Словарь американских идиом (8000 единиц)

[band] See: BEAT THE BAND.

[bandbox] See: LOOK AS IF ONE HAS COME OUT OF A BANDBOX.

[band together] <v. phr.> To join a group to exert united force. * /The inhabitants of the ecologically threatened area banded together to stop the company from building new smokestacks./

[bandwagon] See: JUMP ON THE BANDWAGON.

[bandy about] <v. phr.> To spread rumors or whisper secrets. * /The news of Jim and Mary's divorce was bandied about until everyone at the office had heard it./

[bang up] <adj.>, <informal> Very successful; very good; splendid; excellent. * /The football coach has done a bang-up job this season./ * /John did a bang-up job painting the house./ Syn.: FIRST-CLASS.

[bank] See: PIGGY BANK.

[bank on] <v.>, <informal> To depend on; put one's trust in; rely on. * /He knew he could bank on public indignation to change things, if he could once prove the dirty work./ * /The students were banking on the team to do its best in the championship game./ Syn.: COUNT ON.

[bar] See: BEHIND BARS, PARALLEL BARS.

[bargain] See: DRIVE A BARGAIN, IN THE BARGAIN or INTO THE BARGAIN.

[bargain for] or [bargain on] <v.> To be ready for; expect. * /When John started a fight with the smaller boy he got more than he bargained for./ * /The final cost of building the house was much more than they had bargained on./ Compare: COUNT ON.

[barge in] <v. phr.>, <informal> To appear uninvited at someone's house or apartment, or to interrupt a conversation. * /I'm sorry for barging in like that, Sir, but my car died on me and there is no pay phone anywhere./ * /I'm sorry for barging in while you two are having a discussion, but could you please tell me where the nearest exit is?/

[bark up the wrong tree] <v. phr.>, <informal> To choose the wrong person to deal with or the wrong course of action; mistake an aim. * /If he thinks he can fool me, he is barking up the wrong tree./ * /He is barking up the wrong tree when he blames his troubles on bad luck./ * /The police were looking for a tall thin man, but were barking up the wrong tree; the thief was short and fat./

[bark worse than one's bite] <informal> Sound or speech more frightening or worse than your actions. * /The small dog barks savagely, but his bark is worse than his bite./ * /The boss sometimes talks roughly to the men, but they know that his bark is worse than his bite./ * /She was always scolding her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite./

[barn] See: LOCK THE BARN DOOR AFTER THE HORSE IS STOLEN.

[barrel] See: OVER A BARREL also OVER THE BARREL, SCRAPE THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL.

[barrelhead] See: CASH ON THE BARREL-HEAD.

[bar the door] See: CLOSE THE DOOR.

[base] See: FIRST BASE, GET TO FIRST BASE or REACH FIRST BASE, LOAD THE BASES or FILL THE BASES, OFF BASE, SECOND BASE, STOLEN BASE, THIRD BASE.

[base on balls] <n.> First base given to a baseball batter who is pitched four balls outside of the strike zone. * /He was a good judge of pitchers and often received bases on balls./

[basket] See: PUT ALL ONE'S EGGS IN ONE BASKET.

[basket case] <n.>, <slang>, <also informal> 1. A person who has had both arms and both legs cut off as a result of war or other misfortune. 2. A helpless person who is unable to take care of himself, as if carted around in a basket by others. * /Stop drinking, or else you'll wind up a basket case!/

[bat] See: AT BAT, GO TO BAT FOR, RIGHT AWAY or RIGHT OFF also RIGHT OFF THE BAT.

[bat an eye] or [bat an eyelash] <v. phr.>, <informal> To show surprise, fear, or interest; show your feelings.
– Used in negative sentences. * /When I told him the price of the car he never batted an eye./ * /Bill told his story without batting an eyelash, although not a word of it was true./ Compare: STRAIGHT FACE.

[bath] See: SPONGE BATH, THROW THE BABY OUT WITH THE BATH.

[bats in one's belfry] or [bats in the belfry] <n. phr.>, <slang> Wild ideas in his mind; disordered senses; great mental confusion. * /When he talked about going to the moon he was thought to have bats in his belfry./

[bat the breeze] See: SHOOT THE BREEZE.

[batting average] <n. phr.> Degree of accomplishment (originally used as a baseball term). * /Dr. Grace has a great batting average with her heart transplant operations./

[battle] See: HALF THE BATTLE.

[battle of nerves] <n. phr.> A contest of wills during which the parties do not fight physically but try to wear each other out. * /It has been a regular battle of nerves to get the new program accepted at the local state university./ See: WAR OF NERVES.

[bawl out] <v.>, <informal> To reprove in a loud or rough voice; rebuke sharply; scold. * /The teacher bawled us out for not handing in our homework./ Compare: HAUL OVER THE COALS, LIGHT INTO, TELL A THING OR TWO.

[bay] See: AT BAY, BRING TO BAY.

[be] See: LET BE, TO-BE.

[beach] See: NOT THE ONLY PEBBLE ON THE BEACH.

[beach bunny] <n.>, <slang> An attractive girl seen on beaches mostly to show off her figure; one who doesn't get into the water and swim. * /What kind of a girl is Susie?
– She's a beach bunny; she always comes to the Queen's Surf on Waikiki but I've never seen her swim./

[bead] See: DRAW A BEAD ON.

[be a fly on the wall] <v. phr.> To eavesdrop on a secret conversation. * /How I wish I could be a fly on the wall to hear what my fiance's parents are saying about me!/

[be a good hand at] <v. phr.> To be talented, gifted, or skilled in some activity. * /Florian is a good hand at both gardening and building./

[beam] See: OFF THE BEAM, ON THE BEAM.

[bean] See: FULL OF BEANS, SPILL THE BEANS, USE ONE'S HEAD or USE ONE'S BEAN.

[be an item] <v. phr.> To be a couple; belong to one another. * /No one is surprised to see them together anymore; if is generally recognized that they are an item./

[be a poor hand at] <v. phr.> To be inept, untalented, or clumsy in some activity. * /Archibald is a poor hand at tennis so no one wants to play with him./ Contrast: BE A GOOD HAND AT.

[be at pains] <v. phr.> To be extremely desirous to do something; to take the trouble to do something. * /The captain was at pains to see that everybody got safely into the lifeboats./

[bear] See: GRIN AND BEAR IT, LOADED FOR BEAR.

[bear a grudge] <v. phr.> To persist in bearing ill feeling toward someone after a quarrel or period of hostility. * /Come on, John, be a good sport and don't bear a grudge because I beat you at golf./ Contrast: BURY THE HATCHET.

[bear a hand] See: LEND A HAND.