American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms
.pdfc. 1900] Also see BIG LEAGUE.
big top
1. The main tent of a circus, as in The high-wire act is almost always in the big top. [c. 1840] 2.
Underworld slang for a maximum-security prison, as in He was sentenced to ten years in the big top. [1950s]
big wheel
hand. see under BIG CHEESE.
bill
hand. see CLEAN BILL OF HEALTH; FILL THE BILL; FOOT THE BILL; SELL A BILL OF GOODS.
bind
hand. In addition to the idioms beginning with BIND, also see IN A BIND. Also see
under BOUND.
bind hand and foot
hand. see BOUND HAND AND FOOT.
bind over
Oblige someone to do or not do something; hold on bail or keep under bond. For example, The sheriff will bind over the murder suspect to the homicide division. This phrase is nearly always used in a legal context. [Late 1500s]
binge
hand. see GO ON, def. 9.
bird
hand. In addition to the idioms beginning with BIRD, also see CATBIRD SEAT; EARLY
BIRD CATCHES THE WORM; EAT LIKE A BIRD; FOR THE BIRDS; FREE AS A BIRD; KILL TWO BIRDS WITH ONE STONE; LITTLE BIRD TOLD ME; NAKED AS A JAYBIRD; RARE BIRD.
bird has flown, the
The individual sought has gone away, as in Jean hoped to meet her editor at long last, but when she arrived the bird had flown. This idiom has been used for an escaped prisoner, and more generally, as in 1655 by William Gurnall (The Christian in Complete Armour): "Man . . . knows not his time . . . he comes when the bird is flown." [Mid-1600s]
bird in the hand
A benefit available now is more valuable than some possibly larger future benefit. For example,
Bob thinks he might do better in a bigger firm, but his wife insists he should stay, saying a bird in the hand.
This expression, which in full is A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, was an ancient Greek proverb. It was well known in English by about 1400 and has been repeated so frequently that it is often shortened.
bird of passage
A transient, one who is here today and gone tomorrow. For example, Mary moves nearly every year; she's a true bird of passage. This phrase transfers the literal meaning of a migrating bird to human behavior. [Second half of 1700s]
birds and the bees, the
A euphemism for sex education, especially when taught informally. For example, It's time Father told the children about the birds and the bees. Cole Porter alluded to this expression in his witty song, "Let's Do It, Let's Fall in Love," (1928) when he noted that birds, bees, even educated fleas fall in love. This idiom alludes to sexual behavior in animals to avoid explicit explanation of human behavior. [Second half of 1800s]
bird's eye view
An overview, as in This balcony gives us a bird's eye view of the town, or This course gives you a bird's eye view of history?
from Eolithic man to the Gulf War in one semester. This expression can be used literally, for a panoramic view such as a bird might see, as well as figuratively. [c. 1600]
birds of a feather (flock together)
Individuals of like character, taste, or background (tend to stay together), as in The members of the club had no trouble selecting their yearly outing?
they're all birds of a feather. The idea of like seeks like dates from ancient Greek times, and "Birds dwell with their kind" was quoted in the apocryphal book of Ecclesiasticus. The full saying in English, Birds of a feather flock together, was first recorded in 1545.
birth
hand. see GIVE BIRTH TO.
birthday suit
Nakedness, as in The doorbell rang, and here I was in my birthday suit. In 18th-century Britain this term originally referred to the clothes one wore on the king's birthday. Later it was jocularly transferred to bare skin, alluding to the condition of a newborn baby.
bit
hand. In addition to the idiom beginning with BIT, also see A BIT; CHAMP AT THE BIT;
DO ONE'S BIT; EVERY BIT; NOT A BIT; QUITE A BIT; TAKE THE BIT IN ONE'S MOUTH; TWO BITS.
bit by bit Also, little by little. Gradually, by small degrees, slowly. For example, The squirrels dug up the lawn bit by bit, till we had almost no grass, or Little by little he began to understand what John was getting at. The first term was first recorded in 1849, although bit in the sense of "small amount" is much older; the variant dates from the 1400s.
bite
hand. In addition to the idioms beginning with BITE, also see BARK IS WORSE THAN
ONE'S BITE; PUT THE BITE ON; SOUND BITE. Also see BITTEN.
