English Idioms & Idiomatic Expressions

Descriptions of people
(personality - character - appearance)
(page 1: abbreviated → butter)

abbreviated This slang expression refers to someone who is considered

piece of to be insignificant or worthless.
nothing Bob doesn't think much of his new colleague. He calls him an
'abbreviated piece of nothing'.

all brawn Someone who is physically very strong but not very intelligent
and no is said to be all brawn and no brain.
brain He's an impressive player to watch, but he's all brawn and no
brain.

all sizzle Someone who turns out to be disappointing, after a

and no promotional campaign which led us to expect something
steak better, is called all sizzle and no steak.
Because of the electoral promises he made, which so far he
has failed to keep, many people call the new president 'all
sizzle and no steak'.

all things to If you are all things to all people, you please or satisfy
all people everyone.
She's exhausted tying to be a good wife, a good mother and
a good teacher, but she can't be all things to all people.

alter ego The term alter ego, which in Latin means 'other self', refers to
a very close and trusted friend who is very like yourself.

apple of A person, usually a child, who is the apple of your eye is one
your eye for whom you have great affection.
My grandson is the apple of my eye.

armchair An armchair critic is someone who gives advice based on

critic theory rather than practice.
That guy is such an armchair critic - no experience but plenty
of advice.

armchair Someone who reads books or watches TV programmes

traveller about other places and countries, but doesn't actually travel
anywhere, is called an armchair traveller.
A surprising number of adventure books are bought by
armchair travellers.

bad egg Someone who is a bad egg is an untrustworthy person often

involved in trouble whose company should be avoided.
I don't want my son to be friends with Bobby Smith. Bobby's
 a bad egg.

behind the A person who is behind the times has old-fashioned ideas
times and does not keep up with modern life in general.
Jane doesn't have a mobile phone. She's completely behind
the times.

big cheese This expression refers to a person who has a lot of power
and influence in an organisation.
Tom's father is a big cheese in the oil industry.

big fish in a This term refers to an important or highly-ranked person in a

small pond small group or organisation.
He could get a job with a big company but he enjoys being a
big fish in a small pond.

born with a
A person who is born with a silver spoon in their mouth is
silver
born into a very rich family.
spoon in
She never has to worry about money; she was born with a
one's
silver spoon in her mouth.
mouth

butter If you say that someone looks as if butter wouldn't melt in

wouldn't their mouth, you mean that they look completely innocent, but
melt in your that they are capable of doing unpleasant things.
mouth The boy who stole the purse looked as if butter wouldn't melt
in his mouth.

Alphabetical List of Idioms - B

(Idioms B, page 1 : leave holding baby → bad shape)

 leave somebody holding the baby.

o 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-room boys
o 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."
 back-of-the-envelope calculation
o This expression refers to a 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 of beyond
o An isolated place located far from any town is said to be in the back of
beyond.
"It took us hours to find Jack's house. He lives in the back of beyond."

 (like the) back of one's hand

o If you know something like the back of your hand, you are very familiar
with it and know it in detail.
"Of course I won't get lost. I know London like the back of my hand!"

 back into shape

o To get yourself back into shape, you need to take some exercise in order
to become fit and healthy again.
"Eva decided she'd have to get back into shape before looking for a
job."

 back on your feet

o If you are back on your feet, after an illness or an accident, you are
physically healthy again.
"My grandmother had a bad 'flu but she's back on her feet again."

 back to the salt mines

o Saying that you have to go back to the salt mines is a humorous way of
talking about returning to work, usually with some reluctance.
"We get two days off at Christmas and then it's back to the salt mines!"

 back to square one

o To say that someone is back to square one means that they have not
succeeded in what they were trying to do, so they have to start again.
 "When the plans were refused, it was back to square one for the
architect."

 back to the wall

o If you have your back to the wall, you are in serious difficulty with very
few options available.
"With his back to the wall, the supplier had to accept the deal."

 back the wrong horse

o 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!"

 backhanded compliment
o 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! Does that mean that I am usually not clear
?"

 backseat driver
o A passenger in a car who gives unwanted advice to the driver is called a
backseat driver.
"I can't stand backseat drivers like my mother-in-law!"

 bad egg
o Someone who is a bad egg is an untrustworthy person often involved in
trouble whose company should be avoided.
"I don't want my son to be friends with Bobby Smith. Bobby's a bad
egg."

 bad hair day

o Originating as a humorous comment about one's hair being
unmanageable, this term had broadened to mean 'a day when
 everything seems to go wrong'.
"What's wrong with Jenny? Is she having a bad hair day?"

