Словарь американских идиом: 8000 единиц

[bone to pick] or [crow to pick] {n. phr.}, {informal} A reason for dispute; something to complain of or argue about. — Often used jokingly. •/"I have a bone to pick with you," he said./ •/There was always a crow to pick about which one would shave first in the morning./ Compare: BONE OF CONTENTION.

[bone up]{v.}, {informal} To fill with information; try to learn a lot about something in a short time; study quickly. •/Carl was boning up for an examination./ •/Jim had to make a class report the next day on juvenile delinquency, and he was in the library boning up on how the courts handle it./

[bonnet] See: BEE IN ONE’S BONNET.

[book] See: CLOSED BOOK, CLOSE THE BOOKS, HIT THE BOOKS, KEEP BOOKS, NOSE IN A BOOK, ONE FOR THE BOOKS, READ ONE LIKE A BOOK, TALKING BOOK, THROW THE BOOK AT.

[boom] See: LOWER THE BOOM.

[boot] See: DIE IN ONE’S BOOTS, IN ONE’S SHOES also IN ONE’S BOOTS, LICK ONE’S BOOTS, SHAKE IN ONE’S SHOES or SHAKE IN ONE’S BOOTS, TO BOOT, TOO BIG FOR ONE’S BREECHES or TOO BIG FOR ONE’S BOOTS, YOU BET or YOU BET YOUR BOOTS.

[boot hill]{n.} A cemetery in the old Wild West where cowboys and cops and robbers used to be buried with their boots on. Hence, jokingly, any cemetery. •/Good old Joe, the cowboy, is resting comfortably in the nearby boot hill./

[boot out] See: KICK OUT.

[boot strap] See: PULL ONESELF UP BY THE BOOTSTRAPS.

[border on]{v. phr.} To be adjacent to; come close to; adjoin. •/Our village borders on the Mississippi River./ •/John’s actions border on irresponsibility./

[bore to death] See: TO DEATH.

[bore to tears]{v. phr.} To fill with tired dislike; tire by dullness or the same old thing bore. •/The party was dull and Roger showed plainly that he was bored to tears./ •/Mary loved cooking, but sewing bores her to tears./

[born] See: NATURAL-BORN, TO THE MANNER BORN.

[born out of wedlock]{adj. phr.} Born to parents who are not married to each other; without legal parents. •/Sometimes when a married couple can’t have children, they adopt a child who was born out of wedlock./ •/Today we no longer make fun of children born out of wedlock./

[born with a silver spoon in one’s mouth]{adj. phr.} Born to wealth and comfort; provided from birth with everything wanted; born rich. •/The stranger’s conduct was that of a man who had been born with a silver spoon in his mouth./ Compare: WELL-HEELED.

[born yesterday]{adj. phr.} Inexperienced and easily fooled; not alert to trickery; easily deceived or cheated. — Usually used in negative sentences. •/When Bill started the new job, the other workers teased him a little, but he soon proved to everyone that he wasn’t born yesterday./ •/I won’t give you the money till I see the bicycle you want to sell me. Do you think I was born yesterday?/ Compare: NOBODY’S FOOL.

[borrow] See: LIVE ON BORROWED TIME.

[borrow trouble]{v. phr.} To worry for nothing about trouble that may not come; make trouble for yourself needlessly. •/Don’t borrow trouble by worrying about next year. It’s too far away./ •/You are borrowing trouble if you try to tell John what to do./ Compare: ASK FOR, CROSS ONE’S BRIDGES BEFORE ONE COMES TO THEM, CRY BEFORE ONE IS HURT.

[bosom friend]{n. phr.} A very close friend; an old buddy with whom one has a confidential relationship. •/Sue and Jane have been bosom friends since their college days./

[boss] See: STRAW BOSS.