Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 61 bring (someone) to - to wake someone up, to bring someone to consciousness The medical doctor tried to bring the small boy to after he fell into the swimming pool. bring (something) home to (someone) - to cause someone to realize the truth of something The dry conditions are bringing home to the farmers the importance of saving water. bring (something) into question - to raise a question about something The actions of the government bring into question their interest in the case. bring (something) off - to make something happen The students tried hard to bring off a successful dance to collect money for their club. bring (something) on - to cause something to develop rapidly I do not know what brought on his anger but you should avoid him until he calms down. bring (something) to a head - to cause something to reach a point where a decision or some action is necessary The accident will bring the issue of safety to a head during the next meeting. Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 62 bring (something) to (someone's) attention - to make someone aware of something There was a mistake in the textbook which the student brought to the teacher's attention. bring to mind - to recall something Her acting brought to mind some of the great actresses of the past. bring up - to introduce a subject into a discussion They brought up the subject at the meeting but nobody wanted to talk about it. bring up - to raise or care for a child My sister is bringing up three children. bring up the rear - to be at the end of the line or in the last position The runner from the other school was bringing up the rear in the school relay race. . to be broad in the beam - to have wide hips or large buttocks The woman in the store was broad in the beam. Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 63 to be broke - to have no money I spent all of my money on my holiday and now I am broke. brush up on (something) - to review something that one has already learned I am going to brush up on my English before my trip to New York. a brush with the law - a brief encounter or experience with the police because of a crime The man had a brush with the law when he was young but now he is totally honest. buck for (something) - to aim/try for a goal The soldier was bucking for a promotion. buckle down (to something) - to begin to work seriously at something I have to buckle down and study or I will fail the exam. bug (someone) - to irritate or bother someone The boy's rude behavior is beginning to bug me. build a fire under (someone) - to stimulate someone to do something We keep trying to build a fire under our friend but he refuses to study or look for a job. Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 64 build castles in the air/in Spain - to make plans that are impossible The girl is always building castles in the air and none of them have any chance to succeed. build (something) to order - to make something especially for a customer The family wanted to build their kitchen table and chairs to order. build up (someone or something) - to make someone or something bigger or stronger, to promote something The woman is always trying to build up her boss which makes her very well-liked by him. build up to (something) - to lead up to something Things were building up to be a very serious situation. bull in a china shop - someone who is clumsy and upsets other people or plans Our boss was like a bull in a china shop when I saw him at the meeting last week. bump into (someone) - to meet someone by chance I bumped into my friend at the department store yesterday. Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 65 bump off (someone) - to kill someone The criminal gang bumped off the leader of the other gang. bundle of nerves - a very nervous or anxious person The woman has become a bundle of nerves after looking after her three children. bundle up - to put on warm clothes, to dress warmly We bundled up and went for a walk in the park. burn Idioms burn a hole in one`s pocket - to stimulate someone to spend money quickly I got paid today and the money is burning a hole in my pocket. burn down - to burn completely (usually used for buildings) My neighbor`s house burned down last night. burn one`s bridges behind one - to do something that makes going back impossible He burned his bridges behind him and is unable to work in the same industry again. Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 66 burn (oneself) out - to become very tired and almost sick from doing something for a long time or because of working too hard After working long hours for many months the woman finally burned herself out. burn (someone) in effigy - to burn a dummy that represents a hated person The crowd of people burned the Prime Minister in effigy. burn the candle at both ends - to work or play too hard without enough rest The man has been burning the candle at both ends with his work and he is now sick. burn the midnight oil - to study until very late at night We burned the midnight oil for three nights in order to study for the exam. burn up - to burn completely (usually things and not buildings) The uniforms burned up in the fire. . burst at the seams - to explode with pride or laughter, to be full to the breaking point The train was bursting at the seams as it entered the station. Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 67 burst in on (someone or something) - to enter a room and interrupt someone or some activity The woman burst in on the meeting just as it started. burst into flames - to catch fire suddenly The curtains burst into flames after touching the small stove. burst into tears - to begin to cry suddenly The parents burst into tears of happiness when their daughter graduated. burst onto the scene - to appear suddenly in some location The young singer burst onto the scene when she was a teenager. burst out laughing - to begin to laugh suddenly We burst out laughing when the man screamed after seeing the mouse. burst with joy - to be full of happiness and feel that you will explode or burst My grandmother burst with joy when she saw her new baby granddaughter. burst with pride - to be full of pride and ready to burst The girl's parents were bursting with pride at the graduation ceremony. Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 68 bury/hide one`s head in the sand - to refuse to see something, to face or know something unpleasant He always buries his head in the sand and never wants to hear about family problems. bury the hatchet - to stop arguing and become friendly with someone He buried the hatchet with his brother and they are now friendly again. business as usual - to continue as usual It was business as usual for the small stores soon after the fire destroyed the shopping area. busman's holiday - a holiday where you spend your time doing the same thing that you would do if you were working The doctor felt that he was on a busman's holiday when everyone at the meeting began to ask him about their medical problems. but for (someone or something) - if it were not for someone or something The man would have easily got the new job, but for the fact that he was not honest about his previous experience. butt in (on someone or something) - to interrupt someone or something I do not like that woman because she always butts in on our conversations while we are talking. Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 69 butter (someone) up - to flatter someone He is trying to butter up his boss so that he can leave early on Friday. button one's lip - to become quiet I decided to button my lip rather than give my opinion of our supervisor. buy a pig in a poke - to buy something without seeing it or knowing if it will be satisfactory It is like buying a pig in a poke if you buy that car without first inspecting it. buy off (someone) - to bribe someone The union tried to buy off the politician. buy (something) for a song - to buy something cheaply We were able to buy the boat for a song. buy (something) on credit - to buy something now and pay for it later We decided to buy the computer on credit because we did not have much money. buy (something) sight unseen - to buy something without seeing it first My sister made a big mistake when she bought the used car sight unseen. Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 70 by Idioms by a mile - by a great distance The runner won the race by a mile. by a whisker/hair - just barely, by a very small amount The marathon runner won the race by a whisker. by all accounts - from all reports, from what everyone is saying By all accounts the new manager is a very good person. by all appearances - apparently, according to what one sees By all appearances the small car was the cause of the accident that killed two people. by all means - certainly, yes "By all means, I will come to dinner next week." by and by - before long, after some time has passed By and by all of the family moved back to the city. . without seeing it first My sister made a big mistake when she bought the used car sight unseen. Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 70 by Idioms by a mile - by a great distance The runner won. last week. bump into (someone) - to meet someone by chance I bumped into my friend at the department store yesterday. Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 65 bump off (someone) - to. today and the money is burning a hole in my pocket. burn down - to burn completely (usually used for buildings) My neighbor`s house burned down last night. burn one`s bridges behind one