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[bird of a different feather] <n. phr.> A person who is free thinking and independent. * /Syd won't go along with recent trends in grammar; he created his own. He is a bird of a different feather./

[birds of a feather flock together] People who are alike often become friends or are together; if you are often with certain people, you may be their friends or like them. - A proverb. * /Don't be friends with bad boys. People think that birds of a feather flock together./

[birds and the bees (the)] <n. phr.>, <informal> The facts we should know about our birth. * /At various ages, in response to questions, a child can be told about the birds and the bees./

[bird watcher] <n.> A person whose hobby is to study birds close-up in their outdoor home. * /A bird watcher looks for the first robin to appear in the spring./

[birthday suit] <n.> The skin with no clothes on; complete nakedness. * /The little boys were swimming in their birthday suits./

[bit] See: A BIT, CHAMP AT THE BIT, FOUR BITS, QUITE A LITTLE or QUITE A BIT, SIX BITS, TAKE THE BIT IN ONE'S MOUTH, TWO BITS.

[bitch] See: SON OF A BITCH.

[bite] See: BARK WORSE THAN ONE'S BITE, PUT THE BITE ON, ONCE BITTEN, TWICE SHY at BURNT CHILD DREADS THE FIRE.

[bite off more than one can chew] <v. phr.>, <informal> To try to do more than you can; be too confident of your ability. * /He bit off more than he could chew when he agreed to edit the paper alone./ * /He started to repair his car himself, but realized that he had bitten off more than he could chew./

[bite one's head off] <v. phr.> To answer someone in great anger; answer furiously. * /I'm sorry to tell you that I lost my job, but that's no reason to bite my head off!/

[bite one's lips] <v. phr.> To force oneself to remain silent and not to reveal one's feelings. * /I had to bite my lips when I heard my boss give the wrong orders./

[bite the dust] <v. phr.>, <informal> 1. To be killed in battle. * /Captain Jones discharged his gun and another guerrilla bit the dust./ 2. To fall in defeat; go down before enemies; be overthrown; lose. * /Our team bit the dust today./

[bite the hand that feeds one] <v. phr.> To turn against or hurt a helper or supporter; repay kindness with wrong. * /He bit the hand that fed him when he complained against his employer./

[bitter] See: TO THE BITTER END.

[bitter pill] <n.> Something hard to accept; disappointment. * /Jack was not invited to the party and it was a bitter pill for him./

[black] See: BLACK AND WHITE, IN THE BLACK, LOOK BLACK, POT CALLS THE KETTLE BLACK.

[black and blue] <adj.> Badly bruised. * /Poor Jim was black and blue after he fell off the apple tree./

[black and white] <n. phr.> 1. Print or writing; words on paper, not spoken; exact written or printed form. * /He insisted on having the agreement down in black and white./ * /Mrs. Jones would not believe the news, so Mr. Jones showed her the article in the newspaper and said, "There it is in black and white."/ 2. The different shades of black and white of a simple picture, rather than other colors. * /He showed us snapshots in black and white./

[black-and-white] <adj.> Divided into only two sides that are either right or wrong or good or bad, with nothing in between; thinking or judging everything as either good or bad. * /Everything is black-and-white to Bill; if you're not his friend, you are his enemy./ * /The old man's religion shows his black-and-white thinking; everything is either completely good or completely bad./

[black day] <n.> A day of great unhappiness; a disaster. * /It was a black day when our business venture collapsed./

[black eye] <n.> 1. A dark area around one's eye due to a hard blow during a fight, such as boxing. * /Mike Tyson sported a black eye after the big fight./ 2. Discredit. * /Bob's illegal actions will give a black eye to the popular movement he started./

[blackout] <n.> 1. The darkening of a city curing an air raid by pulling down all curtains and putting out all street lights. * /The city of London went through numerous blackouts during World War II./ 2. A cessation of news by the mass media. * /There was a total news blackout about the kidnapping of the prime minister./

[black out] <v.> 1. To darken by putting out or dimming lights, * /In some plays the stage is blacked out for a short time and the actors speak in darkness./ * /In wartime, cities are blacked out to protect against bombing from planes./ 2. To prevent or silence information or communication; refuse to give out truthful news. * /In wartime, governments often black out all news or give out false news./ * /Dictators usually black out all criticism of the government./ * /Some big games are blacked out on television to people who live nearby./ 3. <informal> To lose consciousness; faint. * /It had been a hard and tiring day, and she suddenly blacked out./

[black sheep] <n.> A person in a family or a community considered unsatisfactory or disgraceful. * /My brother Ted is a high school dropout who joined a circus; he is the black sheep in our family./

[blame] See: TO BLAME.

[blank check] <n.> 1. A bank check written to a person who can then write in how much money he wants. * /John's father sent him a blank check to pay his school bills./ 2. <informal> Permission to another person to do anything he decides to do. * /The teacher gave the pupils a blank check to plan the picnic./

[blanket] See: WET BLANKET.

