English Idioms and Idiomatic Expressions
Alphabetical List of Idioms B, page 14
Idioms B, page 14: from: 'know which side your bread is buttered' to: 'a breeze'
- know which side your bread is buttered
- If you know which side your bread is buttered, you
know where your interests lie or what will be to your advantage.
"Paul never argues with his father-in-law. He knows which side his bread is buttered."
- If you know which side your bread is buttered, you
know where your interests lie or what will be to your advantage.
- 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."
- If you take the bread out of somebody's mouth, you take
away their means of earning a living.
- bread and butter
- Your bread and butter is a job or activity that is
your main source of income and provides you with enough money to cover your basic needs.
"I’m a writer but teaching is my bread and butter."
- Your bread and butter is a job or activity that is
your main source of income and provides you with enough money to cover your basic needs.
- on the breadline
- People who live
on the breadline have a very low income
or barely enough money to survive.
(A “breadline” is a group of people waiting in line for the distribution of food.)
"Due to the recent crisis, there are more people on the breadline than ever before."
- People who live
on the breadline have a very low income
or barely enough money to survive.
- break your back
- If you work extremely hard, or put a lot of
effort into achieving something, you break your back to do it.
"If you want the job done well, you should accept to pay more. He's not going to break his back for such a low price!"
- If you work extremely hard, or put a lot of
effort into achieving something, you break your back to do it.
- break the back of the beast
- If someone breaks the back of the beast, they
succeed in overcoming a major difficulty.
"After hours of effort, the technicians finally broke the back of the beast and turned the electricity back on again."
- If someone breaks the back of the beast, they
succeed in overcoming a major difficulty.
- break fresh ground
- If you , you innovate by
introducing or developing a new method or system.
"Scientists have broken fresh ground in their exploration of outer space."
- If you , you innovate by
introducing or developing a new method or system.
- break a leg!
- This is a humorous way of wishing someone good luck, especially
among stage performers.
"So tonight's the opening night? Break a leg!"
- This is a humorous way of wishing someone good luck, especially
among stage performers.
- break the mould
- If you change what people expect from a (traditional)
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."
- If you change what people expect from a (traditional)
situation, especially by doing something original, you break the mould.
- 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."
- If you behave in a completely unacceptable way, you break
every rule in the book.
- break out in a cold sweat
- If you break out in a cold sweat, you begin to
perspire a lot, usually from anxiety.
"I get nervous at the dentist's and usually break out in a cold sweat"
- If you break out in a cold sweat, you begin to
perspire a lot, usually from anxiety.
- breaking and entering
- This term refers to the fact of entering a building or home
illegally by breaking open a window, door, etc.
"The two men were found guilty of breaking and entering."
- This term refers to the fact of entering a building or home
illegally by breaking open a window, door, etc.
- breathe down someone's neck
- If someone is breathing down your neck, they are
watching you too closely and making you feel uncomfortable.
"The atmosphere at work is not great; the boss keeps breathing down our necks all the time."
- If someone is breathing down your neck, they are
watching you too closely and making you feel uncomfortable.
- a breeze
- To say that something was a breeze means that
it was very easy or that everything went smoothly.
"The interview was a breeze - barely 10 minutes and I got the job!"
- To say that something was a breeze means that
it was very easy or that everything went smoothly.
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Please note that British English spelling is used on this website.