A dictionary of Confusable Phrases: More Than 10,000 Idioms and Collocations

avail 
(of no avail; to no avail)
avoidance 
(tax avoidance)
award 
(receive an award)
away 
(far and away; out and away)
baby 
(blue-eyed babies; bush baby)
back 
(at one’s back; at the back of
something; be a back seat driver; be
in the back seat; have one’s back
against the wall; not look back; on
one’s back; on the back of some-
thing; see the back of someone; turn
one’s back on someone; way back;
when someone’s back is turned)
backyard 
(not in one’s backyard)
bacon 
(bring home the bacon; smoked
bacon; smoky bacon)
bad 
(be bad form; be in bad form; be
in bad taste; give something up as a
bad job; go bad; go to the bad; in a
bad way; not half bad; not so bad;
taste bad)
badger 
(draw the badger; overdraw
one’s badger)
badly 
(go badly)
bag 
(at the bottom of the bag; in the
bag; in the bottom of the bag; make
a bag; make a bags of something;
make the bag)
baker 
(butcher, baker, candlestick
maker)
balance 
(in balance; keep one’s bal-
ance; keep the balance; on balance)
ball 
(be out of the ball park; bust one’s
balls; bust someone’s balls; carry the
ball; drop the ball; get the ball roll -
ing; gold balls; have a ball; have
balls; have the ball at one’s feet; high
ball; keep the ball rolling; play ball;
play catch-up ball; play the ball; play
the ball not the man; set the ball roll -
ing; take up the ball; three gold balls)
balloon 
(go down like a lead balloon;
when the balloon goes up)
band 
(beat the band; red band; to beat
the band; when the band begins to
play)