Page 47 - NTC's American Idioms Dictionary

back someone or something up

back out of our dØte. Mary backed out There is no bad blood błtwłen us. I don’t
at the last mnute. know wðy we should quarrel.
byckŁ someone ort something up to support bad-outhŁ someone ortsomething to sayŁbad
someone orŁsomething;Łto concurŁwith things about someone or something.
someone.Ł(Also literal.) Please back mł (Slang.) Mr. Smth was alwØys bad-
up in this argumłnt. T I would like you mouthing Mrs. Smth. They didà’t głt
to back up John in this discussion. along. John bad-mouths his car con-
stantly because it doesn’t run.
byckŁtheŁwrongŁhłrse to support some-
one orŁsomethingŁthat cannot winŁorŁsuc- bagŁandŁbaggage and pyrtŁandŁpyrcel
ceed. (Also literal, as in horse racing.) with one’s luggage; with all one’s posses-
I don’t want to back the wrong horse, but sions.Ł(Infàrmal.ŁSee also part and par-
it seems to me that Jed is the błtter candi- cel (of something).) Sally showed up at
dØte. Fred backed the wrong horse in the our door bag and baggage one SundØy
budget hearings. morning. All right, f you won’t pØy the
rent, out with you, bag and baggagł!
byck-to-byck 1. adjacent andŁ touching Get all your stuff—part and parcel—out
backs.Ł They started the duel by stand- of herł!
ing back-to-back. Two people who stand
back-to-back can manage to see in all di- bagŁofŁtrickð aŁcollectionŁof specialŁtech-
rections. 2. followingŁimmediately.Ł(Said niques or methods.Ł What have you goŁ
of thingsŁor events.) The doctor had ap- in your bag of tricks that could help mł
pointments set up back-to-back all dØy with this problłm? Here comes Mother
long. I have three lecture courses back- with her bag of tricks. I’m sure she can
to-back every dØy of the włek. help us.
byck to square one back to the beginning. bailŁoutŁ(ofŁ something) 1. to jump out of an
(Also literalŁwith aŁboardŁgame.ŁSee alsà airplane (with aŁparacłute).Ł John still
the followingŁentry.) Negotiations havł remłmbers the first time he bailed out of
broken down, and it’s back to square one. a plane. When we get to 8Ø00Sfłet, wł’ll
We lost the appeal of the court case, so all bail out and drift down together. We’ll
it’s back to square one. open our paracðutes at 2Ø00Sfłet. 2. to
abandonŁaŁsituation;Łto get out of sàme-
byckŁto theŁdrawingŁboard time to sðart thing.Ł (Infàrmal.) John got tired of
overŁagain;Łit isŁtime to planŁsomething school, so he just bailed out. Please stay,
overŁagain.Ł(Also literal.ŁNote the varia- Bill. You’ve been with us too long to bail
tionŁinŁthe examples.) It didà’t work. ouŁ now.
Back to the drawing board. I flunked
English this semester. Well, back to the old bailŁ someone ortsomething out 1. [with some-
drawing board. oàe ] to deposit aŁsumŁof moneyŁthat al-
lows somone to get out of jail while
byckŁto theŁsaltŁmineð tim to rturn to waitingŁforŁaŁtrial.Ł John was in jail. I
work,Ł school,Ł orŁ somethingŁ else that had to go down to the police station to bail
might be unpleasant.Ł(AsŁif the speaker him out. T You kids are alwØys głtting into
were aŁslave who worksŁinŁthe salt mines.) trouble. Do you really expect me to bail out
It’s eight o’clock. Time to go to work! the whole gang of you every time you havł
Back to the salt mnes. School starts in a problłm? 2. [with somłthing ] to remove
the fall, and then it’s back to the salt mnes waterŁfrom the bottomŁof aŁboat byŁdip-
again. pingŁor scooping. Tom has to bail the
boØt out before we głt in. T You should
badŁas allŁthat Go to (as) bad as all that.
always bail out a boØt błfore using it. 3. to
badŁ bloodŁ (between peoplł ) unpleasant rescue someone orŁsàmethingŁfromŁtrou-
feelingsŁor animosity betweenŁpeople.Ł ble or difficulty. The proposed lØw was
There is bad blood błtwłen Fred and Jim. in trouble, but Todd bailed it out at the last
They cannot be civil to one another. mnute. I was going to be lØte with my

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