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ENGLISH  IDIOMS  &  IDIOMATIC  EXPRESSIONS

ALPHABETICAL  LIST  -  B
 

 


 

Idiom

Meaning

B

 Leave somebody holding the baby   If someone is left holding the baby, they are made responsible for
  a problem that others don't want to deal with.
  "When the angry customer started to complain,
  my colleague disappeared and left me holding the baby."
   Back or bet on the wrong horse   If you back or bet on the wrong horse, for example the loser in
  a contest, match or election, you support the wrong person.
 
"When I voted for him, I was convinced he would win, but I backed
  the wrong horse!"
   Get off my back!   If you tell somebody to get off your back, you ask them to stop
  finding faults or criticizing you.
   In the back of beyond    This expression is used to describe an isolated place located
  far from any town.
  "It took us hours to find Jack's house. 
  He lives in the back of beyond!"
   On the back burner   If you put a project or issue on the back burner, you decide
  to deal with it at a later date because you do not consider it
  to be that urgent or important.
  "When Julie was offered a promotion, she put her MBA plans
  on the back burner."
   Back to square one   To say that someone is back to square one, means that they have
  not succeeded
  in what they were trying to do, and so they have to start again.
  "When the plans were refused, it was back to square one for the
  architect."
   Backhanded compliment   A remark that appears to express admiration but could also be
  interpreted as an insult is called a backhanded compliment.
  "He said my presentation was 'surprisingly clear' -
  how's that for a backhanded compliment!"
   Back-of-the-envelope calculation   This expression refers to quick approximate calculation done
  informally, as on the back of an envelope.

 
"I don't need the exact amount. 
  Just give me a back-of-the-envelope calculation."
   Back-room boys   This term refers to people who do important work but have no contact
  with the public.
 
"Back-room boys don't always receive the credit they deserve for their
   work."
   Backseat driver   A backseat driver is a passenger in a car who gives unwanted
  advice to the driver.
  "I can't stand backseat drivers like my mother-in-law!"
   A bad egg   To refer to someone as a bad egg means that they cannot be trusted.
  "I don't want my son to be friends with Bobby Smith. 
  Bobby's a bad egg."
   Badger someone into doing something   If you badger someone into doing something, you persistently
  nag or pester them until you obtain what you want.
  "Sophie badgered her parents into buying her a new computer."
   In the bag   If you think something is in the bag, you are almost certain
  it will be achieved.
 
"An hour before the polling stations closed, victory seemed in the bag
  for the Conservative candidate.
"
   In the balance   If something is in the balance, it means the situation is uncertain
  and it is not clear what is going to happen.
  "The future of the company is in the balance while the takeover bid
  is being examined."
   Be on the ball   If you are on the ball, you are aware of what is happening
  and are able to react to the situation quickly.
   Have a ball   If you have a ball, you enjoy yourself.
  "The party was great.  We had a ball."
   On the ball   If you are on the ball, you are aware of what is happening
  and are able to deal with things quickly and intelligently.
 
"We need someone who's really on the ball to head the fund-raising
  campaign."
   Start the ball rolling   If you start the ball rolling, you start an activity in which
  other people will join.
  
"Let's start the ball rolling by calling on our first speaker."
   The ball is in your court   If the ball is in your court, it is your turn to speak or act next.  
  "We gave the manager a list of complaints, so the ball is in
  his court now."
   Jump on the bandwagon   If a person or organization jumps on the bandwagon,
  they decide to do something when it is already successful or
  fashionable.
  "When organic food became popular, certain stores were quick
  to jump on the bandwagon and promote it."
   Bang your head against a brick wall   If you bang your head against a brick wall, you continue vainly to
  try and achieve something  in spite of several unsuccessful attempts.
  "I've been banging my head against a brick wall trying to explain the
   internet to my grandmother."
   Bar fly   A bar fly refers to someone who spends a lot of time drinking in
  bars and pubs.
  "You'll find Johnny down at the pub - he's a real bar fly!"
   Bare one's heart (or soul)   If you bare your heart or soul to someone, you reveal your
  innermost thoughts and feelings to them.
  "John couldn't keep things to himself any longer.  He decided to
  bare his soul to his best friend."
   His bark is worse than his bite    This expression is used to refer to a person who sounds much
  more severe or angry than they really are.
  "Don't be afraid of him - his bark is worse than his bite."
   Bark up the wrong tree   A person who barks up the wrong tree is doing the wrong thing, 
  because their beliefs or ideas are incorrect or mistaken.
   Have bats in the belfry   If you say that somebody has bats in the belfry, you are saying that
  their ideas are completely mad.
   The battle lines are drawn  This expression is used to say that opposing groups are ready to
 defend the reason behind the conflict.
 "The battle lines have been drawn between those who accept the
  changes and those who are against the proposed reforms."
   Battle of wills   A conflict, argument or struggle where both sides are determined to win
  is described as a battle of wills.
  "
When they  separated, neither party would make concessions - it was
  a battle of wills."
   (Not the) be-all and end-all   To say that something is not the be-all and end-all means that it is
  not what matters most.
 
