ball is in someone’s court, the—is used to say that another person must make the next move: Addison tells him that the ball is in his court. All he has to do is sign the divorce papers and she will too. have the ball at one’s feet—be in a strategically advantageous position: The working class […]
Category: Confusing Phrases
Bag of wind vs Windbag
bag of wind—(coll.) a talkative, usually pompous person who has little to say: She’s nothing but a big bag of wind. windbag— 1. a bag of air as of a bagpipe: The anatomical structure of the sonorous organs of these Cicadae did not exactly resemble the wind-bag. 2. = bag of wind: He is at […]
Bad time vs Bad times
bad time— 1. wrong or unsuitable time: This would be a very bad time to pull our exhaustion on our readers. 2. time when life is difficult: Julia went through a pretty bad time after the accident—seeing psychiatrists and what have you. bad times—a period of poverty or economic depression: England will not long endure […]
Bad quarter of an hour vs Good quarter of an hour
bad quarter of an hour—a brief but disagreeable and unnerving period: He had a very bad quarter of an hour. I never knew a man have such hard luck at cards. good quarter of an hour—not less than a quarter of an hour: He spoke for a good quarter of an hour, walking me through […]
Bad news vs What’s the bad news
bad news—(U.S. coll.) said of things, people, or places that are unpleasant or undesirable: Milly these days was plain bad news. Her fascination had evaporated. what’s the bad news—(U.S. joc.) what do I owe: After the clerk had run up all of the clothing Meg had selected, her mother nervously asked what the bad news […]
Bad mouth vs Foul mouth
bad mouth— 1. a curse or spell: I have known of people that have had the record of saying that they could put a bad mouth on you. 2. malicious gossip: Companies don’t want people telling their friends about shoddy products. Word of badmouth can kill them. 3. a person who speaks ill of people: […]
Bad money drives out good vs Bad penny always turns up
bad money drives out good —(saying ) worthless people or things supplant more valuable: The drain of human resources is one example where “bad money drives out good.” Note: The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase throw good money after bad—waste more money or supplies in hopes of recouping previous losses: Creating […]
Bad money vs Bad penny
bad money—a forged currency: “To ring the changes” in low life means to change bad money for good. Note: The expression does not fully correlate in meaning with the phrase good money— 1. money that is genuine, not counterfeit: They’ve got some good money, as well as bogus notes. 2. a fairly large amount of […]
Bad loser vs Two-time loser
bad loser—a person who loses a game in poor spirit: We could say Rhydian was a bad loser, but then again we could say that Leon was a bad winner. two-time loser— 1. a contestant who loses twice: “Two-time nominee” sounds so much nicer than the alternative—twotime loser—doesn’t it? 2. (sl.) a twice-convicted criminal: Madill […]
the Badlands vs Badlands
Badlands, the—(U.S.) the barren waste region in South Dakota: Until recently, buffalo had roamed the Badlands. badlands—barren terrain where soils have been eroded by wind and water: Ground is carved by rain-wash producing an almost impassable surface generally referred to as “badlands.”
Bad boy vs Bad man
bad boy—(also: Peck’s bad boy) 1. an unruly or mischievous child: He was not a bad boy, but he did have one problem: he refused to brush his teeth. 2. an adult person defying the accepted moral or artistic conventions: Michael was the bad boy who stole Tara’s heart and eloped with her. bad man— […]
Bad blood vs Fresh blood
bad blood—enmity or bitterness among individuals or groups of people: He likewise said that prior to July 14, there was no bad blood between him and the victim. fresh blood—new members of a group who are likely to have new ideas: It has been nine years since the last Supreme Court vacancy, and the court […]