Словарь американских идиом (8000 единиц)

[bury one's head in the sand] See: HIDE ONE'S HEAD IN THE SAND.

[bury the hatchet] <v. phr.>, <informal> To settle a quarrel or end a war; make peace. * /The two men had been enemies a long time, but after the flood they buried the hatchet./ Compare: MAKE UP(5).

[bus] See: MISS THE BOAT or MISS THE BUS.

[bush] See: BEAT ABOUT THE BUSH, BIRD IN THE HAND IS WORTH TWO IN THE BUSH.

[bushel] See: HIDE ONE'S LIGHT UNDER A BUSHEL.

[bushes] See: BEAT THE BUSHES.

[business] See: DO THE BUSINESS, HAVE NO BUSINESS, LAND-OFFICE BUSINESS, MEAN BUSINESS, MONKEY BUSINESS, THE BUSINESS.

[bust up] <v. phr.>, <slang> To terminate a partnership, a relationship, a friendship, or a marriage. * /If Jack keeps drinking the way he does, it will bust up his marriage to Sue./

[busy work] <n.> Work that is done not to do or finish anything important, but just to keep busy. * /When the teacher finished all she had to say it was still a half hour before school was over. So she gave the class a test for busy work./

[but for] See: EXCEPT FOR.

[but good] <adv. phr.>, <informal> Very much so; thoroughly completely; forcefully.
– Used for emphasis. * /Jack called Charles a bad name, and Charles hit him, but good./ * /Tom fell and broke his leg. That taught him but good not to fool around in high trees./ Compare: AND HOW.

[but not least] See: LAST BUT NOT LEAST.

[butter] See: BREAD AND BUTTER.

[butterflies in one's stomach] <n. phr.> A queer feeling in the stomach caused by nervous fear or uncertainty; a feeling of fear or anxiety in the stomach. * /When Bob walked into the factory office to ask for a job, he had butterflies in his stomach./

[butter up] <v.>, <informal> To try to get the favor or friendship of (a person) by flattery or pleasantness. * /He began to butter up the boss in hope of being given a better job./ Compare: POLISH THE APPLE.

[butter wouldn't melt in one's mouth] <informal> You act very polite and friendly but do not really care, you are very nice to people but are not sincere. * /The new secretary was rude to the other workers, but when she talked to the boss, butter wouldn't melt in her mouth./

[butt in] <v.>, <slang> To join in with what other people are doing without asking or being asked; interfere in other people's business; meddle. * /Mary was explaining to Jane how to knit a sweater when Barbara butted in./ Often used with "on". * /John butted in on Bill and Tom's fight, and got hurt./ Compare: HORN IN.

[button] See: HAVE ALL ONE'S BUTTONS, ON THE BUTTON, PUSH THE PANIC BUTTON.

[button down] <v.>, <slang> (stress on "down") To state precisely, to ascertain, to pin down, to peg down. * /First let's get the facts buttoned down, then we can plan ahead./

[button-down] <attrib. adj.>, <slang> (stress on "button") Well-groomed, conservatively dressed. * /Joe is a regular button-down type./

[buttonhole] <v.> To approach a person in order to speak with him or her in private. * /After waiting for several hours, Sam managed to buttonhole his boss just as she was about to leave the building./

[button one's lip] also [zip one's lip] <v. phr.>, <slang> To stop talking; keep a secret; shut your mouth; be quiet. * /The man was getting loud and insulting and the cop told him to button his lip./ * /John wanted to talk, but Dan told him to keep his lip buttoned./ Syn.: KEEP ONE'S MOUTH SHUT, SHUT UP.

[buy for a song] <v. phr.> To buy something very cheaply. * /Since the building on the corner was old and neglected, I was able to buy it for a song./

[buy off] <v.> To turn from duty or purpose by a gift. * /When the police threatened to stop the gambling business, the owner bought them off./ * /The Indians were going to burn the cabins, but the men bought them off with gifts./ Compare: PAY OFF.

[buy out] <v.> 1. To buy the ownership or a share of; purchase the stock of. * /He bought out several small stockholders. 2. To buy all the goods of; purchase the merchandise of./ * /Mr. Harper bought out a nearby hardware store./ Contrast: SELL OUT.

[buy up] <v. phr.> To purchase the entire stock of something. * /The company is trying to buy up all the available shares./

[buzz] See: GIVE A RING also GIVE A BUZZ.

[buzz word] <n.> A word that sounds big and important in a sentence but, on closer inspection, means little except the speaker's indication to belong to a certain group. * /The politician's speech was nothing but a lot of misleading statements and phony promises hidden in a bunch of buzz words./

[by] See: TOO --- BY HALF.

[by a hair] See: HANG BY A THREAD or HANG BY A HAIR

[by] or [in my book] <adv. phr.> In my opinion; as far as I am concerned; in my judgment. * /By my book, Mr. Murgatroyd is not a very good department head./

[by all means] also [by all manner of means] <adv. phr.> Certainly, without fail. * /He felt that he should by all means warn Jones./ Contrast: BY NO MEANS.

[by all odds] <adv. phr.> Without question; certainly. * /He was by all odds the strongest candidate./ * /By all odds we should win the game, because the other team is so weak./ Compare: FAR AND AWAY.

[by a long shot] <adv. phr.>, <informal> By a big difference; by far.
– Used to add emphasis. * /Bert was the best swimmer in the race, by a long shot./ Often used with a negative. * /Tom isn't the kind who would be fresh to a teacher, by a long shot./ * /Our team didn't win not by a long shot./ Compare: MISS BY A MILE.

[by a mile] See: MISS BY A MILE.

[by and by] <adv.> After a while; at some time in the future; later. * /Roger said he would do his homework by and by./ * /The mother knew her baby would be a man by and by and do a man's work./ Syn.: AFTER A WHILE.

[by and large] <adv. phr.> As it most often happens; more often than not; usually; mostly. * /There were bad days, but it was a pleasant summer, by and large./ * /By and large, women can bear pain better than men./ Syn.: FOR THE MOST PART, ON THE WHOLE(2).

[by any means] See: BY NO MEANS.

[by a thread] See: HANG BY A THREAD.

[by chance] <adv. phr.> Without any cause or reason; by accident; accidentally. * /Tom met Bill by chance./ * /The apple fell by chance on Bobby's head./