Idioms Beginning With Letter B

Here is a list of idioms and expressions beginning with the letter B. Each idiom is followed by its meaning or definition. Example sentences are also given.

Babe in arms

The expression babe in arms is used to refer to a very young child or someone who is incapable of holding an important position.

• I have loved chocolates since I was a babe in arms.
• Susie can’t run a large organization like this. She is a babe in arms.

Babe in the woods

The expression babe in the woods is used to refer to a naïve or innocent person.

• Don’t think that you can play your dirty tricks on Susie. She is no babe in the woods.
• Rahul is a babe in the woods when it comes to interacting with women.

Baby boomer

This expression is used in American English to refer to a person who was born after the Second World War when the population was growing at a fast pace.

Back burner

If an issue is put on the back burner, it is getting very low priority.

• The project is now on the back burner.
• This issue has been on the back burner for a long time.

Back foot

This expression is mainly used in British English. When you are on the back foot, you are at a disadvantage.

Back number

If something is referred to as a back number, it is dated or out of fashion.

Back the wrong horse

To back the wrong horse is to support a losing side.

• He backed the wrong horse and lost a lot of money in betting.
• Our candidate lost badly in the election. Only then did we realize that we were backing the wrong horse.

Back to back

When things happen back to back, they happen directly after one another.

• She delivered three splendid performances back to back.

Back to square one

If you are back to square one, you have to start from the beginning again.

• Now that the talks have failed we are back to square one.
• The investigation was back to square one when the main suspect proved that he was nowhere near the crime scene.

Back to the wall

When you have your back to the wall, you are in a very difficult situation.

• Now that they have discovered his involvement in the crime, he has his back to the wall.

Backseat driver

A backseat driver is a person who gives unsolicited advice.

• My boss is such a backseat driver. He can’t help commenting on everything that I do.

Bad apple

This expression is used to refer to a bad person who makes others bad.

• My mother never approved of my friendship with Peter. She thought that he was a bad apple.

Bad blood

If there is bad blood between people they hate one another because of something that happened in the past.

• Ever since he lost that election to his friend, there has been bad blood between the two.
• Property dispute is the cause of bad blood between the two brothers.

Bad egg

A bad egg is a person who cannot be trusted.

• I don’t think that we can depend upon Sam. He is a bad egg.

Bad mouth

When you are bad mouthing somebody you are saying negative things about them.

• Janet has been bad mouthing Rob ever since she broke up with him.
• Alice and Mary were close friends, but they fell out when Mary discovered that Alice had been bad mouthing her.

Bad shape

If something is in bad shape, it is in a very bad condition. If somebody is in bad shape, they are very ill.

• The doctors said that he was in bad shape.
• He has been in bad shape since he got injured in that accident.

Bad taste in your mouth

If something leaves a bad taste in your mouth, you feel that there is something wrong with it.

• All these reports about juvenile crimes leave a bad taste in my mouth.
• Crappy jokes always leave a bad taste in my mouth.