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[blow a fuse] or [blow a gasket] or [blow one's top] or [blow one's
stack] {v. phr.}, {slang} To become extremely angry; express rage in
hot words. * /When Mr. McCarthy's son got married against his wishes,
he blew a fuse./ * /When the umpire called Joe out at first, Joe blew
his top and was sent to the showers./ Syn.: BLOW UP(1b), FLIP ONE'S
LID, LOSE ONE'S TEMPER. Compare: BLOW OFF STEAM(2).
[blow great guns] See: GREAT GUNS.
[blow hot and cold] {v. phr.} To change your ways or likes often;
be fickle or changeable. * /Tom blows hot and cold about coming out
for the baseball team; he cannot decide./ * /Mary blew hot and cold
about going to college; every day she changed her mind./ * /The boys
will get tired of Ann's blowing hot and cold./
[blow in] {v.}, {slang} To arrive unexpectedly or in a carefree
way. * /The house was already full of guests when Bill blew in./
Compare SHOW UP(3).
[blow into] {v.}, {slang} To arrive at (a place) unexpectedly or in
a carefree way. * /Bill blows into college at the last minute after
every vacation./ * /Why Tom, when did you blow into town?/
[blow off steam] See: LET OFF STEAM.
[blow one's brains out] {v. phr.} 1. To shoot yourself in the head.
* /Mr. Jones lost all his wealth, so he blew his brains out./ 2.
{slang} To work very hard; overwork yourself. * /The boys blew their
brains out to get the stage ready for the play./ * /Mary is not one to
blow her brains out./ Compare: BREAK ONE'S NECK.
[blow one's cool] {v. phr.}, {slang}, {informal} To lose your
composure or self-control. * /Whatever you say to the judge in court,
make sure that you don't blow your cool./
[blow one's lines] or [fluff one's lines] {v. phr.}, {informal} To
forget the words you are supposed to speak while acting in a play. *
/The noise backstage scared Mary and she blew her lines./
[blow one's mind] {v. phr.}, {slang}, {informal}; {originally from
the drug culture} 1. To become wildly enthusiastic over something as
if understanding it for the first time in an entirely new light. *
/Read Lyall Watson's book "Supernature", it will simply blow your
mind!/ 2. To lose one's ability to function, as if due to an overdose
of drugs, * /Joe is entirely incoherent - he seems to have blown his
mind./ Contrast: BLOW ONE'S COOL.
[blow one's own horn] or [toot one's own horn] {v. phr.}, {slang}
To praise yourself; call attention to your own skill, intelligence, or
successes; boast. * /People get tired of a man who is always blowing
his own horn./ * /A person who does things well does not have to toot
his own horn; his abilities will be noticed by others./
[blow one's top] {v. phr.} To become very excited, angry,
hysterical, or furious. * /"No need to blow your top, Al," his wife
said, "just because you lost a few dollars."/
[blow out] {v. phr.} 1. To cease to function; fail; explode (said
of tires and fuses). * /The accident occurred when Jim's tire blew out
on the highway./ * /The new dishwasher blew out the fuses in the whole
house./ 2. To extinguish. * /Jane blew out her birthday cake candles
before offering pieces to the guests./
[blowout] {n.} 1. An explosion of a tire or a fuse. * /Jim's van
veered sharply to the right after his car had a blowout./ 2. A big
party. * /After graduation from college, my son and his friends staged
a huge blowout./
[blow over] {v.} To come to an end; pass away with little or no bad
effects. * /The sky was black, as if a bad storm were coming, but it
blew over and the sun came out./ * /They were bitter enemies for a
while, but the quarrel blew over./ * /He was much criticized for the
divorce, but it all blew over after a few years./
[blow taps] {v. phr.} To sound the final bugle call of the evening
in a camp or military base. * /After taps is blown the boy scouts go
to their bunks to sleep./
[blow the gaff] {v. phr.} To open one's mouth to reveal a secret. *
/When Al cheated on his wife, his younger brother blew the gaff on
him./
[blow the lid off] {v. phr.}, {informal} Suddenly to reveal the
truth about a matter that has been kept as a secret either by private
persons or by some governmental agency. * /The clever journalists blew
the lid off the Watergate cover-up./
[blow the whistle on] {v. phr.}, {slang} 1. To inform against;
betray. * /The police caught one of the bank robbers, and he blew the
whistle on two more./ 2. To act against, stop, or tell people the
secrets of (crime or lawlessness). * /The mayor blew the whistle on
gambling./ * /The police blew the whistle on hot reading./
[blow up] {v.} 1a. To break or destroy or to be destroyed by
explosion. * /He blew up the plane by means of a concealed bomb./ *
/The fireworks factory blew up when something went wrong in an
electric switch./ 1b. {informal} To explode with anger or strong
feeling; lose control of yourself. * /When Father bent the nail for
the third time, he blew up./ Compare: BLOW A FUSE. 1c. To stop playing
well in a game or contest, usually because you are in danger of losing
or are tired; {especially}: To lose skill or control in pitching
baseball. * /The champion blew up and lost the tennis match./ * /Our
team was behind but the pitcher on the other team blew up and we got
the winning runs./ 2. {informal} To be ruined as if by explosion; be
ended suddenly. * /The whole scheme for a big party suddenly blew up./
3a. To pump full of air; inflate. * /He blew his tires up at a filling
station./ 3b. To make (something) seem bigger or important. * /It was
a small thing to happen but the newspapers had blown it up until it
seemed important./ 4. To bring on bad weather; also, to come on as bad
weather. * /The wind had blown up a storm./ * /A storm had blown up./
5. To copy in bigger form; enlarge. * /He blew up the snapshot to a
larger size./
[blow up in one's face] {v. phr.}, {informal} To fail completely
and with unexpected force. * /The thief's plan to rob the bank blew up
in his face when a policeman stopped him./
[blue] See: BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA, BOLT FROM THE
BLUE, ONCE IN A BLUE MOON, OUT OF THE BLUE or OUT OF A CLEAR BLUE SKY.
[blue around the gills] See: GREEN AROUND THE GILLS.
[blue collar worker] {n. phr.} A manual laborer who is probably a
labor union member. * /Because Jack's father is a blue collar worker,
Jack was so anxious to become an intellectual./ Contrast: WHITE COLLAR
WORKER.
[blue in the face] {adj. phr.}, {informal} Very angry or upset;
excited and very emotional. * /Tom argued with Bill until he was blue
in the face./ * /Mary scolded Jane until she was blue in the face, but
Jane kept on using Mary's paints./
[blue Monday] {n.} A Monday when you have to work after a happy
weekend. * /It was blue Monday and John nodded sleepily over his
books./ * /Housewives sometimes wish they could sleep through blue
Monday./
[blue-pencil] {v.} To edit. * /The editor blue-penciled John's
manuscript./
[bluff] See: CALL ONE'S BLUFF.
[blurt out] {v. phr.} To suddenly say something even if one was not
planning to do so, or if it was not expected of them. * /"My brother
Bob is in jail," Tony blurted out, before anybody could stop him./
[blush] See: AT FIRST BLUSH.
[board] See: ACROSS THE BOARD, COLLEGE BOARDS, GO BY THE BOARD or
PASS BY THE BOARD, ON BOARD, SANDWICH BOARD.
[boat] See: BURN ONE'S BRIDGES also BURN ONE'S BOATS, IN THE SAME
BOAT, MISS THE BOAT, ROCK THE BOAT.
[bobby-soxer] {n.} A teen-aged girl. (1940s idiom) * /My two
daughters, age 13 and 14, are typical bobby-soxers./
[bob up] See: POP UP(1).
[body] See: KEEP BODY AND SOUL TOGETHER.
[body blow] {n.}, {informal} A great disappointment; a bitter
failure. * /When he failed to get on the team it came as a body blow
to him./
[body English] {n.}, {informal} The wishful attempt to make a ball
move in the right direction after it has been hit or let go, by
twisting the body in the desired direction. * /He tried to help the
putt fall by using body English./
[bog down] {v. phr.} To be immobilized in mud, snow, etc.; slow
down. * /Our research got bogged down for a lack of appropriate
funding./ * /Don't get bogged down in too much detail when you write
an action story./
[bog down, to get bogged down] {v. phr.}, {mostly intransitive or
passive} 1. To stop progressing; to slow to a halt. * /Work on the new
building bogged down, because the contractor didn't deliver the needed
concrete blocks./ 2. To become entangled with a variety of obstacles
making your efforts unproductive or unsatisfying. * /The novelist
wrote tittle last summer because she got bogged down in housework./
[boggle the mind] {v. phr.}, {informal} To stop the rational
thinking process by virtue of being too fantastic or incredible. * /It
boggles the mind that John should have been inside a flying saucer!/
[boil] See: MAKE ONE'S BLOOD BOIL or MAKE THE BLOOD BOIL.
[boil down] {v.} 1. To boil away some of the water from; make less
by boiling. * /She boiled down the maple sap to a thick syrup./ * /The
fruit juice boiled down until it was almost not good for jelly./ 2. To
reduce the length of; cut down; shorten. * /The reporter boiled the
story down to half the original length./ 3. To reduce itself to; come
down to; be briefly or basically. * /The whole discussion boils down
to the question of whether the government should fix prices./
[boil over] {v. phr.} 1. To rise due to boiling and overflow down
the sides of a pan or a pot. * /"Watch out!" Jane cried. "The milk is
boiling over on the stove!"/ 2. To become enraged to the point of
being unable to contain oneself. * /John took a lot of abuse from his
boss, but after 25 minutes he suddenly boiled over and told him what
he thought of him./
[boiling point] {n.} 1. The temperature at which a liquid boils. *
/The boiling point of water is 272{sup}o{/sup} Fahrenheit./ 2. The time when you
become very angry. * /He has a low boiling point./ * /After being
teased for a long time, John reached the boiling point./ * /When John
made the same mistake for the fourth time, his teacher reached the
boiling point./ Compare: BLOW UP(1b), MAKE ONE'S BLOOD BOIL.
[bolt from the blue] {n. phr.} Something sudden and unexpected; an
event that you did not see coming; a great and usually unpleasant
surprise; shock. * /We had been sure she was in Chicago, so her sudden
appearance was a bolt from the blue./ * /His decision to resign was a
bolt from the blue./ Compare: OUT OF THE BLUE.
[bombshell] See: EXPLODE A BOMBSHELL.
[bond] See: SAVINGS BOND.
[bone] See: BRED IN THE BONE, FEEL IN ONE'S BONES or KNOW IN ONE'S
BONES, FUNNY BONE, MAKE NO BONES, SKIN AND BONES, T-BONE STEAK, WORK
ONE'S FINGERS TO THE BONE.
