boiling frog
Describes a situation where a problem develops gradually, unnoticed until it's too late.
Browse all entries 6055
All languages English Tiếng Việt
boiling hot
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
boiling mad
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
boiling point
The point at which someone's anger or frustration becomes extreme
boko
The nose. Originally pugilistic slang, but now general.
bold
Bold as a miller's shirt, which every day takes a rogue by the collar.
bold and beautiful
Confident and attractive
bold as brass
Downright impudent; without modesty. Similarly we say "brazen- faced.
Bold Briareus
Handel (1685-1759), so called by Pope: — Strong in new arms, lo ' giant Handel stands, Like bold Briareus, with a hundred hands; To stir, to rouse, to shake the soul he comes, And Jove's own thunders follow Mars's drums; POPE: Dunciad, iv, 65.
boldly go where no man has gone before
To venture into unknown or unexplored territory
bolehland
Malaysia.
bolivian marching powder
Cocaine.
bollocked
Exhausted.
bollocksed
drunk
Bologna Stone
A sulphate of baryta found in masses near Bologna. After being heated, powdered, and exposed to the light it becomes phosphorescent.
Bolognese School
There were three periods to the Bolognese School in painting — the Early, the Roman, and the Eclectic. The first was founded by Marco Zoppo, in the 15th century, and its best exponent was Francia. The second was founded in the 16th century by Bagnacavallo, and its chief exponents were Primaticio, Tibaldi, and Nicolo dell* Abate.
bolt
To run away, decamp, or abscond. Also to swallow without chewing. To eat greedily.
bolt bucket
a container for collecting bolts or other small parts
bolt from the blue
An unexpected and surprising event
bolt in tun
In heraldry, a bird-bolt, in pale, piercing through a tun, often used as a public-house sign. The punning crest of Serjeant Bolton, who died 1787, was "on a wreath a tun erect proper, transpierced by an arrow fesseways or." Another family ot the same name has for crest "a tun with a bird- bolt through it proper." A third, harping on the same string, has "a bolt gules in a tun or.
bolt to the bran
to suddenly understand something
bolt upright
As erect, or straight up, as an arrow set on its end.
bolt upright
Straight as an arrow. Wmsinge she was, as is a jolly colt, Long as a mast, and upright as a bolt.
bolted arrow
A blunt arrow for shooting young rooks with a cross-bow; called "bolting rooks." A gun would not do, and an arrow would mangle the little things too much.
bolus
A nick name for an apothecary.
bolus
An apothecary. Origin evident.
bomb out
to fail completely or utterly
Bombay Duck
A fish, the bummalo, which, is dried and eaten with curries.
bombay ducks
In the East India Company’s army the Bombay regiments were so designated. The name is now given to a dried fish (bummelow), much eaten by natives and Europeans in Western India.—Anglo-Indian.
bon ton
Good manners or manners accredited by good society.
bon vivant
A free liver; one who indulges in the "good things of the table." Bon viveur means much the same, but is rather stronger, suggesting one who makes a pursuit of other pleasures besides those of the table.
bone
To steal or appropriate what does not belong to you. BONED, seized, apprehended.—Old.
bone dry
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
bone hard
extremely difficult or challenging
bone in her teeth
A ship sailing very fast
bone in the throat
A persistent annoyance or problem
bone of contention
A subject or issue that causes disagreement or dispute
bone to pick
A dispute or issue to discuss or argue about
bone-grubber
A person who hunts dust-holes, gutters, and all likely spots for refuse bones, which he sells at the rag-shops, or to the bone-grinders. The term was also applied to a resurrectionist. Cobbett was therefore called "a BONE GRUBBER," because he brought the remains of Tom Paine from America.
boned
Beset with unfortunate circumstances that seem difficult or impossible to overcome; in imminent danger.
boned
Seized, apprehended, taken up by a constable. CANT.
bones
To rattle the BONES, to play at dice: also called St. Hugh’s BONES.
bonesetter
A hard-trotting horse.
boniface
Landlord of a tavern or inn.
bonnet
Or BONNETER, a gambling cheat. Sometimes called a "bearer-up." The BONNET plays as though he were a member of the general public, and by his good luck, or by the force of his example, induces others to venture their stakes. Bonneting is often done in much better society than that to be found in the ordinary gaming rooms. A man who persuades another to buy an article on which he receives commission or per-centage is said to BONNET or bear-up for the seller.
Bonnet Rouge
The red cap of Liberty worn by the leaders of the French revolution. It is the emblem of Red Republicanism.
Bonnie and Clyde
Notorious romanticized outlaws
Bonnie Dundee
John Graham, of Claver- house, Viscount Dundee.
Bono Johnny
John Bull is so called in the East Indies.
booby hutch
A one-horse chaise, noddy, buggy, or leathern bottle.
booby prize
a humorous or mocking prize for the loser
booby trap
A trap set to discomfit an unsuspecting victim. — e.g. among children, placing a book on top of a door to fall on whoever opens the door; in war, attaching an explosive charge to the door so that whoever opens it will be killed.
booby-trap
A favourite amusement of boys at school. It consists in placing a pitcher of water on the top of a door set ajar for the purpose; the person whom they wish to drench is then made to pass through the door, and receives the pitcher and its contents on his unlucky head. Books are sometimes used.
booch
Cocaine.
boodleize
To bribe.
boogie on down
to dance, especially in a lively or energetic manner
book burning
Intentional destruction of books, often to suppress ideas
book dumping
Selling books to a retailer at a low price, often to get rid of excess inventory.
book in
to schedule or reserve something
book-keeper
One who never returns borrowed books. Out of one's books; out of one's fevor. Out of his books; out of debt.
Advertisement
Ad space — ads help keep Idiomer free. Premium will remove them.