 (in) bad shape

o A person who is in bad shape is in poor physical condition.
"I really am in bad shape. I must do more exercise."

badger If you badger someone into doing something, you

someone persistently nag or pester them until you obtain what you
want.
Sophie badgered her parents into buying her a new
computer.

bag of bones To say that someone is a bag of bones means that they
are extremely thin.
When he came home from the war he was a bag of bones.

bag of tricks If you use your (whole) bag of tricks to do something, you
try (all) the clever methods you know in order to succeed.
Let's call on George and his bag of tricks; maybe he can
help us solve the problem.

in the bag People use this expression when it becomes obvious that
success or victory is going to be achieved.
An hour before the polling stations closed, victory seemed
in the bag for the Conservative candidate.

bait and This term refers to a deceptive commercial practice of

switch advertising
a low-priced item to attract customers, then telling them
that the product is out of stock and persuading them to buy
a more expensive article.
This store is famous for its bait and switch tactics.

in the If something is in the balance, the situation is uncertain

balance 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.

balancing act When you try to satisfy two or more people or groups who
have different needs, and keep everyone happy, you
perform a balancing act.
Many people, especially women, have to perform a
balancing act between work and family.

ball and This term refers to a burden or problem that ties you down
chain and prevents you from doing what you want. It can also
refer to one's spouse.
 Our holiday home has become a ball and chain - it's too
much work!

ball is in your If the ball is in your court, it is your turn to speak or act
court next.
We gave the manager a list of complaints, so the ball is in
his court now.

have a ball If you have a ball you enjoy yourself immensely.

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 is really on the ball to head the
fund-raising campaign.

start the ball If you start the ball rolling, you begin an activity in which
rolling other people will join.
Let's start the ball rolling by calling on our first speaker.

that's the way Things don't always work out as planned, and there's
the ball nothing we can do about it - that's life.
bounces He didn't get the prize he expected, but never mind - that's
the way the ball bounces.

whole new To refer to something as a whole new ball game means

ball game that it is a completely different situation due to a new set of
circumstances.
Email and text messaging have made communication a
whole new ball game.

...back next...

ballpark If someone gives a ballpark figure, they give an approximate

figure number or a rough estimate of the cost of something.
I don't know exactly how much it will cost, but a ballpark
figure would be around $100 000.

(load of) This term refers to idle talk, or pretentious, untrue or

baloney insincere statements that nobody can believe.
That's a load of baloney! I don't believe a word of it!

bandit A geographical area where law enforcement is practically

territory impossible, because people ignore all rules, is called 'bandit
territory'.
There are a certain number of bandit territories in the world
where travellers are advised not to go.

jump on the If a person or organisation jumps on the bandwagon, they

bandwagon decide to do something when it is already successful or
fashionable.
When organic food became fashionable, certain stores were
 quick to jump on the bandwagon and promote it.

bane of To say that something is the bane of your life means that it is
one's life the cause of your problems or your unhappiness.
The heating system is always breaking down. It's the bane
of my life!

bang one's If you bang or knock your head against a brick wall, you
head continue vainly to try to achieve something in spite of several
against a unsuccessful attempts.
brick wall I've been banging my head against a brick wall trying to
explain the internet to my grandmother!

bar fly A bar fly is 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 If you bare you soul (or heart) to someone, you reveal your
soul innermost thoughts and feelings to them.
Mike couldn't keep things to himself any longer. He decided
to bare his soul to his best friend.

barefaced Someone who lies easily, with a total lack of shame, is

liar a barefaced liar.
That barefaced liar stole my watch and said he'd found it!

