English Idioms - B
English and American idioms starting with the letter B are a great example of English learning resources
| A-Z of English Idioms | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |
Babe in arms
This refers to a young person in a position of responsibility
Babe in the woods
A young and naïve person
Baby boomer
This idioms refers to a period in American history after the second world war when the population was purposely increasing
Back burner
When something is placed on the backburner, it is considered not a priority
Back foot
This is when you are on the defensive and not at an advantage in a confrontation
Back number
Meaning out of date and style
Back the wrong horse
Giving support to the side which seems to be losing or has lost
Back to back
When things happen with one directly after the other
Back to square one
Starting from the beginning again
Back to the drawing board
Having to begin a project again from the absolute beginning stage
Back to the salt mine
Returning to work
Back to the wall
When you are on the defensive with little chance of manoeuvre
Backseat driver
A person who gives advice to another, but who doesn’t take responsibility themselves
Bad Apple
A bad or evil person, a bad influence
Bad blood
When there is a bad history between people, there is bad blood
Bad egg
A bad egg is someone who is a bad person and can’t be trusted
Bad hair day
A day when your hair simply can’t be controlled
Bad mouth
Bad mouthing someone means saying bad things about them
Bad shape
If you are in bad shape, you are in a worse condition than normal
Bad taste in your mouth
If you have a bad taste in your mouth, you feel that an action you know about is wrong and it bothers you
Bad workers always blame their tools
Meaning that a badly performed task is often blamed on the reasons why it happened, rather than accepting responsibility
Bag of bones
A very underweight and skinny person
Bag of nerves
A person who is extremely nervous
Baker's dozen.
13 of something, 1 more than a normal dozen (12)
Bald as a coot
Completely bald, without hair
Ball is in your court
t
The next decision must be made by you
Ballpark figure
A rough estimate or guess about a figure
Banana republic
Small countries run by corrupt governments and whose primary source of income is one type of produce or industry only
Banana skin
A cause of embarrassment or shame
Bandit territory
An area of land where rules are disobeyed and anything goes
Baptism of fire
A baptism of fire is a strong first introduction to a new experience
Bar fly
Someone who spends a great deal of time in a bar or pub
Bare your heart
Telling another about your personal feelings
Barefaced liar
A person who lies and does it without shame or embarrassment, often even when others are aware
Bark is worse than their bite
This refers to a person who gets angry and looks serious or dangerous, but can’t support their feelings with equal actions
Barking up the wrong tree
This can be used when you are looking for information in the wrong area
Barkus is willing
Someone who is keen and willing to get married
Barrack-room lawyer
A person who gives an opinion about something they don’t know enough about, or are not qualified to comment
Barrel of laughs
When you are an extremely funny person, you are a barrel of laughs
Basket case
A person who has reached the point of no longer being able to receive help
Bat an eyelid
When you don’t show a reaction to something
Bated breath
Waiting eagerly for something to happen
Batten down the hatches
Preparing for the worst possibility
Battle of nerves
A severe disagreement where neither side is willing to give in
Be all ears
Listening to another person’s information with keenness
Be careful what you wish for
Merely wishing for things is not enough, you need to think things through
Be on the pig's back
Being a happy and content person
Be out in left field
In a position where you don’t really know much about what is going on
Be that as it may
Even though someone else’s opinion may be correct, it won’t change your mind
Be true blue
A true and loyal supporter of something
Be up the spout
A pregnant woman
Bean counter
An accountant
Bear fruit
Something which can produce positive results
Bear market
A period of time when the market seems likely to fail, and investors pull out their money
Bear the brunt
People who take the full force of an event or actions
Beard the lion in his own den
Confronting a strong rival in their own territory, being brave
Beat about the bush
Talking around a subject but not getting to the point
Beat someone to the draw
Doing something before anyone else can do it
Beat swords into ploughshares
Investing money in peaceful rather than violent topics
