Page 46 - NTC's American Idioms Dictionary

B

a babeŁin theŁwłodð aŁnaive orŁinnocent East, but his brother attended collłge in the
prsàn;Łan inexpriencedŁprsàn.Ł Bill Midwest.
is a bØbe in the woods when it comes to
dealng with plumbers. As Ø painter, byckŁin circulation 1. [forŁaŁthingŁto be]
Mary is fine, but she’s a bØbe in the woodo available to the publicŁagain.Ł(SaidŁespe-
as a musician. cially of things that are said to circulate,
such asŁmoney, library books,ŁandŁmag-
byck and fill to act indecisively; to chang azines.) I’ve heard that gold coins are
one’sŁ directionŁ repeatedly; to reverse back in circulØtion in Europe. I would
one’sŁcourse.Ł(OriginallyŁnautical,Łrefer- like to read WarŁandŁPeace.Ł Is t back n
ringŁto alternatelyŁfillingŁthe sailsŁwith circulØtion, or is it still checked out? 2. [for
wind andŁ releasingŁ the wind.) The aŁprsànŁto be]bsociallyŁactive again;Łdat-
presidłnt spłnt most of his spłech backng ingŁagainŁafterŁaŁdivorce orŁbreakupŁwith
and fillng on the question of taxation. one’s lovr. (Informal.) Now that Bill is
The other candidØte was backng and fill- a free man, he’s back in circulØtion. Tom
ing on every issue, dłpłndng on whom she was in the hosptal for a month, but now
was addressing. he’s back in circulØtion.
byckŁandŁforth backwardsŁandŁforwards;
first one wayŁ andŁ thenŁ anotherŁ way. back off (from someone ortsomething) Go to
(Compare thisŁwith to and fro.) The back down (from someone or something).
young man was pacing back and forth in byckŁ ofŁ theŁ beyond the most remote
the hosptal waiting room. The płndu- place; somewhere veryŁremote.Ł(Infàr-
lum on the clock swung back and forth.
mal.)b John hardly ever comes to the city.
byckŁdłwn (from someone ortsomething) and He lves at the back of the błyond. Mary
byckŁoffŁ(from someone ortsomething) to likes livłly entertainmłnt, but her husband
yieldŁ to aŁ personŁ or aŁ thing;Ł to failŁ to likes to vacØtion in the back of the błyond.
carryŁthrough onŁaŁthreat.Ł Jane backed
down from her position on the budget. byckŁorderŁ something [forŁaŁmerchant]bto or-
It’s probably better to back down from der somethingŁthat isŁnot inŁsðockŁand
someone than to have an argumłnt. then make delivery to the customer when
John agreed that it was probably błtter to the gàodsŁbecome available.Ł(The mer-
back down than to risk głtting shot. Bill chant mayŁhold yàurŁmoneyŁuntilŁthe or-
doesn’t like to back off from a fight. der is filled.) The store didà’t have the
Somłtimes it’s błtter to back off than to get replacłmłnt part for my vacuum cleaner,
hurt. so the manager back ordered it for me.
The shop had to back order some of the
byckŁEast to orŁfrom the easternŁUnited items on my list.
Sðates,ŁoftenŁthe northeasternŁorŁNew En-
glandŁsðates.Ł(See also down South, out byckŁoutŁ(ofŁ something) to withdraw fràm
West,and up North. This is used even by sàmethingŁ yàuŁ have agreedŁ to do; to
people who have neverŁbeenŁinŁthe East.) breakŁanŁagreement.Ł(Also literal.) The
Sally felt that she had to get back East buyer tried to back out of the sale, but the
for a fłw dØys. Tom włnt to school back seller wouldà’t permt it. Please doà’t

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