bargain If you go bargain hunting, you spend time in the shops

hunting looking for items to buy at the lowest price.
During the sales I go bargain hunting with my friends.

barking up A person who is barking up the wrong tree is doing the

the wrong wrong thing, because their beliefs or ideas are incorrect or
tree mistaken.
The police are barking up the wrong tree if they think Joey
stole the car - he can't drive!

barrel of Someone who is a barrel of laughs is very funny or

laughs entertaining.
Let's invite Johnny. He's such a barrel of laughs!

basket case A person whose agitated mental state leaves them helpless
or unable to cope with things is called a basket case.
Jenny will turn into a basket case if this stressful situation
continues.

bats in the If you say that somebody has bats in the belfry, you mean
belfry that they are eccentric or crazy.
He comes up with the craziest ideas - he's got bats in the
belfry!

bated If you wait for something with bated breath, you are both
breath anxious and excited about an imminent event.
 We waited with bated breath for the winner to be
announced.

batten down When you batten down the hatches, you prepare yourself for
the hatches trouble or a forthcoming difficult period, like a ship preparing
for a storm.
Here comes that trouble-making guy. Batten down the
hatches!

battle lines This expression is used to say that opposing groups are
are drawn 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.

...back next...

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.

be full of A person who is full of beans is lively, healthy and active.

beans He may be getting old but he's still full of beans.

be my guest This expression is used to give someone permission to

do something.
If you'd like to use the phone, be my guest.

be-all and end- To say that something is not the be-all and end-all means
all that it is not what matters most or what is most essential.
Good schools are not the be-all and end-all of educating
a child.

be that as it This expression means that what the speaker says may
may be true but it will not change the situation.
OK. Fewer people may come because of the bad
weather, but be that as it may, it's too late to cancel the
show.

bear the brunt 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 fruit If something bears fruit, it produces positive or successful

results.
After years of hard work, his research finally began to
bear fruit.

bear in mind If a person asks you to bear something in mind, they are
 asking you to remember it because it is important.
You must bear in mind that the cost of living is higher in
New York.

bear with a If someone is behaving like a bear with a sore head, they
sore head are very irritable and bad-tempered.
When his team lost the match, Brad was like a bear with
a sore head.

beard the lion If you visit someone important in the place where they
in his den work, in order to challenge him/her or obtain
something, you beard the lion in his den.
If he continues to refuse my calls, I'll have to beard the
lion in his den.

beat one's If someone beats their brains out, they try very hard to
brain out understand something or solve a problem.
My grandmother beats her brains out every evening
trying to do the crossword puzzle in the newspaper.

beat around This expression is used to tell someone to say what they
the bush have to say, clearly and directly, even if it is unpleasant.
Stop beating around the bush. Just tell me what has been
decided!

beat/flog a To say that someone is beating a dead horse means that

dead horse they are wasting time and effort trying to do or achieve
something that is impossible.
Mark is beating a dead horse trying to get his money
reimbursed.
The company has gone bankrupt!

beat a hasty Someone who beats a (hasty) retreat runs away or goes
retreat back hurriedly to avoid a dangerous or difficult situation.
The thief beat a hasty retreat as soon as he saw the
security officer.

beat/knock the If a person beats the (living) daylights out of another,

(living) they hit them very hard and repeatedly.
daylights If I catch you stealing again I'll beat the daylights out of
you!

beat someone If you beat someone to the draw, you react more quickly
to the draw and manage to do something before they do.
Ross was determined to be the first to arrive. He
managed to beat the others to the draw.

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 If a person is at someone's beck and call, they are

beck and call 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.

bee in one's Someone who has a bee in their bonnet has an idea
bonnet which constantly occupies their thoughts.
She's got a bee in her bonnet about moving to New
York.

bee's knees To say that someone/something is the bee's

knees means that the speaker thinks they are
exceptionally good.
If you say "Chloe thinks she's the bee's knees" you
mean that
Chloe has a high opinion of herself.

beef something If you beef something up, you improve it by making it

up stronger or more substantial.
You'd better beef up your arguments if you want to
defend your case.

been in/through If a person or thing has been in or through the wars,

the wars they show signs of rough treatment, injury or damage.
He arrived in a car that looked as though it had been
through the wars.

