B -Idioms

back Idioms
back and forth

- backwards and forwards, first one way and then the other way

The argument went back and forth before the judge made a decision.
back down (from someone or something)

- to fail to carry through on a threat to do something

The government backed down from their plan to sell the national airline.
back in circulation

- to be available to the public again (a library book)

The books were back in circulation after we returned them to the library.
back in circulation

- to be socially active again (after the breakup of a relationship between two people)

My friend stopped seeing his girlfriend and he is now back in circulation.
back of beyond

- somewhere very remote

Every summer we go to the back of beyond for a camping trip.
back off

- to retreat or move away (from a fight or argument or an object)

The man wanted to start an argument but finally he backed off.
back on one`s feet

- to return to good financial or physical health

My friend is back on his feet after his company went out of business.
back out (of something)

- to withdraw from an agreement or promise

The company backed out of the agreement with the foreign firm.
back the wrong horse

- to support someone or something that cannot win or succeed

We backed the wrong horse in the election and our candidate lost badly.
back-to-back

- something follows immediately after something else, two people touching backs

There were two back-to-back games today because of the rain last week.
back to square one

- to go back to the beginning of something

The city was back to square one in their effort to build a new bridge.
back to the drawing board

- to go back and start a project or idea from the beginning

The boss does not like our idea so we must go back to the drawing board.
back to the salt mines

- to return to work or return to something else that you do not want to do

We finished our lunch and went back to the salt mines.
back up (someone or something)

- to support someone or something

The doctor made a mistake and the hospital refused to back him up.
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bad blood (between people)

- unpleasant feelings between people

There was much bad blood between the three brothers.
bad-mouth (someone or something)

- to say bad things about someone or something

The supervisor has the habit of bad-mouthing her boss.
bag of tricks

- a collection of special techniques or methods

The teacher has a bag of tricks to keep her students occupied.
bail out (of something)

- to abandon a situation, to jump out of an airplane

The plan to buy a summer home with our friends was becoming too expensive so we decided to bail out.
bail (someone) out

- to pay a sum of money that allows someone to get out of jail while waiting for a trial

The singer had to pay much money to bail himself out of prison.
bail (someone or something) out

- to help or rescue someone or something

The government decided to bail out the troubled bank.
balance the books

- to check that all the money in a business is accounted for

The accountant spent several days trying to balance the books of his company.
ball of fire

- an active and energetic person

The woman is a ball of fire and is always busy doing something.
bang/beat one's head against the wall

- to try to do something that is hopeless

I am banging my head against the wall when I try to ask my boss for something.
bank on (someone or something)

- to be sure of someone or something, to count on someone or something

You can bank on my sister to help you.
baptism of fire

- a first experience of something (often difficult or unpleasant)

We went through a baptism of fire when we had to learn how to operate the small business.
bargain for (something)

- to anticipate something, to take something into account

The difficulty of the job was more than I had bargained for.
bargain on (something)

- to plan or expect something

We did not bargain on having heavy rain during our summer birthday party.
barge in on (someone or something)

- to interrupt someone or something, to intrude on someone or something

My sister often barges in on me when I am with my friends.
bark is worse than one`s bite

- someone is not as bad as they sound

"Don`t worry if the boss gets angry - his bark is worse than his bite."
bark up the wrong tree

- to make a wrong assumption about something

The police are barking up the wrong tree in their investigation of the criminal.
base one's opinion on (something)

- to form an opinion from something

I based my opinion on the man's previous work and decided not to give him a job. batten down the hatches

- to prepare for difficult times, to close the hatches in a boat before a storm

A big storm was coming so we decided to batten down the hatches and stay home.
bawl out (someone)

- to scold someone loudly

The woman bawled out her child in the supermarket.

be Idioms
be a new one on (someone)

- to be something one has not heard before and something that is difficult to believe

It was a new one on me when my friend said that he was studying Russian.
be all ears

- to listen eagerly and carefully

The boy was all ears when the teacher described the circus. be all things to all people

