[by fits and starts] or [jerks] {adv. phr.} With many stops and starts, a little now and a little more later; not all the time; irregularly. •/He had worked on the invention by fits and starts for several years./ •/You will never get anywhere if you study just by fits and starts./ Compare: FROM TIME TO TIME, OFF AND ON.
[bygone] See: LET BYGONES BE BYGONES.
[by heart]{adv. phr.} By exact memorizing; so well that you remember it; by memory. •/The pupils learned many poems by heart./ •/He knew the records of the major league teams by heart./
[by hook or by crook]{adv. phr.} By honest ways or dishonest in any way necessary. •/The wolf tried to get the little pigs by hook or by crook./ •/The team was determined to win that last game by hook or by crook, and three players were put out of the game for fouling./
[by inches]{adv. phr.} By small or slow degrees; little by little; gradually. •/The river was rising by inches./ •/They got a heavy wooden beam under the barn for a lever, and managed to move it by inches./ •/He was dying by inches./
[by leaps and bounds]{adv. phr.} With long steps; very rapidly. •/Production in the factory was increasing by leaps and bounds./ •/The school enrollment was going up by leaps and bounds./
[by means of]{prep.} By the use of; with the help of. •/The fisherman saved himself by means of a floating log./ •/By means of monthly payments, people can buy more than in the past./
[by mistake]{adv. phr.} As the result of a mistake; through error. •/He picked up the wrong hat by mistake./
[by no means] or [not by any means] also [by no manner of means] or [not by any manner of means] {adv. phr.} Not even a little; certainly not. •/He is by no means bright./ •/"May I stay home from school?" "By no means."/ •/Dick worked on his project Saturday, but he is not finished yet, by any means./ Contrast: BY ALL MEANS.
[B.Y.O.] (Abbreviation) {informal} Bring Your Own. Said of a kind of party where the host or hostess does not provide the drinks or food but people ring their own.
[B.Y.O.B.] (Abbreviation) {informal} Bring Your Own Bottle. Frequently written on invitations for the kind of party where people bring their own liquor.
[by oneself]{adv. phr.} 1. Without any others around; separate from others; alone. •/The house stood by itself on a hill./ •/Tom liked to go walking by himself./ •/Betty felt very sad and lonely by herself./ 2. Without the help of anyone else; by your own work only. •/John built a flying model airplane by himself./ •/Lois cleaned the house all by herself./
[by one’s own bootstraps] See: PULL ONE SELF UP BY THE BOOTSTRAPS.
[by storm] See: TAKE BY STORM.
[by surprise] See: TAKE BY SURPRISE.
[by the board] See: GO BY THE BOARD also PASS BY THE BOARD.
[by the bootstraps] See: PULL ONESELF UP BY THE BOOTSTRAPS.
[by the bye] See: BY THE WAY.
[by the dozen] or [by the hundred] or [by the thousand] {adv. phr.} Very many at one time; in great numbers. •/Tommy ate cookies by the down./ Often used in the plural, meaning even larger numbers. •/The ants arrived at the picnic by the hundreds./ •/The enemy attacked the fort by the thousands./
[by the horns] See: TAKE THE BULL BY THE HORNS.
[by the hundred] See: BY THE DOZEN.
[by the nose] See: LEAD BY THE NOSE.
[by the piece]{adv. phr.} Counted one piece at a time, separately for each single piece. •/John bought boxes full of bags of potato chips and sold them by the piece./ •/Mary made potholders and got paid by the piece./
[by the seat of one’s pants] See: FLY BY THE SEAT OF ONE’S PANTS.
[by the skin of one’s teeth]{adv. phr.} By a narrow margin; with no room to spare; barely. •/The drowning man struggled, and I got him to land by the skin of my teeth./ •/She passed English by the skin of her teeth./ Compare: SQUEAK THROUGH, WITHIN AN ACE OF or WITHIN AN INCH OF.
[by the sweat of one’s brow]{adv. phr.} By hard work; by tiring effort; laboriously. •/Even with modern labor-saving machinery, the farmer makes his living by the sweat of his brow./
[by the thousand] See: BY THE DOZEN.
[by the way] also [by the bye] {adv. phr.} Just as some added fact or news; as something else that I think of. — Used to introduce something related to the general subject, or brought to mind by it. •/We shall expect you; by the way, dinner will be at eight./ •/I was reading when the earthquake occurred, and, by the way, it was The Last Days of Pompeii that I was reading./
[by the wayside] See: FALL BY THE WAYSIDE.
[by turns]{adv. phr.} First one and then another in a regular way; one substituting for or following another according to a repeated plan. •/On the drive to Chicago, the three men took the wheel by turns./ •/The teachers were on duty by turns./ •/When John had a fever, he felt cold and hot by turns./ Syn.: IN TURN. Compare: TAKE TURNS.
[by virtue of] also [in virtue of] {prep.} On the strength of; because of; by reason of. •/By virtue of his high rank and position, the President takes social leadership over almost everyone else./ •/Plastic bags are useful for holding many kinds of food, by virtue of their clearness, toughness, and low cost./ Compare: BY DINT OF.
[by way of]{prep.} 1. For the sake or purpose of; as. •/By way of example, he described his own experience./ 2. Through; by a route including; via. •/He went from New York to San Francisco by way of Chicago./
[by word of mouth]{adv. phr.} From person to person by the spoken word; orally. •/The news got around by word of mouth./ •/The message reached him quietly by word of mouth./
[cahoots] See: IN LEAGUE WITH or IN CAHOOTS WITH.
