us Idiom
a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush
having one is better than seeing many When searching for a better job, remember A bird in the hand... .
a budding genius
a child who appears to be very intelligent "The newspaper described Pam as ""a budding genius"" on the violin."
a crush on
sudden feeling of love or romance Judy has a crush on Tim. See the way she looks at him.
a dust-up
"a fight, a skirmish; set-to" The boys argued and had a little dust-up, but no one got hurt.
a foregone conclusion
a certain conclusion, a predictable result That he'll graduate is a foregone conclusion. He is a good student.
a full house (cards)
a pair plus three of a kind, e.g., 2 kings and 3 aces In our last game of poker, you dealt me a full house.
a grandfather clause
a written statement that protects a senior worker They can't demote him because he has a grandfather clause.
a household name
"a name everyone knows; name of a famous person" Mario Lemieux, the hockey star, soon became a household name.
a lost cause
a goal or project that is not worth working for That video store is a lost cause. It has never made a profit.
a picture is worth a thousand words
a picture is easier to understand than a report or essay Instead of more talk, I'll draw thousand words a diagram. A picture is worth a thousand words.
an offer I couldn't refuse
an offer that contains a threat or force, a request that is a command The border guards invited me to stay for further questioning - it was an offer I couldn't refuse.
as busy as a beaver
very busy, working steadily When the teacher returned, the students were as busy as beavers.
as poor as a church mouse
very poor, having little, the wolf is at the door How can they refuse to help her? She's as poor as a church mouse.
as useless as a fifth wheel
not useful, not needed, redundant, (four wheels are sufficient) I sat there watching the four of them play bridge, and feeling as useless as a fifth wheel.
as useless as tits on a boar
not useful, not necessary, having no function Our toenails are useless - as useless as tits on a boar.
as usual
most of the time, as is the custom As usual, she forgot to bring her book to class.
at first blush
when first seen, without careful study At first blush he seemed like a good worker but later we had many problems with him.
backpack (business)
support, be the parent company First, GM backpacked Saab. Then they bought the company.
basta la musica
stop the music, do not play the music """Basta la musica!"" Papa shouted. ""It's too loud!"""
bat a thousand
hit every time at bat, win every competition I've had two interviews and two offers. I'm batting a thousand!
be used to (+Ving/noun)
" be accustomed to; not uncomfortable with."
beat around the bush
speak indirectly or evasively Stop beating around the bush and give us your final decision.
bird in the hand is worth two in the bush
one shouldn
bite the dust
be killed, break down, be defeated I think that my car has finally bitten the dust.
blow snakes (music)
play great jazz, improvise creatively I went to hear jazz at the club, and Guido was blowing snakes.
bright eyed and bushy tailed
frisky, lively, full of life Perry is bright eyed and bushy tailed tonight. He looks rested.
bring the house down
cause much laughter in the audience The comedian brought the house down with his jokes about the lost dog.
brush cut
short, level haircut - like a brush on top Your brush cut looks great - nice and flat on top.
brush it off
not let it bother you, not be concerned When Erik criticizes my family, I just brush it off and walk away.
brush-off
(See give him the brush-off)
brush up on
"review, relearn or practise; bone up on" The teacher said I should brush up on my spelling - try to improve.
brush up on something
review something one has already learned I
brush with death
nearly die, at death's door, on my deathbed After a close brush with death you'll think that life is precious.
brush with the law
an illegal act, a minor crime Judd told me about his brush with the law - a shoplifting charge.
budding genius
(See a budding genius)
build a better mousetrap
improve a common product If you're not an inventor, you try to build a better mousetrap.
built like a brick shithouse
have a strong body, have a sturdy build Tyronne plays football. He's built like a brick shithouse.
bum's rush
(See the bum's rush)
bush telegraph
street gossip, through the grapevine Arne gets the news through the bush telegraph. People tell him.
bushed
" very tired; exhausted."
bushwhack
stop you and rob you, jump, mugged When he stopped to camp by the stream, two guys bushwhacked him - stole his money and horse.
business as usual
everything is normal, nothing has changed The morning after the holdup, it was business as usual at the bank.
bust my butt
work very hard, work my fingers to the bone She busts her butt to earn a good wage, and he spends it.
bust out
escape, get away, break out Hey, man. I can bust out of here if you have a rope.
busted
charged by the police, arrested Shane got busted for trafficking. He sold cocain to some kids.
busy as a beaver
(See as busy as a beaver)
captain of industry
a top corporation officer The president of our company was a captain of industry and after he retired he was appointed to many government boards.
cascade (business)
allow information to flow down to the employees Archie thinks we should control this information, not cascade it.
catch a plane/bus/train
go to the airport and get on the plane After the meeting, you can catch the plane to Toronto.
collecting dust
not used for a long time, idle, gathering dust """Where's the silver tray?"" ""On the shelf, collecting dust."""