- to be everything that is wanted by all people

The politician tries to be all things to all people and it is difficult to know what she really believes. be curtains for (someone or something)

- to be the end or death for someone or something

It was curtains for my old car when it finally broke down last week. be game

- to be ready for action or agreeable to participate in something

All of the students were game to go to the science exhibition. be into (something)

- to be interested or involved in something

My friend is very much into music and writing songs.
be of the persuasion that (something) is so

- to believe that something is true or exists

My grandfather is of the persuasion that it is more important to work than to go to school.
be off

- to leave or depart

I plan to be off very early tomorrow morning to go to the airport.
be off to a bad start

- to start something under bad circumstances

The production of the play was off to a bad start when the lights did not work.
be off on the wrong foot

- to start something under bad circumstances

I tried to talk to my new neighbor but it seems that we are off on the wrong foot already.
be that as it may

- even if what you say is true

"Be that as it may, we are not going to permit the school dance to take place."
be the case

- to be true, to be an actual situation

"I do not care if it was the case last year, this year we will do things differently." be the death of (someone)

- to be the ruin/downfall/death of someone (often used for some kind of problem)

The woman said that her young son's bad behavior would be the death of her.
be to blame

- to be responsible for something bad or unfortunate

He is not to blame for breaking the computer. .


bear/hold a grudge (against someone)

- to continue to be angry at someone, to resent someone

The woman continued to bear a grudge against her friend for many years. bear fruit

- to yield or give results

The girl's hard work began to bear fruit when she won the dance contest. bear in mind

- to consider that something is so

We have to bear in mind that the child is only three years old when he does something bad. bear one's cross

- to carry or bear a burden

Raising three children on her own was the way that the woman had to bear her cross. bear (someone or something) in mind

- to remember and think about someone or something

We had to bear in mind that the child was only three years old. bear (something) out

- to prove that something is right

The man's constant lateness bore out the fact that he could never continue with one job for a long time. bear the brunt of (something)

- to withstand the worst part or the strongest part of something

The small island bore the brunt of the tropical storm. bear with (someone or something)

- to be patient with someone or something, to endure someone or something

We had to bear with our teacher as she explained the material to the new students. beat Idioms beat a hasty retreat

- to retreat or withdraw very quickly

The soldiers beat a hasty retreat when the guerrillas attacked them.
beat a path to (someone's) door

- to come to someone in great numbers

The customers beat a path to the door of the computer game store.
beat around the bush

- to speak indirectly or evasively

"Stop beating around the bush and give us your final decision."
beat one's brains out

- to work very hard (to do something)

We beat our brains out in order to think of a name for the new magazine.
beat one's head against the wall

- to waste one's time trying to do something that is hopeless

I was beating my head against the wall to try and convince my friend to come to the restaurant.
beat (someone) to the punch/draw

- to do something before others

My friend beat me to the punch and arrived at the interview first.
beat (something) into (someone's) head

- to force someone to learn something

The teacher thinks that she must beat the material into the heads of the students.
beat the clock

- to finish something before the time is up

The basketball team worked hard to beat the clock and win the game.
beat the living daylights out of (someone)

- to beat someone severely

The two men beat the living daylights out of the man at the gas station.
beat the rap

- to escape conviction and punishment (for a crime)

The man beat the rap and did not have to go to jail.
beat the tar out of (someone)

- to beat someone severely

The older boy beat the tar out of the young boy in the schoolyard..
beat up (someone)

- to harm someone by hitting or beating them

The young boys beat up one of the older students.
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become engaged to (someone)

- to make a plan to marry someone

My friend plans to become engaged to her boyfriend next month.
become engaged with (someone)

- to make a plan to marry someone

The girl has recently become engaged with her boyfriend.
becoming on/to (someone)

- to make someone look good

The red dress looked very becoming on my girlfriend.
(no) bed of roses

- a situation that is happy and comfortable (usually used in the negative)

The new job was very difficult and certainly no bed of roses.
(have a) bee in one`s bonnet

- to have an idea that continually occupies one`s thoughts.

