English Idioms and Idiomatic Expressions
Alphabetical List of Idioms - B, page 11
from: 'blow a fuse'
to: 'above board'
- blow a fuse
- If you blow a fuse, you suddenly lose your temper and become very angry.
"Charlie blew a fuse yesterday then he discovered that his ipod had been stolen."
- If you blow a fuse, you suddenly lose your temper and become very angry.
- blow a gasket
- When a furious person blows a gasket, they explode with anger.
"When the shop was burgled for the third time, the owner blew a gasket."
- When a furious person blows a gasket, they explode with anger.
- 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."
- If you blow hot and cold about something, you constantly change your opinion about it.
- blow out of proportion
- If you exaggerate the importance of something, you blow it out of proportion.
"The importance of the event was blown out of proportion by the media."
- If you exaggerate the importance of something, you blow it out of proportion.
- blow out of the water
- If you blow someone or something out of the water, you completely defeat, destroy or ruin them.
"The government’s economic policy has been blown out of the water by the recent financial crisis."
- If you blow someone or something out of the water, you completely defeat, destroy or ruin them.
- blow the whistle
- If you report an illegal or socially-harmful activity to the
authorities, and give information about those responsible for it, you blow the whistle or you are a whistle-blower.
"He refused to blow the whistle on his boss for fear of losing his job."
- If you report an illegal or socially-harmful activity to the
authorities, and give information about those responsible for it, you blow the whistle or you are a whistle-blower.
- blow up in your 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 organise, but it blew up in his face when the airline company went on strike."
- When working on a plan or project, if it suddenly goes wrong or fails, it blows up in your face.
- blow your top
- If you blow your top, you suddenly become very angry.
"When my mother saw the state of the house after the party, she blew her top!"
- If you blow your top, you suddenly become very angry.
- blue around gills
- If a person looksblue around gills, (or green
or pale) they look unwell or sick.
"You should sit down. You look a bit blue around the gills."
- If a person looksblue around gills, (or green
or pale) they look unwell or sick.
- 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."
- This term refers to a company with a solid reputation for the
quality of its products and the stability of its growth and earnings.
- blue in the face
- If you do something until you are 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."
- If you do something until you are blue in the face,
you try unsuccessfully to do something for a very long time.
- feel blue
- To feel blue means to have feelings of deep sadness or depression.
"I'm going to see my grandmother. She's feeling a bit blue at the moment."
- To feel blue means to have feelings of deep sadness or depression.
- blue-eyed boy
- A blue-eyed boy is someone's favourite.
"Paul is the director's blue-eyed boy!"
- A blue-eyed boy is someone's favourite.
- out of the blue
- If something happens out of the blue, it happens very unexpectedly.
"I had nearly given up hope when out of the blue I was offered a job."
- If something happens out of the blue, it happens very unexpectedly.
- scream blue murder
- Someone who screams blue murder shouts or complains very loudly as if something very serious has happened.
"The crowd started screaming blue murder when the football match was interrupted."
- Someone who screams blue murder shouts or complains very loudly as if something very serious has happened.
- above board
- If a situation or business is described as above board, it is open, honest and legal.
"There are not secret negotiations. Our dealings have always been above board."
- If a situation or business is described as above board, it is open, honest and legal.
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