American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms

blow hot and cold

Change one's mind, vacillate, as in Jean's been blowing hot and cold about taking a winter vacation. This expression comes from Aesop's fable (c. 570 B.C.) about a man eating with a

satyr on a winter day. At first the man blew on his hands to warm them and then blew on his soup to cool it. The satyr thereupon renounced the man's friendship because he blew hot and cold out of the same mouth. The expression was repeated by many writers, most often signifying a person who could not be relied on. William Chillingworth put it: "These men can blow hot and cold out of the same mouth to serve several purposes" (The Religion of Protestants, 1638).

blow in

Arrive, especially unexpectedly. For example, Just when we'd given him up, Arthur blew in. [Colloquial; late 1800s]

blow it

1. Spoil, botch, or bungle something, as in That was a great opportunity, but now I've blown it.

[Slang;

c. 1940] 2. blow one's lines. Make a mistake in speaking one's part in a theatrical production, as in Ben blew his lines, but Dean came to the rescue. [Mid-1900s]

blow off

1. Vent one's strong feelings; see BLOW OFF STEAM. 2. Disregard, ignore; evade something important. For example, If you blow off your homework, you're bound to run into trouble on the exam. [Slang; second half of 1900s] 3. Overcome, defeat easily, as in With Rob pitching, we'll have no trouble blowing off the opposing team. [Slang; 1950s] Also see BLOW AWAY, def. 2. 4. Ignore, abandon, refuse to take part. For example, The college is blowing off our request for a new student center. [Slang; mid1900s]

blow off steam Also, let off steam. Air or relieve one's pent-up feelings by loud talk or vigorous activity. For example, Joan's shouting did not mean she was angry at you; she was just blowing off steam, or After spending the day on very exacting work, Tom blew off steam by going for a long run. This metaphoric term refers to easing the pressure in a steam engine. [Early 1800s]

blow one's brains out

Shoot oneself in the head, as in Blowing one's brains out is more a man's type of suicide; women lean toward poison. [Early 1800s]

blow one's cool

hand. see under KEEP ONE'S COOL.

blow one's cover

Inadvertently give away one's secret identity, as in Mary came to the annual meeting pretending to be a shareholder and hoped no one would blow her cover. This expression uses blow in the sense of "expose or betray," a usage dating from Shakespeare's day.

blow one's mind

1. Surprise, shock, or amaze one, as in This jazz group blows my mind, or Joe served a jail sentence? That blows my mind. This term is used rather loosely, as seen in the examples; the first signifies amazement and pleasure, the second shock and dismay. [Slang; 1960s] 2. Alter one's perceptions, especially through drug use, as in Taking LSD really blows one's mind. [Slang;

1960s] 3. Make insane, drive crazy, as in Was it his wife's death that blew his mind? or Losing her savings blew her mind. [1960s]

blow one's own horn Also, blow one's trumpet. Brag about oneself, as in Within two minutes of meeting someone new, Bill was blowing his own horn. [Late 1500s]

blow one's top

1. Also, blow one's stack. Fly into a rage; lose one's composure. For example, If she calls about this one more time I'm going to blow my top, or Warren is generally very easy-going, but today he blew his stack. The top here has been likened to the top of an erupting volcano; the stack alludes to a smokestack. [Slang; first half of 1900s] 2. Go crazy, become insane, as in When she regains consciousness, she just may blow her top. [Slang; first half of 1900s] Also see FLIP ONE'S LID.

blow someone to

Treat someone to something, as in Let me blow you to dinner. [Slang; late 1800s]

blow out

1.Extinguish, especially a flame. For example, The wind blew out the candles very quickly. [1300s]

2.Lose force or cease entirely, as in The storm will soon blow itself out and move out to sea. Also

see BLOW OVER. 3. Burst or rupture suddenly, as in This tire is about to blow out. This usage alludes to the escape of air under pressure. [Early 1900s] 4. Also, blow out of the water. Defeat decisively, as in With a great new product and excellent publicity, we could blow the competition out of the water. This term originally was used in mid-19th-century naval warfare, where it meant to blast or shoot another vessel to pieces. It later was transferred to athletic and other kinds of defeat. [Slang; mid-1900s]

blow over

Pass away, subside. For example, The storm will blow over by afternoon, or After a couple of years the scandal will blow over. This term, with its analogy to storm clouds that pass over an area without descending, dates from about 1600.

