The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms Read online

  bite the hand that feeds you Show ingratitude, turn against a benefactor. For example, The college gave me a scholarship, so I shouldn’t bite the hand that feeds me and criticize its hiring policies. Used about 600 B.C. by the Greek poet Sappho, this metaphor of a dog biting its master was first recorded in English in 1711.

  bitten → See ONCE BITTEN, TWICE SHY; also see BITE.

  bitter → In addition to the idioms beginning with BITTER, also see TAKE THE BITTER WITH THE SWEET.

  bitter end The last extremity; also, death or ruin. For example, I’m supporting the union’s demands to the bitter end, or Even though they fight a lot, I’m sure Mom and Dad will stay together to the bitter end. The source of this term may have been nautical, a bitter being a turn of a cable around posts, or bitts, on a ship’s deck, and the bitter end meaning “the part of the cable that stays inboard.” Thus, when a rope is paid out to the bitter end, no more remains. [Mid-1800s]

  bitter pill to swallow An unpleasant fact, disappointment, or humiliation that is difficult to endure. For example, Failing the bar exam was a bitter pill to swallow, but he plans to try again next year. [Late 1500s]

  black → In addition to the idioms beginning with BLACK, also see DIRTY (BLACK) LOOK; IN THE RED (BLACK); LOOK BLACK; PAINT BLACK; POT CALLING THE KETTLE BLACK.

  black and blue Badly bruised, as in That fall down the stairs left me black and blue all over. Even though multicolored bruises rarely include the color black, this term has been so used since about 1300.

  black and white 1. A monochromatic picture, drawing, television image, computer monitor, or film, as opposed to one using many colors, as in Photos in black and white fade less than those taken with color film. [Late 1800s] 2. Also, black or white. Involving a very clear distinction, without any gradations. For example, He tended to view everything as a black and white issue—it was ­either right or wrong—whereas his partner always found gray areas. This usage is based on the association of black with evil and white with virtue, which dates back at least 2,000 years. [Early 1800s] Also see GRAY AREA. 3. in black and white. Written down or in print, and therefore official. For example, The terms of our agreement were spelled out in black and white, so there should be no question about it. This term alludes to black ink or print on white paper. Shakespeare used it in Much Ado about Nothing (5:1). [Late 1500s]

  black as night Also, black as coal or pitch. Totally black; also, very dark. For example, The well was black as night, or She had eyes that were black as coal. These similes have survived while others—black as ink, a raven, thunder, hell, the devil, my hat, the minister’s coat, the ace of spades—are seldom if ever heard today. Of the current objects of comparison, pitch may be the oldest, so used in Homer’s Iliad (c. 850 B.C.), and coal is mentioned in a Saxon manuscript from A.D. 1000. John Milton used black as night in Paradise Lost (1667).

  black book 1. A list of persons or things out of favor, as in Tom’s in my black book these days. This usage dates from the 1300s and in time became more ominous. In 1536 the agents of King Henry VIII wrote in a black book the names of those to be censured or punished, specifically “sinful” English monasteries (whose lands Henry wanted to acquire). Today being in someone’s black book still signifies being in trouble, at least with that person. Also see BLACK LIST. 2. Also, little black book. A personal telephone directory listing girlfriends, or, less often, boyfriends. For example, Now that he’s engaged to Ellen, Jim won’t be needing his little black book. [1930s] 3. A list of measures or facts involved in the unfriendly takeover of one company by another. This usage is employed mainly in business and commerce. [c. 1980]

  black eye A mark of shame, a humiliating setback, as in That there are enough homeless folks to need another shelter is a black eye for the administration. This metaphor alludes to having discolored flesh around the eye resulting from a blow. The term is also used literally, as in The mugger not only took Bill’s wallet but gave him a black eye. [Late 1800s]

  Black Friday 1. Also Black Monday, Black Tuesday, etc. A day of economic catastrophe, as in We feared there’d be another Black Friday. This usage dates from September 24, 1869, a Friday when stock manipulators Jay Gould and James Fisk tried to corner the gold market and caused its collapse. The adjective black has been appended to similar occasions ever since, including October 29, 1929, the Tuesday of the market collapse that marked the start of the Great Depression, and Black Monday of October 19, 1987, when the stock market experienced its greatest fall since the Great Depression. 2. Any day marked by great confusion or activity, as in It was just my luck to be traveling on Black Tuesday. This usage, too, is based on the events of 1869, marked by economic chaos. It has since been extended to other kinds of confusion, such as an accident hampering traffic during the evening rush hour. 3. In the United States, the year’s most popular shopping event, the Friday after Thanksgiving, when retailers offer sales and big discounts on numerous items to lure shoppers to buy regular-priced items. In 2010 the day was advanced to the Friday after Halloween.