bite off more than one can chew
Take on more work or a bigger task than one can handle, as in With two additional jobs, Bill is clearly biting off more than he can chew. Cautions against taking on too much appear in medieval sources, although this particular metaphor, alluding to taking in more food than one can chew, dates only from about 1870.
bite one's nails
Exhibit signs of anxiety, impatience, or nervousness, as in We'll be biting our nails till the jury comes back. Biting one's fingernails is a time-honored sign of emotional tension. The Roman
B.C.: "As he wrought his verse he would often . . .
gnaw his nails to the quick" (Satires, Book I).
bite one's tongue
Refrain from speaking out, as in A new grandmother must learn to bite her tongue so as not to give unwanted advice, or I'm sure it'll rain during graduation.?
Bite your tongue! This term alludes to holding the tongue between the teeth in an effort not to say something one might regret. Shakespeare used it in 2 Henry VI (1:1): "So York must sit and fret and bite his tongue." Today it is sometimes used as a humorous imperative, as in the second example, with the implication that speaking might bring bad luck. [Late 1500s] Also see HOLD
ONE'S TONGUE.
bite someone's head off Also, snap someone's head off. Scold or speak very angrily to someone, as in Ask her to step down from the board? She'd bite my head off! The first expression, dating from the mid-1900s, replaced the much earlier bite someone's nose off (16th century); the variant was first recorded in 1886.
bite the bullet
Behave bravely or stoically when facing pain or a difficult situation, as in If they want to cut the budget deficit, they are going to have to bite the bullet and find new sources of revenue. This phrase is of military origin, but the precise allusion is uncertain. Some say it referred to the
treatment of a wounded soldier without anesthesia, so that he would be asked to bite on a lead bullet during treatment. Also, Francis Grose's Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue (1796) holds that grenadiers being disciplined with the cat-o'-nine-tails would bite on a bullet to avoid crying out in pain.
bite the dust
Suffer defeat or death, as in The 1990 election saw both of our senators bite the dust. Although this expression was popularized by American Western films of the 1930s, in which either cowboys or Indians were thrown from their horses to the dusty ground, it originated much earlier. Tobias Smollett had it in Gil Blas (1750): "We made two of them bite the dust."
bite the hand that feeds you
Show ingratitude, turn against a benefactor. For example, The college gave me a scholarship, so I shouldn't bite the hand that feeds me and criticize its hiring policies. Used about 600 B.C. by the
Greek poet Sappho, this metaphor of a dog biting its master was first recorded in English in 1711.
bitten
hand. see ONCE BITTEN, TWICE SHY; also see BITE.
bitter
hand. In addition to the idioms beginning with BITTER, also see TAKE THE BITTER
WITH THE SWEET.
bitter end
The last extremity; also, death or ruin. For example, I'm supporting the union's demands to the bitter end, or Even though they fight a lot, I'm sure Mom and Dad will stay together to the bitter end. The source of this term may have been nautical, a bitter being a turn of a cable around posts, or bitts, on a ship's deck, and the bitter end meaning "the part of the cable that stays inboard." Thus, when a rope is paid out to the bitter end, no more remains. [Mid-1800s]
bitter pill to swallow
An unpleasant fact, disappointment, or humiliation that is difficult to endure. For example, Failing the bar exam was a bitter pill to swallow, but he plans to try again next year. [Late 1500s]
black
hand. In addition to the idioms beginning with BLACK, also see DIRTY (BLACK) LOOK;
IN THE RED (BLACK); LOOK BLACK; PAINT BLACK; POT CALLING THE KETTLE BLACK.
black and blue
Badly bruised, as in That fall down the stairs left me black and blue all over. Even though
multicolored bruises rarely include the color black, this term has been so used since about 1300.
black and white
1. A monochromatic picture, drawing, television image, computer monitor, or film, as opposed to one using many colors, as in Photos in black and white
fade less than those taken with color film. [Late 1800s] 2. Also, black or white. Involving a very clear distinction, without any gradations. For example, He tended to view everything as a black and white issue??
it was either right or wrongwhereas his partner always found gray areas. This usage is based on the association of black with evil and white with virtue, which dates back at least 2,000 years.