My friend has a bee in her bonnet about going to Europe next year.
beef up (something)

- to make something stronger

The police beefed up the security around the convention site.
before long

- soon

I had to wait a few minutes but before long my friend arrived to meet me.
beg the question

- to invite the question that follows

The purchase of the expensive car begged the question of where the man got the money.
beg to differ with (someone)

- to politely disagree with someone

"I'm sorry but I beg to differ with you about what happened."
begin to see the light

- to begin to understand (something)

My sister began to see the light and decided to leave her boyfriend.
behind closed doors

- in secret

The meeting to settle the dispute took place behind closed doors.
behind in/on (something)

- to be late with something

I was behind in my studies and stayed home all weekend to study.
behind schedule

- unable to do something by the time on the schedule, after the time on a schedule

The trains were behind schedule because of the accident early in the morning.
behind (someone`s) back

- without someone`s knowledge, secretly

The man is very angry because his friend borrowed his car behind his back.
behind the eight ball

- in a difficult situation from which you probably cannot escape

The man was now behind the eight ball and could not pay his loan.
behind the scenes

- privately, out of public view

The diplomats worked behind the scenes to try and solve the crisis.
behind the times

- to be old-fashioned

My aunt is behind the times.
belabor the point

- to spend too much time on a point of discussion

I tried not to belabor the point but I needed to explain things in detail for everyone to understand.
below average

- to be lower or worse than average

The amount of rain was below average during the winter.
belt (something) out

- to sing/play a song with lots of energy

The man stood up and belted out several old songs.
bend (someone's) ear

- to talk to someone (maybe annoyingly)

I did not want to go into my supervisor's office and have him bend my ear for a long time.
bend over backwards (to do something)

- to try very hard to do something

"I will bend over backwards to help you get a job in this company."
bent on doing (something)

- to be determined to do something

The young boys were bent on buying the old car to fix it up.
beside oneself (with something)

- to be very upset or excited about something

The boy was beside himself with joy after winning the contest.
beside the point

- to be not relevant to the subject that you are considering or discussing

"What you are saying is beside the point. We are not talking about salary now."
best/better part of (something)

- to be almost all of something

We spent the best part of a day trying to fix the vacuum cleaner.
bet on the wrong horse

- to misjudge a coming event, to misread the future

I think that he bet on the wrong horse by investing all of his money into the new stock.
bet one's bottom dollar

- to be very certain about something

I would bet my bottom dollar that my friend will be late for the movie.
better off

- to be in a better situation than before

He would be better off if he sold his old car and bought a new one.
between a rock and a hard place

- to be in a very difficult position

We were between a rock and a hard place in our effort to solve the problem.
between the devil and the deep blue sea

- to be in a very difficult position

The mayor was between the devil and the deep blue sea when he tried to keep the two groups happy.
betwixt and between

- to be undecided, to be between two decisions

We were betwixt and between in our effort to try and decide which school to send our child to.
beyond a shadow of a doubt

- to be completely without doubt

Everyone believed beyond a shadow of a doubt that the man had stolen the money.
beyond measure

- to be more than can be measured

The man's love for his city was beyond measure.
beyond one's depth

- to be beyond one's ability, to be in deep water

The apartment manager was beyond her depth in her effort to manage the apartment.
beyond one's means

- to be more than one can afford

The expensive boat was very much beyond our means.
beyond the pale

- to be outside the bounds of acceptable behavior

What they are doing is totally unacceptable and beyond the pale.
beyond words

- to be more than one can say

Our love for our new baby is beyond words.
bid adieu to (someone or something)

- to say good-bye to someone or something

Everybody gathered to bid adieu to the popular supervisor.
bide one`s time

- to patiently wait for an opportunity to occur.