"Good school results are not the be-all and end-all of educating a child."
   Be full of beans   A person who is full of beans is lively, active and healthy.
   Bear the brunt (of something)   A person who bears the brunt of something is the one who suffers
  the most when something bad or unpleasant happens.
  "When things go wrong, his assistant always has to bear the brunt
  of his anger."
   Bear something in mind   If someone asks you to bear something in mind, they are telling
  you to remember it because it is important.
 
"You must bear in mind that the cost of living is higher in New York."
   Like a bear with a sore head   If someone is behaving like a bear with a sore head, they are
  very irritable and bad-tempered.
  "When his team lost the match, Brad was like a bear with a sore head."
   Beat/knock the living daylights
 out of someone
  If someone beats the daylights out of another, they hit them very hard
  and repeatedly.
 
"If I catch you stealing again, I'll beat the daylights out of you!"
   It beats me!   This expression is used to express surprise at something that you find
  difficult to understand,
 
"It beats me how he can live in that horrible apartment!"
   At someone's beck and call   If a person is at somebody's beck and call, they are always
  ready to do things for them or obey orders to please them.
  "Parents should not be at the beck and call of their children."
   Have a bee in one's bonnet   A person who has a bee in their bonnet has an idea
  which constantly occupies their thoughts.
  "She's got a bee in her bonnet about moving to New York."
   The bee's knees   If you say that someone/something is the bee's knees,
  you think they are exceptionally good.  
  If you say "Julie thinks she's the bee's knees", it means that 
  Julie has a high opinion of herself!
   Been there, done that   This expression is used to indicate that the speaker is familiar with
  the situation mentioned. It can also refer to an attitude which reflects
  a certain boredom at the idea of repeating an experience that has lost
  its novelty.
  "His suggestions produced a 'been there, done that' attitude which
  undermined his enthusiasm."
   Beggars can't be choosers.   This expression means that you should not reject an offer
  if it is the only possibility you have.  You have no choice. 
  "Beggars can't be choosers"!
   Ring a bell   If something rings a bell, it is vaguely familiar to you,
  but you can't remember the exact details .
  "John Bentley?  The name rings a bell but I don't remember him."
   Below the belt   An action or remark described as below the belt means that
  it is considered unfair or cruel.
  "Politicians sometimes use personal information to hit their rivals
  below the belt.'
   Tighten your belt   If you need to tighten your belt, you must spend your money
  carefully.
  "Another bill?  I'll have to tighten my belt this month!"
   Bend over backwards    If you bend over backwards,  you try very hard to do something,
  especially to please somebody.
  "The manager bent over backwards to try to make Jack stay,
  but Jack wouldn't change his mind."
   Bend the truth   If you bend the truth, you say something that is not entirely true.
  "OK, I bent the truth a bit; I told him it was my natural colour,
  but I didn't say that my hairdresser helped me to keep it natural!"
   The benefit of the doubt   If you give somebody the benefit of the doubt, you choose to
  believe that that person is innocent, honest or telling the truth,
  because there is no evidence to the contrary.
  "Although he found it hard to believe Tom's explanation, the teacher
  decided to give him the benefit of the doubt."
   Beside yourself (with something)   If you are beside yourself (with an emotion), you lose your
  self-control because of the intensity of the emotion you are feeling.
 
"He was beside himself with grief when he lost his son."
   The best of both worlds   If a person has the best of both worlds, they have the benefits and
  advantages of two different things.
  "We live in the centre of town, but only 5 minutes from the beach. 
  We have the best of both worlds."
   Bet your bottom dollar   If you bet your bottom dollar on something, you are absolutely
  certain of it.
 