Beat the daylights out of someone
Attacking endlessly and without a break
Beat to the punch
Doing something before another and gaining an advantage because of it
Beat your brains out
Thinking hard about a question but not managing to solve it
Beating a dead horse
Continually trying to achieve in something, although you know you can never succeed
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder
Different people think different things are beautiful
Beauty is only skin deep
Whilst something may appear good, it can be bad under the surface
Beck and call
A person who is ready and waiting to help immediately
Bedroom eyes
When you have a look of sexual desire in your eyes
Bee in your bonnet
Very excited and can’t relax
Bee's Knees
The absolute best example of something
Beeline for
Going somewhere directly
Been in the wars
Looking like you have been hurt badly
Been there, done that
A phrase to suggest that you have already experience what another is talking about
Beer and skittles
Life is not all about living well and indulging yourself
Before the ink is dry
A situation or agreement which has been changed shortly afterwards
Before you can say Jack Robinson
A very short amount of time
Beg the question
A question which is waiting to be asked as a consequence of answering a previous question
Beggars can't be choosers
People in need have no power to decide what they will recieve
Behind bars
In prison, behind prison bars
Behind closed doors
Not visible to the public, hidden away
Behind someone's back
Doing something whilst keeping it a secret from the person it affects
Behind the times
An outdated thing or person
Believe in the hereafter
Belief that there is an afterlife, life after death
Bells and whistles
Features that make a product more appealing
Bells on
Happy to have the opportunity to attend an event; coming with bells on
Belly up
When the outcome of an event is completely wrong
Below par
At a lower than expected level of quality
Below the belt
Attacking someone without obeying rules of what is acceptable, immoral
Belt and braces
A person who is very cautious
Belt and suspenders
Someone who never takes a risk
Bend over backwards
Trying hard to help someone even though it inconveniences you
Bend someone's ear
Talking to another about a subject that you really want to discuss, often excessively
Benjamin of the family
The youngest member of the family
Beside the point
Irrelevant to the matter being discussed
Beside themselves
Worrying about something excessively
Beside yourself
An extremely troubled and angry person
Best of a bad bunch
When choice is limited to bad options, choosing the best of them is the best of a bad bunch
Best of both worlds
Benefitting from two situations instead of one, like most people do
Best thing since sliced bread
A product which is revolutionary and fantastic
Bet your bottom dollar
Being certain about something
Better half
Your partner in marriage
Better late than never
Doing something at a late stage is still better than not doing it at all
Better safe than sorry
Being cautious when accidents are a possibility
Better than a stick in the eye
A thing which is better than nothing, but not by much
Better the devil you know
Knowing your enemies is better than not knowing them
Between a rock and a hard place
In a difficult position of choice, where both actions have bad results
Between the devil and the deep blue sea
Facing a difficult choice
Between the lines
Understanding something at a deeper level than is first obvious, by looking for implied and hidden meanings
Between you and me and the cat's whiskers
Asking another to keep a secret
Beyond a shadow of a doubt
Totally certain of an event or action
Beyond belief
When people act in a way which seems completely unbelievable
Beyond our ken
Beyond your understanding
Beyond the pale
When something is too much to be acceptable in society
Big Apple
New York
Big bucks
Large amounts of money
Big cheese
The boss of a company
Big Easy
New Orleans
Big fish
An important person in a company
Big fish in a small pond
A powerful person in an unimportant job or company
Big girl's blouse
An emotionally weak person who complains a lot
Big hitter
A person who has success and power
Big nose
Being nosey means being interested in another’s business
Big picture
Knowing all about a situation, rather than just some details
Big time
Liking something big time means really liking it
Bigger fish to fry
When you ignore a situation because it doesn’t benefit you greatly, and look towards greater success
Bird in the hand is worth two in the bush
It is better to have control over a small thing than seek better things elsewhere
Bird's eye view
If you have a bird's eye view of something, you can see it perfectly clearly.
