Adam Makkai - Словарь американских идиом: 8000 единиц

[beat up] {v.} , {informal} To give a hard beating to; hit hard and much; thrash; whip. •/ When the new boy first came, he had to beat up several neighborhood bullies before they would leave him alone. / — Used with "on" in substandard speech. •/ The tough boy said to Bill, "If you come around here again, I’ll beat up on you." /

[beauty sleep] {n.} A nap or rest taken to improve the appearance. •/ She took her beauty sleep before the party. / •/ Many famous beauties take a beauty sleep every day. /

[beaver] {n.} , {slang} , {vulgar} , {avoidable} , {citizen’s band radio jargon} A female, especially one driving along the highway and operating a CB radio. •/ I didn’t know there was a beaver aboard that eighteen wheeler. /

[because of] {prep.} On account of; by reason of; as a result of. •/ The train arrived late because of the snowstorm. /

[beck]See: AT ONE’S BECK AND CALL.

[become of] {v. phr.} To happen to; befall. •/ What will become of the children, now that both parents are in jail? /

[bed]See: GET UP ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE BED, GO TO BED WITH THE CHICKENS, MAKE ONE’S BED AND LIE IN IT, PUT TO BED.

[bed of nails] {n. phr.} A difficult or unhappy situation or set of circumstances. •/ "There are days when my job is a regular bed of nails," Jim groaned. / Contrast: BED OF ROSES.

[bed of roses]or [bowl of cherries] {n. phr.} A pleasant easy place, job, or position; an easy life. •/ A coal miner’s job is not a bed of roses. / •/ After nine months of school, summer camp seemed a bowl of cherries. / Compare: IN CLOVER, LIFE OF RILEY.

[bed of thorns] {n. phr.} A thoroughly unhappy time or difficult situation. •/ I’m sorry I changed jobs; my new one turned out to be a bed of thorns. / See: BED OF NAILS.

[bee]See: BIRDS AND THE BEES.

[beef about] {v. phr.} To complain about something. •/ Stop beefing about your job, Jack. You could have done a lot worse! /

[beef up] {v.} , {informal} To make stronger by adding men or equipment; make more powerful; reinforce. •/ The general beefed up his army with more big guns and tanks. / •/ The university beefed up the football coaching staff by adding several good men. /

[bee in one’s bonnet] {n. phr.} , {informal} A fixed idea that seems fanciful, odd, or crazy. •/ Robert Fulton had a bee in his bonnet about a steamboat. / •/ Grandmother has some bee in her bonnet about going to the dance. /

[beeline]See: MAKE A BEELINE FOR.

[be even-Steven] {v. phr.} To be in a position of owing no favors or debt to someone. •/ Yesterday you paid for my lunch, so today I paid for yours; now we’re even-Steven. /

[before long] {adv. phr.} In a short time; without much delay; in a little while, soon. •/ Class will be over before long. / •/ We were tired of waiting and hoped the bus would come before long. /

[before one can say Jack Robinson] {adv. clause} , {informal} Very quickly; suddenly. — An overused phrase. •/ Before I could say Jack Robinson, the boy was gone. / Compare: IN A FLASH, RIGHT AWAY.

[before swine]See: CAST PEARLS BEFORE SWINE or CAST ONE’S PEARLS BEFORE SWINE.

[before you know it] {adv. phr.} Sooner than one would expect. •/ Don’t despair; we’ll be finished with this work before you know it! /

[beg]See: BEGGING.

[be game] {v. phr.} To be cooperative, willing, sporting. •/ When I asked Charlie to climb Mount McKinley with us, he said he was game if we were. /

[beggars can’t be choosers]People who can not choose what they will have, must accept what they get; if you are not in control, you must take what you can gel. •/ We wanted to leave on the train in the morning but it doesn’t go until afternoon, so we must go then. Beggars can’t he choosers. / •/ Mary got a red dress from her sister, although she didn’t like red. She kept it because she said beggars should not be choosers. / Compare: LOOK A GIFT HORSE IN THE MOUTH.

[begin with] {adv. phr.} As a preliminary statement; in the first place. •/ To begin with, you are far too young to get married. /

[beg off] {v.} To ask to be excused. •/ Father told Tom to rake the yard, but Tom tried to beg off. / •/ Mrs. Crane accepted an invitation to a luncheon, but a headache made her beg off. / Compare: BACK OUT.

[beg the question] {v. phr.} , {literary} To accept as true something that is still being argued about, before it is proved true; avoid or not answer a question or problem. •/ The girls asked Miss Smith if they should wear formal dresses to the party; Miss Smith said they were begging the question because they didn’t know yet if they could get permission for a party. / •/ Laura told Tom that he must believe her argument because she was right. Father laughed and told Laura she was begging the question. / Compare: TAKE FOR GRANTED.

[behalf]See: IN BEHALF OF or ON BEHALF OF, IN ONE’S BEHALF or ON ONE’S BEHALF.