"Jack is very punctual.  You can bet your bottom dollar he'll be here
  at 9 o'clock on the dot."
   Bet on the wrong horse   If you back or bet on the wrong horse, for example the loser in a
  contest, match or election, you support the wrong person.
 
"When I voted for him, I was convinced he would win, but I backed
  the wrong horse!"
   Better safe than sorry   It's better to be too cautious than to be careless and have regrets later.
  "Let's book tickets in advance - better safe than sorry!"
   Think better of something   If you think better of something, you decide not to do something
  that you intended doing.
  "I wanted to go shopping, but when I saw the crowded car park,
  I thought better of it."
   Between the devil and the deep blue sea     If you are between the devil and the deep blue sea, you are
  in a situation where there are two equally unpleasant alternatives.
  "When the new product didn't take off, the management was caught
  between the devil and the deep blue sea: develop a new marketing
  campaign or drop the product."
   It's beyond me   The expression "it's beyond me" means:  "it's impossible for me to
  understand"
  "It's beyond me why Mary wants to marry John."
   Beyond any reasonable doubt   This is a legal expression which means that something is certain.
  "The court established, beyond any reasonable doubt, that the man
   was innocent."
   Beyond one's wildest dreams   If something is beyond your wildest dreams, it is better than you
  imagined or hoped for.
  "The research team received a grant from the government that was
  beyond their wildest dreams."
   Bide your time   If you bide your time, you wait for a good opportunity to do something.
  "He's not hesitating, he's just biding his time. 
   He's waiting for the price to drop."
   Clean bill of health   If a person has a clean bill of health, they have a report or certificate
  declaring that their health is satisfactory.
   Kill two birds with one stone   If you kill two birds with one stone, you succeed in doing
  two things at the same time.
   Birds of a feather.   To say that two people are birds of a feather means that they
  are very similar in many ways.
   In/wearing one's birthday suit   This humorous expression means that you are wearing nothing!
  "The bathroom door blew open, and there I was in my birthday suit!"
   Bite off more than you can chew   If you bite off more than you can chew, you try to do something
  that is too difficult for you, or more than you can manage.
  "As soon as I started to translate the report, I realized that
   I had bitten off more than I could chew."
   Bite someone's head off   If you bite someone's head off, you criticize them strongly
  (and perhaps unfairly).
  "I worked 10 hours a day all week and my boss bit my head off
  for not doing my share of the work!"
   Bite the hand that feeds you   If you bite the hand that feeds you, you are unfriendly or do harm
  to someone who is kind to you.
   Bite your tongue   If you bite your tongue, you try not to say what you really think or
  feel.
 "It was difficult for me not to react; I had to bite my tongue."
   Once bitten, twice shy.   This is said by a person who has had an unpleasant experience
  which has made them cautious.
  "I'm never going to get married again.  Once bitten, twice shy."
   A bitter pill to swallow   A bitter pill to swallow is something very difficult or unpleasant
  to accept.
  "Losing his job after organizing the merger was a bitter pill to swallow."
   Black mood   To be in a black mood means to be irritable, angry or even
  depressed.
  Also : to be in a bad mood.
   Black tie event   This expression refers to a formal event at which men are required
  to wear a dinner jacket,
or tuxedo, and a black bow tie.
  "I need to know if it's going to be a casual get-together or a black tie
  event
."
   In black and white   To say that something is in black and white means that there is
  written proof of it.
  "It's an obligation.  It's written in black and white in your contract."
   In the black   To say that a person or organization is in the black means that
  they are financially sound, have a positive balance on their account,
  and that they owe no money.
   Black gold   Black gold refers to the black colour and high value of oil.
   Black market   The black market refers to the illegal buying and selling
  of goods or currencies.
   Black out   If you black out, you lose consciousness.
   Black sheep   The black sheep of the family is one who is very different from the
  others, and least respected by the other members of the family,
   Blamestorming   A discussion among a group of people, who try to determine who or
  what is to blame for a particular mistake, failure or wrongdoing, is
  called 'blamestorming'.
  "A blamestorming session took place following the unfavourable
  reviews in the press."
   A blank cheque    If you give someone a blank cheque, you authorize them to do
  what they think is best in a difficult situation.
  "Tom was given a blank cheque and told to negotiate the
   best deal possible."
   A wet blanket   To refer to someone as a wet blanket means that they spoil
  other people's fun,
  or make an event less enjoyable that it could have been
  "Come on, Mike!   Don't be such a wet blanket.
   You're spoiling the party!"
   A blessing in disguise   This expression is used to refer to something which is unpleasant at
  first but later turns out to have advantages.
  "Missing the plane was a blessing in disguise - that's how he met
  his wife.  She was a hostess on the next flight!"
   The blind leading the blind   This expression refers to a person with very little ability trying to help
  or guide a person with no ability.
  "Don't ask Sofia to translate it.  She hardly speaks a word of English
  herself. It would be the blind leading the blind".
   Blind you with science   If someone tries to blind you with science, they confuse you with
  their knowledge by using difficult or technical words.
 