Bird-brain
A relatively stupid preson
Birds and the bees
The birds and the bees refers to the knowledge of sex and reproduction
Birds of a feather flock together
People with similar interests and personalities stick together
Birthday suit
Completely naked
Bit between your teeth
Taking control of a previously random situation
Bit part
Having a small role or responsibility in something
Bit player
A person who is only given an insignificant role or responsiblity
Bite off more than you can chew
Taking on challenge which turned out to be greater than you expected
Bite someone's head off
Attacking someone verbally, telling them off
Bite the bullet
Accepting something you didn’t want to, even though it is unpleasant
Bite the dust
Either a person or an event suddenly ending or dying
Bite your lip
Trying hard not to say something you really want to
Bite your tongue
Stopping yourself from talking about something for reasons of politeness
Bits and bobs
A random and small collection of things
Bitter end
Completing a task fully, even if you are not successful
Bitter pill to swallow
Something which is hard to accept as the truth
Black and white
When the situation has a clear truth without any doubt, it is black and white
Black as Newgate's knocker
When something is extremely bad, it is black as Newgate’s knocker
Black hole
A mysterious hole from which money in business has disappeared, like corruption
Black sheep
The black sheep of the family is a member unlike the others, who doesn’t fit in socially
Blackball
When you act to vote against a rival in a company
Blank cheque
Funds are made available to you without limit
Bleeding edge
Technology which is very new and not always safe
Bleeding heart
A person who is deeply emotional and loves to feel pity for others
Bless your pointy little head
A patronising expression which refers to the stupidity of someone who is unaware of their limited ability
Blessing in disguise
When bad events produce positive results
Blind as a bat
Completely unable to see, but not necessarily blind
Blind leading the blind
The person in charge knows no more than the people following behind
Blink of an eye
An event which happens so fast that you don’t notice it
Blood and thunder
A strongly emotional performance or speech
Blood from a turnip
Trying hard to get something from someone but be
Blood is thicker than water
Meaning that family bonds are stronger than other types
Blood is worth bottling
A compliment that something you did was worthwhile
Blood out of a stone
A very difficult task to achieve, even impossible
Blood, sweat and tears
Something which will require a lot of effort to achieve
Blow a gasket
Meaning to get furiously angry
Blow by blow
Giving fine details of each action sequentially
Blow hot and cold
This refers to an opinion about something which keeps changing from interested to uninterested
Blow me down
When you are shocked by new information you can say this
Blow off steam
Blowing off steam means to let out your anger, usually in a non-contact way such as sport
Blow out of the water
When ideas are blown out of the water, they are destroyed completely
Blow smoke
When people try and make themselves appear better than they are, they exaggerate and blow smoke
Blow the cobwebs away
This refers to new and innovative ideas being used in a static and traditional environment
Blow the whistle
When you report on another’s actions to a higher authority, you are blowing the whistle
Blow your mind
Being amazed by something so fantastic that it feels like it blows your mind
Blow your own horn
Showing off about yourself and your abilities
Blow your own trumpet
Boasting about your own achievements
Blow your stack
If you blow your stack, you lose your temper.
