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back to the salt mines

- to return to work or return to something else that you do not want to do
We finished our lunch and went back to the salt mines.

back up (someone or something)

- to support someone or something
The doctor made a mistake and the hospital refused to back him up.

.
bad blood (between people)

- unpleasant feelings between people
There was much bad blood between the three brothers.

bad-mouth (someone or something)

- to say bad things about someone or something
The supervisor has the habit of bad-mouthing her boss.

bag of tricks

- a collection of special techniques or methods
The teacher has a bag of tricks to keep her students occupied.


bang/beat one's head against the wall

- to try to do something that is hopeless
I am banging my head against the wall when I try to ask my boss for something.

bank on (someone or something)

- to be sure of someone or something, to count on someone or something
You can bank on my sister to help you.

baptism of fire

- a first experience of something (often difficult or unpleasant)
We went through a baptism of fire when we had to learn how to operate the small
business. [email protected] 33

bargain for (something)

- to anticipate something, to take something into account
The difficulty of the job was more than I had bargained for.

bargain on (something)

- to plan or expect something
We did not bargain on having heavy rain during our summer birthday party.


- to scold someone loudly
The woman bawled out her child in the supermarket.
be Idioms be a new one on (someone)

- to be something one has not heard before and something that is difficult to believe
It was a new one on me when my friend said that he was studying Russian.

be all ears

- to listen eagerly and carefully
The boy was all ears when the teacher described the circus.
be all things to all people

- to be everything that is wanted by all people
The politician tries to be all things to all people and it is difficult to know what she
really believes.
be curtains for (someone or something)

- to be the end or death for someone or something
It was curtains for my old car when it finally broke down last week.
be game

- to be ready for action or agreeable to participate in something
All of the students were game to go to the science exhibition.

already.

be that as it may

- even if what you say is true
"Be that as it may, we are not going to permit the school dance to take place."

be the case

- to be true, to be an actual situation
"I do not care if it was the case last year, this year we will do things differently."

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be the death of (someone)

- to be the ruin/downfall/death of someone (often used for some kind of problem)
The woman said that her young son's bad behavior would be the death of her.

be to blame

- to be responsible for something bad or unfortunate
He is not to blame for breaking the computer.
.
bear/hold a grudge (against someone)

- to continue to be angry at someone, to resent someone

bear with (someone or something)

- to be patient with someone or something, to endure someone or something
We had to bear with our teacher as she explained the material to the new students.
beat Idioms
beat a hasty retreat

- to retreat or withdraw very quickly
The soldiers beat a hasty retreat when the guerrillas attacked them.

beat a path to (someone's) door

- to come to someone in great numbers
The customers beat a path to the door of the computer game store.

beat around the bush

- to speak indirectly or evasively
"Stop beating around the bush and give us your final decision."

beat one's brains out

- to work very hard (to do something)
We beat our brains out in order to think of a name for the new magazine. [email protected] 38

beat one's head against the wall



- to beat someone severely
The older boy beat the tar out of the young boy in the schoolyard [email protected] 39

beat up (someone)

- to harm someone by hitting or beating them
The young boys beat up one of the older students.

.
become engaged to (someone)

- to make a plan to marry someone
My friend plans to become engaged to her boyfriend next month.

become engaged with (someone)

- to make a plan to marry someone
The girl has recently become engaged with her boyfriend.

becoming on/to (someone)

- to make someone look good
The red dress looked very becoming on my girlfriend.

money.

beg to differ with (someone)

- to politely disagree with someone
"I'm sorry but I beg to differ with you about what happened."

begin to see the light

- to begin to understand (something)
My sister began to see the light and decided to leave her boyfriend.

behind closed doors

- in secret
The meeting to settle the dispute took place behind closed doors.

behind in/on (something)

- to be late with something
I was behind in my studies and stayed home all weekend to study.