"If you ask Tim for a simple explanation, he tries to blind you with
  science."
   Make your blood boil   If something makes your blood boil, it makes you really angry.
 "His condescending attitude made my blood boil!"
   Make your blood run cold   If something makes your blood run cold, it shocks or scares you a lot.
 
"The look in the prisoner's eyes made my blood run cold."
   Blood, sweat and tears   A project or action which involves blood, sweat and tears requires
  a lot of effort and hard work.

  "His success wasn't due to luck; it was blood, sweat and tears
   all the way."
   Blow a fuse   If you blow a fuse, you suddenly lose your temper and become
  very angry.
 
"Charlie blew a fuse yesterday when he discovered that his ipod
  had been stolen."
   Blow hot and cold   If you blow hot and cold about something, you constantly change
  your opinion about it.
  "The boss keeps blowing hot and cold about the marketing campaign -
  one day he finds it excellent, the next day he wants to make changes."
   Blow up in someone's face   When working on a plan or project, if it suddenly goes wrong or fails,
  it blows up in your face.
 
"The trip was difficult to organize, but it blew up in his face when the
  airline company went on strike."
   Blue chip company   This term refers to a company with a solid reputation for the quality of
  its   products and the stability of its growth and earnings.
 
"It's usually safe to invest in a blue-chip company.
   Blue in the face   If you do something until you're blue in the face, you try
  unsuccessfully to do something for a very long time.
 
"I explained the situation until I was blue in the face but she wouldn't
  change her mind."
   Feel blue   To feel blue means to have feelings of deep sadness or depression.
   A bolt from the blue   To refer to something as a bolt from the blue means
  that it happened completely unexpectedly.
  "The chairman's resignation came as a bolt from the blue!"
   Blue-eyed boy   A blue-eyed boy is somebody's favourite.
  "He's the director's blue-eyed boy!"
   Out of the blue   If something happens out of the blue, it happens unexpectedly.
   Above board   If a situation or business is described as above board, it is open,
  honest and legal.
  "There are no secret negotiations.  Our dealings have always been
  above board."
   The mind boggles   The expression "the mind boggles" is used as a reaction to
  something you find amazing or difficult to understand.
   Bold as brass   Someone who is bold as brass behaves without shame or
  embarrassment.
  "Bold as brass, he refused the gift and handed it back to
  his mother-in-law."   
   Bone of contention   A bone of contention is a matter or subject about which there is
  a lot of disagreement.
  "The salaries have been agreed on, but opening on Sundays remains
  a bone of contention."
   Have a bone to pick with someone   To say that you have a bone to pick with somebody means that
  you are annoyed with them and want to talk to them about it.
   Make no bones about something   If you make no bones about something, you do not hesitate to
  express your thoughts or feelings about it, even if it is embarrassing.
   In somebody's good/bad books   If you are in somebody's good or bad books, you have their
  approval or disapproval.
  "I'm in my wife's bad books at the moment because I forgot our
   wedding anniversary!"
   Lick someone's boots   To say that one person licks another person's boots means that
  they are trying to please that person, often in order to obtain
  something.
   Get too big for your boots (or britches)   To say that a person is getting too big for their boots means that
  you think they are behaving as if they were more important that they
  really are.
  "Tom's really getting too big for his boots since he got a promotion -
  he hardly says hello any more!"
   I wasn't born yesterday     This expression is used to indicate that you are not as foolish or as
  easily deceived as some people seem to think.
  "Stop inventing silly excuses.  I wasn't born yesterday you know!"
   Bow and scrape   To say that someone is bowing and scraping means that they are
  being excessively polite or servile.
  "The President was greeted with much bowing and scraping."
   Brain like a sieve   Someone who has a brain like a sieve has a very bad memory and
  forgets things easily.
  "Oh, I forgot to buy bread - I've got a brain like a sieve these days!"
   Have something on the brain   If you have something on the brain, you think or talk about it
  constantly.
  "Stop talking about golf.  You've got golf on the brain!"
   Get down to brass tacks   People who get down to brass tacks start to discuss and deal with
  the practical details of something