[blast off] <v.> 1. To begin a rocket flight. * /The astronaut will blast off into orbit at six o'clock./ 2. Also [blast away] <informal> To scold or protest violently. * /The coach blasted off at the team for poor playing./

[blaze a trail] <v. phr.> 1. To cut marks in trees in order to guide other people along a path or trail, especially through a wilderness. * /Daniel Boone blazed a trail for other hunters to follow in Kentucky./ 2. To lead the way; make a discovery; start something new. * /Henry Ford blazed a trail in manufacturing automobiles./ * /The building of rockets blazed a trail to outer space./ See: TRAILBLAZER.

[bleep out] See: BLIP OUT.

[bless one's heart] <v. phr.> To thank someone; consider one the cause of something good that has happened. * /Aunt Jane, bless her heart, left me half a million dollars!/

[blessing] See: MIXED BLESSING.

[blind] See: FLY BLIND.

[blind alley] <n.> 1. A narrow street that has only one entrance and no exit. * /The blind alley ended in a brick wall./ 2. A way of acting that leads to no good results. * /John did not take the job because it was a blind alley./ * /Tom thought of a way to do the algebra problem, but he found it was a blind alley./

[blind as a bat/beetle/mole/owl] <adj. phr.> Anyone who is blind or has difficulty in seeing; a person with very thick glasses. * /Without my glasses I am blind as a bat./

[blind date] <n.> An engagement or date arranged by friends for people who have not previously known one another. * /A blind date can be a huge success, or a big disappointment./

[blind leading the blind] One or more people who do not know or understand something trying to explain it to others who do not know or understand. * /Jimmy is trying to show Bill how to skate. The blind are leading the blind./

[blind spot] <n.> 1. A place on the road that a driver cannot see in the rearview mirror. * /I couldn't see that truck behind me, Officer, because it was in my blind spot./ 2. A matter or topic a person refuses to discuss or accept. * /My uncle Ted has a real blind spot about religion./

[blink] See: ON THE BLINK.

[blip out] or [bleep out] <v. phr.>, <informal> To delete electronically a word on television or on radio either because it mentions the name of an established firm in a commercial or because it is a censored word not allowed for television audiences, resulting in a sound resembling the word "bleep." * /What was the old product they compared Spic-n-Span to? - I don't know; they've bleeped it out./

[blitz] See: SAFETY BLITZ.

[block] See: CHIP OFF THE OLD BLOCK, KNOCK ONE'S BLOCK OFF, ON THE BLOCK.

[blockhead] <n.>, <informal> An unusually dense, or stupid person whose head is therefore exaggeratedly compared to a solid block of wood. * /Joe is such a blockhead that he flunked every course as a freshman./

[blood] See: DRAW BLOOD, FLESH AND BLOOD, IN COLD BLOOD, IN ONE'S BLOOD or INTO ONE'S BLOOD, MAKE ONE'S BLOOD BOIL or MAKE THE BLOOD BOIL, NEW BLOOD, OUT OF ONE'S BLOOD, RUN IN THE BLOOD or RUN IN THE FAMILY, SPORTING BLOOD, SWEAT BLOOD, WARM ONE'S BLOOD.

[blood and thunder] <n. phr.> The violence and bloodshed of stories that present fast action rather than understanding of character. * /Crime movies and westerns usually have lots of blood and thunder./ Often used like an adjective. * /John likes to watch blood-and-thunder stories on television./

[blood freezes] See: BLOOD RUNS COLD.

[blood is thicker than water] Persons of the same family are closer to one another than to others; relatives are favored or chosen over outsiders. * /Mr. Jones hires his relatives to work in his store. Blood is thicker than water./

[blood runs cold] also [blood freezes] or [blood turns to ice] You are chilled or shivering from great fright or horror; you are terrified or horrified. - Usually used with a possessive. * /The horror movie made the children's blood run cold./ * /Mary's blood froze when she had to walk through the cemetery at night./ * /Oscar's blood turned to ice when he saw the shadow pass by outside the window./ Compare: HAIR STAND ON END, THE CREEPS.

[blood turns to ice] See: BLOOD RUNS COLD.

[bloody] See: SCREAM BLOODY MURDER.

[blot out] <v. phr.> 1. To obstruct; cover; obscure. * /The high-rise building in front of our apartment house blots out the view of the ocean./ 2. To wipe out of one's memory. * /Jane can't remember the details when she was attacked in the streets; she blotted it out of her memory./

[blow] See: AT A BLOW, BODY BLOW, COME TO BLOWS, IT'S AN ILL WIND THAT BLOWS NOBODY GOOD, WAY THE WIND BLOWS or HOW THE WIND BLOWS.

[blow a fuse] or [blow a gasket] or [blow one's top] or [blow one's stack] <v. phr.>, <slang> To become extremely angry; express rage in hot words. * /When Mr. McCarthy's son got married against his wishes, he blew a fuse./ * /When the umpire called Joe out at first, Joe blew his top and was sent to the showers./ Syn.: BLOW UP(1b), FLIP ONE'S LID, LOSE ONE'S TEMPER. Compare: BLOW OFF STEAM(2).