been there, The expression is used to indicate that the speaker is

done that 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.

before the ink is If people reach an agreement, and then change their
dry minds immediately afterwards, the change
occurs 'before the ink is dry'.
You can never tell when he's serious. He's capable of
changing his mind before the ink is dry!

before you If something takes place so suddenly that you don't

know it have time to become aware of it, it happens before you
know it or before you know where you are.
The doorbell rang, and before we knew it a surprise
birthday party was under way!

before your If someone does something before your very eyes, they
very eyes do it in front of you, without attempting to hide what they
 are doing.
Before my very eyes, he took the rubbish and threw it
into the neigbour's garden.

...back next...

beggars can't This expression means that you should not reject an offer
be choosers if it is the only possibility you have. You have no choice.
"Beggars can't be choosers!"

behind bars Someone who is behind bars is in prison.

If you hang around with that gang, you'll find yourself
behind bars in
no time!

behind closed If something takes place behind closed doors, it is done

doors privately, with no observers or intruders.
The matter was discussed behind closed doors.

behind the A person who is behind the times has old-fashioned

times ideas and does not keep up with modern life in general.
Jane doesn't have a mobile phone. She's completely
behind the times.

ring a bell If something rings a bell, it is vaguely familar to you, but

you can't remember the exact details.
John Bentley? The name rings a bell but I don't
remember him.

with bells on If you go somewhere with bells on, you are delighted and
eager to go there.
Of course I'll be there - with bells on!

below the belt An action or remark described as below the belt is

considered to be unfair or cruel.
Politicians sometimes use personal information to hit
their rivals below the belt.

tighten If you need to tighten your belt, you must spend less
your belt money or be careful how you spend it because there is
less available.
Another bill? I'll have to tighten my belt this month!

under If you have something under your belt, you have acquired
one's belt experience or have satisfactorily achieved something.
You've got to have some work experience under your
belt before you can hope to get a permanent job.

bend over If you bend over backwards, you try very hard to do
backwards 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!

benefit of the If you give someone the benefit of the doubt, you choose
doubt to believe that the 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.

bent out of If you get bent out of shape, you become annoyed or
shape upset about something that is usually not that important
or cannot be avoided.
Don't get bent out of shape if you're delayed. We'll wait
for you.

beside yourself 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.

...back next...

best bet The action most likely to succeed is called one's best
bet.
Your best bet would be to try calling him at home.

best of one's When someone does something to the best of their

ability ability, they do it as well as they possibly can.
I felt nervous all through the interview, but I replied to
the questions the best of my ability.

best of both If a person has the best of both worlds, they have the
worlds 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.

best foot If you put your best foot forward, you do something as
forward fast as you can.
It's a long way to the station, but if I put my best foot
forward I should catch the next train.

bet your bottom If you bet your bottom dollar on something, you are
dollar 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 If you back or bet on the wrong horse, for example the
horse 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 late than When someone does something late, this remark
never means that it is better to do it late than not do it at all.
Do you know what time it is? You promised you'd come
early to help me - but better late than never I suppose!

better safe than It's better to be too cautious than to be careless and
sorry have regrets later.
Let's book tickets in advance - better safe than sorry!

better still/worse This expression is used to emphasize that although

still something is good, bad, etc., something else makes it
even better, worse, etc.
Not only did he get a great offer, but better still, a house
and car come with the job.

think better of If you think better of something, you decide not to do

what you intended doing.
I was going to go shopping, but when I saw the
crowded car park,
I thought better of it.

between the If you are between the devil and the deep blue sea, you
devil and the are in a situation where there are to equally unpleasant
deep blue sea 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 To say 'it's beyond me' means that it is impossible for
you to understand.
It's beyond me why Mary wants to marry John.

beyond any This is a legal expression which means that something

reasonable is certain.
doubt The court established, beyond any reasonable doubt,
that the man was innocent.

