[beat the rap] <v. phr.> To escape the legal penalty one ought to receive. * /In spite of the strong evidence against him, the prisoner beat the rap and went free./

[beat the shit out of] <v. phr.>, <vulgar>, <avoidable> See: KNOCK THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS OUT OF.

[beat time] <v. phr.> To follow the rhythm of a piece of music by moving one's fingers or feet. * /Jack was beating time with his foot during the concert, which annoyed his neighbor./

[beat to] <v.>, <informal> To do something before someone else does it. * /I was waiting to buy a ticket but only one ticket was left, and another man beat me to it./ * /We were planning to send a rocket into space but the Russians beat us to it./ Compare: GET THE JUMP ON.

[beat to the punch] or [beat to the draw] <v. phr.>, <slang> To do something before another person has a chance to do it. * /John was going to apply for the job, but Ted beat him to the draw./ * /Lois bought the dress before Mary could beat her to the punch./

[beat up] <v.>, <informal> To give a hard beating to; hit hard and much; thrash; whip. * /When the new boy first came, he had to beat up several neighborhood bullies before they would leave him alone./ Used with "on" in substandard speech. * /The tough boy said to Bill, "If you come around here again, I'll beat up on you."/

[beauty sleep] <n.> A nap or rest taken to improve the appearance. * /She took her beauty sleep before the party./ * /Many famous beauties take a beauty sleep every day./

[beaver] <n.>, <slang>, <vulgar>, <avoidable>, <citizen's band radio jargon> A female, especially one driving along the highway and operating a CB radio. * /I didn't know there was a beaver aboard that eighteen wheeler./

[because of] <prep.> On account of; by reason of; as a result of. * /The train arrived late because of the snowstorm./

[beck] See: AT ONE'S BECK AND CALL.

[become of] <v. phr.> To happen to; befall. * /What will become of the children, now that both parents are in jail?/

[bed] See: GET UP ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE BED, GO TO BED WITH THE CHICKENS, MAKE ONE'S BED AND LIE IN IT, PUT TO BED.

[bed of nails] <n. phr.> A difficult or unhappy situation or set of circumstances. * /"There are days when my job is a regular bed of nails," Jim groaned./ Contrast: BED OF ROSES.

[bed of roses] or [bowl of cherries] <n. phr.> A pleasant easy place, job, or position; an easy life. * /A coal miner's job is not a bed of roses./ * /After nine months of school, summer camp seemed a bowl of cherries./ Compare: IN CLOVER, LIFE OF RILEY.

[bed of thorns] <n. phr.> A thoroughly unhappy time or difficult situation. * /I'm sorry I changed jobs; my new one turned out to be a bed of thorns./ See: BED OF NAILS.

[bee] See: BIRDS AND THE BEES.

[beef about] <v. phr.> To complain about something. * /Stop beefing about your job, Jack. You could have done a lot worse!/

[beef up] <v.>, <informal> To make stronger by adding men or equipment; make more powerful; reinforce. * /The general beefed up his army with more big guns and tanks./ * /The university beefed up the football coaching staff by adding several good men./

[bee in one's bonnet] <n. phr.>, <informal> A fixed idea that seems fanciful, odd, or crazy. * /Robert Fulton had a bee in his bonnet about a steamboat./ * /Grandmother has some bee in her bonnet about going to the dance./

[beeline] See: MAKE A BEELINE FOR.

[be even-Steven] <v. phr.> To be in a position of owing no favors or debt to someone. * /Yesterday you paid for my lunch, so today I paid for yours; now we're even-Steven./

[before long] <adv. phr.> In a short time; without much delay; in a little while, soon. * /Class will be over before long./ * /We were tired of waiting and hoped the bus would come before long./

[before one can say Jack Robinson] <adv. cl.>, <informal> Very quickly; suddenly. - An overused phrase. * /Before I could say Jack Robinson, the boy was gone./ Compare: IN A FLASH, RIGHT AWAY.

[before swine] See: CAST PEARLS BEFORE SWINE or CAST ONE'S PEARLS BEFORE SWINE.

[before you know it] <adv. phr.> Sooner than one would expect. * /Don't despair; we'll be finished with this work before you know it!/

[beg] See: BEGGING.

[be game] <v. phr.> To be cooperative, willing, sporting. * /When I asked Charlie to climb Mount McKinley with us, he said he was game if we were./

[beggars can't be choosers] People who can not choose what they will have, must accept what they get; if you are not in control, you must take what you can gel. * /We wanted to leave on the train in the morning but it doesn't go until afternoon, so we must go then. Beggars can't he choosers./ * /Mary got a red dress from her sister, although she didn't like red. She kept it because she said beggars should not be choosers./ Compare: LOOK A GIFT HORSE IN THE MOUTH.

