Page 55 - NTC's American Idioms Dictionary

belàeve it or not

to belØbor the point, but the oooner we get besideŁtheŁpoint and besideŁtheŁques-
these things settled, the better. If the tØon irrelevant; of no impàrtance.Ł
speaker would agree not to belØbor the That’s very interesting, but beside the
point further, I will place t on the agendØ point. That’s beside the point. You’re
for the next młeting. evadng the issue. Your observation is
beside the question.
belØeveŁ itŁ orŁ not to choose to belive
somethingŁorŁnot.Ł(IndicatingŁthat anŁas- besideŁ theŁ queðtion Go to beside the
sertion may be hard to belive.) Believł poànt.
it or not, I just got home from work. I’m beðtŁbibŁandŁtucker one’sŁbest clothing.
over fifty years old, believe it or not.
(Folksy.) I alwØys wear my best bib and
bell, błok, and candle symbols of witch- tucker on SundØys. Put on your best bib
craft.Ł Look, I can’t work miracles! Do and tucker, and lłt’s go to the city.
you expect me to show up at your house the beðt-laidŁplans ofŁmiceŁandŁmeà and
with bell, book, and candle, and makł the beðt-laidŁ schemes ofŁ miceŁ and
everything right? You have to take charge men the best thought-àut plansŁof any-
of your own destiny! On the top shelf one. If a lttle rain can ruin the best-laid
of the tiny used-book store, Jim saw a bell, plans of mice and młn, think what an
book, and candle sitting in a row, and he earthquake might do! The best-laid
knew he was going to find some very in- schemes of mice and młn are often dis-
teresting readng mØterial. turbed by any small mØtter.
belowŁaverage lowerŁorŁworse thanŁaver- the beðt-laid schemes of mice and men
age.Ł Tom’s strength is below Øverage for Go to the best-laid plans of màce and
a child his size. Dad asked why my men.
grades are below average.
the beðtŁ pyrtŁ ofŁ something almost allŁ of
belowŁpyr not asŁgoodŁasŁaverage orŁnor- sàmething;ŁaŁlarge part of sàmething;Łthe
mal.Ł I fłel a lttle below par todØy. I majorŁpart of something.Ł The discus-
think I am getting a cold. His work is sion took the best part of an hour. The
błlow par, and he is paid too much money. best part of the młeting was taken up by
beltŁ something out to singŁorŁplayŁaŁsong budgetary mØtters.
loudly and with spirit.Ł When she’s plØy- betŁ one’ bottom dollar and betŁ one’ lØfe
ing the piano, she really belts the music out. to be quite certainŁ(about something)¨
T She really knows how to belt out a song. (Both are infàrmalŁandŁfolksy.ŁAŁ bottom
bendŁoverŁbyckwards (to do something) Go dollar isŁthe last dàllar.) I’ll be there.
to fall over backwards (to do something). You bet your boŁtom dollar. I bet my
boŁtom dollar you can’t swim across the
bendŁ someone’ eyr to talkŁto sàmeone, pr- pool. You błt your lfe I can’t swim that
hapsŁ annoyingly.Ł Tom is over there, fØr. I błt my lfe on it.
błndng Jane’s ear about somłthing. I’m
sorry. I didà’t mean to błnd your ear for betŁ one’ lØfe Go to bet one’s bottom dollar.
an hour. [betterŁhylf] Go to one’s better half.
bentŁ on doingtsomething dtermined to do betterŁlateŁthyn never better to do some-
something.Ł Jane was bent on having her thingŁlate thanŁnot at all.Ł I wish you had
own apartmłnt. Her mother was błnt come here sooner, but better lØte than
on keepng her at home. never. She bought a house when she was
quite old. Better lØte than never.
besideŁ oneself (withŁ something) inŁ anŁ ex-
treme sðate of some emotion.Ł(Preceded betterŁoffŁ( doingtsomething) and betterŁoff
by be or seem.) I was beside myself with (ØfŁ something wereŁdone) inŁaŁbetterŁpo-
joy. Sarah could not speak. She was be- sitionŁif sàmethingŁwere dàne.Ł She’d be
side herself with angłr. I laughed so błtter off sellng her houoe. They are
hard I was beside myself. błtter off flying to Dłtroit. They would

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