...back next...

beyond one's If something is beyond your wildest dreams, it is better

wildest than you imagined or hoped for.
dreams The research team received a grant from the government
that was beyond their wildest dreams.
beyond recall Something which is beyond recall is impossible to retrieve,
cancel or reverse.
I'm afraid we can't recover the pictures - your camera is
beyond recall.

beyond If something is beyond redemption, it is in such a poor

redemption state that there is no hope of improvement or recovery.
With the latest scandal, his reputation is now beyond
redemption.

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, waiting for the
price to drop.

big cheese This expression refers to a person who has a lot of power
and influence in an organisation.
Tom's father is a big cheese in the oil industry.

big fish in a This term refers to an important or highly-ranked person in

small pond a small group or organisation.
He could get a job with a big company but he enjoys being
a big fish in a small pond.

big picture If you talk about the big picture, you refer to the overall
situation,
or the project as a whole rather than the details.
While each aspect is important, try not to forget the big
picture.

bill of health If a person has a clean bill of health, they have a report or
certificate declaring that their health is satisfactory.
All candidates for the position must produce a clean bill of
health.

binge drinking This term refers to heavy drinking where large quantities
of alcohol are consumed in a short space of time, often
among young people in rowdy groups.
Binge drinking is becoming a major problem in some
European countries.

birds of a To say that two people are birds of a feather means that
feather they are very similar in many ways.
No wonder they get on well. They're birds of a feather!

for the birds If you think something is for the birds, you consider it to be
uninteresting, useless or not to be taken seriously.
As far as I'm concerned, his theory is for the birds.

birthday suit This humorous expression means that you are wearing
nothing.
 The bathroom door blew open, and there I was in my
birthday suit!

take the This expression refers to something very irritating or

biscuit annoying.
After waiting for an hour, we were told that there were no
seats left. That really took the biscuit!

bite the bullet If you bite the bullet, you accept something unpleasant
because you cannot avoid it.
If you don't have health insurance, you have to bite the
bullet and pay the hospital fees.

bite the dust The expression 'bite' or 'hit the dust' is a humorous way
of referring to death.
It's a story about an old cowboy who hits the dust
during a train robbery.

bite off more If you bite off more than you can chew, you try to do
than you can something that is too difficult for you, or more than you
chew can manage.
As soon as I started to translate the report, I realized
that I had bitten off more than I could chew.

get a second bite This expression means that you get a second
at the cherry opportunity to do
or try something.
He was eliminated in the semi-finals, but he'll get a
second bite at the cherry next year.

bite the hand If you bite the hand that feeds you, you are unfriendly
that feeds you or do harm to someone who is kind to you.
If you say bad things about the person who gives you a
job, you bite the hand that feeds you.

bite someone's If you bite someone's head off, you criticize them
head off 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 one's If you bite your tongue, you try not to say what you
tongue really think or feel.
It was difficult for me not to react; I had to bite my
tongue.

bitten by the bug If you develop a sudden interest or enthusiasm for

something, you are bitten by the bug.
My dad decided to take up golf and was immediately
bitten by the bug.
once bitten twice This is said by someone who has had an unpleasant
shy experience which has made them more cautious.
I'm never going to get married again. Once bitten,
twice shy!

bitter pill to Something very unpleasant or difficult to accept is

swallow a bitter pill to swallow.
Losing his job after organizing the merger was a bitter
pill to swallow.

black market The black market refers to the illegal buying and selling
of goods or currencies.
Be careful of what you buy on the black market - it's
not always good quality.

black out If you black out, you lose consciousness.

When Tony saw the needle, he blacked out.

black sheep The black sheep is one who behaves very differently or
badly, and is considered disreputable by the other
members of the family.
Joe was the black sheep of the family, always getting
into trouble.

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 To say that something is in black and white means that
white there is written proof of it.
It's an obligation. It's in black and white in your
contract.

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.