GRAY AREA. 3. in black and white. Written down or in print, and therefore official. For example, The terms of our agreement were spelled out in black and white, so there should be no question about it. This term alludes to black ink or print on white paper. Shakespeare used it in Much Ado about Nothing (5:1). [Late 1500s]
black as night Also, black as coal or pitch. Totally black; also, very dark. For example, The well was black as night, or She had eyes that were black as coal. These similes have survived while others?
black as ink, a raven, thunder, hell, the devil, my hat, the minister's coat, the ace of spades?
are seldom if ever heard today. Of the current objects of comparison, pitch may be the oldest, so
used in Homer's Iliad (c. 850 B.C.), and coal is mentioned in a Saxon manuscript from A.D. 1000. John Milton used black as night in Paradise Lost (1667).
black book
1. A list of persons or things out of favor, as in Tom's in my black book these days. This usage dates from the 14th century and in time became more ominous. In 1536 the agents of King Henry
VIII wrote in a black book the names of those to be censured or punished, specifically "sinful" English monasteries (whose lands Henry wanted to acquire). Today being in someone's black book still signifies being in trouble, at least with that person. Also see BLACK LIST. 2. Also, little black book. A personal telephone directory listing girlfriends, or, less often, boyfriends. For example, Now that he's engaged to Ellen, Jim won't be needing his little black book. [1930s] 3. A list of measures or facts involved in the unfriendly takeover of one company by another. This usage is employed mainly in business and commerce. [c. 1980]
black eye
A mark of shame, a humiliating setback, as in That there are enough homeless folks to need another shelter is a black eye for the administration. This metaphor alludes to having discolored flesh around the eye resulting from a blow. The term is also used literally, as in The mugger not only took Bill's wallet but gave him a black eye. [Late 1800s]
Black Friday
1. Also Black Monday, Black Tuesday, etc. A day of economic catastrophe, as in We feared there'd be another Black Friday. This usage dates from September 24, 1869, a Friday when stock manipulators Jay Gould and James Fisk tried to corner the gold market and caused its collapse. The adjective black has been appended to similar occasions ever since, including October 29, 1929, the Tuesday of the market collapse that marked the start of the Great Depression, and Black Monday of October 19, 1987, when the stock market experienced its greatest fall since the Great Depression. 2. Any day marked by great confusion or activity, as in It was just my luck to be traveling on Black Tuesday. This usage, too, is based on the events of 1869, marked by economic chaos. It has since been extended to other kinds of confusion, such as an accident hampering traffic during the evening rush hour.
black hole
1. A wretched prison cell or other place of confinement. For example, The punishment is solitary confinement, known as the black hole. This term acquired its meaning in 1756 with the event known as the Black Hole of Calcutta. On the night of June 20, the ruler of Bengal confined 146 Europeans in a prison space of only 14 by 18 feet. By morning all but 23 of them had suffocated to death. Although historians since have questioned the truth of the story, it survives in this usage. 2.
A great void or abyss. For example, Running a single small newspaper ad to launch a major campaign is useless; it amounts to throwing our money into a black hole. This usage alludes to a region, so named by astronomers, whose gravitational field is so intense that no electromagnetic radiation can escape from it. [Late 1970s]
black list
A list of persons or things considered undesirable or deserving punishment, as in Japanese beetles are on my black list of garden pests. The practice of making such lists is quite old. Notorious examples include the late 19th-century black lists of union members whom employers would not hire and the black lists of persons suspected of being Communists as a result of the hearings held by Senator Joseph
R. McCarthy in the early 1950s. Today the term is also used more loosely, as in the example. [Early
1600s] Also see BLACK BOOK, def. 1.
black look
hand. see under DIRTY LOOK.
black mark
An indication of censure or failure, as in If you refuse to work late, won't that be a black mark against you? This phrase alludes to a literal black mark, such as a cross, that was put next to a person's name, indicating that he or she had incurred a rebuke or penalty of some kind.