  black hole 1. A wretched prison cell or other place of confinement. For example, The punishment is solitary confinement, known as the black hole. This term acquired its meaning in 1756 with the event known as the Black Hole of Calcutta. On the night of June 20, the ruler of Bengal confined 146 Europeans in a prison space of only 14 by 18 feet. By morning all but 23 of them had suffocated to death. Although historians since have questioned the truth of the story, it survives in this usage. 2. A great void or abyss. For example, Running a single small newspaper ad to launch a major campaign is useless; it amounts to throwing our money into a black hole. This usage alludes to a region, so named by astronomers, whose gravitational field is so intense that no electromagnetic radiation can escape from it. [Late 1970s]

  black list A list of persons or things considered undesirable or deserving punishment, as in Japanese beetles are on my black list of garden pests. The practice of making such lists is quite old. Notorious examples include the late 19th-century black lists of union members whom employers would not hire and the black lists of persons suspected of being Communists as a result of the hearings held by Senator Joseph R. McCarthy in the early 1950s. Today the term is also used more loosely, as in the example. [Early 1600s] Also see BLACK BOOK, def. 1.

  black look → See under DIRTY LOOK.

  black mark An indication of censure or failure, as in If you refuse to work late, won’t that be a black mark against you? This phrase alludes to a literal black mark, such as a cross, that was put next to a person’s name, indicating that he or she had incurred a rebuke or penalty of some kind. [Mid-1800s]

  black out 1. Obliterate with black, as in crossing out words on a page or print on a screen. For ­example, They have blacked out all the obscene words in the subtitles to make this movie suitable for youngsters. This usage may be derived from an earlier meaning, “to stain or defame,” which dates from the 1400s (and probably alludes to “blackening” a person’s reputation). [Mid-1800s] 2. Extinguish all lights. For example, The whole town was asleep, as blacked out as London during the war. In the early 1900s this expression alluded to the lights in a theater, but from about 1940 on it meant darkening an entire city to hide it from enemy bombers. 3. Lose consciousness, faint; also, experience a temporary loss of memory. For example, I couldn’t remember a single note of the music; I blacked out completely, or The accused man claims he blacked out after his first drink. This usage is thought to have originated with pilots, who sometimes fainted briefly when pulling out of a power dive. It soon was transferred to other losses of consciousness or memory. [c. 1940]

  black sheep The least reputable member of a group; a disgrace. For example, Uncle Fritz was the black sheep of the family; we always thought he emigrated to Argentina to avoid jail. This metaphor is based on the idea that black sheep were less valuable than white ones because it was more difficult to dye their wool different colors. Also, in the 1500s, their color was considered the devil’s mark. By the 1700s the term wa
s widely used as it is today, for the odd member of a group.

  blame → See LAY (THE BLAME) ON; TO BLAME.

  blank → In addition to the idiom beginning with BLANK, also see DRAW A BLANK; FILL IN (THE BLANKS).

  blank check Unrestricted authority, a free hand, as in I’ll support most of the chairman’s agenda, but I’m not ready to give him a blank check for the company’s future. Literally this term signifies a bank check that is signed by the drawer but does not indicate the amount of money, which is filled in by the person to whom it is given. [Late 1800s]

  blanket → See SECURITY BLANKET; WET BLANKET.

  blast → In addition to the idiom beginning with BLAST, also see FULL BLAST.

  blast off 1. Also, blast away. Take off or be launched, especially into space, as in They’re scheduled to blast off on Tuesday. This usage originated with the development of powerful rockets, spacecraft, and astronauts, to all of which it was applied. [c. 1950] 2. Depart, clear out, as in This party’s over; let’s blast off now. [Slang; early 1950s] 3. Become excited or high, especially from using drugs, as in They give parties where people blast off. [Slang; c. 1960]

  blaze → In addition to the idiom beginning with BLAZE, also see HOT AS BLAZES; LIKE GREASED LIGHTNING (BLAZES).