...back next...

blank cheque If you give someone a blank cheque, you authorise

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.

wet blanket To refer to someone as a wet blanket means that they

spoil other people's fun, or make an event less
 enjoyable than it could have been.
Come on Mike! Don't be such a wet blanket. You're
spoiling the party!

blessing in This expression refers to something that is unpleasant

disguise 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!

blind alley If you go up a blind alley, you follow an ineffective

course of action which leads nowhere or produces no
results.
The suspect's 'revelations' lead the police up a blind
alley.

blind as a bat Someone whose vision is very poor, or who is unable to

see anything, is (as) blind as a bat.
Without his glasses, the old man is as blind as a bat.

blind leading the This expression describes a person with very little ability
blind 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 someone If someone tries to blind you with science, they confuse
with science you with their knowledge by using difficult or technical
words.
When you ask Tim for a simple explanation, he blinds
you with science.

blink of an eye If something happens in the blink of an eye, it happens

nearly instantaneously, with hardly enough time to
notice it.
The pickpocket disappeared in the blink of an eye.

on the blink If a machine is on the blink, it is not working properly

and needs servicing or repair.
What a nuisance! The photocopier is on the blink again.

blockbuster Something that is outstanding, impressive or particularly

successful, such as a film or a book ,is called
a blockbuster.
The TV series was a blockbuster.

makes your If something makes your blood boil, it makes you really
blood boil angry.
His condescending attitude made my blood boil!

makes your If something makes your blood run cold, it shocks or

blood run cold scares you
a lot.
The look in the prisoner's eyes made my blood run cold.

blood out of a This expression refers to something that is very difficult

stone to obtain.
Negotiating a reduction from that company is like getting
blood from a stone!

blood, sweat and A project or action which involves blood, sweat and
tears 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.

blot one's copy- Someone who blots their copy-book does something to
book spoil their good record or reputation.
He blotted his copy-book when he was arrested for
speeding.

blow away the If something blows away the cobwebs, it makes you feel
cobwebs more lively and refreshes your ideas.
Let's get out of the house. A walk on the beach will blow
away the cobwebs!

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.

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.

blow hot and If you blow hot and cold about something, you
cold 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 out of If you exaggerate the importance of something,

proportion you blow it out of proportion.
The importance of the event was blown out of
proportion by the media.

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.

blow up in your When working on a plan or project, if it suddenly goes

face 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.

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!

blue around the If a person looks blue around gills, (or green or pale)
gills they look unwell or sick.
You should sit down. You look a bit blue around the
gills.

blue chip This term refers to a company with a solid reputation

company 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 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.

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.

blue-eyed boy A blue-eyed boy is someone's favourite.

He's the director's blue-eyed boy!

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.

(scream) blue Someone who screams blue murder shouts or

murder complains very loudly as if something very serious has
happened.
The crowd started screaming blue murder when the
football match was interrupted.

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.
in the same boat If two or more parties are in the same boat, they
are in the same unpleasant or difficult situation.
When the factory closed down, the workers all
found themselves in the same boat.

miss the boat If you miss the boat, you fail to take advantage of
an opportunity because you don't act quickly
enough.
I managed to get my order through before the
end of the special offer - but I nearly missed the
boat!

bodice-ripper A novel, usually on a historical theme, with a plot

that involves romantic passion between a
vulnerable heroine and a rich, powerful male
character, is called a bodice-ripper.
The novel is a bodice-ripper set in the French
revolution.

the mind boggles The expression 'the mind boggles' is used as a

reaction to something you find amazing or
difficult to understand.
She crossed the Atlantic alone - can you
imagine? - the mind boggles!

boil the ocean To “boil the ocean” means to waste time on a

task or project that is unnecessary, not worth
doing or impossible to achieve.
“I expect you to do the job well but don’t try to
boil the ocean!”

bold as brass Someone who is as bold as brass behaves

without shame or embarrassment.
Bold as brass, he refused the gift and handed it
back to his mother-in-law.

bolt from the blue To refer to something as a bolt from the

blue means that it happened totally
unexpectedly.
The chairman's resignation came as a bolt from
the blue.