[bonehead] {n.}, {slang} An unusually dense or stupid person. *
/John is such a bonehead - small wonder he flunks all of his courses./
[bone of contention] {n. phr.} Something to fight over; a reason
for quarrels; the subject of a fight. * /The boundary line between the
farms was a bone of contention between the two farmers./ * /The use of
the car was a bone of contention between Joe and his wife./
[bone to pick] or [crow to pick] {n. phr.}, {informal} A reason for
dispute; something to complain of or argue about. - Often used
jokingly. * /"I have a bone to pick with you," he said./ * /There was
always a crow to pick about which one would shave first in the
morning./ Compare: BONE OF CONTENTION.
[bone up] {v.}, {informal} To fill with information; try to learn a
lot about something in a short time; study quickly. * /Carl was boning
up for an examination./ * /Jim had to make a class report the next day
on juvenile delinquency, and he was in the library boning up on how
the courts handle it./
[bonnet] See: BEE IN ONE'S BONNET.
[book] See: CLOSED BOOK, CLOSE THE BOOKS, HIT THE BOOKS, KEEP
BOOKS, NOSE IN A BOOK, ONE FOR THE BOOKS, READ ONE LIKE A BOOK,
TALKING BOOK, THROW THE BOOK AT.
[boom] See: LOWER THE BOOM.
[boot] See: DIE IN ONE'S BOOTS, IN ONE'S SHOES also IN ONE'S BOOTS,
LICK ONE'S BOOTS, SHAKE IN ONE'S SHOES or SHAKE IN ONE'S BOOTS, TO
BOOT, TOO BIG FOR ONE'S BREECHES or TOO BIG FOR ONE'S BOOTS, YOU BET
or YOU BET YOUR BOOTS.
[boot hill] {n.} A cemetery in the old Wild West where cowboys and
cops and robbers used to be buried with their boots on. Hence,
jokingly, any cemetery. * /Good old Joe, the cowboy, is resting
comfortably in the nearby boot hill./
[boot out] See: KICK OUT.
[boot strap] See: PULL ONESELF UP BY THE BOOTSTRAPS.
[border on] {v. phr.} To be adjacent to; come close to; adjoin. *
/Our village borders on the Mississippi River./ * /John's actions
border on irresponsibility./
[bore to death] See: TO DEATH.
[bore to tears] {v. phr.} To fill with tired dislike; tire by
dullness or the same old thing bore. * /The party was dull and Roger
showed plainly that he was bored to tears./ * /Mary loved cooking, but
sewing bores her to tears./
[born] See: NATURAL-BORN, TO THE MANNER BORN.
[born out of wedlock] {adj. phr.} Born to parents who are not
married to each other; without legal parents. * /Sometimes when a
married couple can't have children, they adopt a child who was born
out of wedlock./ * /Today we no longer make fun of children born out
of wedlock./
[born with a silver spoon in one's mouth] {adj. phr.} Born to
wealth and comfort; provided from birth with everything wanted; born
rich. * /The stranger's conduct was that of a man who had been born
with a silver spoon in his mouth./ Compare: WELL-HEELED.
[born yesterday] {adj. phr.} Inexperienced and easily fooled; not
alert to trickery; easily deceived or cheated. - Usually used in
negative sentences. * /When Bill started the new job, the other
workers teased him a little, but he soon proved to everyone that he
wasn't born yesterday./ * /I won't give you the money till I see the
bicycle you want to sell me. Do you think I was born yesterday?/
Compare: NOBODY'S FOOL.
[borrow] See: LIVE ON BORROWED TIME.
[borrow trouble] {v. phr.} To worry for nothing about trouble that
may not come; make trouble for yourself needlessly. * /Don't borrow
trouble by worrying about next year. It's too far away./ * /You are
borrowing trouble if you try to tell John what to do./ Compare: ASK
FOR, CROSS ONE'S BRIDGES BEFORE ONE COMES TO THEM, CRY BEFORE ONE IS
HURT.
[bosom friend] {n. phr.} A very close friend; an old buddy with
whom one has a confidential relationship. * /Sue and Jane have been
bosom friends since their college days./
[boss] See: STRAW BOSS.
[boss one around] {v. phr.} To keep giving someone orders; to act
overbearingly toward someone. * /"If you keep bossing me around,
darling," Tom said to Jane, "the days of our relationship are surely
numbered."/
[botch up] {v. phr.} To ruin, spoil, or mess something up. * /"I
botched up my chemistry exam," Tim said, with a resigned sigh./
[both] See: CUT BOTH WAYS, PLAGUE ON BOTH YOUR HOUSES.
[both --- and] {coord. conj.} Used to emphasize that two or more
things are talked about. * /Both Frank and Mary were at the party./ *
/Millie is both a good swimmer and a good cook./ * /In the program
tonight Mary will both sing and dance./ * /The frog can move quickly
both on land and in the water./ Compare: AS WELL AS. Contrast EITHER
OR.
[bothered] See: HOT AND BOTHERED.
[bottle blond] {n.}, {slang} A person who is obviously not a
natural blond but whose hair is artificially colored. * /I doubt that
Leonora's hair color is natural; she strikes me as a bottle blond./
[bottleneck] {n.} A heavy traffic congestion. * /In Chicago the
worst bottleneck is found where the Kennedy and the Eden's expressways
separate on the way to the airport./
[bottle up] {v.} 1. To hide or hold back; control. * /There was no
understanding person to talk to, so Fred bottled up his unhappy
feeling./ 2. To hold in a place from which there is no escape; trap. *
/Our warships bottled up the enemy fleet in the harbor./
[bottom] See: BET ONE'S BOOTS or BET ONE'S BOTTOM DOLLAR, FROM THE
BOTTOM OF ONE'S HEART, FROM --- TO ---, GET TO THE BOTTOM OF, HIT
BOTTOM or TOUCH BOTTOM, ROCK BOTTOM, SCRAPE THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL.
[bottom dollar] {n.}, {v. phr.}, {informal} One's last penny, one's
last dollar. * /He was down to his bottom dollar when he suddenly got
the job offer./
[bottom drop out] or [bottom fall out] {v. phr.} {informal} 1. To
fall below an earlier lowest price. * /The bottom dropped out of the
price of peaches./ 2. To lose all cheerful qualities; become very
unhappy, cheerless, or unpleasant. * /The bottom dropped out of the
day for John when he saw his report card./ * /The bottom fell out for
us when the same ended with our team on the two yard line and six
points behind./
[bottom line] {n.}, {informal} (stress on "line") 1. The last word
on a controversial issue; a final decision. * /"Give me the bottom
line on the proposed merger," said John./ 2. The naked truth without
embellishments. * /Look, the bottom line is that poor Max is an
alcoholic./ 3. The final dollar amount; for example, the lowest price
two parties reach in bargaining about a sale. * /"Five-hundred, " said
the used car dealer, "is the bottom line. Take it or leave it."/
[bottom line] {v.}, {informal} (stress on "bottom") To finish; to
bring to a conclusion. * /Okay, you guys, let's bottom line this
project and break for coffee./
[bottom out] {v. phr.} To reach the lowest point (said chiefly of
economic cycles). * /According to the leading economic indicators the
recession will bottom out within the next two months./
[bounce] See: GET THE BOUNCE, GIVE THE BOUNCE.
[bound] See: BIND, BY LEAPS AND BOUNDS, OUT OF BOUNDS, WITHIN
BOUNDS.
[bound for] {adj. phr.} On the way to; going to. * /I am bound for
the country club./ * /The ship is bound for Liverpool./
[bound up with] {v. phr.} To be connected; be involved with. *
/Tuition at our university is bound up with the state budget./
[bow] See: TAKE A BOW.
[bow and scrape] {v.} To be too polite or obedient from fear or
hope of gain; act like a slave. * /The old servant bowed and scraped
before them, too obedient and eager to please./
[bowl of cherries] See: BED OF ROSES.
[bowl over] {v.}, {informal} 1. To knock down as if with a bowled
ball. * /The taxi hit him a glancing blow and bowled him over./ 2. To
astonish with success or shock with misfortune; upset; stun. * /He was
bowled over by his wife's sudden death./ * /The young actress bowled
over everybody in her first movie./
[bow out] {v.}, {informal} 1. To give up taking part; excuse
yourself from doing any more; quit. * /Mr. Black often quarreled with
his partners, so finally he bowed out of the company./ * /While the
movie was being filmed, the star got sick and had to bow out./ 2. To
stop working after a long service; retire. * /He bowed out as train
engineer after forty years of railroading./
[box] See: IN A BIND or IN A BOX, PENALTY BOX, PRESS BOX, STUFF THE
BALLOT BOX, VOICE BOX.
[box office] {n.}, {informal} 1. The place at movies and theaters
where tickets may be purchased just before the performance instead of
having ordered them through the telephone or having bought them at a
ticket agency. * /No need to reserve the seats; we can pick them up at
the box office./ 2. A best selling movie, musical, or drama (where the
tickets are all always sold out and people line up in front of the box
office). * /John Wayne's last movie was a regular box office./ 3.
Anything successful or well liked. * /Betsie is no longer box office
with me./
[boy] See: ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKES JACK A DULL BOY, FAIR-HAIRED
BOY, MAMA'S BOY, OLD BOY, SEPARATE THE MEN FROM THE BOYS.
[boyfriend] {n.}, {informal} 1. A male friend or companion. *
/"John and his boyfriends have gone to the ball game," said his
mother./ 2. A girl's steady date, a woman's favorite man friend; a
male lover or sweetheart. * /Jane's new boyfriend is a senior in high
school./ Contrast: GIRL FRIEND.
[boys will be boys] Boys are only children and must sometimes get
into mischief or trouble or behave too roughly. * /Boys will be boys
and make a lot of noise, so John's mother told him and his friends to
play in the park instead of the back yard./
[brain] See: BEAT ONE'S BRAINS OUT, BLOW ONE'S BRAINS OUT, ON THE
BRAIN, RACK ONE'S BRAIN, GET ONE'S BRAINS FRIED.
[brain bucket] {n.}, {slang} A motorcycle helmet. * /If you want to
share a ride with me, you've got to wear a brain bucket./
[brain drain] {n.}, {informal} 1. The loss of the leading
intellectuals and researchers of a country due to excessive emigration
to other countries where conditions are better. * /Britain suffered a
considerable brain drain to the United States after World War II./ 2.
An activity requiring great mental concentration resulting in fatigue
and exhaustion * /That math exam I took was a regular brain drain./
[brain-storm] {v.} To have a discussion among fellow researchers or
co-workers on a project in order to find the best solution to a given
problem. * /Dr. Watson and his research assistants are brain-storming
in the conference room./
[brainstorm] {n.} A sudden insight; a stroke of comprehension. *
/Listen to me, I've just had a major brainstorm, and I think I found
the solution to our problem./
[brain trust] {n.} A group of specially trained, highly intelligent
experts in a given field. * /Albert Einstein gathered a brain trust
around himself at the Princeton Institute of Advanced Studies./
[brake] See: RIDE THE BRAKE.
