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28 Idioms beginning with B
Click on any idiom for more information, including example sentences, notes and quizzes.
Idioms
(your) bread and butter
Your bread and butter is your livelihood or the source of your income.
a bad hair day Informal
If you're having a bad hair day, everything seems to be going wrong for you.
a bag of tricks
Someone's bag of tricks is their collection of techniques or methods for getting a job done or for achieving a goal.
a ballpark figure | a ballpark estimate
If you give a ballpark figure or a ballpark estimate, you give a number which you think is fairly close to the actual one.
a blessing in disguise
You can say something is a blessing in disguise if it appears to be bad at first, but it results in something very good in the end.
back to square one
If you have to go back to square one, you have to stop and start again, usually because something isn't working as well as expected.
back to the drawing board
You can say "back to the drawing board" when a plan or a design has failed, and you decide to begin all over again.
backed into a corner
If you're backed into a corner, you're in a difficult situation that will be hard to get out of.
bark up the wrong tree Informal
If you're barking up the wrong tree, you're looking for something in the wrong place or going about something in the wrong way.
bear the brunt
If you bear the brunt of something, you suffer the worst of its impact or its effects.
beat around the bush | beat about the bush
If you beat around the bush, or beat about the bush, you don't say something directly, usually because you don't want to upset the person you're talking to.
beat the rap Informal
If someone beats the rap, they avoid being found guilty of a crime.
behind someone's back
If you do something behind someone's back, you do it without letting them know about it.
behind the eight ball Informal
If you're behind the eight ball, you're in a difficult or dangerous position.
behind the times
If someone is behind the times, they are old-fashioned and their ideas are out of date.
beside the point
You can say something is beside the point if it has nothing to do with what's being talked about or with the reason something is being done.
beyond a shadow of a doubt
Something is true "beyond a shadow of a doubt" if there is no possibility at all that it isn't true.
bite your tongue | hold your tongue
If you bite your tongue, or hold your tongue, you force yourself not to say something you really want to to say.
blow your own horn | blow your own trumpet
If you blow your own horn, or blow your own trumpet, you proudly boast about your own talents and successes.
break the ice
If you break the ice you say or do something to create a more relaxed atmosphere when meeting people for the first time.
break your heart
If someone breaks your heart, they cause you a lot of emotional pain by ending a romantic relationship, or by deeply hurting you in some other way.
burn your bridges | burn your boats
You have burned your bridges, or burned your boats, if you were in a situation and you then left it after doing something that made it impossible to go back there.
by the book
If you do something by the book, you do it strictly according to the rules or the official procedures.
by word of mouth
If something becomes well-known by word of mouth, it becomes well-known because people are telling each other about it, and not because of advertising or other marketing tools.
dig your heels in
If you dig your heels in, you stubbornly resist something or refuse to change.
drag your feet | drag your heels
If you drag your feet, or drag your heels, you do something slowly because you don't really want to do it.
the back of beyond | the back of the beyond
You can say a place is in the back of beyond, or the back of the beyond, if it's very far from towns or cities.
the ball's in your court
If someone you're negotiating with says "the ball's in your court", they think it's your turn to make a move or make an offer.
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Posted by kasman on 2008-10-10 14:18:19 | Rating: | Views: 26
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More idioms start with B ( From http://www.eflnet.com/idioms/idiomlist.php?firstletter= B)
BANG FOR THE BUCK
Value; efficiency; return on investment.
I’m not sure which car to buy. I’m trying to figure out which gives the greatest bang for the buck.
BEAR IN MIND
Remember; consider; note.
Bear in mind that money is not the most important thing in life.
BEAT A DEAD HORSE
To continue or persist talking about a topic or issue beyond normal interest.
I don’t mean to beat a dead horse, but could we go over the plan just once more?
BEAT AROUND THE BUSH
To talk about a topic too indirectly or cautiously; to take a long time getting to the main point or idea.
Please stop beating around the bush and get to the point!
BEATS ME
I don't know; this puzzles me.
Do you have any idea why Mary was upset? Beats me!
BEND OVER BACKWARDS
To make a great effort; to go to great lengths.
Max bent over backwards to make sure that his boss was happy.
BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE
Having the choice between two difficult or unacceptable options.
Max was between a rock and a hard place. He could fight in the war, which he didn’t believe in, or go to prison.
BLOW (SOMETHING) OUT OF PROPORTION
To overreact or exaggerate something.
Let’s not blow the problem out of proportion. If we break it down, we’ll see that it is really not that complicated.
BUY IT
To believe something.
Max told Mary that he was sorry, but she didn't buy it.
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Posted by Gwatlan
on 2008-10-10 22:08:59
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