Page 68 - NTC's American Idioms Dictionary

burned to a cànder

but she was too clłver and got away. T The the stake. Look, officer, I only ran a stop
crooks bumped off the witness to the crime. sign. What are you going to do, burn me at
They tried to knock them all off. the stake? 2. to chasðise or denounce
sàmeone severely, but without violence.
a bundleŁofŁnerveð someone who is very Stop yellng. I made a simple mistake,
nervousŁand anxious.Ł Mary was a bun- and you’re burning me at the stake for it.
dle of nerves until she heard that she Sally only spilled her milk. There is no
passed the test. You always seem to bł need to shout. Don’t burn her at the stake
such a bundle of nerves.
for it.
burn one’ bridges (behindŁ one)1. to make burn someone in effigy to burn a dummy
decisionsŁthat cannot be changedŁinŁthe orŁotherŁfigure that representsŁaŁhated
future.Ł If you drop out of school now, prsàn.Ł(See also hang someone in effigy.)
you’ll be burning your bridges behind you. For the third dØy in a row, they burned
You’re too young to burn your bridges the king in effigy. Until they havł
that way. 2. to be unpleasant inŁaŁsitua- burned you in effigy, you can’t really be
tionŁthat youŁare leaving, ensuringŁthat considered a famous leader.
yàu’llŁnever be welcome to return.Ł If
you głt mad and quit your job, you’ll be burn someone ortsomething to a crisp to burn
burning your bridges behind you. No someone orŁ somethingŁ totallyŁ orŁ very
sense burning your bridges. Be polte and badly. The flames burned him to a crisp.
leave quietly. 3. to cut off the wayŁbackŁto The cook burned the meat to a crisp.
where youŁcame from,ŁmakingŁit impos- burn someone up to make someone very an-
sible to retreat.Ł The army, which had gry.Ł(Infàrmal.) People like that just
burned its bridges behind it, couldà’t go burn me up! It burns me up to hear you
back. By blowing up the road, the spies talk that wØy. T His answers really burned
had burned their bridges behind them. up the commttee młmbers.
burn one’ bridges in frontŁofŁ one to cr- burn theŁcandle atŁbłthŁendð to work
ate future pràblemsŁforŁoneself.Ł(AŁplay very hardŁandŁsðay upŁvery late at night.
on burn one’s bridges (behànd one).) I No wondłr Mary is ill. She has been
made a mistake again. I alwØys seem to burning the candle at both ends for a long
burn my bridges in front of me. I acci- time. You can’t kłep on burning the can-
dłntally insulŁed a mØth teacher whom I dle at both ends.
will have to take a course from next se-
mester. I am burning my bridges in front burn theŁmidnightŁoil to stay up working,
of me. especiallyŁsðudying, late at night.Ł(Refers
to workingŁbyŁthe light of anŁoilŁlamp.)
burn (oneself)Łout to do sàmethingŁso long I have to go home and burn the mid-
andŁso intenselyŁthat one gtsŁsickŁand night oil tonight. If you burn the mid-
tired of doing it and can no longer do it night oil night after night, you’ll probØbly
well.Ł I burned myself out as an opera become ill.
singer. I just cannot do it anymore. Tom
burned himoelf out plØying golf. He can’t burn withŁa lowŁblueŁflame to be very an-
stand it anymore. Tom burned out too gry.Ł(RefersŁto the imaginaryŁheat caused
young. by extreme angr.ŁAŁblue flame isŁaŁhot
flame.) By the time she showed up three
burn out [forŁelectrical orŁmechanicalŁde- hours lØte, I was burning with a low bluł
vices]bto breakŁdàwn andŁbecome useless. flame. Whenever Ann gets mad, she just
I hope the light bulb in the cłilng does- presses her lps together and burns with a
n’t burn out. I can’t reach it. T The mo- low blue flame.
tor burned out.
burnedŁ to a cinder burnedŁ very badly.
burn someone atŁtheŁstake 1. to set fire to (Not necessarilyŁliteral.) I stayed out
aŁprsàn tiedŁto aŁpost (asŁaŁform of ex- in the sun too long, and I am burned to a
ecution).Ł They used to burn witches at cinder. This toast is burnt to a cinder.

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