The man is biding his time as he waits to become president of the company.
big frog/fish in a small pond

- an important person in a less important place

The woman was a big fish in a small pond when she moved to the small town.
big of (someone)

- to be generous of someone

It was very big of the man to share his house with the other people.
big shot

- an important and powerful person

The man is a big shot in the oil and gas industry.
bird in hand is worth two in the bush

- something that you already have is better than something that you might get

A bird in hand is worth two in the bush so we decided to sell the car to our neighbor rather than wait to get a higher price.
birds and the bees

- human sex and reproduction

The father tried to tell his son about the birds and the bees.
birds-eye view

- a view from high above, a brief look at something

We had a birds-eye view of the playing field from our seats high up in the stadium.
birthday suit

- a completely naked body

The little boy was running down the street in his birthday suit.
bite off more than one can chew

- to try to do more than one is able to do

I bit off more than I can chew by agreeing to do another assignment.
bite one's nails

- to be nervous or anxious about something

The children were biting their nails as they waited for the results of the test.
bite one's tongue

- to try not to say something that you really want to say

I had to bite my tongue and not tell our boss what had happened.
bite (someone's) head off

- to speak angrily to someone

I am afraid to speak to my teacher when she is in a bad mood because she may bite my head off.
bite the bullet

- to endure a difficult situation, to face a difficult situation bravely

I have decided to bite the bullet and begin to study for my Master`s degree.
bite the dust

- to be killed, to break down, to be defeated

I think that my car will bite the dust soon.
bite the hand that feeds you

- to harm or turn against someone who does good things for you

He is biting the hand that feeds him when he criticizes and fights against his boss.
bitter pill to swallow

- an unpleasant fact that one must accept

Losing the election was a bitter pill to swallow for the candidate.
black out

- to faint or pass out

Suddenly the young woman blacked out while she was standing in front of the computer.
black sheep of the family

- the worst member of a family

The boy was the black sheep of the family and nobody liked him.
blast off

- to shoot into the sky (used for a rocket)

The rocket blasted off at noon.
blaze a trail (in something)

- to create or develop a new area of study

The soccer player blazed a trail for the other players to follow with his unique way of playing soccer.
bleep (something) out

- to replace a word in a radio or television broadcast with a musical tone (often used to bleep out a bad word)

The remarks of the coach were bleeped out during the television interview.
blessing in disguise

- something that turns out to be good but which seemed to be bad at first

The elderly woman was in very much pain and it was a blessing in disguise when she quietly passed away.
blind leading the blind

- someone who does not understand something but tries to explain it to others

It is like the blind leading the blind to watch the man try to explain how to operate the new computer.
blood, sweat and tears

- signs of great personal effort

We put much blood, sweat and tears into building the small cabin.
blow Idioms blow a fuse

- to burn out a fuse, to become angry

We quickly replaced the old fuse when our house blew a fuse last night.
My friend blew a fuse when I told him that I had lost his book
blow one`s own horn

- to praise oneself

My friend is always blowing his own horn and is very annoying at times.
blow one's top/stack

- to become very angry

The customer blew his stack when they refused to exchange his purchase at the store.
blow over

- to die down, to calm down

The problem with the lost invoices has blown over and everybody is happy again.
blow (someone) away

- to overcome someone emotionally

The performance was so wonderful that it blew me away.
blow (someone's) cover

- to reveal someone's true identity or purpose

The police blew the officer's cover by mistake.
blow (someone's) mind

- to overwhelm or excite someone

The beauty of the African wildlife parks blew my mind during our holiday.
blow (someone or something) off

- to avoid someone, to not attend something

We blew off the chance to go to the general meeting.
blow (something)

- to fail at something, to ruin something

I think that I blew the final math exam last week.
blow (something) out of all proportion

- to make a bigger issue about something than it really is

The problem was very small but the manager blew it out of all proportion.
blow the lid off (something)

- to reveal something (often a wrongdoing)

The government investigation blew the lid off the illegal activities.
blow the whistle (on someone)

- to report someone's wrongdoing to the police or other authorities

The employee blew the whistle on the illegal practices of the company.
blow to smithereens

- to explode into tiny pieces

The gas tanker was blown to smithereens during the accident.
blow up (at someone)

