[bring up]{v.} 1. To take care of (a child); raise, train, educate. •/He gave much attention and thought to bringing up his children./ •/Joe was born in Texas but brought up in Oklahoma./ 2. {informal} To stop; halt. — Usually used with "short". •/He brought the car up short when the light changed to red./ •/Bill started to complain, I brought him up short./ 3. To begin a discussion of; speak of; mention. •/At the class meeting Bob brought up the idea of a picnic./
[bring up the rear]{v. phr.} 1. To come last in a march, parade, or procession; end a line. •/The fire truck with Santa on it brought up the rear of the Christmas parade./ •/The governor and his staff brought up the rear of the parade./ 2. {informal} To do least well; do the most poorly of a group; be last. •/In the race, John brought up the rear./ •/In the basketball tournament, our team brought up the rear./
[bring] or [wheel in] or [out] or [up the big guns] {v. phr.} To make use of a concealed plan in order to defeat an opponent in an argument or in a game, debate, or competition. •/The new computer software company decided to bring out the big guns to get ahead of the competition./
[broke] See: GO BROKE, GO FOR BROKE, STONE-BROKE OT DEAD BROKE or FLAT BROKE, STRAW THAT BROKE THE CAMEL’S BACK.
[Bronx cheer]{n. phr.}, {slang} A loud sound made with tongue and lips to show opposition or scorn. •/When he began to show anti-union feelings, he was greeted with Bronx cheers all around./
[broom] See: NEW BROOM SWEEPS CLEAN.
[broth] See: SCOTCH BROTH.
[brow] See: BY THE SWEAT OF ONE’S BROW.
[brown] See: DO UP BROWN.
[brown-bagger]{n.}, {slang}, {informal} A person who does not go to the cafeteria or to a restaurant for lunch at work, but who brings his homemade lunch to work in order to save money. •/John became a brown-bagger not because he can’t afford the restaurant, but because he is too busy to go there./
[brown-nose]{v.}, {slang}, {avoidable}, {though gaining in acceptance} To curry favor in a subservient way, as by obviously exaggerated flattery. •/Max brown-noses his teachers, that’s why he gets all A’s in his courses./ Compare: POLISH THE APPLE.
[brown paper bag]{n.}, {slang}, {citizen’s band radio jargon} An unmarked police car. •/The beaver got a Christmas card because she didn’t notice the brown paper bag at her back door./ See: PLAIN WHITE WRAPPER.
[brown study]{n. phr.} A time of deep thought about something; a deep thoughtful mood. •/When his wife found him, he had pushed away his books and was in a brown study./
[brush] See: BEAT THE BUSHES or BEAT THE BRUSH.
[brush aside]{v. phr.} To ignore; give no reply. •/Brushing aside the editor’s comments, the young novelist proceeded with his story, which was subsequently rejected by the publisher./
[brush back]{v.} To throw a baseball pitch close to. •/The pitcher threw a high inside pitch to brush the batter back./ Syn.: DUST OFF.
[brushoff] See: GET THE BRUSHOFF, BRUSH OFF or GIVE THE BRUSHOFF.
[brush off] or [give the brush off] {v. phr.} 1. To refuse to hear or believe; quickly and impatiently; not take seriously or think important. •/John brushed off Bill’s warning that he might fall from the tree./ •/I said that it might rain and to take the bus, but Joe gave my idea the brushoff./ •/Father cut his finger but he brushed it off as not important and kept working./ 2. {informal} To be unfriendly to; not talk or pay attention to (someone); get rid of. •/Mary brushed off Bill at the dance./ •/I said hello to Mr. Smith, but he gave me the brushoff./ Compare: COLD SHOULDER, HIGH-HAT. Contrast: GET THE BRUSH OFF.
[brush up] or [brush up on] {v.} To refresh one’s memory of or skill at by practice or review; improve; make perfect. •/She spent the summer brushing up on her American History as she was to teach that in the fall./ •/He brushed up his target shooting./
[bubble gum music]{n.}, {slang} The kind of rock’n'roll that appeals to young teenagers. •/When will you learn to appreciate Mozart instead of that bubble gum music?/
[bubble trouble]{n.}, {slang}, {citizen’s band radio jargon} Tire trouble, flat tire. •/The eighteen wheeler ahead of me seems to have bubble trouble./
[buck] See: FAST BUCK or QUICK BUCK, PASS THE BUCK.
[bucket] See: KICK THE BUCKET, RAIN CATS AND DOGS or RAIN BUCKETS.
[bucket of bolts]{n.}, {slang} A very old and shaky car that barely goes. •/When are you going to get rid of that old bucket of bolts?/
[buckle] See: BUCKLE DOWN or KNUCKLE DOWN.
[buckle down] or [knuckle down] {v.} To give complete attention (to an effort or job); attend. •/They chatted idly for a few moments then each buckled down to work./ •/Jim was fooling instead of studying; so his father told him to buckle down./
[buck passer], [buck-passing] See: PASS THE BUCK.
[buck up]{v. phr.}, {informal} To make or become more cheerful; make or become free from discouragement; become more hopeful. •/After the heavy rain, the scoutmaster bucked up the boys by leading them in a song./ •/Tom was disappointed that he didn’t make the team; but he soon bucked up./
[bud] See: NIP IN THE BUD.
