Idioms and Phrases 52

1. bad blood: active enmity.

• The feelings of bad blood developed between Rana Pratap and Man Singh.

2. bad time: unfortunate time.

• Bad time is the only test of true friendship.

3. bad Debts: unrecoverable loan.

• It is a hard nut to crack to realize bad debts.

4. bated breath: checked breath due to fear, or anxiety.

• Seeing the lion coming towards them the children stood with their bated breath.

5. battle royal: hot controversy.

• It was a battle royal which ensued on deficit financing in the Parliament between the ruling party and the opposition. 

6. bear garden: quarrelsome assembly.

• The scenes of bear garden can be seen here and there at the time of communal disturbances.

7. beau ideal: model of excellence.

• Motilal Nehru served as a beau ideal wherever he appeared on an occasion.

8. beggar description: unending account.

• The people who see the Taj Mahal relate a beggar description of its beauty to others out of curious interest.

9. besetting sin: repeating bad habit.

• It is correct to say that drinking wine, or taking some other intoxicant becomes a besetting sin with some men.

10. better half: wife.

• The feelings of understanding and toleration with one’s better half are highly needed for a happy married life.

11. big gun: a man of influence.

• These days every man remains in search of a big gun to get his work done.

12. billet doux: love letter.

• The young girls are fond of writing billets doux to their lovers.

13. black art: supernatural practices.

• The story of Marlowe’s “Doctor Faustus” shows the dominance of black art.

14. black mail: money got by intimidation.

• These days it is commonly heard that dacoits get money from rich merchants through black mail.

15. black market: illegal trade.

• The present government has announced strictest measures to check black marketing.

16. black sheep: a man with bad reputation.

• Prathavi Raj Chauhan used to regard Jai Chand a ‘black sheep’ because he was not true and faithful to him.

17. block head: fool.

• The persons who are addicted to intoxicants are often block heads.

18. blue blood: noble blood.

• Rana Pratap Singh did not bow down because he belonged to the blue blood of Rana family.

19. blue stocking: literary lady.

• Today we remember Mrs. Sarojini Naidu as a distinguished blue stocking.

20. bold upright: perfectly straight.

• Hearing the sound of the footsteps of the entering thieves the old woman sat bolt upright in her bed.

21. bosom friend: intimate friend.

• It is very difficult to find a bosom friend these days.

22. brass farthing: an insignificant thing.

• Nothing is brass farthing in the world, so we should pay full attention to each and every thing.

23. bottle neck: narrow passage.

• ‘Kheyber’ pass is a bottle neck between Indian and Afghanistan.

24. Bottomless pit: hell.

• Satan was punished and was thrown into the bottomless pit by God for his disobedient and sinful acts.

25. broken accents: hesitating speech.

• Generally many maiden speeches are delivered in broken accents. 

26. broken reed: unreliable support.

• Poverty is certainly a broken reed to many of us these days.

27. brown study: reverie.

• The sudden ringing of the alarm bell disturbed the nun’s brown study.

28. brute force: physical force.

• Gandhiji’s non-violence does not allow the use of brute force for achieving an end.

29. burning question: glaring topic of the day.

• The problem of unemployment in India is a burning question now.