  blaze a trail Find a new path or method; begin a new undertaking. For example, His research blazed a trail for new kinds of gene therapy. This expression was first used literally in the 1700s for the practice of marking a forest trail by making blazes, that is, marking trees with notches or chips in the bark. [Late 1800s]

  bleed → In addition to the idiom beginning with BLEED, also see MY HEART BLEEDS FOR YOU.

  bleeding heart An extremely soft-hearted, compassionate person, often to a fault. Usage of the adjective “bleeding” for “full of pity” dates from the late 1500s. The pairing with “heart,” as in A true bleeding heart, she takes in every stray animal, is much newer. [First half of 1900s]

  bleed someone white Extort money, take someone’s last penny. For example, That contractor would have bled the department white, but fortunately he was apprehended in time. Presumably this term alludes to losing so much blood that one turns pale (and perhaps also to the idea that money is the life blood of commerce). [First half of 1900s]

  blessed event The birth of a baby, as in When is the blessed event expected? This expression combines two senses of blessed, that is, “happy” and “sacred.” Today, however, unless used ironically, it is considered cloyingly sentimental. [1920s]

  blessing → In addition to the idiom beginning with BLESSING, also see GIVE THANKS FOR SMALL BLESSINGS; MIXED BLESSING.

  blessing in disguise A misfortune that unexpectedly turns into good fortune, as in Missing the train was a blessing in disguise, for if I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have met my future wife. [Mid-1700s]

  blind → In addition to the idioms beginning with BLIND, also see FLY BLIND; ROB SOMEONE BLIND; TURN A BLIND EYE.

  blind alley A dead end; a position without hope of progress or success. For example, That line of questioning led the attorney up yet another blind alley. This term alludes to a street or alley that has no outlet at one end. [Mid-1800s]

  blind as a bat Quite blind; also, unaware. For example, Without my glasses I’m blind as a bat, or I had no idea they wanted me to take over his job; I was blind as a bat. This simile, based on the erroneous idea that the bat’s erratic flight means it cannot see properly, has survived even though it is now known that bats have a sophisticated built-in sonar system. [Late 1500s]

  blind date A rendezvous with a person one has never met before, arranged by a friend or a dating service or an on-line posting. For example, Jane knew few people in town so she agreed to go on a blind date with Charlie, a friend of her brother’s. [Colloquial, 1920s]

  blindfolded → See DO BLINDFOLDED.

  blind leading the blind Those lacking the skills or knowledge for something are being guided by equally inept individuals. For example, Bill’s teaching his son carpentry; that’s a case of the blind leading the blind. The expression is found in the New Testament as one of Jesus’s teachings (Matthew 15:14; Luke 6:39). [c. 1600]

  blind side → See under BLIND SPOT.

  blind spot Subject about which one is ignorant or biased. For example, The boss has a blind spot about Henry; he wouldn’t fire him for anything, or Dad has a blind spot about opera; he can’t see anything good about it. This term uses blind in the sense of “covered or hidden from sight.” It has two literal meanings: an insensitive part of the retina and an area outside one’s field of vision. The phrase has largely replaced blind side, which survives mainly in the verb to blindside, meaning “to hit someone on an unguarded side” and “to deal an unexpected blow.” [Mid-1800s]

  blink → See ON THE BLINK.

  bliss out Experience great joy or euphoria, as in Just give me some time to bliss out on the beach. [Slang; c. 1970]

  block → See CHIP OFF THE OLD BLOCK; KNOCK SOMEONE’S BLOCK OFF; MENTAL BLOCK; ON THE BLOCK; STUMBLING BLOCK.

  blog A contraction of weblog (or web log), an on-line journal posted by an individual or group. The term was coined in 1999 by Peter Merholz and quickly came into wide use, as in The author’s blog is updated every week, airing her opinions of current events.

  blood → In addition to the idioms beginning with BLOOD, also see BAD BLOOD; DRAW BLOOD; FLESH AND BLOOD; IN COLD BLOOD; IN ONE’S BLOOD; MAKE ONE’S BLOOD BOIL; MAKE ONE’S BLOOD RUN COLD; NEW BLOOD; OUT FOR (BLOOD); RUN IN THE BLOOD; SCREAM BLOODY MURDER; SHED BLOOD; SPORTING BLOOD; SWEAT BLOOD. Also see under BLEED.