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 is still a bone of contention.

bone to pick with If you have a bone to pick with someone, you are
someone annoyed with them and want to talk to them
about it.
Mark wants to see the boss. He says he's got a
bone to pick with him.

make no bones about If you make no bones about something, you don't
it hesitate to say something in a frank and open
way.
I made no bones about it. I told him his offer
was unacceptable.

you can't judge a book This expression means that you should not form
by its cover an opinion about something from its appearance
only.
He leads a very simple life but in fact he's an
extremely rich man. - you can't judge a book by
its cover.

in someone's If you are in somebody's good or bad books, you

good/bad books have their approval or disapproval.
I'm in my wife's bad books at the moment
because I forgot our wedding anniversary.

lick somebody'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.
There's no need to lick the manager's boots. Just
do your job!

too big for one's boots A person who is getting too big for their boots
is behaving as if they were more important than
they really are.
Tom's really getting too big for his boots since he
got a promotion - he hardly says hello any more!

bored to tears If you find something so dull and uninteresting

(distraction/death/silly) that it makes you sad enough to cry, you
are bored to tears.
I could see that my son was bored to tears by the
historical documentary.

born with a A person who is born with a silver spoon in their

silver spoon in mouth is born into a very rich family.
one's mouth She never has to worry about money; she was born
with a silver spoon in her mouth.

I wasn't born This expression is used to indicate that you are not as
yesterday foolish or as easily deceived as some people seem to
think.
 Stop inventing silly excuses. I wasn't born yesterday
you know!

botch up/ If you spoil something, or make a mess of it, by doing a

make a botch of job badly or incorrectly, you make a botch of it or
you botch it up.
Danny tried to assemble the new desk, but he made a
botch of it.

on the bottle A person who drinks alcohol often and regularly is on

the bottle.
John went on the bottle when he lost his job.

bottom fell out When something causes a plan, project or venture to

collapse or fail, the bottom falls out of it.
When heavy rain was announced, the bottom fell out of
their plans for a beach party.

bounce off the Someone who is very excited about something, or full
walls of nervous energy, is said to be bouncing off the walls.
Danny can't wait to start his new job. He's bouncing off
the walls.

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 drain The departure of highly qualified people (scientists,

engineers, etc.) for other countries, where they have
better opportunities and usually better pay, is called the
brain drain.

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 the bread - I've got a brain like a
sieve these days!

have something If you have something on the brain, you think or talk
on the brain abut it all constantly.
Stop talking about golf. You've got golf on the brain!

brains behind Someone who is the brains behind a project or action is

something the person thought to have planned and organised
everything.
The police have arrested a man believed to be the
brains behind the bank robbery.

no-brainer A decision or choice that requires little or no thought,

because the best option is so obvious, is called a no-
brainer.
 The choice was between a cash refund or having the
amount credited to my account - it was a no-brainer. I
took the cash!

get down to When people get down to brass tacks, they start to
brass tacks discuss the essential aspects of a problem or situation.
The situation was so serious that after a few polite
exchanges they quickly got down to brass tacks.

all brawn and no Someone who is physically very strong but not very
brain intelligent is said to be all brawn and no brain.
He's an impressive player to watch, but he's all brawn
and no brain.

know which side If you know which side your bread is buttered, you
your bread is know where your interests lie or what will be to your
buttered advantage.
Jack never argues with his father-in-law. He knows
which side his bread is buttered.

take the bread If you take the bread out of somebody's mouth, you
out of take away their means of earning a living.
somebody's The decision to ban street vendors took the bread out
mouth of the mouths of many people.

on the breadline People who live on the breadline have a very low
income or barely enough money to survive.
Due to the recent crisis, there are more people on the
breadline than
ever before.

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!

break the back If someone breaks the back of the beast, they succeed
of the beast 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.

break fresh If you break fresh ground, you innovate by introducing

ground or developing a new method or system.
Scientists have broken fresh ground in their exploration
of outer space.

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!

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.

break every rule If you behave in a completely unacceptable way,

in the book you break every rule in the book.
Our competitors obtained the contract by breaking
every rule in the book.

break out in cold If you break out in a cold sweat, you begin to perspire a
sweat lot, usually from anxiety.
I get nervous at the dentist's and usually break out in a
cold sweat.

breaking and This term refers to the fact of entering a building or

entering home illegally by breaking open a window, door, etc.
The two men were found guilty of breaking and
entering.

breathe down If someone is breathing down your neck, they are

someone's neck 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.