blow sky-high

1. Destroy by explosion, explode, as in Once the charge is set, get away fast or you'll be blown

sky-high. [Early 1800s] Also see under BLOW UP. 2. Refute completely, as in The lab report has blown your theory sky-high. [Mid-1800s]

blow the lid off Also, blow wide open. Expose, especially a scandal or illegal activity. For example, The newspaper's investigation blew the lid off the governor's awarding state contracts to his friends. [First half of 1900s]

blow the whistle on

1. Expose corruption or other wrongdoing, as in The President's speech blew the whistle on the opposition's leaking information. [Colloquial; 1930s] 2. Put a stop to, as in The registry decided to blow the whistle on new vanity plates. The term originally alluded to ending an activity (such as factory work) with the blast of a whistle. [Late 1800s]

blow up

1. Explode or cause to explode. For example, The squadron was told to blow up the bridge, or Jim was afraid his experiment would blow up the lab. The term is sometimes amplified, as in blow up in one's face. [Late 1500s] 2. Lose one's temper, as in I'm sorry I blew up at you. Mark Twain used this metaphor for an actual explosion in one of his letters (1871): "Redpath tells me to blow up. Here goes!" [Colloquial; second half of 1800s] 3. Inflate, fill with air, as in If you don't blow up those tires you're sure to have a flat. [Early 1400s] 4. Enlarge, especially a photograph, as in If we blow up this picture, you'll be able to make out the expressions on their faces. [c. 1930] 5.

Exaggerate the importance of something or someone, as in Tom has a tendency to blow up his own role in the affair. This term applies the "inflate" of def. 3 to importance. It was used in this sense in England from the early 1500s to the 1700s, but then became obsolete there although it remains current in America. 6. Collapse, fail, as in Graduate-student marriages often blow up soon after the couple earn their degrees. [Slang; mid-1800s]

blue

hand. In addition to the idioms beginning with BLUE, also see BETWEEN A ROCK AND

A HARD PLACE (DEVIL AND DEEP BLUE SEA); BLACK AND BLUE; BOLT FROM THE BLUE; HAVE THE BLUES; INTO THIN AIR (THE BLUE); LIKE GREASED LIGHTNING (A BLUE STREAK); ONCE IN A BLUE MOON; OUT OF A CLEAR BLUE SKY; TALK ONE'S ARM OFF (A BLUE STREAK; UNTIL BLUE IN THE FACE).

blue funk, in a

1. In a state of panic or terror. For example, Just because the bride's mother is late, you needn't get in a blue funk. This term originated in the mid-1700s as in a funk, the adjective blue, meaning "affected with fear or anxiety," being added a century later. 2. In a state of dejection, sad. For example, Anne has been in a blue funk since her dog died. This usage employs blue in the sense of "sad"?

a meaning that first emerged in the late 1300s. Also see HAVE THE BLUES.

blue in the face

body

hand. In addition to the idioms beginning with BODY, also see COME IN A BODY; KEEP

BODY AND SOUL TOGETHER; OVER MY DEAD BODY.

body blow

An action that causes severe damage, as in This last recession dealt a body blow to our whole industry. This term comes from boxing, where since the 18th century it has been used to refer to a punch that is landing between the opponent's chest and navel. [c. 1900]

body English

Movements of the body that express a person's feelings, as in His body English tells us just how tired he is. This expression originated about 1900 in such sports as bowling and ice hockey, where a player tries to influence the path of a ball or puck by moving his body in a particular direction. (It was based on the earlier use of English to mean "spin imparted to a ball.")

bog down

Become stuck, be unable to progress, as in Their research bogged down because they lacked the laboratory expertise. This expression transfers sinking into the mud of a swamp to being hampered or halted. [First half of 1900s]

boggle the mind

Bewilder or astonish with complexity, novelty, or the like, as in The very magnitude of the Milky Way boggles the mind. The source of this usage is unclear, as the verb to boggle has several other seemingly unrelated meanings?

to shy away, to hesitate, to bungle. [Second half of 1900s]

boil

hand. In addition to the idioms beginning with BOIL, also see MAKE ONE'S BLOOD

BOIL; WATCHED POT NEVER BOILS.

boil down

1.Simplify, summarize, or shorten, as in John finally managed to boil his thesis down to 200 pages.

2.boil down to. Be reducible to basic elements, be equivalent to. For example, What this issue boils down to is that the council doesn't want to spend more money. These metaphoric usages allude to reducing and concentrating a substance by boiling off liquid. [Late 1800s]

boiling point

A climax or crisis; a high degree of fury, excitement, or outrage. For example, The union's disgust with management has reached the boiling point. This metaphoric term alludes to the temperature at which water boils. [Second half of 1700s] 2. have a low boiling point. Become angry quite readily, as in

ONE'S FINGERS TO THE BONE.

bone of contention

Main issue of a disagreement; something to quarrel about. For example, Grandfather's will was a bone of contention for the whole family. This expression alludes to two dogs fighting (contending) over a single bone. In slightly different guise, bone of dissension, it was used figuratively in the 16th century and took its present form in the early 1700s.

bone to pick, have a

An unpleasant issue or grievance that needs discussion. For example, Concerning the room assignments, I have a bone to pick with you. This metaphoric term alludes to a dog worrying a bone. [Early 1500s]

bone up

Study intensely, as in I'll have to bone up on my Spanish if I'm to pass the language requirement.