- to get angry, to lose one's temper

The passenger who was waiting in the line blew up at the ticket agent.
blow up in (someone's) face

- to be ruined while one is working on it (a plan/project etc.), to explode suddenly

The secret plan blew up in our face when we discovered that everybody already knew about it.
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blue blood

- someone from a noble or aristocratic family

The art exhibition attracted many of the blue bloods in the town. blue in the face

- to be exhausted and speechless

You can argue with him until you are blue in the face but you will never change his mind.
bog down

- to slow down, to become stuck

I quickly became bogged down with all of the work that I had to do.
boggle (someone's) mind

- to confuse or overwhelm someone

The amount of waste in the city program really boggles my mind.
boil down to (something)

- to reduce something to its essential or main part

The reason that we could not go on a holiday boiled down to the fact that we did not have enough money.
bone of contention

- a reason for quarrels, the subject of a fight

The family cottage was a major bone of contention after the father died.
bone up (on something)

- to study or review (something)

I decided to take a course at night to bone up on my Spanish.
boot out

- to make someone leave, to get rid of someone

The boy was booted out of high school for smoking on the school grounds.
bore (someone) stiff/to death

- to bore someone very much

Most of the guests at the wedding were bored stiff with the long speeches.
born out of wedlock

- to be born to an unmarried mother

The young mother had two children born out of wedlock.
born with a silver spoon in one`s mouth

- to be born rich, to have more than everything that you need since birth

The boy was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and has never worked in his life.
boss (someone) around

- to keep telling someone what to do

The little girl always wants to boss her friends around.
bottle (something) up

- to hold one's feelings inside of you

My aunt bottles up all of her feelings and has much stress because of it.
bottom line

- the result or final outcome of something, the last figure on a financial statement

Although I do not want to buy a new car, the bottom line is that I need a car for work.
bottom out

- to reach the lowest point

The stock market bottomed out at its lowest level in many months.
bound and determined

- to be determined

The man's wife is bound and determined to visit her sister this summer.
bound for somewhere

- to be on the way or planning to go somewhere

My friend was bound for college when I last met him.
bound to (do something)

- to be certain to do something

"If you ask your father he is bound to try and help you with your problem."
bow and scrape

- to be very humble and subservient

I was forced to bow and scrape to get some money from my parents.
bow out

- to quit, to resign from something

I wanted to join the tour but at the last minute I had to bow out.
bowl (someone) over

- to surprise or overwhelm someone

The salesman bowled me over with his energetic sales talk. brand-new

- absolutely new

I was finally able to buy a brand-new car.
break Idioms break a habit

- to end a habit

My sister worked very hard to break her habit of eating too much chocolate.
break a law

- to fail to obey a law

The young man broke the law when he drove his friend's car without a proper license.
break a record

- to set a new record that is better than an old one

The team tried hard to break a record during the last week of the season.
break camp

- to close down a campsite and move on

We decided to break camp and begin on our journey.
break down

- to lose control of one's emotions

The woman broke down while the lawyer questioned her at the trial. break down

- to stop working because of mechanical failure

The car broke down on the lonely road and nobody knew about it.
break down (something)

- to analyze something

We must break down these figures for further study.
break down (something)

- to divide into parts, to separate into simpler substances

We tried to break down the sentence for further study.
The sugar began to break down soon after it was swallowed.
break even

- to have income equal to expenses

After only a few months our business began to break even and we started to make money.
break fresh/new ground

- to deal with something in a new way

The researchers were able to break fresh ground in their search for a cancer cure.
break ground for (something)

- to start digging the foundation for a building

The hospital will break ground for the new building soon.
break in (someone or something)

- to train someone to do a job, to make something the right size or feel comfortable by wearing or using it

It took me a long time to break in my new shoes.
break into tears

- to start crying suddenly

The woman broke into tears when she heard the bad news.
break loose (from someone or something)

- to get away from someone or something that is holding you

The horse broke loose from the rope and began running through the town.
break one's word

- to not keep one's promise

The young child promised his parents that he would not break his word.
break out in a cold sweat