[Mid-1800s]
black out
1. Obliterate with black, as in crossing out words on a page or print on a screen. For example,
They have blacked out all the obscene words in the subtitles to make this movie suitable for
youngsters. This usage may be derived from an earlier meaning, "to stain or defame," which dates from the 15th century (and probably alludes to "blackening" a person's reputation). [Mid-1800s] 2.
Extinguish all lights. For example, The whole town was asleep, as blacked out as London during the war. In the early 1900s this expression alluded to the lights in a theater, but from about 1940 on it meant darkening an entire city to hide it from enemy bombers. 3. Lose consciousness, faint; also, experience a temporary loss of memory. For example, I couldn't remember a single note of the music; I blacked out completely, or The accused man claims he blacked out after his first drink.
This usage is thought to have originated with pilots, who sometimes fainted briefly when pulling out of a power dive. It soon was transferred to other losses of consciousness or memory. [c. 1940]
black sheep
The least reputable member of a group; a disgrace. For example, Uncle Fritz was the black sheep of the family; we always thought he emigrated to Argentina to avoid jail. This metaphor is based on the idea that black sheep were less valuable than white ones because it was more difficult to dye their wool different colors. Also, in the 16th century, their color was considered the devil's mark. By the 18th century the term was widely used as it is today, for the odd member of a group.
blame
hand. see LAY (THE BLAME) ON; TO BLAME.
blank
hand. In addition to the idiom beginning with BLANK, also see DRAW A BLANK; FILL IN
(THE BLANKS).
blank check
Unrestricted authority, a free hand, as in I'll support most of the chairman's agenda, but I'm not ready to give him a blank check for the company's future. Literally this term signifies a bank check that is signed by the drawer but does not indicate the amount of money, which is filled in by the person to whom it is given. [Late 1800s]
blanket
hand. see SECURITY BLANKET; WET BLANKET.
blast
hand. In addition to the idiom beginning with BLAST, also see FULL BLAST.
blast off
1. Also, blast away. Take off or be launched, especially into space, as in They're scheduled to blast off on Tuesday. This usage originated with the development of powerful rockets, spacecraft, and astronauts, to all of which it was applied. [c. 1950] 2. Depart, clear out, as in This party's over; let's blast off now. [Slang; early 1950s] 3. Become excited or high, especially from using drugs, as in They give parties where people blast off. [Slang; c. 1960]
blaze
hand. In addition to the idiom beginning with BLAZE, also see HOT AS BLAZES; LIKE
GREASED LIGHTNING (BLAZES).
blaze a trail
Find a new path or method; begin a new undertaking. For example, His research blazed a trail for new kinds of gene therapy. This expression was first used literally in the 18th century for the practice of marking a forest trail by making blazes, that is, marking trees with notches or chips in the bark. [Late 1800s]
bleed
hand. In addition to the idiom beginning with BLEED, also see MY HEART BLEEDS FOR
YOU.
bleed someone white
Extort money, take someone's last penny. For example, That contractor would have bled the department white, but fortunately he was apprehended in time. Presumably this term alludes to losing so much blood that one turns pale (and perhaps also to the idea that money is the life blood of commerce). [First half of 1900s]
blessed event
The birth of a baby, as in When is the blessed event expected? This expression combines two senses of blessed, that is, "happy" and "sacred." Today, however, unless used ironically, it is considered cloyingly sentimental. [1920s]
blessing
hand. In addition to the idiom beginning with BLESSING, also see GIVE THANKS FOR
SMALL BLESSINGS; MIXED BLESSING.
blessing in disguise
A misfortune that unexpectedly turns into good fortune, as in Missing the train was a blessing in disguise, for if I hadn't, I wouldn't have met my future wife. [Mid-1700s]
blind
hand. In addition to the idioms beginning with BLIND, also see FLY BLIND; ROB
SOMEONE BLIND; TURN A BLIND EYE.
blind alley
A dead end; a position without hope of progress or success. For example, That line of questioning led the attorney up yet another blind alley. This term alludes to a street or alley that has no outlet at one end. [Mid-1800s]
blind as a bat
Quite blind; also, unaware. For example, Without my glasses I'm blind as a bat, or I had no idea they wanted me to take over his job; I was blind as a bat. This simile, based on the erroneous idea that the bat's erratic flight means it cannot see properly, has survived even though it is now known that bats have a sophisticated built-in sonar system. [Late 1500s]
blindfolded
hand. see DO BLINDFOLDED.