[branch off] {v.} To go from something big or important to
something smaller or less important; turn aside. * /At the bridge a
little road branches off from the highway and follows the river./ *
/Martin was trying to study his lesson, but his mind kept branching
off onto what girl he should ask to go with him to the dance./
[branch out] {v.} To add new interests or activities; begin doing
other things also. * /First Jane collected stamps; then she branched
out and collected coins, too./ * /John started a television repair
shop; when he did well, he branched out and began selling television
sets too./
[brand-new] also [bran-new] {adj.} As new or fresh as when just
made and sold by the manufacturer; showing no use or wear. * /He had
taken a brand-new car from the dealer's floor and wrecked it./ * /In
Uncle Tom's trunk, we found a wedding ring, still in its little
satin-lined box, still brand-new./
[brass] See: DOUBLE IN BRASS, GET DOWN TO BRASS TACKS.
[brass hat] {n.}, {slang} 1. A high officer in the army, navy, or
air force. * /The brass hats In Washington often discuss important
secrets./ 2. Any person who has a high position in business, politics,
or other work. * /Mr. Woods, the rich oil man, is a political brass
hat./
[brass tacks] See: GET DOWN TO BRASS TACKS.
[brave it out] {v. phr.} To endure something difficult or dangerous
through to the end; keep on through trouble or danger. * /It was a
dangerous ocean crossing in wartime, but captain and crew braved it
out./
[brazen it out] {v. phr.} To pretend you did nothing wrong; be
suspected, accused, or scolded without admitting you did wrong; act as
if not guilty. * /The teacher found a stolen pen that the girl had in
her desk, but the girl brazened it out; she said someone else must
have put it there./
[bread] See: HALF A LOAF is BETTER THAN NONE, KNOW WHICH SIDE ONE'S
BREAD IS BUTTERED ON, TAKE THE BREAD OUT OF ONE'S MOUTH.
[bread and butter(1)] {n. phr.} The usual needs of life; food,
shelter, and clothing. * /Ed earned his bread and butter as a
bookkeeper, but added a little jam by working with a dance band on
weekends./
[bread and butter(2)] {adj.} Thanking someone for entertainment or
a nice visit; thank-you. * /After spending the weekend as a guest in
the Jones' home, Alice wrote the Joneses the usual bread-and-butter
letter./ See: BREAD AND BUTTER LETTER.
[bread and butter(3)] {interj.}, {informal} Spoken to prevent bad
luck that you think might result from some action. * /We'd say "Bread
and butter!" when we had passed on opposite sides of a tree./
[bread-and-butter letter] {n.} A written acknowledgment of
hospitality received. * /Jane wrote the Browns a bread-and-butter
letter when she returned home from her visit to them./
[breadbasket] {n}, {slang} The stomach. * /John is stuffing his
breadbasket again./
[break] See: COFFEE BREAK.
[break away] or [break loose] {v. phr.} To liberate oneself from
someone or something. * /Jane tried to break loose from her attacker,
but he was too strong./
[break camp] {v. phr.} To take down and pack tents and camping
things; take your things from a camping place. * /The scouts broke
camp at dawn./
[break down] {v.} (stress on "down") 1. To smash or hit (something)
so that it falls; cause to fall by force. * /The firemen broke down
the door./ 2. To reduce or destroy the strength or effect of; weaken;
win over. * /By helpful kindness the teacher broke down the new boy's
shyness./ * /Advertising breaks down a lot of stubbornness against
change./ 3. To separate into elements or parts; decay. * /Water is
readily broken down into hydrogen and oxygen./ * /After many years,
rocks break down into dirt./ 4. To become unusable because of breakage
or other failure; lose power to work or go. * /The car broke down
after half an hour's driving./ * /His health broke down./ * /When the
coach was sick in bed, the training rules of the team broke down./
Compare: GO BACK ON(2).
[breakdown] See: NERVOUS BREAKDOWN.
[breaker] See: JAW-BREAKER.
[break even] {v. phr.}, {informal} (stress on "even") To end a
series of gains and losses having the same amount you started with;
have expenses equal to profits; have equal gain and loss. * /The
storekeeper made many sales, but his expenses were so high that he
just broke even./ * /If you gamble you are lucky when you break even./
[break-even] {n.} The point of equilibrium in a business venture
when one has made as much money as one had invested, but not more -
that would be "profit." * /"We've reached the break-even point at long
last!" - Max exclaimed with joy./
[break ground] {v. phr.} To begin a construction project by digging
for the foundation; especially, to turn the formal first spadeful of
dirt. * /City officials and industrial leaders were there as the
company broke ground for its new building./ See: BREAK NEW GROUND.
[break in] {v.} (stress on "in") 1a. To break from outside. * /The
firemen broke in the door of the burning house./ 1b. To enter by force
or unlawfully. * /Thieves broke in while the family was away./ 2. To
enter suddenly or interrupt. * /A stranger broke in on the meeting
without knocking./ * /The secretary broke in to say that a telegram
had arrived./ Compare: CUT IN(2). 3. To make a start in a line of work
or with a company or association; begin a new job. * /He broke in as a
baseball player with a minor league./ 4. To teach the skills of a new
job or activity to. * /An assistant foreman broke in the new man as a
machine operator./ 5. To lessen the stiffness or newness of by use. *
/He broke in a new pair of shoes./ * /Breaking in a new car requires
careful driving at moderate speeds./
[break-in] {n.} (stress on "break") A robbery; a burglary. * /We
lost our jewelry during a break-in./
[break into] {v.} 1. To force an entrance into; make a rough or
unlawful entrance into. * /Thieves broke into the store at night./ 2.
{informal} To succeed in beginning (a career, business, or a social
life) * /He broke into television as an actor./ 3. To interrupt. * /He
broke into the discussion with a shout of warning./ 4. To begin
suddenly. * /He broke into a sweat./ * /She broke into tears./ * /The
dog heard his master's whistle and broke into a run./
[break new ground] {v. phr.} 1. To start a new activity previously
neglected by others; do pioneering work. * /Albert Einstein broke new
ground with his theory of relativity./ 2. To begin something never
done before. * /The school broke new ground with reading lessons that
taught students to guess the meaning of new words./
[break off] {v.} 1. To stop suddenly. * /The speaker was
interrupted so often that he broke off and sat down./ * /When Bob came
in, Jean broke off her talk with Linda and talked to Bob./ 2.
{informal} To end a friendship or love. * /I hear that Tom and Alice
have broken off./ * /She broke off with her best friend./
[break one's balls] {v. phr.}, {slang}, {vulgar}, {avoidable} To do
something with maximum effort; to do something very difficult or
taxing * /I've been breaking my balls to buy you this new color TV set
and you aren't the least bit appreciative!/ Compare: BREAK ONE'S NECK.
[break one's heart] {v. phr.} To discourage greatly; make very sad
or hopeless. * /His son's disgrace broke his heart./ * /When Mr. White
lost everything he had worked so hard for, it broke his heart./
[break one's neck] {v. phr.}, {slang} To do all you possibly can;
try your hardest. - Usually used with a limiting adverb or negative. *
/John nearly broke his neck trying not to be late to school./ *
/Mother asked Mary to go to the store when she was free, but not to
break her neck over it./
[break one's word] {v. phr.} To renege on a promise. * /When Jake
broke his word that he would marry Sarah, she became very depressed./
[break out] {v.} 1. To begin showing a rash or other skin disorder.
- Often used with "with". * /He broke out with scarlet fever./ 2. To
speak or act suddenly and violently. * /He broke out laughing./ * /She
broke out, "That is not so!"/ 3. To begin and become noticeable. *
/Fire broke out after the earthquake./ * /War broke out in 1812./
Compare: FLARE UP. 4. {informal} To bring out; open and show. * /When
word of the victory came, people began breaking out their flags./ *
/When Mr. Carson's first son was born, he broke out the cigars he had
been saving./
[break the ice] {v. phr.}, {informal} 1. To conquer the first
difficulties in starting a conversation, getting a party going, or
making an acquaintance. * /To break the ice Ted spoke of his interest
in mountain climbing, and they soon had a conversation going./ * /Some
people use an unusual thing, such as an unusual piece of jewelry, to
break the ice./ 2. To be the first person or team to score in a game.
* /The Wolves broke the ice with a touchdown./
[break the record] {v. phr.} To set or to establish a new mark or
record. * /Algernon broke the record in both the pentathlon and the
decathlon and took home two gold medals from the Olympics./
[break through] {v.} To be successful after overcoming a difficulty
or bar to success. * /Dr. Salk failed many times but he finally broke
through to find a successful polio vaccine./ * /Jim studied very hard
this semester in college, and he finally broke through onto the Dean's
List for the first time./
[breakthrough] {n.} A point of sudden success after a long process
of experimentation, trial and error. * /The U.S. Space Program
experienced a major breakthrough when Armstrong and Aldrin landed on
the moon in June of 1969./
[break up] {v. phr.} To end a romantic relationship, a marriage, or
a business partnership. * /Tom and Jane broke up because Tom played so
much golf that he had no time for her./
[break up] {v.} 1. To break into pieces. * /The workmen broke up
the pavement to dig up the pipes under it./ * /River ice breaks up in
the spring./ 2. {informal} To lose or destroy spirit or self-control.
- Usually used in the passive. * /Mrs. Lawrence was all broken up
after her daughter's death, and did not go out of the house for two
months./ Compare: CRACK UP, GO TO PIECES. 3. To come or to put to an
end, especially by separation; separate. * /Some men kept interrupting
the speakers, and finally broke up the meeting./ * /The party broke up
at midnight./ - Often used in the informal phrase "break it up". *
/The boys were fighting, and a passing policeman ordered them to break
it up./ Compare: CUT OUT(1). 4. {informal} To stop being friends. *
/Mary and June were good friends and did everything together, but then
they had a quarrel and broke up/ Compare: BREAK OFF.
[break-up] {n.} The end of a relationship, personal or commercial.
* /The break-up finally occurred when Smith and Brown decided to sue
each other for embezzlement./
[break with] {v.} To separate yourself from; end membership in;
stop friendly association with. * /He broke with the Democratic party
on the question of civil rights./ * /He had broken with some friends
who had changed in their ideas./
[breast] See: MAKE A CLEAN BREAST OF.
[breath] See: CATCH ONE'S BREATH, DRAW A LONG BREATH or TAKE A LONG
BREATH, HOLD ONE'S BREATH, IN THE SAME BREATH, OUT OF BREATH, SAVE
ONE'S BREATH, SECOND WIND also SECOND BREATH, TAKE ONE'S BREATH AWAY,
UNDER ONE'S BREATH, WASTE ONE'S BREATH.
[breathe down one's neck] {v. phr.}, {informal} To follow closely;
threaten from behind; watch every action. * /Too many creditors were
breathing down his neck./ * /The carpenter didn't like to work for Mr.
Jones, who was always breathing down his neck./
[breathe easily] or [breathe freely] {v.} To have relief from
difficulty or worry; relax; feel that trouble is gone; stop worrying.
