American Idioms 4, B

Question 1

Baby blues

Answer 1

Blue eyes

Question 2

Back at you

Answer 2

Same to you (used to return a greeting or insult)

Question 3

Back in the day

Answer 3

In the past, some time ago

“Back in the day, he’d had one of the greatest minds I’d ever come across”.

Question 4

Back to square one

Answer 4

Back to the start; forced to begin something again

Question 5

Backburner (on the)

Answer 5

Not urgent; set aside until later

Question 6

Backing and filling

Answer 6

Delaying a decision by making small changes or arguing about small details

Question 7

Backroom boy(s)

Answer 7

People who work in anonymity

Question 8

Bad blood

Answer 8

To have ill feelings towards someone

Question 9

Bad taste in one’s mouth

Answer 9

Unease, a feeling that something unspecified is wrong in a situation

Question 10

Bail out

Answer 10

To rescue someone from a bad situation, to shield someone from the consequences of his or her actions

Question 11

Bat an eye

Answer 11

To avoid expressing surprise, fear, or shock

Question 12

Bat/Play for both teams

Answer 12

To be bisexual

Question 13

Bat/Play for the other team

Answer 13

To be homosexual

Question 14

Be an item

Answer 14

Two people are an item when they are having a romantic relationship

Question 15

Be kovey–dovey

Answer 15

Expressing your love in public by constantly kissing and hugging

Question 16

Be footloose and fancy-free

Answer 16

To be free of responsibilities, including romantic commitments

Question 17

Beat the air

Answer 17

Fighting without any purpose

“You are just beating the air if you want to turn him into a good boy”.

Question 18

Beat the heat

Answer 18

Finding a way to stay cool when it is very hot outside

“I have found that drinking a cool glass of water helps to beat the heat in summer”.

Question 19

Beau monde

Answer 19

A fashionable society

Question 20

Beck and call

Answer 20

Being completely available to someone when needed

Question 21

Beef up

Answer 21

To become big and muscular

“Google has beefed up its search algorithm to provide the best quality search result to its users”.

Question 22

Beggar the neighbor

Answer 22

To do something beneficial for oneself without worrying about how it affects others

Question 23

Behind the eight (or 8) ball

Answer 23

At a serious disadvantage

Question 24

Belle of the ball

Answer 24

The most beautiful woman in gathering

Question 25

**Belly laugh**

Answer 25

Loud, hearty laughter

Question 26

**Bet one’s bottom dollar (on something)**

Answer 26

Be certain that something will happen

Question 27

**Bet the farm**

Answer 27

Risk everything; spend all one’s money on something in hopes of success

Question 28

**Between a rock and a hard place**

Answer 28

Having two very bad choices ## Footnote *“I hate my job but cannot quit owing to my economic condition. I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place”.*

Question 29

**Between the devil and the deep blue sea**

Answer 29

Between two equally difficult or unacceptable choices ## Footnote *"I'm really stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea”.*

Question 30

**Beyond the shadow of a doubt**

Answer 30

Absolutely certain

Question 31

**Beyound the pale**

Answer 31

Unacceptable ## Footnote *“Nobody will want to be friends with you if you are considered beyond the pale in your social circle”.*

Question 32

**Bigger fish to fry**

Answer 32

To have other, more important things to do ## Footnote *“You are not worth my time or energy; I have bigger fish to fry”.*

Question 33

**Bite the head off**

Answer 33

Overreact in an angry or harsh way ## Footnote *“His mother nearly bit his head off when he got his new shoes dirty”.*

Question 34

**Black and blue**

Answer 34

Hurt, either bodily, emotionally, or psychologically ## Footnote *"The man beat his own mother black and blue!”*

Question 35

**Blast from the past**

Answer 35

A way to refer to something or someone reminding you of an earlier time.

Question 36

**Blind as a bat**

Answer 36

Unconscious to something ## Footnote *“Maria is so in love she is as blind as a bat when it comes to Mark’s rude behavior”.*

Question 37

**Blind impulse**

Answer 37

The sudden and unaccountable desire to do something

Question 38

**Blood, sweat, and tears**

Answer 38

Putting a lot of effort to get a task done

Question 39

**Blow away the cobwebs**

Answer 39

If something blows away the cobwebs, it makes you feel more lively and refreshes your ideas

Question 40

**Blow away**

Answer 40

Impress someone very much

Question 41

**Blow hot and cold**

Answer 41

Shift one’s level of enthusiasm repeatedly

Question 42

**Blow mind**

Answer 42

Upset or distract

Question 43

**Blowing smoke**

Answer 43

To intentionally misinform or deceive.

Question 44

**Bosom friend**

Answer 44

Best friend who is very close to you

Question 45

**Break new ground**

Answer 45

To do something innovative

Question 46

**Break the mold**

Answer 46

To do something different from what is expected

Question 47

**Bright spark**

Answer 47

An intelligent and lively person (humorously).

Question 48

**Brown study**

Answer 48

Melancholy mood accompanied by deep

Question 49

**Bury head in the sand**

Answer 49

Hide from the truth

Question 50

**Bury the hatchet**

Answer 50

To stop fighting or arguing or to end old resentments

Question 51

**Button your lip**

Answer 51

Stop speaking

Question 52

**Buy the farm**

Answer 52

To die

Question 53

**By dint of**

Answer 53

As a result of something

Question 54

**Black mood**

Answer 54

To be angry, irritable, or in a temper ## Footnote *“Geoff was in one of his black moods today, and no amount of cajoling could snap him out of it”.*