Словарь американских идиом: 8000 единиц

[beyond reasonable doubt]{adv. phr.}, {formal and legal} Virtually certain; essentially convincing. •/The judge instructed the jurors to come up with a verdict of guilty only if they were convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that Algernon was the perpetrator./

[beyond the pale]{adv.} or {adj. phr.} In disgrace; with no chance of being accepted or respected by others; not approved by the members of a group. •/After the outlaw killed a man he was beyond the pale and not even his old friends would talk to him./ •/Tom’s swearing is beyond the pale; no one invites him to dinner any more./

[beyond the shadow of a doubt]{adv. phr.}, {formal and legal} Absolutely certain, totally convincing. •/Fred burglarized Mrs. Brown’s apartment, beyond the shadow of a doubt./

[bib] See: BEST BIB AND TUCKER.

[bide one’s time]{v. phr.} To await an opportunity; wait patiently until your chance comes. •/Refused work as an actor, Tom turned to other work and bided his time./ •/Jack was hurt deeply, and he bided his time for revenge./

[bid fair]{v.}, {literary} To seem likely; promise. •/He bids fair to be a popular author./ •/The day bids fair to be warm./

[big] See: IN A BIG WAY, LITTLE FROG IN A BIG POND, LITTLE PITCHERS HAVE BIG EARS, TALK BIG, TOO BIG FOR ONE’S BREECHES, WHAT’S THE BIG IDEA.

[big as life] or [large as life] {adj. phr.} 1. or [life-size] The same size as the living person or thing. •/The statue of Jefferson was big as life./ •/The characters on the screen were life-size./ 2. or [big as life and twice as natural] {informal} In person; real and living. •/I had not seen him for years, but there he was, big as life and twice as natural./

[big cheese] or [big gun] or [big shot] or [big wheel] or [big wig] {n.}, {slang} An important person; a leader; a high official; a person of high rank. •/Bill had been a big shot in high school./ •/John wanted to be the big cheese in his club./ Compare: WHOLE CHEESE.

[big daddy]{n.}, {slang}, {informal} The most important, largest thing, person or animal in a congregation of similar persons, animals, or objects. •/The whale is the big daddy of everything that swims in the ocean./ •/The H-bomb is the big daddy of all modern weapons./ •/Al Capone was the big daddy of organized crime in Chicago during Prohibition./

[big deal]{interj.}, {slang}, {informal} (loud stress on the word "deal") Trifles; an unimportant, unimpressive thing or matter. •/So you became college president — big deal!/

[big frog in a small pond]{n. phr.}, {informal} An important person in a small place or position; someone who is respected and honored in a small company, school, or city; a leader in a small group. •/As company president, he had been a big frog in a small pond, but he was not so important as a new congressman in Washington./ Contrast: LITTLE FROG IN A BIG POND.

[bigger than one’s stomach] See: EYES BIGGER THAN ONE’S STOMACH.

[big hand]{n.} Loud and enthusiastic applause. •/When Pavarotti finished singing the aria from Rigoletto, he got a very big hand./