[bacon] See: BRING HOME THE BACON.
[bad] See: GO FROM BAD TO WORSE, IN A BAD WAY, IN BAD, IN ONE'S BAD GRACES, LEAVE A BAD TASTE IN ONE'S MOUTH, NOT BAD or NOT SO BAD or NOT HALF BAD, ON ONE'S BAD SIDE, TOO BAD, WITH BAD GRACE.
[bad actor] <n.>, <informal> A person or animal that is always fighting, quarreling, or doing bad things. * /The boy was a bad actor and nobody liked him./
[bad blood] <n.>, <informal> Anger or misgivings due to bad relations in the past between individuals or groups. * /There's a lot of bad blood between Max and Jack; I bet they'll never talk to each other again./ Compare: BAD SHIT.
[bad egg] <n.>, <slang> A ne'er-do-well; good-for nothing; a habitual offender. * /The judge sent the bad egg to prison at last./ Contrast: GOOD EGG.
[bad mouth (someone)] <v.>, <slang> To say uncomplimentary or libelous things about someone; deliberately to damage another's reputation. * /It's not nice to had mouth people./
[bad news] <n.>, <slang> An event, thing, or person which is disagreeable or an unpleasant surprise. * /What's the new professor like? - He's all bad news to me./
[bad paper] <n.>, <slang> 1. A check for which there are no funds in the bank. 2. Counterfeit paper money. * /Why are you so mad? - I was paid with some bad paper./
[bad shit] <n.>, <vulgar>, <avoidable> An unpleasant event or situation, such as a long lasting and unsettled quarrel or recurring acts of vengeance preventing two people or two groups from reaching any kind of reconciliation. * /There is so much had shit between the two gangs that I bet there will he more killings this year./ Compare: BAD BLOOD.
[bad trip] <n.>, <slang>, <also used colloquially> A disturbing or frightening experience, such as terrifying hallucinations, while under the influence of drugs; hence, by colloquial extension any bad experience in general. * /Why's John's face so distorted? - He had a bad trip./ * /How was your math exam? - Don't mention it; it was a bad trip./
[bag] See: GRAB BAG, IN THE BAG, LEAVE HOLDING THE BAG, LET THE CAT OUT OF THE BAG.
[bag and baggage] <adv.>, <informal> With all your clothes and other personal belongings, especially movable possessions; completely. * /If they don't pay their hotel bill they will be put out bag and baggage./
[baggage] See: BAG AND BAGGAGE.
[bail] See: JUMP BAIL or SKIP BAIL.
[bail out(1)] <v.> 1. To secure release from prison until trial by leaving or promising money or property for a while. * /When college students got into trouble with the police, the college president would always bail them out./ 2. <informal> To free from trouble by giving or lending money. * /He started a small business, which prospered after his father had to bail him out a couple of times./
[bail out(2)] <v.> To jump from an airplane and drop with a parachute. * /When the second engine failed, the pilot told everyone to bail out./
[bail out(3)] <v.> To dip water from a filling or leaking boat; throw water out of a boat to prevent its sinking. * /Both men were kept busy bailing out the rowboat after it began to leak./
[bait] See: FISH OR CUT BAIT.
[bake] See: HALF-BAKED.
[baker's dozen] <n.>, <informal> Thirteen. * /"How many of the jelly doughnuts, Sir? " the salesclerk asked. "Oh, make it a baker's dozen."/
[balance] See: HANG IN THE BALANCE, OFF BALANCE.
[ball] See: BASE ON BALLS, CARRY THE BALL, FLY BALL, FOUL BALL, GET THE BALL ROLLING, SET THE BALL ROLLING, START THE BALL ROLLING, GOPHER BALL, GROUND BALL, HAVE A HALL, HAVE SOMETHING ON THE BALL, JUMP BALL, KEEP THE BALL. ROLLING, LONG BALL, ON THE BALL, PASSED BALL, PLAY BALL.
[ball game] <n.>, <slang>, also <informal> The entire matter at hand; the whole situation; the entire contest. * /You said we can get a second mortgage for the house?! Wow! That's a whole new ball game./
[ball of fire] <n.>, <informal> A person with great energy and ability; a person who can do something very well. * /He did poorly in school but as a salesman he is a ball of fire./ * /The new shortstop is a good fielder but certainly no ball of fire in batting./ Compare: HOT NUMBER, HOT ONE.