[begin with] <adv. phr.> As a preliminary statement; in the first place. * /To begin with, you are far too young to get married./

[beg off] <v.> To ask to be excused. * /Father told Tom to rake the yard, but Tom tried to beg off./ * /Mrs. Crane accepted an invitation to a luncheon, but a headache made her beg off./ Compare: BACK OUT.

[beg the question] <v. phr.>, <literary> To accept as true something that is still being argued about, before it is proved true; avoid or not answer a question or problem. * /The girls asked Miss Smith if they should wear formal dresses to the party; Miss Smith said they were begging the question because they didn't know yet if they could get permission for a party./ * /Laura told Tom that he must believe her argument because she was right. Father laughed and told Laura she was begging the question./ Compare: TAKE FOR GRANTED.

[behalf] See: IN BEHALF OF or ON BEHALF OF, IN ONE'S BEHALF or ON ONE'S BEHALF.

[behavior] See: ON ONE'S GOOD BEHAVIOR.

[be hard on] <v. phr.> To be strict or critical with another; be severe. * /"Don't be so hard on Jimmy," Tom said. "He is bound to rebel as he gets older."/

[behind] See: DRY BEHIND THE EARS, FALL BEHIND, GET BEHIND, HANG BACK or HANG BEHIND.

[behind bars] <adv. phr.> In jail; in prison. * /He was a pickpocket and had spent many years behind bars./ * /That boy is always in trouble and will end up behind bars./

[behind one's back] <adv. phr.> When one is absent; without one's knowledge or consent; in a dishonest way; secretly; sneakily. * /Say it to his face, not behind his back./ * /It is not right to criticize a person behind his back./ Contrast: TO ONE'S FACE.

[behind the eight-ball] <adj. phr.>, <slang> In a difficult position; in trouble. * /Mr. Thompson is an older man, and when he lost his job, he found he was behind the eight-ball./ * /Bill can't dance and has no car, so he is behind the eight-ball with the girls./ Compare: HAVE TWO STRIKES AGAINST ONE(2), IN A HOLE.

[behind the scenes] <adv. phr.> Out of sight; unknown to most people; privately. * /Much of the banquet committee s work was done behind the scenes./ * /John was president of the club, but behind the scenes Lee told him what to do./

[behind the times] <adj. phr.> Using things not in style; still following old ways; old-fashioned. * /Johnson's store is behind the times./ * /The science books of 30 years ago are behind the times now./ * /Mary thinks her parents are behind the times because they still do the foxtrot and don't know any new dances./

[behind time] <adv.> or <adj. phr.> 1a. Behind the correct time; slow. * /That clock is behind time./ 1b. Behind schedule; late. * /The train is running behind time today./ 2. Not keeping up; not at the proper time; overdue. * /Your lessons are good, but why are you behind time?/ * /We are behind time in paying the rent./ Contrast: AHEAD OF TIME, IN TIME, ON TIME.

[be-in] <n.>, <slang>, <hippie culture> A gathering or social occasion with or without a discernible purpose, often held in a public place like a park or under a large circus tent. * /The youngsters really enjoyed the great springtime jazz be-in at the park./

[be in a stew] <v. phr.> To be worried, harassed, upset. * /Al has been in a stew ever since he got word that his sister was going to marry his worst enemy./

[being] See: FOR THE TIME BEING.

[be in labor] <v. phr.> To be in parturition; experience the contractions of childbirth. * /Vane had been in labor for eight hours before her twin daughters were finally born./

[be in someone else's shoes] <v. phr.> To be in someone else's situation. * /Fred has had so much trouble recently that we ought to be grateful we're not in his shoes./

[be into something] <v. phr.>, <informal> To have taken something up partly as a nobby, partly as a serious interest of sorts (basically resulting from the new consciousness and self-realization movement that originated in the late Sixties). * /Roger's wife is into women's liberation and women's consciousness./ * /Did you know that Syd is seriously into transcendental meditation?/ * /Jack found out that his teenage son is into pot smoking and gave him a serious scolding./

[be itching to] <v. phr.> To have a very strong desire to do something. * /Jack is itching to travel abroad./

[be it so] See: SO BE IT.

[belabor the point] <v. phr.> To overexplain something to the point of obviousness, resulting in ridicule. * /"Lest I belabor the point," the teacher said, "I must repeat the importance of teaching good grammar in class."/

[belfry] See: BATS IN ONE'S BELFRY or BATS IN THE BELFRY.

[believe] See: MAKE BELIEVE, SEEING IS BELIEVING.