[behavior]See: ON ONE’S GOOD BEHAVIOR.

[be hard on] {v. phr.} To be strict or critical with another; be severe. •/ "Don’t be so hard on Jimmy," Tom said. "He is bound to rebel as he gets older." /

[behind]See: DRY BEHIND THE EARS, FALL BEHIND, GET BEHIND, HANG BACK or HANG BEHIND.

[behind bars] {adv. phr.} In jail; in prison. •/ He was a pickpocket and had spent many years behind bars. / •/ That boy is always in trouble and will end up behind bars. /

[behind one’s back] {adv. phr.} When one is absent; without one’s knowledge or consent; in a dishonest way; secretly; sneakily. •/ Say it to his face, not behind his back. / •/ It is not right to criticize a person behind his back. / Contrast: TO ONE’S FACE.

[behind the eight-ball] {adj. phr.} , {slang} In a difficult position; in trouble. •/ Mr. Thompson is an older man, and when he lost his job, he found he was behind the eight-ball. / •/ Bill can’t dance and has no car, so he is behind the eight-ball with the girls. / Compare: HAVE TWO STRIKES AGAINST ONE(2), IN A HOLE.

[behind the scenes] {adv. phr.} Out of sight; unknown to most people; privately. •/ Much of the banquet committee s work was done behind the scenes. / •/ John was president of the club, but behind the scenes Lee told him what to do. /

[behind the times] {adj. phr.} Using things not in style; still following old ways; old-fashioned. •/ Johnson’s store is behind the times. / •/ The science books of 30 years ago are behind the times now. / •/ Mary thinks her parents are behind the times because they still do the foxtrot and don’t know any new dances. /

[behind time] {adv.} or {adj. phr.} 1a. Behind the correct time; slow. •/ That clock is behind time. / 1b. Behind schedule; late. •/ The train is running behind time today. / 2. Not keeping up; not at the proper time; overdue. •/ Your lessons are good, but why are you behind time? / •/ We are behind time in paying the rent. / Contrast: AHEAD OF TIME, IN TIME, ON TIME.

[be-in] {n.} , {slang} , {hippie culture} A gathering or social occasion with or without a discernible purpose, often held in a public place like a park or under a large circus tent. •/ The youngsters really enjoyed the great springtime jazz be-in at the park. /

[be in a stew] {v. phr.} To be worried, harassed, upset. •/ Al has been in a stew ever since he got word that his sister was going to marry his worst enemy. /

[being]See: FOR THE TIME BEING.

[be in labor] {v. phr.} To be in parturition; experience the contractions of childbirth. •/ Vane had been in labor for eight hours before her twin daughters were finally born. /

[be in someone else’s shoes] {v. phr.} To be in someone else’s situation. •/ Fred has had so much trouble recently that we ought to be grateful we’re not in his shoes. /

[be into something] {v. phr.} , {informal} To have taken something up partly as a nobby, partly as a serious interest of sorts (basically resulting from the new consciousness and self-realization movement that originated in the late Sixties). •/ Roger’s wife is into women’s liberation and women’s consciousness. / •/ Did you know that Syd is seriously into transcendental meditation? / •/ Jack found out that his teenage son is into pot smoking and gave him a serious scolding. /

[be itching to] {v. phr.} To have a very strong desire to do something. •/ Jack is itching to travel abroad. /

[be it so]See: SO BE IT.

[belabor the point] {v. phr.} To overexplain something to the point of obviousness, resulting in ridicule. •/ "Lest I belabor the point," the teacher said, "I must repeat the importance of teaching good grammar in class." /

[belfry]See: BATS IN ONE’S BELFRY or BATS IN THE BELFRY.

[believe]See: MAKE BELIEVE, SEEING IS BELIEVING.

[believe one’s ears] {v. phr.} 1. To believe what one hears; trust one’s hearing. — Used with a negative or limiter, or in an interrogative or conditional sentence. •/ He thought he heard a horn blowing in the distance, but he could not believe his ears. / 2. To be made sure of (something). •/ Is he really coming? I can hardly believe my ears. /

[believe one’s eyes] {v. phr.} 1. To believe what one sees; trust one’s eyesight. — Used with a negative or limiter or in an interrogative or conditional sentence. •/ Is that a plane? Can I believe my eyes? / 2. To be made sure of seeing something. •/ She saw him there but she could hardly believe her eyes. /

[bell]See: RING A BELL, WITH BELLS ON.

[bellyache] {v.} To constantly complain. •/ Jim is always bellyaching about the amount of work he is required to do. /

[belly up] {adj.} , {informal} Dead, bankrupt, or financially ruined. •/ Tom and Dick struggled on for months with their tiny computer shop, but last year they went belly up. /

[belly up] {v.} , {informal} To go bankrupt, become afunctional; to die. •/ Uncompetitive small businesses must eventually all belly up. /