The verb bone alone was used in this sense from the mid-1800s on, up being added later. [Slang; late 1800s]

bonnet

hand. see BEE IN ONE'S BONNET.

book

hand. see BALANCE THE BOOKS; BLACK BOOK; BRING TO BOOK; BY THE BOOK; CLOSED BOOK; CLOSE THE BOOKS; COOK THE BOOKS; CRACK A BOOK; HIT THE BOOKS; IN ONE'S BOOK; IN SOMEONE'S BAD GRACES (BOOKS); JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER; KEEP THE BOOKS; KNOW LIKE A BOOK; MAKE BOOK; NOSE IN A BOOK; ONE FOR THE BOOKS; OPEN BOOK; TAKE A LEAF OUT OF SOMEONE'S BOOK; THROW THE BOOK AT; WROTE THE BOOK ON.

boom

hand. see LOWER THE BOOM.

boot

hand. In addition to the idioms beginning with BOOT, also see DIE WITH ONE'S BOOTS

ON; GET THE AX (BOOT); KICK (BOOT) OUT; LICK SOMEONE'S BOOTS; PULL ONESELF UP (BY THE BOOTSTRAPS); QUAKE IN ONE'S BOOTS; TO BOOT; TOO BIG FOR ONE'S BREECHES (BOOTS); YOU CAN BET YOUR ASS (BOOTS). Also see under SHOE.

boot out

hand. see KICK OUT.

boot up

Start a computer, as in When you've booted up, it's best not to turn off the computer until you're done for the day. The term, dating from the late 1970s, was a shortening of bootstrap, another computer idiom referring to using one set of instructions to load another set of instructions. Also

see LOG IN.

bore to death Also, bore to tears or bore stiff or bore the pants off. Weary someone through extremely dull talk or uninteresting action. For example, Sam was bored stiff by the opera but didn't dare to admit it, or Carol bores the pants off me with her constant talk of remodeling, or His books bore me to death. All four expressions convey the idea of such exasperation that one dies, weeps, stiffens with annoyance, or has one's trousers removed. The verb bore has been used in this sense only since about 1750, and its etymology is unknown. The amplifications were added between about 1850 and 1950. Also see under PANTS OFF; TALK ONE'S ARM OFF.

born

hand. In addition to the idioms beginning with BORN, also see IN ALL ONE'S BORN

DAYS; NATURAL BORN; NOT BORN YESTERDAY; TO THE MANNER BORN.

born and bred

Born and educated in a single locale or social class. For example, Adam was a Bostonian, born and bred. Although the two words were paired earlier, the precise locution dates from the mid-1800s.

born under a lucky star

Very fortunate, as in Peter comes out ahead no matter what he tries; he was born under a lucky star. That stars influence human lives is an ancient idea, and lucky star was used by writers from Shakespeare to the present. The precise phrase appears in a compendium of English idioms compiled by

J. Burvenich in 1905. Also see THANK ONE'S LUCKY STARS.

born with a silver spoon

Born wealthy, or fortunate, or both, as in Paul can afford to go to medical school; he was born with a silver spoon. Although some authorities believe this phrase alludes to the custom of godparents giving their godchild a silver spoon, affordable only by rich persons, it is more likely that the spoon has come to symbolize wealth. [c. 1700]

born yesterday

hand. see NOT BORN YESTERDAY.

borrow

hand. In addition to the idiom beginning with BORROW, also see BEG, BORROW OR

STEAL; ON BORROWED TIME.

borrow trouble

Go out of one's way to do something that may be harmful, as in Just sign the will?

telling her about it ahead of time is borrowing trouble. [Mid-1800s] Also see ASK FOR, def. 2.

boss around

Tell someone what to do, give orders. For example, David complained that his older sister was always bossing him around. The use of boss in the sense of "to dominate" dates from the mid-1800s, and around was added a few decades later.

both

hand. In addition to the idioms beginning with BOTH, also see BEST OF BOTH

WORLDS; BURN THE CANDLE AT BOTH ENDS; CUT BOTH WAYS; FOOT IN BOTH CAMPS; HAVE IT BOTH WAYS; PLAY BOTH ENDS AGAINST THE MIDDLE; WORK BOTH SIDES OF THE STREET.

both barrels, with

With full force, as in When I scolded her for stealing, I let her have it with both barrels. This term alludes to firing with both barrels of a double-barreled shotgun. [Colloquial; mid-1900s]

bother, bothered

hand. see GO TO THE TROUBLE (BOTHER); HOT AND BOTHERED.

both feet on the ground, with

In a sensible, realistic, or practical manner. For example, You can count on Tom not to get cheated in that deal; he has both feet on the ground, or Jean is a dreamer, but her husband is a man with his feet on the ground. There is a related phrase, have both feet on the ground, meaning "to be practical or realistic." [Mid-1900s]

bottle

hand. In addition to the idiom beginning with BOTTLE, also see CRACK A BOTTLE; HIT

THE BOTTLE; NEW WINE IN OLD BOTTLES.

bottle up

Repress, contain, hold back; also, confine or trap. For example, The psychiatrist said Eve had been bottling up her anger for years, or The accident bottled up traffic for miles. This idiom likens other kinds of restraint to liquid being contained in a bottle. [Mid-1800s]

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