[believe one's ears] <v. phr.> 1. To believe what one hears; trust one's hearing. - Used with a negative or limiter, or in an interrogative or conditional sentence. * /He thought he heard a horn blowing in the distance, but he could not believe his ears./ 2. To be made sure of (something). * /Is he really coming? I can hardly believe my ears./

[believe one's eyes] <v. phr.> 1. To believe what one sees; trust one's eyesight. - Used with a negative or limiter or in an interrogative or conditional sentence. * /Is that a plane? Can I believe my eyes?/ 2. To be made sure of seeing something. * /She saw him there but she could hardly believe her eyes./

[bell] See: RING A BELL, WITH BELLS ON.

[bellyache] <v.> To constantly complain. * /Jim is always bellyaching about the amount of work he is required to do./

[belly up] <adj.>, <informal> Dead, bankrupt, or financially ruined. * /Tom and Dick struggled on for months with their tiny computer shop, but last year they went belly up./

[belly up] <v.>, <informal> To go bankrupt, become afunctional; to die. * /Uncompetitive small businesses must eventually all belly up./

[below par] <adj.> or <adv.> Below standard. * /Bob was fired because his work has been below par for several months now./ Contrast: UP TO PAR or UP TO SNUFF.

[below the belt] <adv. phr.> 1. In the stomach; lower than is legal in boxing. * /He struck the other boy below the belt./ 2. <informal> In an unfair or cowardly way; against the rules of sportsmanship or justice; unsportingly; wrongly. * /It was hitting below the belt for Mr. Jones's rival to tell people about a crime that Mr. Jones committed when he was a young boy./ * /Pete told the students to vote against Harry because Harry was in a wheelchair and couldn't be a good class president, but the students thought Pete was hitting below the belt./

[belt] See: BELOW THE BELT, SEAT BELT, TIGHTEN ONE'S BELT, UNDER ONE'S BELT.

[belt out] <v.>, <slang> To sing with rough rhythm and strength; shout out. * /She belted out ballads and hillbilly songs one after another all evening./ * /Young people enjoy belting out songs./

[be my guest] <v. phr.> Feel free to use what I have; help yourself. * /When Suzie asked if she could borrow John's bicycle, John said, "Be my guest."/

[beneath one] <adj. phr.> Below one's ideals or dignity. * /Bob felt it would have been beneath him to work for such low wages./

[bench] See: ON THE BENCH, WARM THE BENCH.

[bench warmer] See: WARM THE BENCH.

[bend over backward] or [lean over backward] <v. phr.>, <informal> To try so hard to avoid a mistake that you make the opposite mistake instead; do the opposite of something that you know you should not do; do too much to avoid doing the wrong thing; also, make a great effort; try very hard. * /Instead of punishing the boys for breaking a new rule, the principal bent over backward to explain why the rule was important./ * /Mary was afraid the girls at her new school would be stuck up, but they leaned over backward to make her feel at home./ Compare: GO OUT OF ONE'S WAY.

[benefit] See: GIVE THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT.

[bent on] or [bent upon] Very decided, determined, or set. * /The sailors were bent on having a good time./ * /The policeman saw some boys near the school after dark and thought they were bent on mischief./ * /The bus was late, and the driver was bent upon reaching the school on time./

[be nuts about] <v. phr.> To be enthusiastic or very keen about someone or something; be greatly infatuated with someone. * /Hermione is nuts about modern music./ * /"I am nuts about you, Helen," Jim said. "Please let's get married!"/

[be off] <v. phr.> 1. <v.> To be in error; miscalculate. * /The estimator was off by at least 35% on the value of the house./ 2. <v.> To leave. * /Jack ate his supper in a hurry and was off without saying goodbye./ 3. <adj.> Cancelled; terminated. * /The weather was so bad that we were told that the trip was off./ 4. <adj.> Crazy. * /I'm sure Aunt Mathilda is a bit off; no one in her right mind would say such things./ 5. <adj.> Free from work; having vacation time. * /Although we were off for the rest of the day, we couldn't go to the beach because it started to rain./

[be on] <v. phr.> 1. To be in operation; be in the process of being presented. * /The news is on now on Channel 2; it will be off in five minutes./ 2. To be in the process of happening; to take place. * /We cannot travel now to certain parts of Africa, as there is a civil war on there right now./

[be one's age] See: ACT ONE'S AGE.

[be oneself] <v.> To act naturally; act normally without trying unduly to impress others. * /Just try being yourself; I promise people will like you more./

[be on the outs with] <v. phr.> To not be on speaking terms with someone; be in disagreement with someone. * /Jane and Tom have been on the outs with one another since Tom started to date another woman./

[be on the rocks] See: ON THE ROCKS, GO ON THE ROCKS.

[be on the verge of] <v. phr.> To be about to do something; be very close to. * /We were on the verge of going bankrupt when, unexpectedly, my wife won the lottery and our business was saved./

[be on the wagon] See: ON THE WAGON, FALL OFF THE WAGON.

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