Blow your top
When a person loses their temper, they blow their top
Blue blood
A person of blue blood is a member of royalty
Blue-eyed boy
Referring to someone as a blue-eyed boy means that you are fond of them
Bob's your uncle
Suggests that the final action in a sequence will therefore succeed because of the previous actions
Body politic
A body politic is when a single government controls a group of people
Bold as brass
Being brave and confident in your own abilities and not afraid to show them off
Bolt from the blue
An action which was unexpected and very sudden
Bone of contention
A bone of contention is an issue never settled completely
Bone to pick
When you have a bone to pick with someone, it means you have had a problem with another and finally want to discuss it with them
Boot is on the other foot
The reversal of power which happens when a weak person becomes powerful, and their strong competitor becomes weaker
Born to the purple
A member of the royal family, or high status
Born with a silver spoon in your mouth
Someone who was born to a wealthy family or high status, and has had an easy life
Both ends meet
This refers to people who don’t get into debt, and handle their finances without getting into debt
Bottom line
This idioms refers to a final conclusion
Bounce ideas
Bouncing ideas off someone means to speak out your suggestions and ideas for others to discuss
Bounce off the walls
When you are extremely excited about something you can be bouncing off the walls
Bouquet of orchids
When you have done something worthwhile you can be given a bouquet of orchids
Box and dice
This refers to everything, all together
Box clever
Using your knowledge and sharp intelligence to succeed, even if that means breaking the rules
Boxing and coxing
This refers to two people sharing something, and taking it in turns to use it
Boys in blue
The police typically wear blue clothes and they are the boys in blue
Brain surgery
When something isn’t brain surgery, it means it’s not a very difficult task to complete
Brass monkey
This refers to the temperature outside, and specifically means that it is really cold and a little uncomfortable
Brass neck
People who are shameless in their actions have brass necks
Brass tacks
Getting down to brass tacks means getting down to business
Bread and butter
This is your main source of income, as bread and butter are examples of things you can buy with it
Breadwinner
The main money earner in the family
Break a leg
This is a phrase which is used to wish people good luck, and originates from the theatre
Break even
When you break even on a business deal, you make no profit but take no loss either
Break ground
Breaking ground in an area of research means to move forwards and get past a difficult problem
Break the back of the beast
Managing to overcome a major problem is breaking the back of the beast. After that the challenge gets much easier
Break the ice
In first meetings with people, especially those of the opposite gender, people are often shy. Breaking the ice means to take the first step in communication between these people
Break your duck
Attempting a task for the first time is breaking your duck
Break your heart
When a love relationships ends and you feel deeply sad about it, it breaks you heart
Breathe down your neck
When another person watches you very closely to see what you are doing or to check your ability, they are breathing down your neck
Breathe life into
Breathing life into something means to reenergise an old thing and get people motivated again
Breathe your last
On the point of death you take one last breath, and breathe your last (breath)
Bridge the gap
When it seems like there is a gap between two things or people and you try to connect them together for the first time, you are bridging the gap
Bright and breezy
Someone who is happy and has a positive outlook is bright and breezy
Bright as a button
A clever person who thinks quickly is said to be as bright as a button
Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed
Someone who is lively and excited is bright eyed and bushy tailed, like an animal may be
Brighten up the day
Something which brightens up your day is something whose actions changes your mood and makes you happier
Bring a knife to a gunfight
Being badly prepared for a task is brining a knife to a gunfight, as you can imagine
Bring home the bacon
The person in the family who earns the money is said to be the person who brings home the bacon
Bring on board
Brining someone on board means adding them to your team of workers
Bring someone to book
Being brought to book refers to when someone is held accountable for their actions
Bring someone to heel
Ordering another to obey your command is bringing someone to heel
Bring the house down
In theatre when there is a great performance and the audience loved it, you can say it brought the house down
Bring to the table
Adding something relevant to a discussion or debate is said to be bringing (something) to the table
Broad church
A broad church is an organisation of person who is tolerant of other people’s ideas and beliefs
Broad strokes
When a basic description or outline is given for a plan, it can be said to be the broad strokes of that plan
Broke as a joke and it ain't funny
Being broke as a joke and it ain't funny means not having any money and not being able to be positive about it
Brown nose
Brown nosing a person of power means sucking up to them and praising them endlessly for their actions
Brownie points