* /Now that the big bills were paid, he breathed more easily./ * /His
mother didn't breathe easily until he got home that night./
[breathe one's last] {v. phr.} To die. * /The wounded soldier fell
back on the ground and breathed his last./
[bred in the bone] {adj. phr.} Belonging to your nature or
character, especially from early teaching or long habit; natural from
belief or habit; believing deeply. * /The Willett children's cleanness
is bred in the none./ Often used, with hyphens before the noun. * /Joe
is a bred-in-the-bone horseman; he has been riding since he was six./
Contrast: SKIN-DEEP.
[breeches] See: TOO BIG FOR ONE'S BREECHES.
[breeze] See: SHOOT THE BREEZE or BAT THE BREEZE or FAN THE BREEZE,
WIN IN A WALK or WIN IN A BREEZE.
[breeze in] {v. phr.}, {slang}, {informal} To walk into a place
casually (like a soft blowing wind). * /Betsie breezed in and sat down
at the bar./
[brew] See: HOME BREW.
[brick] See: MAKE BRICKS WITHOUT STRAW.
[brick wall] See: STONE WALL.
[bridge] See: BURN ONE'S BRIDGES, CROSS A BRIDGE BEFORE ONE COMES
TO IT, WATER OVER THE DAM or WATER UNDER THE BRIDGE.
[brief] See: HOLD A BRIEF FOR, IN BRIEF or IN SHORT or IN A WORD.
[bright and early] {adj. phr.} Prompt and alert; on time and ready;
cheerful and on time or before time. * /He came down bright and early
to breakfast./ * /She arrived bright and early for the appointment./
[bring about] {v.} To cause; produce; lead to. * /The war had
brought about great changes in living./ * /Drink brought about his
downfall./
[bring around] or [bring round] {v.} 1. {informal} To restore to
health or consciousness cure. * /He was quite ill, but good nursing
brought him around./ Compare: BRING TO(1). 2. To cause a change in
thinking; persuade; convince; make willing. * /After a good deal of
discussion he brought her round to his way of thinking./
[bringdown] {n.}, {slang}, {informal} 1. (from "bring down", past
"brought down"). A critical or cutting remark said sarcastically in
order to deflate a braggard's ego. * /John always utters the right
bringdown when he encounters a braggard./ 2. A person who depresses
and saddens others by being a chronic complainer. * /John is a regular
bringdown./
[bring down] {v. phr.}, {slang}, {informal} 1. To deflate
(someone's ego). * /John brought Ted down very cleverly with his
remarks./ 2. To depress (someone). * /The funeral brought me down
completely./
[bring down about one's ears] or [bring down around one's ears]
See: ABOUT ONE'S EARS.
[bring down the house] {v. phr.}, {informal} To start an audience
laughing or clapping enthusiastically. * /The principal's story was
funny in itself and also touched their loyalties, so it brought down
the house./ * /The President made a fine speech which brought down the
house./
[bring home] {v.} To show clearly; emphasize; make (someone)
realize; demonstrate. * /The accident caused a death in his family,
and it brought home to him the evil of drinking while driving./ * /A
parent or teacher should bring home to children the value and pleasure
of reading./
[bring home the bacon] {v. phr.}, {informal} 1. To support your
family; earn the family living. * /He was a steady fellow, who always
brought home the bacon./ 2. To win a game or prize. * /The football
team brought home the bacon./
[bring in] {v.} In baseball: To enable men on base to score, score.
* /Dick's hit brought in both base runners./ * /A walk and a triple
brought in a run in the third inning./
[bring into line] {v. phr.} To make someone conform to the accepted
standard. * /Sam had to be brought into line when he refused to take
his muddy shoes off the cocktail table./
[bring off] {v.} To do (something difficult); perform successfully
(an act of skill); accomplish (something requiring unusual ability). *
/By skillful discussion, Mr. White had brought off an agreement that
had seemed impossible to get./ * /He tried several times to break the
high jump record, and finally he brought it off./ Compare: PUT
OVER(2).
[bring on] {v.} To result in; cause; produce. * /The murder of
Archduke Franz Ferdinand in the summer of 1914 brought on the First
World War./ * /Spinal meningitis brought on John's deafness when he
was six years old./ * /Reading in a poor light may bring on a
headache./
[bring out] {v.} 1. To cause to appear; make clear. * /His report
brought out the foolishness of the plan./ * /Brushing will bring out
the beauty of your hair./ 2. To help (an ability or skill) grow or
develop. * /The teacher's coaching brought out a wonderful singing
voice of great power and warmth./ 3. To offer to the public by
producing, publishing, or selling. * /He brought out a new play./ *
/The company brought out a line of light personal airplanes./
[bring round] See: BRING AROUND.
[bring suit against] {v. phr.} To sue someone in a court of law. *
/Fred brought suit against Tom for fraud and embezzlement./
[bring to] {v.} (stress on "to") 1. To restore to consciousness;
wake from sleep, anesthesia, hypnosis, or fainting. * /Smelling salts
will often bring a fainting person to./ Compare: BRING AROUND(1). 2.
To bring a ship or boat to a stop. * /Reaching the pier, he brought
the boat smartly to./
[bring to a close] {v. phr.} To terminate; cause to end. * /The
meeting was brought to an abrupt close when the speaker collapsed with
a heart attack./
[bring to a head] {v. phr.} To cause some activity to reach the
point of culmination. * /Time is running out, gentlemen, so let us
bring this discussion to a head./
[bring to bay] {v. phr.} To chase or force into a place where
escape is impossible without a fight; trap; corner. * /The police
brought the robber to bay on the roof and he gave up./ * /The fox was
brought to bay in a hollow tree and the dogs stood around it barking./
Compare: AT BAY.
[bring to heel] See: TO HEEL.
[bring to light] {v. phr.} To discover (something hidden); find out
about; expose. * /Many things left by the ancient Egyptians in tombs
have been brought to light by scientists and explorers./ * /His
enemies brought to light some foolish things he had done while young,
but he was elected anyway because people trusted him./ Compare: COME
TO LIGHT.
[bring to one's knees] {v. phr.} To seriously weaken the power or
impair the function of. * /The fuel shortage brought the automobile
industry to its knees./
[bring to pass] {v. phr.}, {informal} To make (something) happen;
succeed in causing. * /By much planning, the mother brought the
marriage to pass./ * /The change in the law was slow in coming, and it
took a disaster to bring it to pass./ Compare: BRING ABOUT, COME TO
PASS.
[bring to terms] {v. phr.} To make (someone) agree or do; make
surrender. * /The two brothers were brought to terms by their father
for riding the bicycle./ * /The war won't end until we bring the enemy
to terms./ Contrast: COME TO TERMS.
[bring up] {v.} 1. To take care of (a child); raise, train,
educate. * /He gave much attention and thought to bringing up his
children./ * /Joe was born in Texas but brought up in Oklahoma./ 2.
{informal} To stop; halt. - Usually used with "short". * /He brought
the car up short when the light changed to red./ * /Bill started to
complain, I brought him up short./ 3. To begin a discussion of; speak
of; mention. * /At the class meeting Bob brought up the idea of a
picnic./
[bring up the rear] {v. phr.} 1. To come last in a march, parade,
or procession; end a line. * /The fire truck with Santa on it brought
up the rear of the Christmas parade./ * /The governor and his staff
brought up the rear of the parade./ 2. {informal} To do least well; do
the most poorly of a group; be last. * /In the race, John brought up
the rear./ * /In the basketball tournament, our team brought up the
rear./
[bring] or [wheel in] or [out] or [up the big guns] {v. phr.} To
make use of a concealed plan in order to defeat an opponent in an
argument or in a game, debate, or competition. * /The new computer
software company decided to bring out the big guns to get ahead of the
competition./
[broke] See: GO BROKE, GO FOR BROKE, STONE-BROKE OT DEAD BROKE or
FLAT BROKE, STRAW THAT BROKE THE CAMEL'S BACK.
[Bronx cheer] {n. phr.}, {slang} A loud sound made with tongue and
lips to show opposition or scorn. * /When he began to show anti-union
feelings, he was greeted with Bronx cheers all around./
[broom] See: NEW BROOM SWEEPS CLEAN.
[broth] See: SCOTCH BROTH.
[brow] See: BY THE SWEAT OF ONE'S BROW.
[brown] See: DO UP BROWN.
[brown-bagger] {n.}, {slang}, {informal} A person who does not go
to the cafeteria or to a restaurant for lunch at work, but who brings
his homemade lunch to work in order to save money. * /John became a
brown-bagger not because he can't afford the restaurant, but because
he is too busy to go there./
[brown-nose] {v.}, {slang}, {avoidable}, {though gaining in
acceptance} To curry favor in a subservient way, as by obviously
exaggerated flattery. * /Max brown-noses his teachers, that's why he
gets all A's in his courses./ Compare: POLISH THE APPLE.
[brown paper bag] {n.}, {slang}, {citizen's band radio jargon} An
unmarked police car. * /The beaver got a Christmas card because she
didn't notice the brown paper bag at her back door./ See: PLAIN WHITE
WRAPPER.
[brown study] {n. phr.} A time of deep thought about something; a
deep thoughtful mood. * /When his wife found him, he had pushed away
his books and was in a brown study./
[brush] See: BEAT THE BUSHES or BEAT THE BRUSH.
[brush aside] {v. phr.} To ignore; give no reply. * /Brushing aside
the editor's comments, the young novelist proceeded with his story,
which was subsequently rejected by the publisher./
[brush back] {v.} To throw a baseball pitch close to. * /The
pitcher threw a high inside pitch to brush the batter back./ Syn.:
DUST OFF.
[brushoff] See: GET THE BRUSHOFF, BRUSH OFF or GIVE THE BRUSHOFF.
[brush off] or [give the brush off] {v. phr.} 1. To refuse to hear
or believe; quickly and impatiently; not take seriously or think
important. * /John brushed off Bill's warning that he might fall from
the tree./ * /I said that it might rain and to take the bus, but Joe
gave my idea the brushoff./ * /Father cut his finger but he brushed it
off as not important and kept working./ 2. {informal} To be unfriendly
to; not talk or pay attention to (someone); get rid of. * /Mary
brushed off Bill at the dance./ * /I said hello to Mr. Smith, but he
gave me the brushoff./ Compare: COLD SHOULDER, HIGH-HAT. Contrast: GET
THE BRUSH OFF.
[brush up] or [brush up on] {v.} To refresh one's memory of or
skill at by practice or review; improve; make perfect. * /She spent
the summer brushing up on her American History as she was to teach
that in the fall./ * /He brushed up his target shooting./
[bubble gum music] {n.}, {slang} The kind of rock'n'roll that
appeals to young teenagers. * /When will you learn to appreciate
Mozart instead of that bubble gum music?/
[bubble trouble] {n.}, {slang}, {citizen's band radio jargon} Tire
trouble, flat tire. * /The eighteen wheeler ahead of me seems to have
stack] {v. phr.}, {slang} To become extremely angry; express rage in
hot words. * /When Mr. McCarthy's son got married against his wishes,
he blew a fuse./ * /When the umpire called Joe out at first, Joe blew
his top and was sent to the showers./ Syn.: BLOW UP(1b), FLIP ONE'S
LID, LOSE ONE'S TEMPER. Compare: BLOW OFF STEAM(2).
