English Idioms and Idiomatic Expressions
Alphabetical List of Idioms - B, page 17
from: 'bury your head'
to: 'by degrees'
- bury your head in the sand
- If you bury your head in the sand, you refuse
to face the unpleasant reality by pretending that the situation doesn't exist.
"It's no good burying your head in the sand. We've got a problem on our hands."
- If you bury your head in the sand, you refuse
to face the unpleasant reality by pretending that the situation doesn't exist.
- bury the hatchet
- When people who have had a disagreement decide to forget
their quarrel and become friends again, they bury the hatchet.
"I didn't agree with my colleague's decision, but for the sake of peace, I decided to bury the hatchet."
- When people who have had a disagreement decide to forget
their quarrel and become friends again, they bury the hatchet.
- business as usual
- After an unpleasant or unexpected event, this expression means
that everything is continuing in a normal way, in spite of the difficulties.
"It was business as usual at the supermarket the day after the hold-up."
- After an unpleasant or unexpected event, this expression means
that everything is continuing in a normal way, in spite of the difficulties.
- business before pleasure
- This expression means that it is considered
preferable to finish one's work before going to relax and enjoy oneself.
"I'd love to have lunch with you but I've got a report to finish - business before pleasure I'm afraid!"
- This expression means that it is considered
preferable to finish one's work before going to relax and enjoy oneself.
- business is business
- This is a way of saying that in financial and commercial
matters, friendship or personal feelings should not be allowed to have any influence.
"I'll hire your brother only if he is the best candidate. I'm sorry but business is business!"
- This is a way of saying that in financial and commercial
matters, friendship or personal feelings should not be allowed to have any influence.
- busman's holiday
- A busman's holiday is when you spend your spare
time or your holidays doing the same sort of activity as you do in your job.
"My husband is a chef, so for him time off with the family is often a busman's holiday!"
- A busman's holiday is when you spend your spare
time or your holidays doing the same sort of activity as you do in your job.
- (as) busy as a bee
- If someone is as busy as a bee they are very active and have a lot of things to do.
"Tom is as busy as a bee getting everything ready for the exhibition."
- If someone is as busy as a bee they are very active and have a lot of things to do.
- butter someone up
- When you butter someone up, you flatter them or you are
very nice to them, especially if you want to obtain something.
"He was so keen to get the job that he spent his time buttering up the boss."
- When you butter someone up, you flatter them or you are
very nice to them, especially if you want to obtain something.
- butter wouldn't melt in (someone's) mouth
- If you say that someone looks as if butter wouldn't melt
in their mouth, you mean that they look completely innocent, but that they are
capable of doing unpleasant things.
"The boy who stole the purse looked as if butter wouldn't melt in his mouth."
- If you say that someone looks as if butter wouldn't melt
in their mouth, you mean that they look completely innocent, but that they are
capable of doing unpleasant things.
- butterflies in your stomach
- If you have butterflies in your stomach, you are
feeling very nervous.
"At the beginning of an exam, I always have butterflies in my stomach."
- If you have butterflies in your stomach, you are
feeling very nervous.
- buy a lemon
- If buy something, especially a car, that is defective,
unsatisfactory, constantly gives trouble or stops running after a short time, you buy a lemon.
"The car I bought was a real lemon. It broke down two weeks later."
- If buy something, especially a car, that is defective,
unsatisfactory, constantly gives trouble or stops running after a short time, you buy a lemon.
- buy time
- If you buy time, you deliberately delay an action or event so that you will have
more time to achieve something.
"The lawyer representing the defendant tried to buy time in order to find more witnesses."
"If you need to buy time on the phone, tell the other person that the reception is very poor!"
- If you buy time, you deliberately delay an action or event so that you will have
more time to achieve something.
- by degrees
- If something happens or develops by degrees, it
happens gradually or little by little as time goes by.
"By degrees their business relationship grew into friendship."
- If something happens or develops by degrees, it
happens gradually or little by little as time goes by.
- by force of habit
- If you do something by
force of habit, you continue
to do something that you've been doing repeatedly or regularly for a long time.
"Even though I’ve retired, I still get up at 7 am by force of habit."
- If you do something by
force of habit, you continue
to do something that you've been doing repeatedly or regularly for a long time.
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