Written by An idiom is a group of words with a figurative meaning different from its literal meaning.
It is a phrase or expression which has a non-literal meaning attached to it.
We have already discussed idioms that begin with the letter A, so we will look at idioms that start with the letter ‘B’ in this post.
- Babe in arms
- Meaning – This is used to refer to a young child. It may refer to someone who is new or inexperienced in a particular field or activity.
- Examples:
- The new parents couldn’t believe how fast their babe in arms was growing.
- The company was hesitant to hire him as a consultant because he was thought to be a babe in arms when it came to the field of marketing.
- Babe in the woods
- Meaning – It refers to a person who is innocent, naive and inexperienced, especially in a difficult or dangerous situation. It is often used to describe someone who is in a helpless or complicated situation that he does not understand.
- Examples:
- Kingston is just a babe in the woods when it comes to investing, I don’t think he knows what he knows how to invest.
- She’s new to the city, she’s like a babe in the woods trying to navigate the public transportation system.
- Back the right horse
- Meaning – This is the direct opposite of the idiom back the wrong horse. It means to make the right choice and back someone or something that later succeeds.
- Examples:
- You’ve got to be careful when investing your money. Always back the right horse, and you’ll see a high return on your investment.
- You selected option A. Are you sure you backed the right horse?
- Back the wrong horse
- Meaning – To back the wrong horse is to make the wrong choice and back someone who later fails. It means you support a person or thing which later turns out to be the losing side.
- Examples:
- In all his years as a musician, he rarely backed the wrong horse.
- You really backed the wrong horse when you picked Ronaldo to win the FIFA Best Award—he wasn’t even among the top ten players.
- Back to square one
- Meaning – This means to start again from the beginning after making little or no progress. It means to be back to the start, after failing.
- Examples:
- He thought he had a solution to the problem, but it didn’t work out. Now he’s back to square one.
- Our plan didn’t work, so we are back to square one.
- Back to the drawing board
- Meaning – The idiom back to the drawing board means to start a project or plan over again, often because previous efforts were unsuccessful. It implies that one’s effort has failed, and one must revise and rethink his approach.
- Examples:
- The design of the new building was not approved by the city council, so we have to go back to the drawing board.
- The software developed by Tade had too many bugs, so he had to go back to the drawing board and start over.
- Back to the wall
- Meaning – To be back to the wall is to be in a very difficult situation with almost no way. It means to be in a bad situation with no beneficial options available for action.
- Examples:
- The soldier found himself with his back to the wall, surrounded by the enemy and with no way out.
- The small business owner was facing stiff competition and declining sales and felt like he had his back to the wall and nowhere to turn.
- Bad apple
- Meaning – This is used to refer to someone who adversely influences a group or situation. It is defined as someone who creates or causes trouble or influences others negatively.
- Examples:
- There’s always one bad apple in every group. We need to find out who is causing trouble and take care of it.
- The department was running smoothly until a bad apple was hired and started causing problems for everyone.
- The school was known for its high standards, but one bad apple spoiled the reputation by engaging in illegal activities.
- Bad hair day
- Meaning – This phrase is used to describe a day when things seem to be going wrong or not as planned. It is often used when someone is having a bad day.
- Examples:
- He was having a bad hair day and didn’t want to go out in public, so he stayed home.
- I overslept and spilt coffee on my shirt. It’s definitely a bad hair day for me.
- Ball is in your court now
- Meaning –This is used to tell someone that it is time for him to deal with a problem or make a decision because other people have helped him as much as they can. It is used to tell someone that it is now his turn to take action, make a decision or make a move.
- Examples:
- After he was presented with the proposal, my boss told me the ball is now in my court to come up with a plan to implement it.
- The seller made an offer on the house, now the ball is in the buyer’s court to decide whether to accept or counter the offer.
- Balls of fire
- Meaning – This is used to refer to someone who is hard-working, ambitious and very active. It can also refer to someone or something very energetic, enthusiastic and ambitious.
- Examples:
- When she walks into a room, she’s like a ball of fire and everyone can feel her energy.
- The new manager has been a ball of fire since day one, bringing fresh ideas and a lot of energy to the team.
- Balls of steel
- Meaning – This phrase is used to refer to someone who is extremely bold and courageous. The term is often used to refer to someone very brave, strong, courageous and audacious.
- Examples:
- In the face of danger, Jack didn’t flinch. He truly has balls of steel.
- He climbed the mountain with no fear at all. You can tell he has balls of steel.
- Balls to the wall
- Meaning – It means to do something with maximum effort or commitment. It means to give something maximum effort or to do something with full energy and dedication.
- Examples:
- Lilian was working on her project with balls to the wall, putting in extra hours and not stopping until it was complete.
- He was running the marathon with balls to the wall and didn’t stop until he crossed the finish line.