[blow great guns] See: GREAT GUNS.
[blow hot and cold] {v. phr.} To change your ways or likes often;
be fickle or changeable. * /Tom blows hot and cold about coming out
for the baseball team; he cannot decide./ * /Mary blew hot and cold
about going to college; every day she changed her mind./ * /The boys
will get tired of Ann's blowing hot and cold./
[blow in] {v.}, {slang} To arrive unexpectedly or in a carefree
way. * /The house was already full of guests when Bill blew in./
Compare SHOW UP(3).
[blow into] {v.}, {slang} To arrive at (a place) unexpectedly or in
a carefree way. * /Bill blows into college at the last minute after
every vacation./ * /Why Tom, when did you blow into town?/
[blow off steam] See: LET OFF STEAM.
[blow one's brains out] {v. phr.} 1. To shoot yourself in the head.
* /Mr. Jones lost all his wealth, so he blew his brains out./ 2.
{slang} To work very hard; overwork yourself. * /The boys blew their
brains out to get the stage ready for the play./ * /Mary is not one to
blow her brains out./ Compare: BREAK ONE'S NECK.
[blow one's cool] {v. phr.}, {slang}, {informal} To lose your
composure or self-control. * /Whatever you say to the judge in court,
make sure that you don't blow your cool./
[blow one's lines] or [fluff one's lines] {v. phr.}, {informal} To
forget the words you are supposed to speak while acting in a play. *
/The noise backstage scared Mary and she blew her lines./
[blow one's mind] {v. phr.}, {slang}, {informal}; {originally from
the drug culture} 1. To become wildly enthusiastic over something as
if understanding it for the first time in an entirely new light. *
/Read Lyall Watson's book "Supernature", it will simply blow your
mind!/ 2. To lose one's ability to function, as if due to an overdose
of drugs, * /Joe is entirely incoherent - he seems to have blown his
mind./ Contrast: BLOW ONE'S COOL.
[blow one's own horn] or [toot one's own horn] {v. phr.}, {slang}
To praise yourself; call attention to your own skill, intelligence, or
successes; boast. * /People get tired of a man who is always blowing
his own horn./ * /A person who does things well does not have to toot
his own horn; his abilities will be noticed by others./
[blow one's top] {v. phr.} To become very excited, angry,
hysterical, or furious. * /"No need to blow your top, Al," his wife
said, "just because you lost a few dollars."/
[blow out] {v. phr.} 1. To cease to function; fail; explode (said
of tires and fuses). * /The accident occurred when Jim's tire blew out
on the highway./ * /The new dishwasher blew out the fuses in the whole
house./ 2. To extinguish. * /Jane blew out her birthday cake candles
before offering pieces to the guests./
[blowout] {n.} 1. An explosion of a tire or a fuse. * /Jim's van
veered sharply to the right after his car had a blowout./ 2. A big
party. * /After graduation from college, my son and his friends staged
a huge blowout./
[blow over] {v.} To come to an end; pass away with little or no bad
effects. * /The sky was black, as if a bad storm were coming, but it
blew over and the sun came out./ * /They were bitter enemies for a
while, but the quarrel blew over./ * /He was much criticized for the
divorce, but it all blew over after a few years./
[blow taps] {v. phr.} To sound the final bugle call of the evening
in a camp or military base. * /After taps is blown the boy scouts go
to their bunks to sleep./
[blow the gaff] {v. phr.} To open one's mouth to reveal a secret. *
/When Al cheated on his wife, his younger brother blew the gaff on
him./
[blow the lid off] {v. phr.}, {informal} Suddenly to reveal the
truth about a matter that has been kept as a secret either by private
persons or by some governmental agency. * /The clever journalists blew
the lid off the Watergate cover-up./
[blow the whistle on] {v. phr.}, {slang} 1. To inform against;
betray. * /The police caught one of the bank robbers, and he blew the
whistle on two more./ 2. To act against, stop, or tell people the
secrets of (crime or lawlessness). * /The mayor blew the whistle on
gambling./ * /The police blew the whistle on hot reading./
[blow up] {v.} 1a. To break or destroy or to be destroyed by
explosion. * /He blew up the plane by means of a concealed bomb./ *
/The fireworks factory blew up when something went wrong in an
electric switch./ 1b. {informal} To explode with anger or strong
feeling; lose control of yourself. * /When Father bent the nail for
the third time, he blew up./ Compare: BLOW A FUSE. 1c. To stop playing
well in a game or contest, usually because you are in danger of losing
or are tired; {especially}: To lose skill or control in pitching
baseball. * /The champion blew up and lost the tennis match./ * /Our
team was behind but the pitcher on the other team blew up and we got
the winning runs./ 2. {informal} To be ruined as if by explosion; be
ended suddenly. * /The whole scheme for a big party suddenly blew up./
3a. To pump full of air; inflate. * /He blew his tires up at a filling
station./ 3b. To make (something) seem bigger or important. * /It was
a small thing to happen but the newspapers had blown it up until it
seemed important./ 4. To bring on bad weather; also, to come on as bad
weather. * /The wind had blown up a storm./ * /A storm had blown up./
5. To copy in bigger form; enlarge. * /He blew up the snapshot to a
larger size./
[blow up in one's face] {v. phr.}, {informal} To fail completely
and with unexpected force. * /The thief's plan to rob the bank blew up
in his face when a policeman stopped him./
[blue] See: BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA, BOLT FROM THE
BLUE, ONCE IN A BLUE MOON, OUT OF THE BLUE or OUT OF A CLEAR BLUE SKY.
[blue around the gills] See: GREEN AROUND THE GILLS.
[blue collar worker] {n. phr.} A manual laborer who is probably a
labor union member. * /Because Jack's father is a blue collar worker,
Jack was so anxious to become an intellectual./ Contrast: WHITE COLLAR
WORKER.
[blue in the face] {adj. phr.}, {informal} Very angry or upset;
excited and very emotional. * /Tom argued with Bill until he was blue
in the face./ * /Mary scolded Jane until she was blue in the face, but
Jane kept on using Mary's paints./
[blue Monday] {n.} A Monday when you have to work after a happy
weekend. * /It was blue Monday and John nodded sleepily over his
books./ * /Housewives sometimes wish they could sleep through blue
Monday./
[blue-pencil] {v.} To edit. * /The editor blue-penciled John's
manuscript./
[bluff] See: CALL ONE'S BLUFF.
[blurt out] {v. phr.} To suddenly say something even if one was not
planning to do so, or if it was not expected of them. * /"My brother
Bob is in jail," Tony blurted out, before anybody could stop him./
[blush] See: AT FIRST BLUSH.
[board] See: ACROSS THE BOARD, COLLEGE BOARDS, GO BY THE BOARD or
PASS BY THE BOARD, ON BOARD, SANDWICH BOARD.
[boat] See: BURN ONE'S BRIDGES also BURN ONE'S BOATS, IN THE SAME
BOAT, MISS THE BOAT, ROCK THE BOAT.
[bobby-soxer] {n.} A teen-aged girl. (1940s idiom) * /My two
daughters, age 13 and 14, are typical bobby-soxers./
[bob up] See: POP UP(1).
[body] See: KEEP BODY AND SOUL TOGETHER.
[body blow] {n.}, {informal} A great disappointment; a bitter
failure. * /When he failed to get on the team it came as a body blow
to him./
[body English] {n.}, {informal} The wishful attempt to make a ball
move in the right direction after it has been hit or let go, by
twisting the body in the desired direction. * /He tried to help the
putt fall by using body English./
[bog down] {v. phr.} To be immobilized in mud, snow, etc.; slow
down. * /Our research got bogged down for a lack of appropriate
funding./ * /Don't get bogged down in too much detail when you write
an action story./
[bog down, to get bogged down] {v. phr.}, {mostly intransitive or
passive} 1. To stop progressing; to slow to a halt. * /Work on the new
building bogged down, because the contractor didn't deliver the needed
concrete blocks./ 2. To become entangled with a variety of obstacles
making your efforts unproductive or unsatisfying. * /The novelist
wrote tittle last summer because she got bogged down in housework./
[boggle the mind] {v. phr.}, {informal} To stop the rational
thinking process by virtue of being too fantastic or incredible. * /It
boggles the mind that John should have been inside a flying saucer!/
[boil] See: MAKE ONE'S BLOOD BOIL or MAKE THE BLOOD BOIL.
[boil down] {v.} 1. To boil away some of the water from; make less
by boiling. * /She boiled down the maple sap to a thick syrup./ * /The
fruit juice boiled down until it was almost not good for jelly./ 2. To
reduce the length of; cut down; shorten. * /The reporter boiled the
story down to half the original length./ 3. To reduce itself to; come
down to; be briefly or basically. * /The whole discussion boils down
to the question of whether the government should fix prices./
[boil over] {v. phr.} 1. To rise due to boiling and overflow down
the sides of a pan or a pot. * /"Watch out!" Jane cried. "The milk is
boiling over on the stove!"/ 2. To become enraged to the point of
being unable to contain oneself. * /John took a lot of abuse from his
boss, but after 25 minutes he suddenly boiled over and told him what
he thought of him./
[boiling point] {n.} 1. The temperature at which a liquid boils. *
/The boiling point of water is 272{sup}o{/sup} Fahrenheit./ 2. The time when you
become very angry. * /He has a low boiling point./ * /After being
teased for a long time, John reached the boiling point./ * /When John
made the same mistake for the fourth time, his teacher reached the
boiling point./ Compare: BLOW UP(1b), MAKE ONE'S BLOOD BOIL.
[bolt from the blue] {n. phr.} Something sudden and unexpected; an
event that you did not see coming; a great and usually unpleasant
surprise; shock. * /We had been sure she was in Chicago, so her sudden
appearance was a bolt from the blue./ * /His decision to resign was a
bolt from the blue./ Compare: OUT OF THE BLUE.
[bombshell] See: EXPLODE A BOMBSHELL.
[bond] See: SAVINGS BOND.
[bone] See: BRED IN THE BONE, FEEL IN ONE'S BONES or KNOW IN ONE'S
BONES, FUNNY BONE, MAKE NO BONES, SKIN AND BONES, T-BONE STEAK, WORK
ONE'S FINGERS TO THE BONE.