blind leading the blind
Those lacking the skills or knowledge for something are being guided by equally inept individuals. For example, Bill's teaching his son carpentry; that's a case of the blind leading the blind. The expression is found in the New Testament as one of Jesus's teachings (Matthew 15:14; Luke 6:39). [c. 1600]
blind side
hand. see under BLIND SPOT.
blind spot
Subject about which one is ignorant or biased. For example, The boss has a blind spot about Henry; he wouldn't fire him for anything, or Dad has a blind spot about opera; he can't see anything good about it. This term uses blind in the sense of ''covered or hidden from sight." It has two literal meanings: an insensitive part of the retina and an area outside one's field of vision. The phrase has largely replaced blind side, which survives mainly in the verb to blindside, meaning "to hit someone on an unguarded side" and "to deal an unexpected blow." [Mid-1800s]
blink
hand. see ON THE BLINK.
bliss out
Experience great joy or euphoria, as in 1970]
block
Just give me some time to bliss out on the beach. [Slang; c.
hand. see CHIP OFF THE OLD BLOCK; KNOCK SOMEONE'S BLOCK OFF; ON THE BLOCK; STUMBLING BLOCK.
blood
hand. In addition to the idiom beginning with BLOOD, also see BAD BLOOD; DRAW
BLOOD; FLESH AND BLOOD; IN COLD BLOOD; IN ONE'S BLOOD; MAKE ONE'S BLOOD BOIL; MAKE ONE'S BLOOD RUN COLD; NEW BLOOD; OUT FOR (BLOOD);
RUN IN THE BLOOD (FAMILY); SCREAM BLOODY MURDER; SHED BLOOD; SPORTING BLOOD; SWEAT BLOOD. Also see under BLEED.
blood is thicker than water
Family ties are closer than other relationships. For example, Nancy will drop everything to help her sister; blood is thicker than water. Alluding to the fact that water evaporates without leaving a mark whereas blood leaves a stain, this proverb was first recorded about 1412.
blossom into Also, blossom out. Develop, flourish, as in She's blossomed into a fine young woman, or His business has blossomed out and he's doing well. [Second half of 1800s]
blot out
Obliterate, wipe out of existence or memory, as in At least one Indian nation was blotted out as the pioneers moved west, or The trauma of the accident blotted out all her memory of recent events.
This idiom, first recorded in 1516, uses the verb to blot in the sense of making something illegible by spotting or staining it with ink. The New Testament has it (Acts 3:19): "Repent ye . . . that your sins may be blotted out."
blow
hand. In addition to the idioms beginning with BLOW, also see AT ONE STROKE
(BLOW); BODY BLOW; COME TO BLOWS; KEEP (BLOW) ONE'S COOL; LOW BLOW; WAY THE WIND BLOWS.
blow a fuse Also, blow a gasket. Lose one's temper, express furious anger. For example, When his paycheck bounced, John blew a fuse, or Tell Mom what really happened before she blows a gasket. An electric fuse is said to "blow" (melt) when the circuit is overloaded, whereas a gasket, used to seal a piston, "blows" (breaks) when the pressure is too high. The first of these slangy terms dates from the 1930s, the second from the 1940s. Also see BLOW ONE'S TOP; KEEP
ONE'S COOL.
blow away
1. Kill, especially by gunshot or explosion. For example, The unit reported that the whole village was blown away. This usage became particularly widespread in the 1960s, during the Vietnam War. [Slang; early 1900s] 2. Overcome easily; defeat decisively. For example, Ann said the test would be easy; she would just blow it away, or Jim was sure his crew could blow away their
BLOW OFF, def. 5. 3. Impress greatly, overwhelm with surprise, delight, or shock, as in That music really blew me away. [Slang; c. 1970] Also see BLOW ONE'S MIND.
blow by blow
Described in minute detail, as in Tell me about last night's party, blow by blow. This term originated in radio broadcasts during the 1930s, in which the sportscaster gave a detailed account of each punch struck in a boxing match. It soon was transferred to a detailed account of anything at all.