Meaning:
1 chronicles
n.
the first of two Old Testament books telling the history of Judah and Israel until the return from the Babylonian Captivity in 536 BC
e 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 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 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 wheel
a person with power, a big shot Bing has been acting like a big wheel since he got promoted.
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 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 blessing in disguise
a problem that becomes a benefit or advantage The rainstorm was a blessing in disguise. It stopped the fire.
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 budding genius
a child who appears to be very intelligent "The newspaper described Pam as ""a budding genius"" on the violin."
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 case of
an example of, it's a case of Look at Bosnia. That's a case of ethnic civil war.
a cheap drunk
a person who gets drunk on one or two drinks Jo admits she's a cheap drunk. Her limit is two drinks.
a checkup
a doctor's examination, a medical examination If you aren't feeling well, go to the doctor for a checkup.
a chicken in every pot
enough food for every family No one will be hungry if there's a chicken in every pot.
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 chunk of change
a large amount of money, a few grand, big bucks I bet that condo cost him a chunk o' change - 300 grand at least.
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 cliff-hanger
a game that is close until the end, a barnburner Every election in this town is a real cliff-hanger - a close race.
a close call
close to danger or an accident That was a close call. The train nearly hit the bus!
a close shave
very close to serious injury or death The old man described his fight with the bear as a close shave.
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 common thread
an idea or theme that is similar to others There's a common thread in most of Berton's stories.
a coon's age
many years, a dog's age We haven't been out to the coast in a coon's age. It's been years.
a crash course
a short course that has the main facts and skills He took a crash course in cooking and bought a cafe.
a crying shame
a sad event, it is too bad It's a crying shame that they didn't have fire insurance.
a cut above
superior, better A scholar's work is a cut above. It's superior to the others.
a dead giveaway
a clear signal, an obvious sign The smile on her face was a dead giveaway that she got the job.
a dead heat
a race that finishes in a tie for first, dead even A photograph of the finish line proved that it was a dead heat.
a dead loss
a complete loss, a write-off (see write it off) The spoiled meat was a dead loss. We couldn't eat any of it.
a dead ringer
a very close likeness, like a twin Chad is a dead ringer for Mel Gibson. They look like twins.
a different kettle of fish
different, not the same A cult is not a religion. A cult is a different kettle of fish entirely.
a dime a dozen
very cheap, low priced, dirt cheap He can remember when eggs were cheap - a dime a dozen.
a dog's age
a long time, 10-15 years, a coon's age Mel! I haven't seen you for a dog's age - at least ten years!
a dog's breakfast
a mixture of many things, a hodgepodge This book is a dog's breakfast. It contains a bit of everything.