English Idioms & Idiomatic Expressions

Breathe down your neck

If someone follows you or examines what you're doing very closely, they are breathing down your neck.

Breathe life into

If you breathe life into something, you give people involved more energy and enthusiasm again.  ('Breathe new life' is also used.)

Breathe your last

When you breathe your last, you die.

Brevity is the soul of wit

The best way to communicate intelligently is to be concise and not to use unnecessary words.

Bridge the gap

If you bridge the gap, you make a connection where there is a great difference.

Bright and breezy

When someone is cheerful and full of energy, they are bright and breezy.

Bright as a button

A person who is as bright as a button is very intelligent or smart.

Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed

If someone's bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, they are full of energy and enthusiasm.

Brighten up the day

If something brightens up your day, something happens that makes you feel positive and happy all day long.

Bring a knife to a gunfight

If someone brings a knife to a gunfight, they are very badly prepared for something.

Bring home

If you bring something home, you explain it or make it very clear.

Bring home the bacon

A person who brings home the bacon earns the money that a family live on.

Bring on board

To make people embrace the ideas intended by the leader or agree to join a team or project is to bring them on board.

Bring someone to book

If somebody is brought to book, they are punished or made to account for something they have done wrong.

Bring someone to heel

If you bring someone to heel, you make them obey you.('Call someone to heel' is also used.) 

Bring the curtain down

If you bring the curtain down on something, you bring it to a end.

Bring the house down

Something that brings the house down is acclaimed and praised vigorously.

Bring to the table

If you bring something to the table, you make a contribution or an offer in a discussion or negotiation..

Broad church

If an organisation is described as broad church, it is tolerant and accepting of different opinions and ideas.

Broad strokes

If something is described or defined with broad stokes, then only an outline is given, without fine details.

Broke as a joke and it ain't funny

This idiom in my opinion describes how it's not funny to be without a cent and just uses broke and joke as rhyming words that help explain this idiom a lot better.

Broken record

When someone sounds like a broken record, they keep on repeating the same things. ('Stuck record' is also used.)

Broken reed

If something or someone fails to give you the support you were hoping for, they are a broken reed.

Brown as a berry

Someone who is very sun tanned is brown as a berry.

Brown nose

When someone tries to make themselves popular with somebody, usually in a position of authority, especially by flattering them, they are brown nosing.

Browned off

To be tired of or fed up with

Brownie points

If you try to earn Brownie points with someone, you do things you know will please them.

Brush under the carpet

If you brush something under the carpet, you are making an attempt to ignore it, or hide it from others.

Brush with death

If someone comes very close to dying but live, they have a brush with death.

Buck stops here

The buck stops here is used to say that this is the point where responsibility lies or the person who is responsible.

Buggles' turn

(UK) If it Buggles' turn, someone gets promotion through length of service rather than ability, especially in the British civil service.

Bull in a China shop

If someone behaves like a bull in a China shop, they are clumsy when they should be careful.

Bull market

A bull market is a period when investors are optimistic and there are expectations that good financial results will continue.

Bull session

If you have a bull session, you have an informal group discussion about something.

Bull-headed

If you're a bull-headed, you're stubborn or inflexible.

Bums on seats

The people who have paid to watch a performance are bums on seats.

Bun in the oven

If a woman has a bun in the oven, she is pregnant.

Bundle of nerves

Someone who is a bundle of nerves is very worried or nervous.

Bur under my saddle

A bur under your saddle is something that annoys you or spurs you into action.('Burr' is an alternative spelling.)

Burn rubber

If you burn rubber, you drive very fast to get somewhere.

Burn the candle at both ends

Someone who burns the candle at both ends lives life at a hectic pace, doing things which are likely to affect their health badly.

Burn the midnight oil

If you stay up very late working or studying, you burn the midnight oil.

Burn your bridges

If you burn your bridges, you do something that makes it impossible to go back from the position you have taken.

Burn your fingers

If you burn your fingers, you suffer a loss or something unpleasant as the result of something you did, making you less likely to do it again.

Burning daylight

Burning daylight is wasting time.

Burning question

A burning question is something we all want to know about.

Burst at the seams

To be filled to or beyond normal capacity: This room will be bursting at the seams when all the guests arrive.

Burst your bubble

If you correct someone's ignorant or delusional belief, you burst their bubble. (Bust someone's bubble is also used.)

Bury the hatchet

If you bury the hatchet, you make peace with someone and stop arguing or fighting.

Bury your head in the sand

If someone buries their head in the sand, they ignore something that is obviously wrong.

If you have a question about idioms, ask us about it in our Idioms Discussion Forum. If you know of an idiom that you would like to be listed here, please use our online form to suggest an idiom.