 
"It was decided to get down to brass tacks and discuss the cost of
  the project."
   Take the bread out of somebody's mouth   If you take the bread out of somebody's mouth, you take away
  their means of earning a living.
  "The decision to ban street vendors took the bread out of the mouths
  of many people."
   Break a leg!   This is a humorous way of wishing somebody good luck, especially
  among stage performers.
  "So tonight's the opening night? Break a leg!"
   Break the mould   If you change what people expect from a situation, especially by
  doing something original, you break the mould.
 
"After generations of doctors in the family, he broke the mould by
  becoming a fashion designer."
   Break every rule in the book.   If you behave in a completely unacceptable way, you break every
  rule in the book.
 
"Our competitors obtained the contract by breaking every rule in the
  book."
   Breathe down someone's neck   If somebody is breathing down your neck, they are watching you
  too closely and making you feel uncomfortable.
 "The atmosphere at work isn't great; the boss keeps breathing
  down our necks all the time."
   Bricks and mortar/ bricks and clicks   An established trading company (office/shop) is referred to as a
  'brick-and-mortar' business. 
  'Click companies' refer to Internet-based operations.
  Companies which do both are called 'bricks and clicks'.
  "Click businesses are usually more flexible than brick-and-mortar
  operations."
   Bring the house down   If you bring the house down, you give a very successful
  performance.
 
"If he sings like that on Saturday, he'll bring the house down."
   Bring nothing to the table   If you participate in negotiations and bring nothing to the table,
  you have nothing of interest to offer the other side.
  "We'll never reach an agreement if we don't all bring something to
  the table."
   It's as broad as it's long   This expression means that it makes no real difference which
  alternative is chosen.
  "Take the high-speed train or fly and take a taxi?
   It's as broad as it's long."
   Brown as a berry   To say that someone is brown as a berry means that they are
  very tanned.
   Browned-off   To be browned off means to be bored, fed up or disheartened.
  "Tom is browned off with his job."
   The bubble has burst   To say that the bubble has burst means that the success of an
  idea, a product or a situation has suddenly stopped.
  "The video game was a phenomenal success but the bubble
  has burst."
   Pass the buck   If you say that someone is passing the buck, you are accusing
  them of not taking responsibility for a problem and expecting
  someone else to handle it.
   Kick the bucket.   To kick the bucket is a light-hearted way of talking about death.
  "He will inherit when his grandfather kicks the bucket."
   To nip something in the bud   If you nip a problem or a bad situation in the bud, you stop it
  at an early stage, before it becomes worse.
  "He wanted to be a clown, but his parents soon nipped that idea
  in the bud."
   Build bridges   If a person builds bridges between opposing groups, they help
  them to cooperate and understand each other better.
   Take the bull by the horns   To take the bull by the horns means that a person decides to
  act decisively in order to deal with a difficult situation or problem.
   Bundle of nerves    If you describe somebody as a bundle of nerves, you mean that
  they are very nervous, tense or worried.
  
"My son is doing his driving test today. Needless to say he's a bundle
  of nerves!"
   Burden of proof   The burden of proof is the necessity imposed by law to prove that
  what one says is true.
  "The burden of proof lies with the claimant."
   Burn the candle at both ends   If you burn the candle at both ends, you exhaust yourself by doing
  too much, especially going to bed late and getting up early.
  "Scott looks exhausted - I'll bet he's been burning the candle at both
  ends lately."
   Burn your fingers   If you burn your fingers (or get your fingers burnt), you suffer financially
  as a result of foolish behaviour.
  "
Jack got his fingers burnt playing on the stock market."
   Don't beat around the bush   This expression is used to tell somebody to say what they have
  to say, clearly and directly, even if it's unpleasant.
   Butter wouldn't melt in your mouth   If you say that somebody looks as if butter wouldn't melt in
  their mouth, you are saying that they look completely innocent,
  but that they are capable of doing unpleasant things.

 
 

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