[bonehead] {n.}, {slang} An unusually dense or stupid person. *
/John is such a bonehead - small wonder he flunks all of his courses./
[bone of contention] {n. phr.} Something to fight over; a reason
for quarrels; the subject of a fight. * /The boundary line between the
farms was a bone of contention between the two farmers./ * /The use of
the car was a bone of contention between Joe and his wife./
[bone to pick] or [crow to pick] {n. phr.}, {informal} A reason for
dispute; something to complain of or argue about. - Often used
jokingly. * /"I have a bone to pick with you," he said./ * /There was
always a crow to pick about which one would shave first in the
morning./ Compare: BONE OF CONTENTION.
[bone up] {v.}, {informal} To fill with information; try to learn a
lot about something in a short time; study quickly. * /Carl was boning
up for an examination./ * /Jim had to make a class report the next day
on juvenile delinquency, and he was in the library boning up on how
the courts handle it./
[bonnet] See: BEE IN ONE'S BONNET.
[book] See: CLOSED BOOK, CLOSE THE BOOKS, HIT THE BOOKS, KEEP
BOOKS, NOSE IN A BOOK, ONE FOR THE BOOKS, READ ONE LIKE A BOOK,
TALKING BOOK, THROW THE BOOK AT.
[boom] See: LOWER THE BOOM.
[boot] See: DIE IN ONE'S BOOTS, IN ONE'S SHOES also IN ONE'S BOOTS,
LICK ONE'S BOOTS, SHAKE IN ONE'S SHOES or SHAKE IN ONE'S BOOTS, TO
BOOT, TOO BIG FOR ONE'S BREECHES or TOO BIG FOR ONE'S BOOTS, YOU BET
or YOU BET YOUR BOOTS.
[boot hill] {n.} A cemetery in the old Wild West where cowboys and
cops and robbers used to be buried with their boots on. Hence,
jokingly, any cemetery. * /Good old Joe, the cowboy, is resting
comfortably in the nearby boot hill./
[boot out] See: KICK OUT.
[boot strap] See: PULL ONESELF UP BY THE BOOTSTRAPS.
[border on] {v. phr.} To be adjacent to; come close to; adjoin. *
/Our village borders on the Mississippi River./ * /John's actions
border on irresponsibility./
[bore to death] See: TO DEATH.
[bore to tears] {v. phr.} To fill with tired dislike; tire by
dullness or the same old thing bore. * /The party was dull and Roger
showed plainly that he was bored to tears./ * /Mary loved cooking, but
sewing bores her to tears./
[born] See: NATURAL-BORN, TO THE MANNER BORN.
[born out of wedlock] {adj. phr.} Born to parents who are not
married to each other; without legal parents. * /Sometimes when a
married couple can't have children, they adopt a child who was born
out of wedlock./ * /Today we no longer make fun of children born out
of wedlock./
[born with a silver spoon in one's mouth] {adj. phr.} Born to
wealth and comfort; provided from birth with everything wanted; born
rich. * /The stranger's conduct was that of a man who had been born
with a silver spoon in his mouth./ Compare: WELL-HEELED.
[born yesterday] {adj. phr.} Inexperienced and easily fooled; not
alert to trickery; easily deceived or cheated. - Usually used in
negative sentences. * /When Bill started the new job, the other
workers teased him a little, but he soon proved to everyone that he
wasn't born yesterday./ * /I won't give you the money till I see the
bicycle you want to sell me. Do you think I was born yesterday?/
Compare: NOBODY'S FOOL.
[borrow] See: LIVE ON BORROWED TIME.
[borrow trouble] {v. phr.} To worry for nothing about trouble that
may not come; make trouble for yourself needlessly. * /Don't borrow
trouble by worrying about next year. It's too far away./ * /You are
borrowing trouble if you try to tell John what to do./ Compare: ASK
FOR, CROSS ONE'S BRIDGES BEFORE ONE COMES TO THEM, CRY BEFORE ONE IS
HURT.
[bosom friend] {n. phr.} A very close friend; an old buddy with
whom one has a confidential relationship. * /Sue and Jane have been
bosom friends since their college days./
[boss] See: STRAW BOSS.
[boss one around] {v. phr.} To keep giving someone orders; to act
overbearingly toward someone. * /"If you keep bossing me around,
darling," Tom said to Jane, "the days of our relationship are surely
numbered."/
[botch up] {v. phr.} To ruin, spoil, or mess something up. * /"I
botched up my chemistry exam," Tim said, with a resigned sigh./
[both] See: CUT BOTH WAYS, PLAGUE ON BOTH YOUR HOUSES.
[both --- and] {coord. conj.} Used to emphasize that two or more
things are talked about. * /Both Frank and Mary were at the party./ *
/Millie is both a good swimmer and a good cook./ * /In the program
tonight Mary will both sing and dance./ * /The frog can move quickly
both on land and in the water./ Compare: AS WELL AS. Contrast EITHER
OR.
[bothered] See: HOT AND BOTHERED.
[bottle blond] {n.}, {slang} A person who is obviously not a
natural blond but whose hair is artificially colored. * /I doubt that
Leonora's hair color is natural; she strikes me as a bottle blond./
[bottleneck] {n.} A heavy traffic congestion. * /In Chicago the
worst bottleneck is found where the Kennedy and the Eden's expressways
separate on the way to the airport./
[bottle up] {v.} 1. To hide or hold back; control. * /There was no
understanding person to talk to, so Fred bottled up his unhappy
feeling./ 2. To hold in a place from which there is no escape; trap. *
/Our warships bottled up the enemy fleet in the harbor./
[bottom] See: BET ONE'S BOOTS or BET ONE'S BOTTOM DOLLAR, FROM THE
BOTTOM OF ONE'S HEART, FROM --- TO ---, GET TO THE BOTTOM OF, HIT
BOTTOM or TOUCH BOTTOM, ROCK BOTTOM, SCRAPE THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL.
[bottom dollar] {n.}, {v. phr.}, {informal} One's last penny, one's
last dollar. * /He was down to his bottom dollar when he suddenly got
the job offer./
[bottom drop out] or [bottom fall out] {v. phr.} {informal} 1. To
fall below an earlier lowest price. * /The bottom dropped out of the
price of peaches./ 2. To lose all cheerful qualities; become very
unhappy, cheerless, or unpleasant. * /The bottom dropped out of the
day for John when he saw his report card./ * /The bottom fell out for
us when the same ended with our team on the two yard line and six
points behind./
[bottom line] {n.}, {informal} (stress on "line") 1. The last word
on a controversial issue; a final decision. * /"Give me the bottom
line on the proposed merger," said John./ 2. The naked truth without
embellishments. * /Look, the bottom line is that poor Max is an
alcoholic./ 3. The final dollar amount; for example, the lowest price
two parties reach in bargaining about a sale. * /"Five-hundred, " said
the used car dealer, "is the bottom line. Take it or leave it."/
[bottom line] {v.}, {informal} (stress on "bottom") To finish; to
bring to a conclusion. * /Okay, you guys, let's bottom line this
project and break for coffee./
[bottom out] {v. phr.} To reach the lowest point (said chiefly of
economic cycles). * /According to the leading economic indicators the
recession will bottom out within the next two months./
[bounce] See: GET THE BOUNCE, GIVE THE BOUNCE.
[bound] See: BIND, BY LEAPS AND BOUNDS, OUT OF BOUNDS, WITHIN
BOUNDS.
[bound for] {adj. phr.} On the way to; going to. * /I am bound for
the country club./ * /The ship is bound for Liverpool./
[bound up with] {v. phr.} To be connected; be involved with. *
/Tuition at our university is bound up with the state budget./
[bow] See: TAKE A BOW.
[bow and scrape] {v.} To be too polite or obedient from fear or
hope of gain; act like a slave. * /The old servant bowed and scraped
before them, too obedient and eager to please./
[bowl of cherries] See: BED OF ROSES.
[bowl over] {v.}, {informal} 1. To knock down as if with a bowled
ball. * /The taxi hit him a glancing blow and bowled him over./ 2. To
astonish with success or shock with misfortune; upset; stun. * /He was
bowled over by his wife's sudden death./ * /The young actress bowled
over everybody in her first movie./
[bow out] {v.}, {informal} 1. To give up taking part; excuse
yourself from doing any more; quit. * /Mr. Black often quarreled with
his partners, so finally he bowed out of the company./ * /While the
movie was being filmed, the star got sick and had to bow out./ 2. To
stop working after a long service; retire. * /He bowed out as train
engineer after forty years of railroading./
[box] See: IN A BIND or IN A BOX, PENALTY BOX, PRESS BOX, STUFF THE
BALLOT BOX, VOICE BOX.
[box office] {n.}, {informal} 1. The place at movies and theaters
where tickets may be purchased just before the performance instead of
having ordered them through the telephone or having bought them at a
ticket agency. * /No need to reserve the seats; we can pick them up at
the box office./ 2. A best selling movie, musical, or drama (where the
tickets are all always sold out and people line up in front of the box
office). * /John Wayne's last movie was a regular box office./ 3.
Anything successful or well liked. * /Betsie is no longer box office
with me./
[boy] See: ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKES JACK A DULL BOY, FAIR-HAIRED
BOY, MAMA'S BOY, OLD BOY, SEPARATE THE MEN FROM THE BOYS.
[boyfriend] {n.}, {informal} 1. A male friend or companion. *
/"John and his boyfriends have gone to the ball game," said his
mother./ 2. A girl's steady date, a woman's favorite man friend; a
male lover or sweetheart. * /Jane's new boyfriend is a senior in high
school./ Contrast: GIRL FRIEND.
[boys will be boys] Boys are only children and must sometimes get
into mischief or trouble or behave too roughly. * /Boys will be boys
and make a lot of noise, so John's mother told him and his friends to
play in the park instead of the back yard./
[brain] See: BEAT ONE'S BRAINS OUT, BLOW ONE'S BRAINS OUT, ON THE
BRAIN, RACK ONE'S BRAIN, GET ONE'S BRAINS FRIED.
[brain bucket] {n.}, {slang} A motorcycle helmet. * /If you want to
share a ride with me, you've got to wear a brain bucket./
[brain drain] {n.}, {informal} 1. The loss of the leading
intellectuals and researchers of a country due to excessive emigration
to other countries where conditions are better. * /Britain suffered a
considerable brain drain to the United States after World War II./ 2.
An activity requiring great mental concentration resulting in fatigue
and exhaustion * /That math exam I took was a regular brain drain./
[brain-storm] {v.} To have a discussion among fellow researchers or
co-workers on a project in order to find the best solution to a given
problem. * /Dr. Watson and his research assistants are brain-storming
in the conference room./
[brainstorm] {n.} A sudden insight; a stroke of comprehension. *
/Listen to me, I've just had a major brainstorm, and I think I found
the solution to our problem./
[brain trust] {n.} A group of specially trained, highly intelligent
experts in a given field. * /Albert Einstein gathered a brain trust
around himself at the Princeton Institute of Advanced Studies./
[brake] See: RIDE THE BRAKE.