  blood and guts Courage in a military context. Speaking to officers in Fort Benning, GA in 1940, U.S. General George S. Patton, Jr. said, “War will be won by Blood and Guts alone,” which earned him the nickname “Old Blood and Guts.” He probably originated this idiom. It has also been transferred to other kinds of conflict. The Melbourne Herald had it on October 11, 1975: “...the Tests [cricket matches] between Australia and the West Indies this summer will be a blood and guts battle of brute speed.”

  blood is thicker than water Family ties are closer than other relationships. For example, Nancy will drop everything to help her sister; blood is thicker than water. Alluding to the fact that water evaporates without leaving a mark whereas blood leaves a stain, this proverb was first recorded about 1412.

  blood will tell → See under RUN IN THE BLOOD.

  blossom into Also, blossom out. Develop, flourish, as in She’s blossomed into a fine young woman, or His business has blossomed out and he’s doing well. [Second half of 1800s]

  blot out Obliterate, wipe out of existence or memory, as in At least one Indian nation was blotted out as the pioneers moved west, or The trauma of the accident blotted out all her memory of recent events. This idiom, first recorded in 1516, uses the verb to blot in the sense of making something illegible by spotting or staining it with ink. The New Testament has it (Acts 3:19): “Repent ye... that your sins may be blotted out.”

  blow → In addition to the idioms beginning with BLOW, also see AT ONE STROKE (BLOW); BODY BLOW; COME TO BLOWS; KEEP (BLOW) ONE’S COOL; LOW BLOW; WAY THE WIND BLOWS.

  blow a fuse Also, blow a gasket. Lose one’s temper, express furious anger. For example, When his paycheck bounced, John blew a fuse, or Tell Mom what really happened before she blows a gasket. An electric fuse is said to “blow” (melt) when the circuit is overloaded, whereas a gasket, used to seal a piston, “blows” (breaks) when the pressure is too high. The first of these slangy terms dates from the 1930s, the second from the 1940s. Also see BLOW ONE’S TOP; KEEP ONE’S COOL.

  blow away 1. Kill, especially by gunshot or explosion. For example, The unit reported that the whole village was blown away. This usage became particularly widespread in the 1960s, during the Vietnam War. [Slang; early 1900s] 2. Overcome easily; defeat decisively. For example, Ann said the test would be easy; she would just blow it away, or Jim was sure his crew could blow away their opponents. [Slang; 1960s] Also see BLOW
OFF, def. 3. 3. Impress greatly, overwhelm with surprise, delight, or shock, as in That music really blew me away. [Slang; c. 1970] Also see BLOW ONE’S MIND.

  blow by blow Described in minute detail, as in Tell me about last night’s party, blow by blow. This term originated in radio broadcasts during the 1930s, in which the sportscaster gave a detailed account of each punch struck in a boxing match. It soon was transferred to a detailed account of anything at all.

  blow hot and cold Change one’s mind, vacillate, as in Jean’s been blowing hot and cold about taking a winter vacation. This expression comes from Aesop’s fable (c. 570 B.C.) about a man eating with a satyr on a winter day. At first the man blew on his hands to warm them and then blew on his soup to cool it. The satyr thereupon renounced the man’s friendship because he blew hot and cold out of the same mouth. The expression was repeated by many writers, most often signifying a person who could not be relied on. William Chillingworth put it: “These men can blow hot and cold out of the same mouth to serve several purposes” (The Relig­­ion of Protestants, 1638).

  blow in Arrive, especially unexpectedly. For example, Just when we’d given him up, Arthur blew in. [Colloquial; late 1800s]

  blow it 1. Spoil, botch, or bungle something, as in That was a great opportunity, but now I’ve blown it. [Slang; c. 1940] 2. blow one’s lines. Make a mistake in speaking one’s part in a theatrical production, as in Ben blew his lines, but Dean came to the rescue. [Mid-1900s]

  blow off 1. Vent one’s strong feelings; see BLOW OFF STEAM. 2. Disregard, ignore; evade something important. For example, If you blow off your homework, you’re bound to run into trouble on the exam. [Slang; second half of 1900s] 3. Overcome, defeat easily, as in With Rob pitching, we’ll have no trouble blowing off the opposing team. [Slang; 1950s] Also see BLOW AWAY, def. 2. [Slang; mid-1900s]