Scoring brownie points with someone is actively trying to win favour with them, and please them as a result
Brush under the carpet
Hiding something temporarily and without much thought is to brush under the carpet
Buggles' turn
Being promoted in work due to the amount of time spent in that job, rather than actual ability, it Buggle’s turn
Bull in a China shop
Acting incredible clumsy and a little out of control is like a bull in a China shop
Bull market
In terms of business, a bull market is a period when investment seems promising and people are keen to do it
Bull session
A bull session is a meeting with a group of others that is informal and relaxed
Bull-headed
An person who is stubborn in opinion is said to act bull-headed
Bums on seats
When a performance is going to tke place and estimates are gathered to say how many people will attend, bums in seats means those who have bought tickets
Bun in the oven
A woman who has a bun in the oven is pregnant
Bundle of nerves
If a person is extremely nervous and incapable of relaxing, they are a bundle of nerves
Bur under my saddle
A reason to get motivated is a bur under my saddle, as it bothers you enough to get moving
Burn rubber
Since car tyres are made of rubber, burning rubber means to move very quicly
Burn the candle at both ends
Burning the candle at both ends means to work endlessly and take little breaks. It can be regarded as bad for your health
Burn the midnight oil
Staying up all night and working is said to be burning the midnight oil
Burn your bridges
Making a decision which cannot later be undone is burning your bridges
Burn your fingers
Burning your fingers means learning a lesson the hard way, and often refers to the loss of money as a consequence
Burning question
A question which everyone wants to know the answer to is a burning question
Burst at the seams
When something is overfilled and literally can’t take any more, it is bursting at the seams
Bury the hatchet
To bury the hatchet is to come to an agreement with a person you have long argued with or had bad feelings about
Bury your head in the sand
Ignoring something which is going on around you is said to be burying your head in the sand
Busman's holiday
A busman's holiday is when you spend your free time doing the same sort of work as you do in your job.
Bust my chops
Busting a person’s chops means ordering someone to work extremely hard in fear of punishment
Busted flush
A flush is a good poker hand, but when you have a busted flush it means that an event which should have been successful actually failed
Busy as a beaver
A person who works very hard and keeps themselves busy is busy as a beaver
Busy as a bee
A bee is always active, so to be as busy as a bee you should be full of life and always working
Butt naked
Having no clothes on (often in public) is being butt naked. Your butt is your bottom.
Butt of a joke
Becoming the butt of the joke is when the joke starts being about you
Butter wouldn't melt in their mouth
Someone who looks innocent and harmless, but often isn’t, looks like butter wouldn’t melt in their mouths
Butterfingers
A person who is careless and clumsy when holding objects has butterfingers
Butterflies in your stomach
Feeling nervous because you have to do something important is like having butterflies in your stomach
Button your lip
When asking someone to be quiet, you can ask them to button their lip. It is forceful and a little rude
Buy the farm
A person who dies is referred to having bought the farm
By a hair's breadth
When you escape from a serious accident with no real harm ad at the last possible moment, you have escaped by a hair’s breadth
By a long chalk
Beating someone in competition easily and by a large margin is winning by a long chalk
By a whisker
Narrowly succeeding in a task is winning by a whisker
By and large
A good way to describe an action as general and non-specific is to say it is by and large
By cracky
As in introduction to a task which needs to be done, by cracky suggests that the task is long overdue and must be competed soon
By dint of
Doing something by dint of means to achieve something as a consequence of something else
By heart
Learning by heart means to memorise completely
By hook or by crook
Being willing to take any action to achieve your goal is doing it by hook or by crook
By leaps and bounds
Moving forwards quickly and making rapid progress in a task is taking leaps and bounds
By the back door
The back door refers to the non-standard way of attempting something, such as getting a job through family relationships
By the book
As the opposite meaning to by the back door, by the book refers to attempting a task by following all the rules and not cheating
By the by
When making conversation and you want to change the subject, you can say by the by and them your new topic
By the numbers
Following a strict process and not deviating from the plan is to do it by the numbers
By the same token
When things are done by the same token it means that the same rule of judgement is applied to different circumstances
By the seat of your pants
Doing something by the seat of your pants means having little control over the thing you attempting, and it progressing very quickly
By the skin of your teeth
If you do something by the skin of your teeth it means that you have been successful but only by a little margin, and nearly failed completely
By word of mouth
Public advertising used word of mouth, as it refers to information and recommendations passed through conversation