[branch off] {v.} To go from something big or important to
something smaller or less important; turn aside. * /At the bridge a
little road branches off from the highway and follows the river./ *
/Martin was trying to study his lesson, but his mind kept branching
off onto what girl he should ask to go with him to the dance./
[branch out] {v.} To add new interests or activities; begin doing
other things also. * /First Jane collected stamps; then she branched
out and collected coins, too./ * /John started a television repair
shop; when he did well, he branched out and began selling television
sets too./
[brand-new] also [bran-new] {adj.} As new or fresh as when just
made and sold by the manufacturer; showing no use or wear. * /He had
taken a brand-new car from the dealer's floor and wrecked it./ * /In
Uncle Tom's trunk, we found a wedding ring, still in its little
satin-lined box, still brand-new./
[brass] See: DOUBLE IN BRASS, GET DOWN TO BRASS TACKS.
[brass hat] {n.}, {slang} 1. A high officer in the army, navy, or
air force. * /The brass hats In Washington often discuss important
secrets./ 2. Any person who has a high position in business, politics,
or other work. * /Mr. Woods, the rich oil man, is a political brass
hat./
[brass tacks] See: GET DOWN TO BRASS TACKS.
[brave it out] {v. phr.} To endure something difficult or dangerous
through to the end; keep on through trouble or danger. * /It was a
dangerous ocean crossing in wartime, but captain and crew braved it
out./
[brazen it out] {v. phr.} To pretend you did nothing wrong; be
suspected, accused, or scolded without admitting you did wrong; act as
if not guilty. * /The teacher found a stolen pen that the girl had in
her desk, but the girl brazened it out; she said someone else must
have put it there./
[bread] See: HALF A LOAF is BETTER THAN NONE, KNOW WHICH SIDE ONE'S
BREAD IS BUTTERED ON, TAKE THE BREAD OUT OF ONE'S MOUTH.
[bread and butter(1)] {n. phr.} The usual needs of life; food,
shelter, and clothing. * /Ed earned his bread and butter as a
bookkeeper, but added a little jam by working with a dance band on
weekends./
[bread and butter(2)] {adj.} Thanking someone for entertainment or
a nice visit; thank-you. * /After spending the weekend as a guest in
the Jones' home, Alice wrote the Joneses the usual bread-and-butter
letter./ See: BREAD AND BUTTER LETTER.
[bread and butter(3)] {interj.}, {informal} Spoken to prevent bad
luck that you think might result from some action. * /We'd say "Bread
and butter!" when we had passed on opposite sides of a tree./
[bread-and-butter letter] {n.} A written acknowledgment of
hospitality received. * /Jane wrote the Browns a bread-and-butter
letter when she returned home from her visit to them./
[breadbasket] {n}, {slang} The stomach. * /John is stuffing his
breadbasket again./
[break] See: COFFEE BREAK.
[break away] or [break loose] {v. phr.} To liberate oneself from
someone or something. * /Jane tried to break loose from her attacker,
but he was too strong./
[break camp] {v. phr.} To take down and pack tents and camping
things; take your things from a camping place. * /The scouts broke
camp at dawn./
[break down] {v.} (stress on "down") 1. To smash or hit (something)
so that it falls; cause to fall by force. * /The firemen broke down
the door./ 2. To reduce or destroy the strength or effect of; weaken;
win over. * /By helpful kindness the teacher broke down the new boy's
shyness./ * /Advertising breaks down a lot of stubbornness against
change./ 3. To separate into elements or parts; decay. * /Water is
readily broken down into hydrogen and oxygen./ * /After many years,
rocks break down into dirt./ 4. To become unusable because of breakage
or other failure; lose power to work or go. * /The car broke down
after half an hour's driving./ * /His health broke down./ * /When the
coach was sick in bed, the training rules of the team broke down./
Compare: GO BACK ON(2).
[breakdown] See: NERVOUS BREAKDOWN.
[breaker] See: JAW-BREAKER.
[break even] {v. phr.}, {informal} (stress on "even") To end a
series of gains and losses having the same amount you started with;
have expenses equal to profits; have equal gain and loss. * /The
storekeeper made many sales, but his expenses were so high that he
just broke even./ * /If you gamble you are lucky when you break even./
[break-even] {n.} The point of equilibrium in a business venture
when one has made as much money as one had invested, but not more -
that would be "profit." * /"We've reached the break-even point at long
last!" - Max exclaimed with joy./
[break ground] {v. phr.} To begin a construction project by digging
for the foundation; especially, to turn the formal first spadeful of
dirt. * /City officials and industrial leaders were there as the
company broke ground for its new building./ See: BREAK NEW GROUND.
[break in] {v.} (stress on "in") 1a. To break from outside. * /The
firemen broke in the door of the burning house./ 1b. To enter by force
or unlawfully. * /Thieves broke in while the family was away./ 2. To
enter suddenly or interrupt. * /A stranger broke in on the meeting
without knocking./ * /The secretary broke in to say that a telegram
had arrived./ Compare: CUT IN(2). 3. To make a start in a line of work
or with a company or association; begin a new job. * /He broke in as a
baseball player with a minor league./ 4. To teach the skills of a new
job or activity to. * /An assistant foreman broke in the new man as a
machine operator./ 5. To lessen the stiffness or newness of by use. *
/He broke in a new pair of shoes./ * /Breaking in a new car requires
careful driving at moderate speeds./
[break-in] {n.} (stress on "break") A robbery; a burglary. * /We
lost our jewelry during a break-in./
[break into] {v.} 1. To force an entrance into; make a rough or
unlawful entrance into. * /Thieves broke into the store at night./ 2.
{informal} To succeed in beginning (a career, business, or a social
life) * /He broke into television as an actor./ 3. To interrupt. * /He
broke into the discussion with a shout of warning./ 4. To begin
suddenly. * /He broke into a sweat./ * /She broke into tears./ * /The
dog heard his master's whistle and broke into a run./
[break new ground] {v. phr.} 1. To start a new activity previously
neglected by others; do pioneering work. * /Albert Einstein broke new
ground with his theory of relativity./ 2. To begin something never
done before. * /The school broke new ground with reading lessons that
taught students to guess the meaning of new words./
[break off] {v.} 1. To stop suddenly. * /The speaker was
interrupted so often that he broke off and sat down./ * /When Bob came
in, Jean broke off her talk with Linda and talked to Bob./ 2.
{informal} To end a friendship or love. * /I hear that Tom and Alice
have broken off./ * /She broke off with her best friend./
[break one's balls] {v. phr.}, {slang}, {vulgar}, {avoidable} To do
something with maximum effort; to do something very difficult or
taxing * /I've been breaking my balls to buy you this new color TV set
and you aren't the least bit appreciative!/ Compare: BREAK ONE'S NECK.
[break one's heart] {v. phr.} To discourage greatly; make very sad
or hopeless. * /His son's disgrace broke his heart./ * /When Mr. White
lost everything he had worked so hard for, it broke his heart./
[break one's neck] {v. phr.}, {slang} To do all you possibly can;
try your hardest. - Usually used with a limiting adverb or negative. *
/John nearly broke his neck trying not to be late to school./ *
/Mother asked Mary to go to the store when she was free, but not to
break her neck over it./
[break one's word] {v. phr.} To renege on a promise. * /When Jake
broke his word that he would marry Sarah, she became very depressed./
[break out] {v.} 1. To begin showing a rash or other skin disorder.
- Often used with "with". * /He broke out with scarlet fever./ 2. To
speak or act suddenly and violently. * /He broke out laughing./ * /She
broke out, "That is not so!"/ 3. To begin and become noticeable. *
/Fire broke out after the earthquake./ * /War broke out in 1812./
Compare: FLARE UP. 4. {informal} To bring out; open and show. * /When
word of the victory came, people began breaking out their flags./ *
/When Mr. Carson's first son was born, he broke out the cigars he had
been saving./
[break the ice] {v. phr.}, {informal} 1. To conquer the first
difficulties in starting a conversation, getting a party going, or
making an acquaintance. * /To break the ice Ted spoke of his interest
in mountain climbing, and they soon had a conversation going./ * /Some
people use an unusual thing, such as an unusual piece of jewelry, to
break the ice./ 2. To be the first person or team to score in a game.
* /The Wolves broke the ice with a touchdown./
[break the record] {v. phr.} To set or to establish a new mark or
record. * /Algernon broke the record in both the pentathlon and the
decathlon and took home two gold medals from the Olympics./
[break through] {v.} To be successful after overcoming a difficulty
or bar to success. * /Dr. Salk failed many times but he finally broke
through to find a successful polio vaccine./ * /Jim studied very hard
this semester in college, and he finally broke through onto the Dean's
List for the first time./
[breakthrough] {n.} A point of sudden success after a long process
of experimentation, trial and error. * /The U.S. Space Program
experienced a major breakthrough when Armstrong and Aldrin landed on
the moon in June of 1969./
[break up] {v. phr.} To end a romantic relationship, a marriage, or
a business partnership. * /Tom and Jane broke up because Tom played so
much golf that he had no time for her./
[break up] {v.} 1. To break into pieces. * /The workmen broke up
the pavement to dig up the pipes under it./ * /River ice breaks up in
the spring./ 2. {informal} To lose or destroy spirit or self-control.
- Usually used in the passive. * /Mrs. Lawrence was all broken up
after her daughter's death, and did not go out of the house for two
months./ Compare: CRACK UP, GO TO PIECES. 3. To come or to put to an
end, especially by separation; separate. * /Some men kept interrupting
the speakers, and finally broke up the meeting./ * /The party broke up
at midnight./ - Often used in the informal phrase "break it up". *
/The boys were fighting, and a passing policeman ordered them to break
it up./ Compare: CUT OUT(1). 4. {informal} To stop being friends. *
/Mary and June were good friends and did everything together, but then
they had a quarrel and broke up/ Compare: BREAK OFF.
[break-up] {n.} The end of a relationship, personal or commercial.
* /The break-up finally occurred when Smith and Brown decided to sue
each other for embezzlement./
[break with] {v.} To separate yourself from; end membership in;
stop friendly association with. * /He broke with the Democratic party
on the question of civil rights./ * /He had broken with some friends
who had changed in their ideas./
[breast] See: MAKE A CLEAN BREAST OF.
[breath] See: CATCH ONE'S BREATH, DRAW A LONG BREATH or TAKE A LONG
BREATH, HOLD ONE'S BREATH, IN THE SAME BREATH, OUT OF BREATH, SAVE
ONE'S BREATH, SECOND WIND also SECOND BREATH, TAKE ONE'S BREATH AWAY,
UNDER ONE'S BREATH, WASTE ONE'S BREATH.
[breathe down one's neck] {v. phr.}, {informal} To follow closely;
threaten from behind; watch every action. * /Too many creditors were
breathing down his neck./ * /The carpenter didn't like to work for Mr.
Jones, who was always breathing down his neck./
[breathe easily] or [breathe freely] {v.} To have relief from
difficulty or worry; relax; feel that trouble is gone; stop worrying.