- Baptism by fire
- Meaning – This idiom is used to refer to a difficult first experience of something, or a harsh or difficult introduction or initiation into a new situation or experience. Please note that baptism by fire and baptism of fire means the same thing.
- Examples:
- On my first day of work, I was given multiple tasks to perform. It was a real Baptism of fire.
- The president’s first speech in front of the national assembly was a baptism of fire, as he was met with tough questions and criticism.
- Bark up the wrong tree
- Meaning – Barking up the wrong tree means to misunderstand or make a mistake about someone or something. It can also mean taking the wrong approach or following a false lead.
- Examples:
- If you think I stole your pen, you’re barking up the wrong tree.
- The detective was barking up the wrong tree when he thought the butler was the thief.
- Barrel of laughs
- Meaning – This refers to someone or something which provides a great amount of enjoyment and entertainment. It means someone or something is very funny and entertaining.
- Examples:
- The comedian’s stand-up act was a real barrel of laughs.
- I gather he’s a comedian. That must be why he is such a barrel of laughs.
- Barrel of monkeys
- Meaning – This is used to describe something very funny and amusing. That is, if something is a barrel of monkeys, then it is fun or entertaining.
- Examples:
- James thinks he’s a barrel of monkeys, but he’s not particularly entertaining.
- Going to the amusement park with my friends was always going to be a barrel of monkeys.
- Bat a thousand
- Meaning: This means achieving success at each attempt. It can also mean to achieve perfection in doing something.
- Examples:
- The CEO of XYZ company has been batting a thousand in negotiations, successfully closing deals one after another.
- I got an A in all my exams this semester. I am really batting a thousand this semester.
- Be a hundred years too early
- Meaning – If a person or thing is hundred years too early, then they are very young, immature or inexperienced as to be unable to achieve something.
- Examples:
- When David agree to fight Goliath, he was thought to be a hundred years too early to fight a Giant soldier Like Goliath. But, in the end, he conquered Goliath.
- The inventor’s proposal to use renewable energy sources was seen as being a hundred years too early.
- Beat around the bush
- Meaning – When someone is beating around the bush, it simply means that they are intentionally talking about a lot of unimportant things because they want to avoid talking about the main point. It means avoiding getting to the point or being evasive in speaking about a particular subject. It’s often used to describe someone who is avoiding answering a direct question or making a clear statement. Beat about the bush is the old form of beat around the bush.
- Examples:
- Stop beating around the bush and go straight to the main point.
- The student’s attempt to dodge the teacher’s question by beating around the bush was not successful, as the teacher persisted in getting a straightforward answer.
- Beat one’s brain out
- Meaning – This means to struggle to think about the solution to a problem. It means to use a lot of effort or to try very hard to solve a problem or think of something.
- Examples:
- Lilian was trying to beat her brain out for a solution to the puzzle, but it seemed impossible.
- He was beating his brain out trying to remember the name of the person he met yesterday.
- Beat the clock
- Meaning – This phrase means to finish a task or complete a process before the time limit expires. It means to finish something before a deadline.
- Examples:
- The runner was determined to beat the clock and set a new personal best time in the race.
- XYZ company managed to beat the clock on delivering its new system.
- Beat someone at their own game
- Meaning – As the name seems to imply, the idiom beat someone at their own game means to successfully use someone’s methods, strategies or tactics against them. It can also mean doing something more successfully than they do.
- Examples:
- The new company was able to beat its competitors at their own game by offering a similar product at a lower price.
- Emmanuel was able to beat the scam artist at his own game by pretending to fall for his trick and then calling the police.
- Before one can say Jack Robinson
- Meaning – Before you can say Jack Robinson is an idiom that is used to say that something happens very quickly or in a very short amount of time. It is used to express the idea of something happening very quickly or unexpectedly.
- Examples:
- Before i could say Jack Robinson, the thief ran away.
- The fire spread quickly. Before we could say Jack Robinson, the entire building was destroyed
- Best of the bunch
- Meaning – Best of the bunch is an idiom that means the best among a group or people. It is used to refer to the best or most preferred person or item within a group.
- Examples:
- Out of all the restaurants we visited on our trip, that Italian place was the best of the bunch.
- Having watched all the games at the World Cup, I can say for sure that Messi’s goal vs Mexico is the best of the bunch.
- Better safe than sorry
- Meaning – This is used to tell someone to be cautious and take precautions to avoid potential dangers or problems, rather than taking risks and regretting them later. It is used to say it is better to be careful now and prevent anything that will cause problems.
- Examples:
- The teacher’s advice to the student has always been the same “It is better safe than sorry”.
- Before going on a hike, it’s better to bring extra water and a map, even if the trail seems easy, because it’s better safe than sorry.
