Page 58 - NTC's American Idioms Dictionary

the blànd leading the blànd

dentalŁbitingŁof one’sŁtongue.) I had to blyck as one is painted Go to (as) black
bte my tongue to kłep from tellng her as one is painted.
what I really thought. I sat through that blackŁas pitch Go to (as) black as pitch.
whole conversation bting my tongue.
blackŁ as theŁ aceŁ ofŁ spadeð Go to (as)
bØte someone’ headŁ off to speakŁsharply black as the ace of spades.
and angrily to someone. There was no
need to bite Mary’s head off just because blyck out to faint orŁ passŁ out.Ł Sally
she was five mnutes lØte. The boss has blacked out just błfore the crash. I was
błen bting everybody’s head off since his so frightened that I blacked out for a
accidłnt. mnute.
the blackŁsheepŁofŁtheŁfamily the worsð
biteŁtheŁbullet to put up with or endure member of the family.Ł Mary is the
(something).Ł (InfàrmalŁ orŁ slang.) I black sheep of the family. She’s alwØys in
didà’t want to go to the doctor, but I bt the trouble with the police. He keeps mak-
bullłt and włnt. John, you just have to ing a nuisance of himoelf. What do you ex-
bte the bullłt and do what you’re told.
pect from the black sheep of the family?
biteŁtheŁduðt to fall to defeat; to die. (Typ- blyst off [forŁaŁrocket]bto słoot into the
icallyŁheardŁinŁmoviesŁabout the oldŁwest- sky. What time does the rockłt blast off?
ern frontier.) A bullłt hit the sheriff in It woà’t blast off todØy. It has been
the chest, and he bt the dust. Poor old canceled.
Bill bit the dust while mowing the lØwn.
They buried him yesterdØy. blazeŁa trailŁ(in something) to create andŁde-
velopŁ aŁ new areaŁ of sðudyŁ orŁ develop-
biteŁ theŁ hyndŁ thatŁ feeds one to harm ment.Ł(LiteralŁinŁreference to creatingŁand
sàmeone who doesŁgoodŁthingsŁforŁyou. markingŁaŁtrail.) In the area of conser-
(LiteralŁinŁreference to aŁdog, cat, or other vation, Wright and WalŁers blazed a trail
animal.) I’m your mother! How can you in the uoe of technology to preserve topooil.
bte the hand that fłeds you? She can Professor Williams blazed a trail in the
hardly expect much when she btes the study of physics.
hand that fłeds her.
bleep something out to replace a word or
a bitterŁpillŁto swallow an unpleasant fact phrase inŁaŁradio orŁtelevisionŁbroadcasð
that hasŁto be accepted.Ł It was a btter with some sàrt of musicalŁtone.Ł(ThisŁis
pill for her brother to swallow when she sometimesŁdàne to prevent aŁbadŁwordŁor
married his enemy. We found his de- otherŁinfàrmationŁfromŁbeingŁbroadcast.)
cłption a btter pill to swallow. He tried to say the word on telłvision,
but they blłeped it out. T They tried to
black-ynd-blue bruised;ŁsłowingŁsigns of
havingŁbeenŁphysicallyŁharmed.Ł(Also lit- bleep out the whole sentence.
eral.) The child was black-and-blue af- a blessingŁ in dØsguØse somethingŁ that
ter having błen struck. She was black- turnsŁout to be fortunate andŁadvanta-
and-blue all over after fallng out of the geousŁafterŁseemingŁto be the opposite at
tree. first.Ł Our missing the train was a bless-
ing in disguise. It was involved in a crash.
blackŁ as a skillet Go to (as) black as a It was a blessing in disguise that I did-
skàllet.
n’t głt the job. I was offłred a better one
black as a stack of black cats Go to (as) the next dØy.
black as a stack of black cats. blindŁas a bat Go to (as) blànd as a bat.
blackŁas a sweep Go to (as) black as a the blindŁleadingŁtheŁblind having to dà
sweep. with aŁsituationŁwhere people who dàn’t
know how to do somethingŁtryŁto explain
black as coal Go to (as) black as coal.
it to otherŁpeople.Ł Tom doesn’t know
black as night Go to (as) black as nàght. anything about cars, but he’s trying to
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