- to perspire from fever or anxiety

I usually break out in a cold sweat when I have to make a speech.
break out in (something)

- to erupt in a rash or pimples

The girl always breaks out in a rash when she eats shrimp.
break out of (something)

- to escape from something

Several prisoners tried to break out of prison last month.
break (someone's) fall

- to lessen the impact of a falling person

The baby fell out of the window but thankfully the bushes broke her fall.
break (something) down

- to explain something to someone in simple terms

My teacher broke down the scientific theory so that the class could understand it easily.
break (something) to (someone)

- to tell bad news to someone

The man broke the bad news to his sister.
break the back of (something)

- to reduce the power of something

The company tried very hard to break the back of the union.
break the bank

- to win all the money at a casino gambling table

The man did not break the bank but he did win a lot of money.
break the ice

- to relax and start a conversation in a formal situation

Nobody was enjoying the party until the host was able to break the ice.
break the news (to someone)

- to tell someone some information first

He is planning to break the news about his transfer tomorrow.
break up

- to separate, to divide into groups or pieces, to put an end to something

Nobody wanted to break up their groups.
We usually break up into small groups during our class.
break up (with someone)

- to end a relationship with someone

My niece broke up with her boyfriend last June.
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breath of fresh air

- a fresh and imaginative approach to something

The manager's coaching style was a breath of fresh air compared to that of the previous coach.
breathe down (someone's) neck

- to watch someone closely, to try to make someone hurry

The supervisor is always breathing down the necks of the employees.
breathe easy

- to relax after a stressful situation

I was able to breathe easy after I found my lost wallet.
breathe one's last

- to die

The woman breathed her last several days after she became ill.
brew a plot

- to make a plot

The generals in the small country were brewing a plot to take control of the government.
bright and early

- very early

The woman likes to get up bright and early every morning.
bright-eyed and bushy-tailed

- to be eager and cheerful

Everybody was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed when we started out on the trip.
brimming with (something)

- to be full of some kind of happy behavior

The children were brimming with energy on the morning of the festival.
bring Idioms
bring about (something)

- to make something happen

The two company presidents worked hard to bring about the joining of their two companies.
bring around (someone)

- to bring someone for a visit

I asked my friend to bring his new girlfriend around for a visit.
bring down the house

- to cause much laughter in the audience

The comedian brought down the house with his jokes about the lost dog.
bring home the bacon

- to work and earn money for your family

My friend is bringing home the bacon for his family and is very busy.
bring home the importance of (something) to (someone)

- to make someone fully realize something

I was unable to bring home the importance of arriving early for the meeting.
bring some new facts to light

- to discover some new facts, to make some new facts known

The lawyers were able to bring some new facts to light in the trial of the killer.
bring (someone) around

- to cause someone to adopt an opinion or course of action

My friend did not agree with me at the start but I was able to bring him around later.
bring (someone) around

- to bring someone back to consciousness

The medical staff helped to bring the man around after the accident.
bring (someone) into line

- to persuade someone to agree with you

The woman was able to bring the other members of the committee into line.
bring (someone) to

- to wake someone up, to bring someone to consciousness

The medical doctor tried to bring the small boy to after he fell into the swimming pool.
bring (something) home to (someone)

- to cause someone to realize the truth of something

The dry conditions are bringing home to the farmers the importance of saving water.
bring (something) into question

- to raise a question about something

The actions of the government bring into question their interest in the case.
bring (something) off

- to make something happen

The students tried hard to bring off a successful dance to collect money for their club.
bring (something) on

- to cause something to develop rapidly

I do not know what brought on his anger but you should avoid him until he calms down.
bring (something) to a head

- to cause something to reach a point where a decision or some action is necessary

The accident will bring the issue of safety to a head during the next meeting.
bring (something) to (someone's) attention

- to make someone aware of something

There was a mistake in the textbook which the student brought to the teacher's attention.
bring to mind

- to recall something

Her acting brought to mind some of the great actresses of the past.
bring up

- to introduce a subject into a discussion

They brought up the subject at the meeting but nobody wanted to talk about it.
bring up

