long shot./ Compare: MISS BY A MILE.
[by a mile] See: MISS BY A MILE.
[by and by] {adv.} After a while; at some time in the future;
later. * /Roger said he would do his homework by and by./ * /The
mother knew her baby would be a man by and by and do a man's work./
Syn.: AFTER A WHILE.
[by and large] {adv. phr.} As it most often happens; more often
than not; usually; mostly. * /There were bad days, but it was a
pleasant summer, by and large./ * /By and large, women can bear pain
better than men./ Syn.: FOR THE MOST PART, ON THE WHOLE(2).
[by any means] See: BY NO MEANS.
[by a thread] See: HANG BY A THREAD.
[by chance] {adv. phr.} Without any cause or reason; by accident;
accidentally. * /Tom met Bill by chance./ * /The apple fell by chance
on Bobby's head./
[by choice] {adv. phr.} As a result of choosing because of wanting
to; freely. * /John helped his father by choice./ * /Mary ate a plum,
but not by choice. Her mother told her she must eat it./
[by dint of] {prep.} By the exertion of; by the use of; through. *
/By dint of sheer toughness and real courage, he lived through the
jungle difficulties and dangers./ * /His success in college was
largely by dint of hard study./
[bye] See: BY THE WAY also BY THE BYE.
[by ear] {adv. phr.} 1. By sound, without ever reading the printed
music of the piece being played. * /The church choir sang the hymns by
ear./ 2. Waiting to see what will happen. * /I don't want to plan now;
let's just play it by ear./
[by far] {adv. phr.} By a large difference; much. * /His work was
better by far than that of any other printer in the city./ * /The old
road is prettier, but it is by far the longer way./ Compare: FAR AND
AWAY.
[by fits and starts] or [jerks] {adv. phr.} With many stops and
starts, a little now and a little more later; not all the time;
irregularly. * /He had worked on the invention by fits and starts for
several years./ * /You will never get anywhere if you study just by
fits and starts./ Compare: FROM TIME TO TIME, OFF AND ON.
[bygone] See: LET BYGONES BE BYGONES.
[by heart] {adv. phr.} By exact memorizing; so well that you
remember it; by memory. * /The pupils learned many poems by heart./ *
/He knew the records of the major league teams by heart./
[by hook or by crook] {adv. phr.} By honest ways or dishonest in
any way necessary. * /The wolf tried to get the little pigs by hook or
by crook./ * /The team was determined to win that last game by hook or
by crook, and three players were put out of the game for fouling./
[by inches] {adv. phr.} By small or slow degrees; little by little;
gradually. * /The river was rising by inches./ * /They got a heavy
wooden beam under the barn for a lever, and managed to move it by
inches./ * /He was dying by inches./
[by leaps and bounds] {adv. phr.} With long steps; very rapidly. *
/Production in the factory was increasing by leaps and bounds./ * /The
school enrollment was going up by leaps and bounds./
[by means of] {prep.} By the use of; with the help of. * /The
fisherman saved himself by means of a floating log./ * /By means of
monthly payments, people can buy more than in the past./
[by mistake] {adv. phr.} As the result of a mistake; through error.
* /He picked up the wrong hat by mistake./
[by no means] or [not by any means] also [by no manner of means] or
[not by any manner of means] {adv. phr.} Not even a little; certainly
not. * /He is by no means bright./ * /"May I stay home from school?"
"By no means."/ * /Dick worked on his project Saturday, but he is not
finished yet, by any means./ Contrast: BY ALL MEANS.
[B.Y.O.] (Abbreviation) {informal} Bring Your Own. Said of a kind
of party where the host or hostess does not provide the drinks or food
but people ring their own.
[B.Y.O.B.] (Abbreviation) {informal} Bring Your Own Bottle.
Frequently written on invitations for the kind of party where people
bring their own liquor.
[by oneself] {adv. phr.} 1. Without any others around; separate
from others; alone. * /The house stood by itself on a hill./ * /Tom
liked to go walking by himself./ * /Betty felt very sad and lonely by
herself./ 2. Without the help of anyone else; by your own work only. *
/John built a flying model airplane by himself./ * /Lois cleaned the
house all by herself./
[by one's own bootstraps] See: PULL ONE SELF UP BY THE BOOTSTRAPS.
[by storm] See: TAKE BY STORM.
[by surprise] See: TAKE BY SURPRISE.
[by the board] See: GO BY THE BOARD also PASS BY THE BOARD.
[by the bootstraps] See: PULL ONESELF UP BY THE BOOTSTRAPS.
[by the bye] See: BY THE WAY.
[by the dozen] or [by the hundred] or [by the thousand] {adv. phr.}
Very many at one time; in great numbers. * /Tommy ate cookies by the
down./ Often used in the plural, meaning even larger numbers. * /The
ants arrived at the picnic by the hundreds./ * /The enemy attacked the
fort by the thousands./
[by the horns] See: TAKE THE BULL BY THE HORNS.
[by the hundred] See: BY THE DOZEN.
[by the nose] See: LEAD BY THE NOSE.
[by the piece] {adv. phr.} Counted one piece at a time, separately
for each single piece. * /John bought boxes full of bags of potato
chips and sold them by the piece./ * /Mary made potholders and got
paid by the piece./
[by the seat of one's pants] See: FLY BY THE SEAT OF ONE'S PANTS.
[by the skin of one's teeth] {adv. phr.} By a narrow margin; with
no room to spare; barely. * /The drowning man struggled, and I got him
to land by the skin of my teeth./ * /She passed English by the skin of
her teeth./ Compare: SQUEAK THROUGH, WITHIN AN ACE OF or WITHIN AN
INCH OF.
[by the sweat of one's brow] {adv. phr.} By hard work; by tiring
effort; laboriously. * /Even with modern labor-saving machinery, the
farmer makes his living by the sweat of his brow./
[by the thousand] See: BY THE DOZEN.
[by the way] also [by the bye] {adv. phr.} Just as some added fact
or news; as something else that I think of. - Used to introduce
something related to the general subject, or brought to mind by it. *
/We shall expect you; by the way, dinner will be at eight./ * /I was
reading when the earthquake occurred, and, by the way, it was The Last
Days of Pompeii that I was reading./
[by the wayside] See: FALL BY THE WAYSIDE.
[by turns] {adv. phr.} First one and then another in a regular way;
one substituting for or following another according to a repeated
plan. * /On the drive to Chicago, the three men took the wheel by
turns./ * /The teachers were on duty by turns./ * /When John had a
fever, he felt cold and hot by turns./ Syn.: IN TURN. Compare: TAKE
TURNS.
[by virtue of] also [in virtue of] {prep.} On the strength of;
because of; by reason of. * /By virtue of his high rank and position,
the President takes social leadership over almost everyone else./ *
/Plastic bags are useful for holding many kinds of food, by virtue of
their clearness, toughness, and low cost./ Compare: BY DINT OF.
[by way of] {prep.} 1. For the sake or purpose of; as. * /By way of
example, he described his own experience./ 2. Through; by a route
including; via. * /He went from New York to San Francisco by way of
Chicago./
[by word of mouth] {adv. phr.} From person to person by the spoken
word; orally. * /The news got around by word of mouth./ * /The message
reached him quietly by word of mouth./
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Полезные советы/инфо от Face-Off |
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