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!

bricks and An established trading company (office/shop) is

mortar referred to as a 'brick-and-mortar' business.
bricks and clicks '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.

bright-eyed and A person who is bright-eyed and bushy-tailed is very

bushy-tailed enthusiastic and full of energy.
Gary was fantastic. He arrived bright-eyed and bushy-
tailed at 7am
and worked with us all day.
bring the house If you bring the house down, you give a very successful
down performance.
If he sings like that on Saturday, he'll bring the house
down.

bring nothing to If you participate in negotiations and bring nothing to

the table 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.

bring someone If you force someone to behave in a disciplined

to heel manner, you bring them to heel.
The boy had always behaved badly, but the new
headmaster managed to bring him to heel.

bring up the rear Someone who brings up the rear is the last person in a
group of people who are walking or running.
The pupils walked calmly down the corridor, with the
teacher bringing up the rear.

broad daylight If something happens in broad daylight, it takes place

in the clear light of day when everyone can see what's
going on.
His car was stolen in front of the bank, in broad
daylight, and apparently there was not one witness!

broad as it's This expression means that there is no real difference

long which alternative is chosen.
Take the high-speed train, or fly and take a taxi? It's as
broad as it's long.

broad strokes If something is described or defined with/in broad

strokes, it is outlined in a very general way, without any
details.
In a few broad strokes he summed up the situation.

brown as a berry To say that someone is as brown as a berry means

that they are very tanned.
Judy came back from her holiday as brown as a berry.

browned off If you are browned off, you are bored, fed up or
disheartened.
Tom is browned off with his job.

have a brush When you have a brush with something, such as the
with law, you encounter or experience it briefly.
Had a brush with the law for speeding a few years ago,
but he has had a clean record ever since.

the bubble has To say that the bubble has burst means that the
burst 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.
Sam takes the easy way out. Whenever a problem
arises, he immediately passes the buck!

ick the bucket To kick the bucket is a lighthearted way of talking about
death.
He will inherit when his grandfather kicks the bucket!

buckle down If you buckle down, you apply yourself with

determination to hard work and give it hour full
attention.
If you want to pass your exams, you'll have to buckle
down and do some serious work.

nip in the bud If you nip a problem or an unacceptable situation in the

bud, you stop it at an early stage, before it develops or
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.
A mediator is trying to build bridges between the local
community and the owners of the new plant.

take the bull by To take the bull by the horns means that a person
the horns decides to act decisively in order to deal with a difficult
situation or problem.
When the argument turned into a fight, the bar owner
took the bull by the horns and called the police.

bulldoze A person who is bulldozed into doing something is

somebody forced to do it, especially by being bullied or
into doing intimidated.
something The immigrants we bulldozed into accepting the work.

bundle of nerves If you describe someone 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 the
law to prove that what one says is true.
The burden of proof lies with the claimant.

burn your If you burn your bridges, you do something that will be
bridges impossible to rectify in the future.
If you refuse the offer, be careful not to burn your
bridges by insulting them. They may make a better
proposal later.

burn the candle If you burn the candle at both ends, you exhaust
at both ends 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 If you burn your fingers (or get your fingers burnt), you
fingers suffer financially as a result of foolish behaviour.
Jack got his fingers burnt playing on the stock market.

on the back If you put a project or issue on the back burner, you
burner 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.

burning question What everyone is asking, and what we all want to know
about, is called the burning question.
Who leaked the information? That's the burning
question!

bury head in If you bury your head in the sand, you refuse to face the
sand 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.

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.

business as After an unpleasant or unexpected event, this

usual 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.
business before This expression means that it is considered preferable
pleasure 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!

business is This is a way of saying that in financial and commercial

business 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!

busman's A busman's holiday is when you spend your spare time

holiday 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!

butter When you butter someone up, you flatter them or you
somebody up 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.

butter wouldn't If you say that someone looks as if butter wouldn't melt
melt in your in their mouth, you mean that they look completely
mouth 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.

butterflies in If you have butterflies in your stomach, you are feeling

your stomach very nervous.
At the beginning of an exam, I always have butterflies in
my stomach.

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.

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.