- to raise or care for a child

My sister is bringing up three children.
bring up the rear

- to be at the end of the line or in the last position

The runner from the other school was bringing up the rear in the school relay race.
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to be broad in the beam

- to have wide hips or large buttocks

The woman in the store was broad in the beam. to be broke

- to have no money

I spent all of my money on my holiday and now I am broke.
brush up on (something)

- to review something that one has already learned

I am going to brush up on my English before my trip to New York.
a brush with the law

- a brief encounter or experience with the police because of a crime

The man had a brush with the law when he was young but now he is totally honest.
buck for (something)

- to aim/try for a goal

The soldier was bucking for a promotion.
buckle down (to something)

- to begin to work seriously at something

I have to buckle down and study or I will fail the exam.
bug (someone)

- to irritate or bother someone

The boy's rude behavior is beginning to bug me.
build a fire under (someone)

- to stimulate someone to do something

We keep trying to build a fire under our friend but he refuses to study or look for a job.
build castles in the air/in Spain

- to make plans that are impossible

The girl is always building castles in the air and none of them have any chance to succeed.
build (something) to order

- to make something especially for a customer

The family wanted to build their kitchen table and chairs to order.
build up (someone or something)

- to make someone or something bigger or stronger, to promote something

The woman is always trying to build up her boss which makes her very well-liked by him.
build up to (something)

- to lead up to something

Things were building up to be a very serious situation.
bull in a china shop

- someone who is clumsy and upsets other people or plans

Our boss was like a bull in a china shop when I saw him at the meeting last week.
bump into (someone)

- to meet someone by chance

I bumped into my friend at the department store yesterday.
bump off (someone)

- to kill someone

The criminal gang bumped off the leader of the other gang.
bundle of nerves

- a very nervous or anxious person

The woman has become a bundle of nerves after looking after her three children. bundle up

- to put on warm clothes, to dress warmly

We bundled up and went for a walk in the park.
burn Idioms burn a hole in one`s pocket

- to stimulate someone to spend money quickly

I got paid today and the money is burning a hole in my pocket.
burn down

- to burn completely (usually used for buildings)

My neighbor`s house burned down last night.
burn one`s bridges behind one

- to do something that makes going back impossible

He burned his bridges behind him and is unable to work in the same industry again.
burn (oneself) out

- to become very tired and almost sick from doing something for a long time or because of working too hard

After working long hours for many months the woman finally burned herself out.
burn (someone) in effigy

- to burn a dummy that represents a hated person

The crowd of people burned the Prime Minister in effigy.
burn the candle at both ends

- to work or play too hard without enough rest

The man has been burning the candle at both ends with his work and he is now sick.
burn the midnight oil

- to study until very late at night

We burned the midnight oil for three nights in order to study for the exam.
burn up

- to burn completely (usually things and not buildings)

The uniforms burned up in the fire.
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burst at the seams

- to explode with pride or laughter, to be full to the breaking point

The train was bursting at the seams as it entered the station.
burst in on (someone or something)

- to enter a room and interrupt someone or some activity

The woman burst in on the meeting just as it started.
burst into flames

- to catch fire suddenly

The curtains burst into flames after touching the small stove.
burst into tears

- to begin to cry suddenly

The parents burst into tears of happiness when their daughter graduated.
burst onto the scene

- to appear suddenly in some location

The young singer burst onto the scene when she was a teenager.
burst out laughing

- to begin to laugh suddenly

We burst out laughing when the man screamed after seeing the mouse.
burst with joy

- to be full of happiness and feel that you will explode or burst

My grandmother burst with joy when she saw her new baby granddaughter.
burst with pride

- to be full of pride and ready to burst

The girl's parents were bursting with pride at the graduation ceremony. bury/hide one`s head in the sand

- to refuse to see something, to face or know something unpleasant

He always buries his head in the sand and never wants to hear about family problems.
bury the hatchet

- to stop arguing and become friendly with someone

He buried the hatchet with his brother and they are now friendly again.
business as usual