[bug-eyed]{adj.}, {slang} Wide-eyed with surprise. •/He stood there bug-eyed when told that he had won the award./
[buggy-whip]{n.}, {slang} An unusually long, thin radio antenna on a car that bends back like a whip when the car moves fast. •/He’s very impressed with himself ever since he got a buggy whip./
[bughouse(1)]{n.}, {slang} An insane asylum. •/They took Joe to the bughouse./
[bughouse(2)]{adj.}, {slang} Crazy, insane. •/Joe’s gone bughouse./
[bug in one’s ear]{n. phr.}, {informal} A hint; secret information given to someone to make him act; idea. •/I saw Mary at the jeweler’s admiring the diamond pin; I’ll put a bug in Henry’s ear./
[build] See: JERRY-BUILT.
[build a fire under]{v. phr.} To urge or force (a slow or unwilling person) to action; get (someone) moving; arouse. •/The health department built a fire under the restaurant owner and got him to clean the place up by threatening to cancel his license./
[build castles in the air] or [build castles in Spain] {v. phr.} To make impossible or imaginary plans, dream about future successes that are unlikely. •/He liked to build castles in the air, but never succeeded in anything./ •/To build castles in Spain is natural for young people and they may work hard enough to get part of their wishes./
[build on sand]{v. phr.} To lay a weak or insufficient foundation for a building, a business, or a relationship. •/"I don’t want to build my business on sand," John said, "so please. Dad, give me that loan I requested."/
[build up]{v.} 1. To make out of separate pieces or layers; construct from parts. •/Johnny built up a fort out of large balls of snow./ •/Lois built up a cake of three layers./ 2. To cover over or fill up with buildings. •/The fields where Tom’s father played as a boy are all built up now./ •/A driver should slow down when he comes to an area that is built up./ 3a. To increase slowly or by small amounts; grow. •/John built up a bank account by saving regularly./ •/The noise built up until Mary couldn’t stand it any longer./ 3b. To make stronger or better or more effective. •/Fred exercised to build up his muscles./ •/Joanne was studying to build up her algebra./ 3c. {informal} To advertise quickly and publicize so as to make famous. •/The press agent built up the young actress./ •/The movie company spent much money building up its new picture./
[build up to]{v. phr.} To be in the process of reaching a culmination point. •/The clouds were building up to a violent storm./ •/Their heated words were building up to a premature divorce./
[bull] See: HIT THE BULLS-EYE, SHOOT THE BREEZE or SHOOT THE BULL, TAKE THE BULL BY THE HORNS.
[bullet lane]{n.}, {slang}, {citizen’s band radio jargon} The passing lane. •/Move over into the bullet lane, this eighteen wheeler is moving too slow./
[bull in a china shop]{n. phr.} A rough or clumsy person who says or does something to anger others or upset plans; a tactless person. •/We were talking politely and carefully with the teacher about a class party, but John came in like a bull in a china shop and his rough talk made the teacher say no./
[bull session]{n.}, {slang} A long informal talk about something by a group of persons. •/After the game the boys in the dormitory had a bull session until the lights went out./
[bullshit]{n.}, {vulgar, but gaining in acceptance by some} Exaggerated or insincere talk meant to impress others. •/"Joe, this is a lot of bullshit!"/
[bullshit]{v.}, {vulgar to informal}, {gaining in social acceptance by some} To exaggerate or talk insincerely in an effort to make yourself seem impressive. •/"Stop bullshitting me, Joe, I can’t believe a word of what you’re saying."/
[bullshit artist]{n.}, {slang}, {vulgar, but gaining in social acceptance} A person who habitually makes exaggerated or insincerely flattering speeches designed to impress others. •/Joe is a regular bullshit artist, small wonder he keeps gettine promoted ahead of everyone else./
[bum around]{v. phr.}, {slang} To aimlessly wander in no definite direction, like a vagabond. •/Jim had been bumming around in the desert for three days and nights before he was able to remember how he got there in the first place./
[bump] See: GOOSE BUMPS.
[bump into]{v.}, {informal} To meet without expecting to; happen to meet; come upon by accident. •/Mary was walking down the street, when she suddenly bumped into Joan./ •/Ed was surprised to bump into John at the football game./ Syn.: RUN INTO.
[bump off]{v.}, {slang} To kill in a violent way; murder in gangster fashion. •/Hoodlums in a speeding car bumped him off with Tommy guns./
[bum’s rush]{n. phr.}, {slang} Throwing or pushing someone out from where he is not wanted. •/When John tried to go to the party where he was not invited, Bill and Fred gave him the bum’s rush./ •/Tom became too noisy, and he got the bum’s rush./ 2. To hurry or rush (someone). •/The salesman tried to give me the bum’s rush./
[bum steer]{n.} Wrong or misleading directions given naively or on purpose. •/Man, you sure gave me a bum steer when you told me to go north on the highway; you should have sent me south!/
[bundle of laughs]{n. phr.} A very amusing person, thing, or event. •/Uncle Lester tells so many jokes that he is a bundle of laughs./
[bundle up] See: WRAP UP(1).
[burn] See: EARS BURN, KEEP THE HOME FIRES BURNING, MONEY TO BURN.
[burn a hole in one’s pocket]{v. phr.} To make you want to buy something; be likely to be quickly spent. •/Money burns a hole in Linda’s pocket./ •/The silver dollar that Don got for his birthday was burning a hole in his pocket, and Don hurried to a dime store./
[burn down]{v. phr.} To burn to the ground; be totally gutted by fire. •/The old frame house burned down before the firefighters could get to it./
[burn in effigy] See: HANG IN EFFIGY.