[blow great guns] See: GREAT GUNS.

[blow hot and cold] <v. phr.> To change your ways or likes often; be fickle or changeable. * /Tom blows hot and cold about coming out for the baseball team; he cannot decide./ * /Mary blew hot and cold about going to college; every day she changed her mind./ * /The boys will get tired of Ann's blowing hot and cold./

[blow in] <v.>, <slang> To arrive unexpectedly or in a carefree way. * /The house was already full of guests when Bill blew in./ Compare SHOW UP(3).

[blow into] <v.>, <slang> To arrive at (a place) unexpectedly or in a carefree way. * /Bill blows into college at the last minute after every vacation./ * /Why Tom, when did you blow into town?/

[blow off steam] See: LET OFF STEAM.

[blow one's brains out] <v. phr.> 1. To shoot yourself in the head. * /Mr. Jones lost all his wealth, so he blew his brains out./ 2. <slang> To work very hard; overwork yourself. * /The boys blew their brains out to get the stage ready for the play./ * /Mary is not one to blow her brains out./ Compare: BREAK ONE'S NECK.

[blow one's cool] <v. phr.>, <slang>, <informal> To lose your composure or self-control. * /Whatever you say to the judge in court, make sure that you don't blow your cool./

[blow one's lines] or [fluff one's lines] <v. phr.>, <informal> To forget the words you are supposed to speak while acting in a play. * /The noise backstage scared Mary and she blew her lines./

[blow one's mind] <v. phr.>, <slang>, <informal>; <originally from the drug culture> 1. To become wildly enthusiastic over something as if understanding it for the first time in an entirely new light. * /Read Lyall Watson's book "Supernature", it will simply blow your mind!/ 2. To lose one's ability to function, as if due to an overdose of drugs, * /Joe is entirely incoherent - he seems to have blown his mind./ Contrast: BLOW ONE'S COOL.

[blow one's own horn] or [toot one's own horn] <v. phr.>, <slang> To praise yourself; call attention to your own skill, intelligence, or successes; boast. * /People get tired of a man who is always blowing his own horn./ * /A person who does things well does not have to toot his own horn; his abilities will be noticed by others./

[blow one's top] <v. phr.> To become very excited, angry, hysterical, or furious. * /"No need to blow your top, Al," his wife said, "just because you lost a few dollars."/

[blow out] <v. phr.> 1. To cease to function; fail; explode (said of tires and fuses). * /The accident occurred when Jim's tire blew out on the highway./ * /The new dishwasher blew out the fuses in the whole house./ 2. To extinguish. * /Jane blew out her birthday cake candles before offering pieces to the guests./

[blowout] <n.> 1. An explosion of a tire or a fuse. * /Jim's van veered sharply to the right after his car had a blowout./ 2. A big party. * /After graduation from college, my son and his friends staged a huge blowout./

[blow over] <v.> To come to an end; pass away with little or no bad effects. * /The sky was black, as if a bad storm were coming, but it blew over and the sun came out./ * /They were bitter enemies for a while, but the quarrel blew over./ * /He was much criticized for the divorce, but it all blew over after a few years./

[blow taps] <v. phr.> To sound the final bugle call of the evening in a camp or military base. * /After taps is blown the boy scouts go to their bunks to sleep./

[blow the gaff] <v. phr.> To open one's mouth to reveal a secret. * /When Al cheated on his wife, his younger brother blew the gaff on him./

[blow the lid off] <v. phr.>, <informal> Suddenly to reveal the truth about a matter that has been kept as a secret either by private persons or by some governmental agency. * /The clever journalists blew the lid off the Watergate cover-up./

[blow the whistle on] <v. phr.>, <slang> 1. To inform against; betray. * /The police caught one of the bank robbers, and he blew the whistle on two more./ 2. To act against, stop, or tell people the secrets of (crime or lawlessness). * /The mayor blew the whistle on gambling./ * /The police blew the whistle on hot reading./

[blow up] <v.> 1a. To break or destroy or to be destroyed by explosion. * /He blew up the plane by means of a concealed bomb./ * /The fireworks factory blew up when something went wrong in an electric switch./ 1b. <informal> To explode with anger or strong feeling; lose control of yourself. * /When Father bent the nail for the third time, he blew up./ Compare: BLOW A FUSE. 1c. To stop playing well in a game or contest, usually because you are in danger of losing or are tired; <especially>: To lose skill or control in pitching baseball. * /The champion blew up and lost the tennis match./ * /Our team was behind but the pitcher on the other team blew up and we got the winning runs./ 2. <informal> To be ruined as if by explosion; be ended suddenly. * /The whole scheme for a big party suddenly blew up./ 3a. To pump full of air; inflate. * /He blew his tires up at a filling station./ 3b. To make (something) seem bigger or important. * /It was a small thing to happen but the newspapers had blown it up until it seemed important./ 4. To bring on bad weather; also, to come on as bad weather. * /The wind had blown up a storm./ * /A storm had blown up./ 5. To copy in bigger form; enlarge. * /He blew up the snapshot to a larger size./