- to continue as usual

It was business as usual for the small stores soon after the fire destroyed the shopping area.
busman's holiday

- a holiday where you spend your time doing the same thing that you would do if you were working

The doctor felt that he was on a busman's holiday when everyone at the meeting began to ask him about their medical problems.
but for (someone or something)

- if it were not for someone or something

The man would have easily got the new job, but for the fact that he was not honest about his previous experience.
butt in (on someone or something)

- to interrupt someone or something

I do not like that woman because she always butts in on our conversations while we are talking.
butter (someone) up

- to flatter someone

He is trying to butter up his boss so that he can leave early on Friday.
button one's lip

- to become quiet

I decided to button my lip rather than give my opinion of our supervisor.
buy a pig in a poke

- to buy something without seeing it or knowing if it will be satisfactory

It is like buying a pig in a poke if you buy that car without first inspecting it.
buy off (someone)

- to bribe someone

The union tried to buy off the politician.
buy (something) for a song

- to buy something cheaply

We were able to buy the boat for a song.
buy (something) on credit

- to buy something now and pay for it later

We decided to buy the computer on credit because we did not have much money.
buy (something) sight unseen

- to buy something without seeing it first

My sister made a big mistake when she bought the used car sight unseen.
by Idioms
by a mile

- by a great distance

The runner won the race by a mile.
by a whisker/hair

- just barely, by a very small amount

The marathon runner won the race by a whisker.
by all accounts

- from all reports, from what everyone is saying

By all accounts the new manager is a very good person.
by all appearances

- apparently, according to what one sees

By all appearances the small car was the cause of the accident that killed two people.
by all means

- certainly, yes

"By all means, I will come to dinner next week."
by and by

- before long, after some time has passed

By and by all of the family moved back to the city.
by and large

- on the whole, considering everything

By and large we had a good meeting even though it was very short.
by any means

- by any way possible

We decided to try to find a computer to use by any means.
by chance

- without planning

By chance I saw my father's friend in the supermarket. by far

- greatly, by a great margin

He is by far the smartest person in his company.
by fits and starts

- irregularly, with many stops and starts

By fits and starts the company was finally able to begin business.
by hook or by crook

- in any way necessary

My sister wants to go to Italy this year by hook or by crook.
by leaps and bounds

- rapidly, by large movements forward

The construction of the new airport is progressing by leaps and bounds.
by means of

- with the use of something

We were able to enter the old building by means of a small window in the back.
by no means

- absolutely not

By no means will I permit my child to play with the new video game.
by the book

- according to the rules

The police officer does everything by the book when he arrests someone.
by the day

- one day at a time

My father was very sick but now he is getting better by the day.
by the dozen

- twelve at a time

We usually buy bottles of water by the dozen.
by the handful

- in measurements equal to a handful

We were eating fresh blueberries by the handful.
by the hour

- after each hour, one hour at a time

We had to pay for our parking space by the hour.
by the month

- one month at a time

The rent for our apartment is paid by the month.
by the same token

- similarly, moreover

"By the same token, I don't want to go downtown again today."
by the seat of one's pants

- by luck and with very little skill

I was able to complete the course by the seat of my pants.
by the skin of one`s teeth

- by a very small margin, barely

I arrived at the train station and was on time by the skin of my teeth.
by the sweat of one`s brow

- by hard work

He managed to make enough money to buy the farm by the sweat of his brow.
by the way

- incidentally

"By the way, could you please bring your computer tomorrow."
by the week

- one week at a time

We rented the car by the week.
by the year

- one year at a time

The contract for the garbage pickup is renewed by the year.
by virtue of (something)

- because of something

My father got his new job by virtue of his volunteer work in the community.
by way of (something)

- as a substitute for something, as a form/example of something

By way of introduction the man gave everyone his business card.
by way of (something or somewhere)

- passing through or by a place

We drove to the airport by way of the small town.
by word of mouth

- by speaking rather than writing

We learned about the party by word of mouth.