[Cain] See: RAISE CAIN.
[cake] See: EAT-ONE’S CAKE AND HAVE IT TOO, PAT-A-CAKE, TAKE THE CAKE.
[calculated risk]{n.} An action that may fail but is judged more likely to succeed. •/The sending of troops to the rebellious island was a calculated risk./
[calf love] See: PUPPY LOVE.
[call] See: AT CALL, AT ONE’S BECK AND CALL, CLOSE CALL, ON CALL, PORT OF CALL, POT CALLS THE KETTLE BLACK, WITHIN CALL.
[call a halt]{v. phr.} To give a command to stop. •/The scouts were tired during the hike, and the scoutmaster called a halt./ •/When the children’s play, got too noisy, their mother called a halt./
[call a spade a spade]{v. phr.} To call a person or thing a name that is true but not polite; speak bluntly; use the plainest language. •/A boy took some money from Dick’s desk and said he borrowed it, but I told him he stole it; I believe in calling a spade a spade./
[call down] also [dress down] {v.}, {informal} To scold. •/Jim was called down by his teacher for being late to class./ •/Mother called Bob down for walking into the kitchen with muddy boots./ Compare: CALL ON THE CARPET, CHEW OUT, BAWL OUT, READ THE RIOT ACT.
[call for]{v.} 1. To come or go to get (someone or something). •/John called for Mary to take her to the dance./ Syn.: PICK UP. 2. To need; require. •/The cake recipe calls for two cups of flour./ •/Success in school calls for much hard study./
[call girl]{n.}, {slang} A prostitute catering to wealthy clientele, especially one who is contacted by telephone for an appointment. •/Rush Street is full of call girls./
[calling down] also [dressing down] {n. phr.}, {informal} A scolding; reprimand. •/The judge gave the boy a calling down for speeding./
[call in question] or [call into question] or [call in doubt] {v. phr.} To say (something) may be a mistake; express doubt about; question. •/Bill called in question Ed’s remark that basketball is safer than football./
[call it a day]{v. phr.} To declare that a given day’s work has been accomplished and go home; to quit for the day. •/"Let’s call it a day," the boss said, "and go out for a drink."/ •/It was nearly midnight, so Mrs. Byron decided to call it a day, and left the party, and went home./ •/The four golfers played nine holes and then called it a day./ Compare: CLOSE UP SHOP.
[call it a night]{v. phr.} To declare that an evening party or other activity conducted late in the day is finished. •/I am so tired that I am going to call it a night and go to bed./
[call it quits]{v. phr.}, {informal} 1. To decide to stop what you are doing; quit. •/When Tom had painted half the garage, he called it quits./ 2. To agree that each side in a fight is satisfied; stop fighting because a wrong has been paid back; say things are even. •/Pete called Tom a bad name, and they fought till Tom gave Pete a bloody nose; then they called it quits./ 3. To cultivate a habit no longer. •/"Yes, I called it quits with cigarettes three years ago."/
[call names]{v. phr.} To use ugly or unkind words when speaking to someone or when talking about someone. — Usually used by or to children. •/Bill got so mad he started calling Frank names./
[call off]{v.} To stop (something planned); quit; cancel. •/When the ice became soft and sloppy, we had to call off the ice-skating party./ •/The baseball game was called off because of rain./
[call on] or [call upon] {v.} 1. To make a call upon; visit. •/Mr. Brown called on an old friend while he was in the city./ 2. To ask for help. •/He called on a friend to give him money for the busfare to his home./
[call one’s bluff]{v. phr.}, {informal} To ask someone to prove what he says he can or will do. (Originally from the card game of poker.) •/Tom said he could jump twenty feet and so Dick called his bluff and said "Let’s see you do it!"/
[call one’s shot]{v. phr.} 1. To tell before firing where a bullet will hit. •/An expert rifleman can call his shot regularly./ •/The wind was strong and John couldn’t call his shots./ 2. or [call the turn] To tell in advance the result of something before you do it. •/Mary won three games in a row, just as she said she would. She called her turns well./ •/Nothing ever happens as Tom says it will. He is very poor at calling his turns./
[call on the carpet]{v. phr.}, {informal} To call (a person) before an authority (as a boss or teacher) for a scolding or reprimand. •/The worker was called on the carpet by the boss for sleeping on the job./ •/The principal called Tom on the carpet and warned him to stop coming to school late./
[call the roll]{v. phr.} To read out the names on a certain list, usually in alphabetical order. •/The sergeant called the roll of the newly enlisted volunteers in the army./
[call the shots]{v. phr.}, {informal} To give orders; be in charge; direct; control. •/Bob is a first-rate leader who knows how to call the shots./ •/The quarterback called the shots well, and the team gained twenty yards in five plays./ Syn.: CALL THE TUNE.
[call the tune]{v. phr.}, {informal} To be in control; give orders or directions; command. •/Bill was president of the club but Jim was secretary and called the tune./ •/The people supported the mayor, so he could call the tune in city matters./ Syn.: CALL THE SHOTS.
[call the turn] See: CALL ONE’S SHOT(2).
[call to account]{v. phr.} 1. To ask (someone) to explain why he did something wrong (as breaking a rule). •/The principal called Jim to account after Jim left school early without permission./ 2. To scold (as for wrong conduct); reprimand. •/The father called his son to account for disobeying him./