* /Now that the big bills were paid, he breathed more easily./ * /His
mother didn't breathe easily until he got home that night./
[breathe one's last] {v. phr.} To die. * /The wounded soldier fell
back on the ground and breathed his last./
[bred in the bone] {adj. phr.} Belonging to your nature or
character, especially from early teaching or long habit; natural from
belief or habit; believing deeply. * /The Willett children's cleanness
is bred in the none./ Often used, with hyphens before the noun. * /Joe
is a bred-in-the-bone horseman; he has been riding since he was six./
Contrast: SKIN-DEEP.
[breeches] See: TOO BIG FOR ONE'S BREECHES.
[breeze] See: SHOOT THE BREEZE or BAT THE BREEZE or FAN THE BREEZE,
WIN IN A WALK or WIN IN A BREEZE.
[breeze in] {v. phr.}, {slang}, {informal} To walk into a place
casually (like a soft blowing wind). * /Betsie breezed in and sat down
at the bar./
[brew] See: HOME BREW.
[brick] See: MAKE BRICKS WITHOUT STRAW.
[brick wall] See: STONE WALL.
[bridge] See: BURN ONE'S BRIDGES, CROSS A BRIDGE BEFORE ONE COMES
TO IT, WATER OVER THE DAM or WATER UNDER THE BRIDGE.
[brief] See: HOLD A BRIEF FOR, IN BRIEF or IN SHORT or IN A WORD.
[bright and early] {adj. phr.} Prompt and alert; on time and ready;
cheerful and on time or before time. * /He came down bright and early
to breakfast./ * /She arrived bright and early for the appointment./
[bring about] {v.} To cause; produce; lead to. * /The war had
brought about great changes in living./ * /Drink brought about his
downfall./
[bring around] or [bring round] {v.} 1. {informal} To restore to
health or consciousness cure. * /He was quite ill, but good nursing
brought him around./ Compare: BRING TO(1). 2. To cause a change in
thinking; persuade; convince; make willing. * /After a good deal of
discussion he brought her round to his way of thinking./
[bringdown] {n.}, {slang}, {informal} 1. (from "bring down", past
"brought down"). A critical or cutting remark said sarcastically in
order to deflate a braggard's ego. * /John always utters the right
bringdown when he encounters a braggard./ 2. A person who depresses
and saddens others by being a chronic complainer. * /John is a regular
bringdown./
[bring down] {v. phr.}, {slang}, {informal} 1. To deflate
(someone's ego). * /John brought Ted down very cleverly with his
remarks./ 2. To depress (someone). * /The funeral brought me down
completely./
[bring down about one's ears] or [bring down around one's ears]
See: ABOUT ONE'S EARS.
[bring down the house] {v. phr.}, {informal} To start an audience
laughing or clapping enthusiastically. * /The principal's story was
funny in itself and also touched their loyalties, so it brought down
the house./ * /The President made a fine speech which brought down the
house./
[bring home] {v.} To show clearly; emphasize; make (someone)
realize; demonstrate. * /The accident caused a death in his family,
and it brought home to him the evil of drinking while driving./ * /A
parent or teacher should bring home to children the value and pleasure
of reading./
[bring home the bacon] {v. phr.}, {informal} 1. To support your
family; earn the family living. * /He was a steady fellow, who always
brought home the bacon./ 2. To win a game or prize. * /The football
team brought home the bacon./
[bring in] {v.} In baseball: To enable men on base to score, score.
* /Dick's hit brought in both base runners./ * /A walk and a triple
brought in a run in the third inning./
[bring into line] {v. phr.} To make someone conform to the accepted
standard. * /Sam had to be brought into line when he refused to take
his muddy shoes off the cocktail table./
[bring off] {v.} To do (something difficult); perform successfully
(an act of skill); accomplish (something requiring unusual ability). *
/By skillful discussion, Mr. White had brought off an agreement that
had seemed impossible to get./ * /He tried several times to break the
high jump record, and finally he brought it off./ Compare: PUT
OVER(2).
[bring on] {v.} To result in; cause; produce. * /The murder of
Archduke Franz Ferdinand in the summer of 1914 brought on the First
World War./ * /Spinal meningitis brought on John's deafness when he
was six years old./ * /Reading in a poor light may bring on a
headache./
[bring out] {v.} 1. To cause to appear; make clear. * /His report
brought out the foolishness of the plan./ * /Brushing will bring out
the beauty of your hair./ 2. To help (an ability or skill) grow or
develop. * /The teacher's coaching brought out a wonderful singing
voice of great power and warmth./ 3. To offer to the public by
producing, publishing, or selling. * /He brought out a new play./ *
/The company brought out a line of light personal airplanes./
[bring round] See: BRING AROUND.
[bring suit against] {v. phr.} To sue someone in a court of law. *
/Fred brought suit against Tom for fraud and embezzlement./
[bring to] {v.} (stress on "to") 1. To restore to consciousness;
wake from sleep, anesthesia, hypnosis, or fainting. * /Smelling salts
will often bring a fainting person to./ Compare: BRING AROUND(1). 2.
To bring a ship or boat to a stop. * /Reaching the pier, he brought
the boat smartly to./
[bring to a close] {v. phr.} To terminate; cause to end. * /The
meeting was brought to an abrupt close when the speaker collapsed with
a heart attack./
[bring to a head] {v. phr.} To cause some activity to reach the
point of culmination. * /Time is running out, gentlemen, so let us
bring this discussion to a head./
[bring to bay] {v. phr.} To chase or force into a place where
escape is impossible without a fight; trap; corner. * /The police
brought the robber to bay on the roof and he gave up./ * /The fox was
brought to bay in a hollow tree and the dogs stood around it barking./
Compare: AT BAY.
[bring to heel] See: TO HEEL.
[bring to light] {v. phr.} To discover (something hidden); find out
about; expose. * /Many things left by the ancient Egyptians in tombs
have been brought to light by scientists and explorers./ * /His
enemies brought to light some foolish things he had done while young,
but he was elected anyway because people trusted him./ Compare: COME
TO LIGHT.
[bring to one's knees] {v. phr.} To seriously weaken the power or
impair the function of. * /The fuel shortage brought the automobile
industry to its knees./
[bring to pass] {v. phr.}, {informal} To make (something) happen;
succeed in causing. * /By much planning, the mother brought the
marriage to pass./ * /The change in the law was slow in coming, and it
took a disaster to bring it to pass./ Compare: BRING ABOUT, COME TO
PASS.
[bring to terms] {v. phr.} To make (someone) agree or do; make
surrender. * /The two brothers were brought to terms by their father
for riding the bicycle./ * /The war won't end until we bring the enemy
to terms./ Contrast: COME TO TERMS.
[bring up] {v.} 1. To take care of (a child); raise, train,
educate. * /He gave much attention and thought to bringing up his
children./ * /Joe was born in Texas but brought up in Oklahoma./ 2.
{informal} To stop; halt. - Usually used with "short". * /He brought
the car up short when the light changed to red./ * /Bill started to
complain, I brought him up short./ 3. To begin a discussion of; speak
of; mention. * /At the class meeting Bob brought up the idea of a
picnic./
[bring up the rear] {v. phr.} 1. To come last in a march, parade,
or procession; end a line. * /The fire truck with Santa on it brought
up the rear of the Christmas parade./ * /The governor and his staff
brought up the rear of the parade./ 2. {informal} To do least well; do
the most poorly of a group; be last. * /In the race, John brought up
the rear./ * /In the basketball tournament, our team brought up the
rear./
[bring] or [wheel in] or [out] or [up the big guns] {v. phr.} To
make use of a concealed plan in order to defeat an opponent in an
argument or in a game, debate, or competition. * /The new computer
software company decided to bring out the big guns to get ahead of the
competition./
[broke] See: GO BROKE, GO FOR BROKE, STONE-BROKE OT DEAD BROKE or
FLAT BROKE, STRAW THAT BROKE THE CAMEL'S BACK.
[Bronx cheer] {n. phr.}, {slang} A loud sound made with tongue and
lips to show opposition or scorn. * /When he began to show anti-union
feelings, he was greeted with Bronx cheers all around./
[broom] See: NEW BROOM SWEEPS CLEAN.
[broth] See: SCOTCH BROTH.
[brow] See: BY THE SWEAT OF ONE'S BROW.
[brown] See: DO UP BROWN.
[brown-bagger] {n.}, {slang}, {informal} A person who does not go
to the cafeteria or to a restaurant for lunch at work, but who brings
his homemade lunch to work in order to save money. * /John became a
brown-bagger not because he can't afford the restaurant, but because
he is too busy to go there./
[brown-nose] {v.}, {slang}, {avoidable}, {though gaining in
acceptance} To curry favor in a subservient way, as by obviously
exaggerated flattery. * /Max brown-noses his teachers, that's why he
gets all A's in his courses./ Compare: POLISH THE APPLE.
[brown paper bag] {n.}, {slang}, {citizen's band radio jargon} An
unmarked police car. * /The beaver got a Christmas card because she
didn't notice the brown paper bag at her back door./ See: PLAIN WHITE
WRAPPER.
[brown study] {n. phr.} A time of deep thought about something; a
deep thoughtful mood. * /When his wife found him, he had pushed away
his books and was in a brown study./
[brush] See: BEAT THE BUSHES or BEAT THE BRUSH.
[brush aside] {v. phr.} To ignore; give no reply. * /Brushing aside
the editor's comments, the young novelist proceeded with his story,
which was subsequently rejected by the publisher./
[brush back] {v.} To throw a baseball pitch close to. * /The
pitcher threw a high inside pitch to brush the batter back./ Syn.:
DUST OFF.
[brushoff] See: GET THE BRUSHOFF, BRUSH OFF or GIVE THE BRUSHOFF.
[brush off] or [give the brush off] {v. phr.} 1. To refuse to hear
or believe; quickly and impatiently; not take seriously or think
important. * /John brushed off Bill's warning that he might fall from
the tree./ * /I said that it might rain and to take the bus, but Joe
gave my idea the brushoff./ * /Father cut his finger but he brushed it
off as not important and kept working./ 2. {informal} To be unfriendly
to; not talk or pay attention to (someone); get rid of. * /Mary
brushed off Bill at the dance./ * /I said hello to Mr. Smith, but he
gave me the brushoff./ Compare: COLD SHOULDER, HIGH-HAT. Contrast: GET
THE BRUSH OFF.
[brush up] or [brush up on] {v.} To refresh one's memory of or
skill at by practice or review; improve; make perfect. * /She spent
the summer brushing up on her American History as she was to teach
that in the fall./ * /He brushed up his target shooting./
[bubble gum music] {n.}, {slang} The kind of rock'n'roll that
appeals to young teenagers. * /When will you learn to appreciate
Mozart instead of that bubble gum music?/
[bubble trouble] {n.}, {slang}, {citizen's band radio jargon} Tire
trouble, flat tire. * /The eighteen wheeler ahead of me seems to have