Meaning:
1 maccabees 
n.
an Apocryphal book describing the life of Judas Maccabaeus
B Idiom, Proverb
a babe in arms
a baby, a child who is still wet behind the ears Dar was just a babe in arms when we emigrated to Canada.
a babe in the woods
"a defenseless person; a naive, young person" He's just a babe in the woods. He needs someone to protect him.
a bad taste in my mouth
a feeling that something is false or unfair, a feeling of ill will I left the meeting with a bad taste in my mouth. There was a lot of dishonesty in the room.
a bad time
a lot of teasing, a rough time The class gave him a bad time about his pink shorts.
a ball-park figure
"a number that is near the total; approximate figure" Fifty is a ball-park figure. It's close to our class size.
a bar fly
a person who often goes to bars or lounges Every evening Penny goes to Lucifer's. She's quite a bar fly.
a bar star
a girl who goes to bars to drink and find friends Lola was known as a bar star at Pinky's Lounge.
a bare-faced lie
a deliberate lie, a planned lie His statement to the police was false - a bare-faced lie.
a barnburner
an exciting game, a cliff-hanger When the Flames play the Oilers it's a barnburner - a great game.
a barrel of laughs
a lot of fun, a person who makes you laugh Let's invite Chang to our party. He's a barrel of laughs.
a basket case
a person who is very nervous, in bad shape If Gloria has one more crisis, she'll be a basket case.
a bawling out
a scolding, a lecture, an earful, catch it When I forgot to do my chores Dad gave me a bawling out.
a bed of roses
an easy life, a pleasant place to work or stay Who said that retirement is a bed of roses?
a bee in her bonnet
upset, a bit angry, on edge Aunt Betsy was kind of cranky, like she had a bee in her bonnet.
a big rig
a big truck, a semi-trailer truck Do you have a driver's license? Have you ever driven a big rig?
a big shot
an important person, a boss, a big wheel On payday he spends money like a big shot, buying drinks for all.
a big wheel
a person with power, a big shot Bing has been acting like a big wheel since he got promoted.
a big wig
an important person, a president etc., VIP Barry is a big wig in Gulf Oil - a vice president or something.
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 bit at sea
a bit unsure, uncertain He seems a bit at sea since his brother died. They were close.
a bit off/a bit mental
not rational, unbalanced, one brick short Kate talks to the birds. Do you think she's a bit off?
a bitch
a complaining woman, a woman who nags What a bitch! She complains to us and criticizes her kids.
a bite to eat
a lunch, a snack We can grab a bite to eat at the arena. They sell snacks there.
a bitter pill
a negative event, a loss, a painful experience Divorce is a bitter pill for her. She believed in her marriage.
a black mark
a mark beside your name means you are bad If you cause an accident, you get a black mark beside your name.
a blackout (TV)
refusal to broadcast an event during that event A blackout is intended to encourage fans to attend an event.
a blackout (war)
a policy that requires lights to be turned off Blackouts prevented bombers from seeing their targets at night.
a blank look
eyes show that a person does not understand, the lights are on but... When I called her name, she gave me a blank look, as though she didn't know me.
a blast
a great time, a lot of fun The students were having a blast until the teacher walked in.
a blessing in disguise
a problem that becomes a benefit or advantage The rainstorm was a blessing in disguise. It stopped the fire.
a blow job
giving oral sex to a man, fellatio If you want a blow job, you'll have to shower first.
a blowout
to win by a large score, no contest """Did the Flames win?"" ""Ya, 11-2. It was a blowout."""
a bone to pick
something to argue about, a matter to discuss "Joe sounded angry when he said, ""I have a bone to pick with you."""
a breath of fresh air
a nice change, a new presence Having Lan around the house is a breath of fresh air - she's so nice.
a breath of wind
a breeze, a light wind In the evening, the lake was calm. There wasn't a breath of wind.
a brick
a dependable person, a friend who always helps Parveen helped me get through my divorce. She's a real brick!
a brick short
(See one brick short of a full load)
a budding genius
a child who appears to be very intelligent "The newspaper described Pam as ""a budding genius"" on the violin."
a bull in a China shop
"a big, reckless person in a room full of fragile things; cramp your style" Imagine a 300-pound football player at a tea party, and you have a bull in a China shop.
a bum rap
unfair blame, unjust sentence, take the rap It was a bum rap. Eddie didn't steal those paintings.
a bummer
an unfortunate event, bad luck, too bad """Somebody broke a window in his car and stole his stereo."" ""That's a bummer."""
a bun in the oven
pregnant, expecting a baby Mabel has a bun in the oven. The baby's due in April.
a bunch of malarkey
an untrue story, a lot of bunk, bull """Do you believe what the psychic said about your future?"" ""No. It's a bunch of malarkey."""
a bundle of nerves
"a very nervous person; uptight person" May has so many problems - she's just a bundle of nerves.
a chip off the old block
a boy who is like his dad, the apple doesn't... Eric is a chip off the old block. He's just like his dad.
a clean bill of health
a good report from the doctor, a good checkup You'll never get a clean bill of health if you eat fat meat!
a clutch hitter (baseball)
a batter who hits when runners are on base Joe's a clutch hitter. He's batting .431 with runners on base.
a cut above
superior, better A scholar's work is a cut above. It's superior to the others.
a dog's breakfast
a mixture of many things, a hodgepodge This book is a dog's breakfast. It contains a bit of everything.
a double-edged sword
a device that can help you and hurt you Truth is a double-edged sword. It can imprison me or set me free.