B
Idioms beginning with "B"
Part of speech, explanation, example sentences, pronunciation
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Contents of B:
[brown paper bag] {n.}, {slang}, {citizen's band radio jargon}
An unmarked police car.
The beaver got a Christmas card because she didn't notice the brown paper bag at her back door.
See: [PLAIN WHITE WRAPPER].
[brown study] {n. phr.}
A time of deep thought about something; a deep thoughtful mood.
When his wife found him, he had pushed away his books and was in a brown study.
[brown-bagger] {n.}, {slang}, {informal}
A person who does not go to the cafeteria or to a restaurant for lunch at work, but who brings his homemade lunch to work in order to save money.
* /John became a brown-bagger not because he can't afford the […]
[brown-nose] {v.}, {slang}, {avoidable}, {though gaining in acceptance}
To curry favor in a subservient way, as by obviously exaggerated flattery.
Max brown-noses his teachers, that's why he gets all A's in his courses.
Compare: [POLISH THE APPLE].
[brush aside] {v. phr.}
To ignore; give no reply.
Brushing aside the editor's comments, the young novelist proceeded with his story, which was subsequently rejected by the publisher.
[brush back] {v.}
To throw a baseball pitch close to.
The pitcher threw a high inside pitch to brush the batter back.
Syn.: [DUST OFF].
[brush off] or [give the brush off] {v. phr.}
1. To refuse to hear or believe; quickly and impatiently; not take seriously or think important.
John brushed off Bill's warning that he might fall from the tree.
* /I said that it might rain and to […]
[brush up] or [brush up on] {v.}
To refresh one's memory of or skill at by practice or review; improve; make perfect.
She spent the summer brushing up on her American History as she was to teach that in the fall.
* /He brushed up his target […]