English Idioms and Idiomatic Expressions
Alphabetical List of Idioms - B, page 4
from: 'battle of wills'
to: 'beat a dead horse'
- battle of wills
- A conflict, argument or struggle where both sides are
determined to win is described as a battle of wills.
"When they separated, neither party would make concessions - it was a battle of wills."
- A conflict, argument or struggle where both sides are
determined to win is described as a battle of wills.
- be all things to all people
- If you are all things to all people, you please or
satisfy everyone.
"She's exhausted trying to be a good wife, a good mother and a good teacher, but she can't be all things to all people."
- If you are all things to all people, you please or
satisfy everyone.
- be as good as your word
- If you promise to do something and then do it,
you are as good as your word.
"Emily promised to help me prepare the food and she was as good as her word. I knew I could count on her!"
- If you promise to do something and then do it,
you are as good as your word.
- be in the driver’s seat
- A person who is the driver’s seat is in a dominant position with authority or power to make decisions and control what happens.
"Now that Paul is in the driver’s seat, let’s hope the situation will improve."
- A person who is the driver’s seat is in a dominant position with authority or power to make decisions and control what happens.
- be at the forefront
- If someone is at the forefront, they hold a leading
or prominent position in an important activity.
"She was at the forefront on many important social issues."
- If someone is at the forefront, they hold a leading
or prominent position in an important activity.
- be full of beans
- A person who is full of beans is lively, healthy and active.
"Charlie may be getting old but he's still full of beans."
- A person who is full of beans is lively, healthy and active.
- spill the beans
- If you spill the beans, you reveal a secret or talk
about something private.
"Come on! Spill the beans! What did he say? "
- If you spill the beans, you reveal a secret or talk
about something private.
- be in the driving seat
- If a person is in charge or in control of a situation, or in a position in which
they are able to control what happens, it is said that they are in the driving seat.
"With a new president in the driving seat, the company hopes to improve relations with the shareholders."
- If a person is in charge or in control of a situation, or in a position in which
they are able to control what happens, it is said that they are in the driving seat.
- be my guest
- The expression 'be my guest'
is used to give someone permission to do something.
"If you'd like to use the phone, be my guest."
- The expression 'be my guest'
is used to give someone permission to do something.
- be-all and end-all
- To say that something is the be-all and end-all
means that it is the ultimate or most important thing,
or what matters most.
"Being selected for the Olympic Games is the be-all and end-all of her life right now."
- To say that something is the be-all and end-all
means that it is the ultimate or most important thing,
or what matters most.
- be that as it may
- The expression 'be that as it may'
means that while what the speaker says may be true, it will not change the situation.
"OK. Fewer people may come because of the bad weather, but be that as it may, it's too late to cancel the show."
- The expression 'be that as it may'
means that while what the speaker says may be true, it will not change the situation.
- bear the brunt
- A person who has to bear the brunt of something is the one
who suffers the most when something bad or unpleasant happens.
"When things go wrong, his assistant always has to bear the brunt of his anger. "
- A person who has to bear the brunt of something is the one
who suffers the most when something bad or unpleasant happens.
- bear fruit
- If something bears fruit, it produces
positive or successful results.
"After years of hard work, his research finally began to bear fruit."
- If something bears fruit, it produces
positive or successful results.
- bear in mind
- If a person asks you to bear something in mind, they are
asking you to remember it because it is important.
"You must bear in mind that the cost of living is higher in New York."
- If a person asks you to bear something in mind, they are
asking you to remember it because it is important.
- (like a) bear with a sore head
- If someone is behaving like a bear with a sore head, they are
very irritable and bad-tempered.
"When his team lost the match, Brad was like a bear with a sore head."
- If someone is behaving like a bear with a sore head, they are
very irritable and bad-tempered.
- beard the lion in his den
- If you visit someone important in the place where
they work, in order to challenge him/her or obtain something,
you beard the lion in his den.
"If he continues to refuse my calls, I'll have to beard the lion in his den."
- If you visit someone important in the place where
they work, in order to challenge him/her or obtain something,
you beard the lion in his den.
- beat one's brain out
- If someone beats their brains out,
they try very hard to understand something or solve a problem.
"My grandmother beats her brains out every evening trying to do the crossword puzzle in the newspaper."
- If someone beats their brains out,
they try very hard to understand something or solve a problem.
- (don't) beat around the bush / stop beating around the bush
- The expression 'beat around the bush'
is used to tell someone to say what they have to say, clearly and directly,
even if it is unpleasant.
"Stop beating around the bush. Just tell me what has been decided!"
- The expression 'beat around the bush'
is used to tell someone to say what they have to say, clearly and directly,
even if it is unpleasant.
- beat/flog a dead horse
- To say that someone is beating a dead horse
means that they are wasting time and effort trying to do or achieve something
that is impossible.
"Mark is beating a dead horse trying to get his money reimbursed.
The company has gone bankrupt!"
- To say that someone is beating a dead horse
means that they are wasting time and effort trying to do or achieve something
that is impossible.
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