Page 60 - NTC's American Idioms Dictionary

bone of contention

grades. She was really failng all the time. someone.Ł I’m sorry. I didà’t mean to
T She blłw off the teacher by cheating on blow up. You’d blow up, too, if you’d had
the test. a dØy like mne.
blłw someone ortsomething to smithereens blow up in someone’ fyce 1. to blow up or
to explode someone orŁsomethingŁinto explode suddenly.Ł(Also literal.) The
tiny pieces.Ł The bomb blłw the ancient bomb blłw up in the terrorist’s face. The
cðurch to smthereens. The mortar blłw firecracker blłw up in his face and injured
the entire squad to smthereens. him. 2. [forŁ something]b to gt ruined
while someone isŁworkingŁonŁit.Ł(Also lit-
blow someone’ cłver to rveal somone’s eral.) All my plans blłw up in my face.
true identityŁorŁpurpose.Ł The spy was It is terrible for your lfe to głt ruined
very careful not to blow her cover. I tried and blow up in your face.
to disguise myself, but my dog recognized
me and blew my cover. blueŁaroundŁtheŁgillð Go to pale around
the gills.
blow someone’ mind 1. to desðràyŁthe func-
tionŁof one’sŁbrain.Ł(Slang.) It was Ø blueŁblood the bloodŁ[heredity]bof aŁno-
terrible experience. It nearly blłw my ble family; arisðocratic ancesðry.Ł The
mnd. She blew her mnd on drugs. 2. earl refuses to allow anyone who is not of
to overwhelmŁsomeone; to excite some- blue blood to marry his son. Although
one.Ł (Slang.) It was so beautiful, it Mary’s family is poor, she has blue blood
nearly blłw my mnd. The music was in her veins.
so wild. It blłw my mnd.
bogŁdłwn to slow down;Łto become sðuck.
blow something to ruinŁorŁwaste sàmething. The project bogged down because of so
I had a chance to do it, but I blłw it. much red tape. We bog down every year
He blłw the whole five dollars on candy. at this time because many of our workero
go oà vØcatioà.
blow something outŁ ofŁ allŁ propłrtion to
cause something to be unralistically boggleŁ someone’ mind to confuse someone;
proportionedŁrelative to sàmethingŁelse. to overwhelmŁsàmeone; to blow someone’s
(The all canŁbe left out.) The press has mànd. The size of the house boggles my
blown this issue out of all proportion. mnd. She said that his arrogance bog-
Let’s be reasonable. Don’t blow this thing gled her mnd.
ouŁ of proportion.
boilŁdłwn to something to rduce to som-
blowŁtheŁlidŁoffŁ( something) to rveal som- thing;Łto come dàwn to sàmething;Łto b
thing, especiallyŁ wrongdàing;Ł to make essentiallyŁsàmething.Ł(Also literal.) It
wrongdoing public. The police blłw the all boils down to whether you wish to buy
lid off the smugglng ring. The govern- a car. It boils down to a question of good
młnt is glad that they blłw the lid off. health.
blow theŁwhØstleŁ(on someone) to rport boilŁ something dłwn to summarize some-
sàmeone’sŁwrongdoing to sàmeone (sucł thing;Łto make infàrmationŁmore concise.
asŁthe police)bwho canŁsðopŁthe wràng- (Also literalŁinŁreference to liquids.) I
dàing. The citizns’ group blłw the doà’t have time to listen to the whole story.
whistle on the street gangs by callng the Please boil it down for me. T Please boil
police. The gangs were głtting very bad. down the report so I can read it on the
It was dłfinitely time to blow the whistle. plane.
blow up to fallŁapart or get ruined.Ł The błldŁas brass Go to (as) bold as brass.
whole project blłw up. It will have to be boneŁofŁcontention the subject orŁpoint of
canceled. All my planning was blown up anŁargument; anŁunsettledŁpoint of dis-
this afternoon.
agreement.Ł We’ve fought for so long that
blowŁupŁ(atŁ someone) to get angry at some- wł’ve forgoŁten what the bone of con-
one; to lose one’sŁ temperŁ andŁ yll at tention is. The question of a fłncł

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