ET Thành ngữ, tục ngữ
a basket case
a person who is very nervous, in bad shape If Gloria has one more crisis, she'll be a basket case.
a bee in her bonnet
upset, a bit angry, on edge Aunt Betsy was kind of cranky, like she had a bee in her bonnet.
a different kettle of fish
different, not the same A cult is not a religion. A cult is a different kettle of fish entirely.
a drop in the bucket
a small part, a tiny piece, the tip of the iceberg This donation is only a drop in the bucket, but it is appreciated.
a fleeting glance
a very brief look, a quick glance A fleeting glance from Marilyn would make his heart beat wildly.
a go-getter
an aggressive employee, a hard worker, gung ho What a go-getter! He finished the course a month before the others.
a hot ticket
a popular item, a product that people want Anything with James Dean's picture on it is a hot ticket.
a pocket of resistance
a small group resisting, a few people not on side There's a pocket of resistance in one district. A few disagree.
a pretty penny
a lot of money, a high price I bet she paid a pretty penny for that coat. It looks expensive.
a real go-getter
a (very) ambitious, hard-working person.
a red-letter day
a special day, a memorable day This is going to be a red-letter day. I found my lost keys!
a score to settle
an argument to finish, a bone to pick I have a score to settle with him. He owes me a month's rent.
a sure bet
certain to win, a good choice to bet on The Lions are a sure bet in the final game. They'll win easily.
a sweet tooth
a need to eat candy, a craving for sugar After dinner we'll serve mints. Daddy has a sweet tooth, eh.
about to do something
on the point of doing something She was about to leave when the phone rang.
all get-out
(See as all get-out)
all set
ready, prepared to start """All set?"" he asked, as she closed her suitcase."
all wet
mistaken, do not know what you are talking about You're all wet! You can't grow bananas in Saskatchewan.
all your eggs in one basket
depending on one plan or one investment, hedge your bets If you invest all your money in one hotel, you'll have all your eggs in one basket.
anal retentive
too concerned with detail, pedantic Amy is anal retentive. She writes down everything the teacher says.
armed to the teeth
fully armed, having many weapons The robbers were armed to the teeth when they robbed the bank.
as all get-out
very much, a lot, like crazy, to the max Tracy is not only beautiful. She's as talented as all get-out.
as scarce as hen's teeth
rare, uncommon, not many of them Country doctors are as scarce as hen's teeth.
as yet
until now, up to the present As yet, she has not told me about her plans to leave the company.
ass over teakettle
falling over backwards, head over heels The cowboy knocked him off his feet - ass over teakettle!
at the end of my rope/ at the end of my tether
losing control of myself, losing patience (see lose patience) Babysitting five kids, I was at the end of my rope.
back on one's feet
physically healthy again My mother is back on her feet again after being sick with the flu for two weeks.
back on your feet
feeling better, recovered from an illness When you're back on your feet, we want you to return to work.
back teeth are floating
have to urinate, need to pee Please watch for a rest room. My back teeth are floating.
bail someone or something out
help or rescue The government has decided to bail out the troubled bank.
basket case
(See a basket case)
be fed up with (with someone or something)
be out of patience (with someone
beat a hasty retreat
run away from, leave quickly When the boys heard the siren they beat a hasty retreat.
bend over backwards to do something
try very hard If I can, I will bend over backwards to help you get a promotion in the company.
bet on
place a bet, gamble I bet on the bay mare, and she won! I bet $20 on her.
bet on a lame rooster
bet on a loser, fall for that If you vote for that guy, you're betting on a lame rooster.
bet on the wrong horse
base one
bet one
bet everything that one has I will bet my boots that he is not able to save up enough money to come with us to Greece this winter.bet all one has on something I would bet my bottom dollar that the accounting manager will be late again today.
bet you dollars to donuts
"I will bet dollars, you bet donuts; give you odds" Ben is the fastest runner. I'll bet you dollars to donuts he wins.
better half
spouse, wife or husband Bring your better half when you visit us. We'd like to meet her.
better late than never
it is better to arrive late than not to arrive """You're an hour late,"" he said. ""Better late than never,"" I replied."
better off
in better conditions: healthier or wealthier etc. Are you better off renting an apartment than buying a house?
better than a kick in the ass
better than punishment, not as bad as it could be, don't knock it "When I told him we had won $10 in the Lotto, he said, ""It's better than a kick in the ass."""
better the devil you know...
a new devil could be worse than the old devil """Should we fire the coach?"" ""No - better the devil we know than the one we don't."""
better to have loved...
(See it is better to have loved and lost...)
between a rock and a hard place
in a difficult position, making a difficult choice, Sophie's choice If I told the truth, I would lose my friend. I was between a rock and a hard place.
between sixes and sevens
(See at sixes and sevens)
between the devil and the deep blue sea
in a difficult position, no place to go, between a rock..., Sophie's choice "If he ran, they would shoot him; if he stayed in the shop, the gas would kill him. He was between the devil and the deep blue sea."
betwixt and between
not able to choose one or the other, ambivalent Which should I choose - PC or Mac? I'm betwixt and between.
birds of a feather flock together
people who are similar become friends or join together Don
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