[balloon] See: TRIAL BALLOON, LEAD BALLOON.
[ballot stuffing] See: STUFF THE BALLOT BOX.
[ball up] <v.>, <slang> To make a mess of; confuse. * /Don't ball me up./ * /Hal balled up the business with his errors./ - Often used in the passive. * /He was so balled up that he did not know if he was coming or going./ Compare: MIXED UP.
[baloney] <n.>, <informal> Nonsense, unbelievable, trite, or trivial. * /John brags that he's won the $10 million lottery, and I think it's just a lot of baloney./ * /"Will you marry Joe?" mother asked. "Baloney," Susie answered with a disgusted look./ * /Do you still believe all that baloney about socialism excluding free enterprise? Look at China and Hungary./
[banana oil] <n.>, <slang> Flattery that is an obvious exaggeration; statements that are obviously made with an ulterior motive. * /Cut out the banana oil; flattery will get you nowhere!/
[band] See: BEAT THE BAND.
[bandbox] See: LOOK AS IF ONE HAS COME OUT OF A BANDBOX.
[band together] <v. phr.> To join a group to exert united force. * /The inhabitants of the ecologically threatened area banded together to stop the company from building new smokestacks./
[bandwagon] See: JUMP ON THE BANDWAGON.
[bandy about] <v. phr.> To spread rumors or whisper secrets. * /The news of Jim and Mary's divorce was bandied about until everyone at the office had heard it./
[bang up] <adj.>, <informal> Very successful; very good; splendid; excellent. * /The football coach has done a bang-up job this season./ * /John did a bang-up job painting the house./ Syn.: FIRST-CLASS.
[bank] See: PIGGY BANK.
[bank on] <v.>, <informal> To depend on; put one's trust in; rely on. * /He knew he could bank on public indignation to change things, if he could once prove the dirty work./ * /The students were banking on the team to do its best in the championship game./ Syn.: COUNT ON.
[bar] See: BEHIND BARS, PARALLEL BARS.
[bargain] See: DRIVE A BARGAIN, IN THE BARGAIN or INTO THE BARGAIN.
[bargain for] or [bargain on] <v.> To be ready for; expect. * /When John started a fight with the smaller boy he got more than he bargained for./ * /The final cost of building the house was much more than they had bargained on./ Compare: COUNT ON.
[barge in] <v. phr.>, <informal> To appear uninvited at someone's house or apartment, or to interrupt a conversation. * /I'm sorry for barging in like that, Sir, but my car died on me and there is no pay phone anywhere./ * /I'm sorry for barging in while you two are having a discussion, but could you please tell me where the nearest exit is?/
[bark up the wrong tree] <v. phr.>, <informal> To choose the wrong person to deal with or the wrong course of action; mistake an aim. * /If he thinks he can fool me, he is barking up the wrong tree./ * /He is barking up the wrong tree when he blames his troubles on bad luck./ * /The police were looking for a tall thin man, but were barking up the wrong tree; the thief was short and fat./
[bark worse than one's bite] <informal> Sound or speech more frightening or worse than your actions. * /The small dog barks savagely, but his bark is worse than his bite./ * /The boss sometimes talks roughly to the men, but they know that his bark is worse than his bite./ * /She was always scolding her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite./
[barn] See: LOCK THE BARN DOOR AFTER THE HORSE IS STOLEN.
[barrel] See: OVER A BARREL also OVER THE BARREL, SCRAPE THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL.
[barrelhead] See: CASH ON THE BARREL-HEAD.
[bar the door] See: CLOSE THE DOOR.
[base] See: FIRST BASE, GET TO FIRST BASE or REACH FIRST BASE, LOAD THE BASES or FILL THE BASES, OFF BASE, SECOND BASE, STOLEN BASE, THIRD BASE.
[base on balls] <n.> First base given to a baseball batter who is pitched four balls outside of the strike zone. * /He was a good judge of pitchers and often received bases on balls./