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

be back on track
(backtrack on some-
thing )
be beaten 
(be beat)
be carried off by something
(be car-
ried away by something )
be crushed out of something 
(be
crashed out of something )
be dark on someone 
(keep oneself dark)
be dead on arrival 
(arrive dead on
time)
be dead set on something 
(be dead
nuts on something )
be down to something 
(be down for
something )
be easy-going 
(come easy to someone)
be eye candy
(be a sight for sore eyes)
be from a broken home 
(be housebro-
ken)
be full of oneself
(be oneself )
be good to go 
(go while the going is
good)
be greased 
(in grease)
be green around the gills 
(be green)
be had up
(be had)
be hard up for something 
(up for some-
thing )
be history 
(be ancient history)
be hung 
(be hanged)
be hung up
(be hung over)
be in bad form
(be bad form)
be in evidence 
(be evident)
be in good form 
(be good form)
be in one’s natural state 
(be a natural)
be in over one’s head 
(be over someone’s
head)
be in someone’s service 
(be at some-
one’s service)
be in the back seat 
(be a back seat
driver)
be in the can
(be canned)
be in the clear over something 
(be
clear about something )
be in the shade 
(cast a shade over some-
thing )
be in the skies 
(be in heaven)
be in the wars
(be in a war)
be in the wrong box 
(be in the wrong )
be in two minds 
(be of one mind)
be in uncharted waters 
(go off the
chart)
be in voice 
(have a voice)
be laid up 
(be laid low)
be laughing 
(cry all the way to the
bank)
be left hanging 
(be hanged)
be like a dog with two tails 
(have two
faces)
be little short of something 
(be a little
short of something )
be loaded for bear
(be loaded)
be low
(be laid low)
be natural
(be a natural)
be not about to 
(be about to)
be of service to someone 
(be at some-
one’s service)
be off the mark 
(be beside the mark)
be on a high horse 
(be on a high)
be on cloud seven
(be in the clouds)
be on nettles
(be nettled)
Phrase Index
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344 –

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be on one’s legs
(be off one’s legs)
be on one’s pins 
(be on pins and nee-
dles)
be on sale 
(be for sale)
be on the horse 
(get on one’s high horse)
be on the needle 
(be on pins and nee-
dles)
be on wires 
(be on the wire)
be oneself again 
(be oneself )
be out in the cold 
(come in from the
cold)
be over one’s time
(be on overtime)
be played out 
(outplay someone)
be poorly off 
(be poorly)
be put to execution 
(be put into execu-
tion)
be queer 
(be a queer fish)
be quite the character 
(be a man of
character)
be quits with someone 
(be quit of
someone)
be resting
(be at rest)
be rung 
(be ringed)
be run off one’s legs
(be off one’s legs)
be set to do something 
(be set on doing
something )
be sick 
(be on the sick)
be single-minded 
(be of one mind)
be sold out to someone
(be sold on
someone)
be standoffish 
(be a standoff )
be stonewalled 
(run into a stone wall)
be strong-minded
(be headstrong )
be stuck on something 
(be stuck for
something )
be stuck-up 
(be stuck up)
be stuck with someone 
(be stuck on
someone)
be sure of something 
(be assured of
something )
be talked out of something
(be talked
out)
be the best at something 
(be best at
something )
be the bomb 
(be a bomb)
be the case
(be a case in point)
be the death of someone
(be death on
someone)
be the last leg 
(be on one’s last legs)
be the very devil 
(be a devil)
be there or be square 
(be there for me)
be through with something 
(be
through something )
be toast 
(be milk toast)
be too close to call 
(be a close call)
be too close to home 
(be a close call)
be too deep for someone
(be in deep
waters)
be troubled (be in trouble)
be under the illusion (be under the
delusion)
be unseated 
(be seated)
be up against something 
(be against
something )
be up against the wall 
(be put up
against the wall)
be up to something 
(be up for some-
thing )
be wanting 
(be in want)
be weak in the head 
(be headstrong )
be weak-minded
(be soft in the head)
be welcomed 
(be welcome)
be well-hung 
(be hanged)
be well off 
(be well away)
be wet 
(be all wet)
be wet behind the ears 
(be all wet)
be whole-minded 
(be whole of mind)
be wired 
(be on the wire)
be with someone
(be in with someone)
be worthy of doing something 
(be
worth doing something )
be wrong
(be in the wrong )
bear a semblance of something 
(bear
a resemblance to something )
bear on something
(bear down on
something )
bear with someone
(bear someone)
bit hot, a 
(not too hot)
beat someone to the punch 
(beat
someone to the draw)
beat someone to the wire
(beat someone
to the draw)
beat the bush 
(beat about the bush)
beat the retreat
(go into retreat)
beat the time 
(beat the clock)
become another man 
(feel like a new
man)
bed-fellow 
(pillow partner)
beef head 
(US) (beef head [UK])
before God
(before Christ)
before one’s time
(ahead of one’s time)
before time
(ahead of time)
beg the question 
(ask the question)
behind the scenes 
(behind the veil)
behind time
(behind the times)
believe something 
(believe in some-
thing )
bell buoy 
(bell boy)
belong to something 
(belong in some-
thing )
bend the ear to someone 
(bend the ear
of someone)
beneath someone
(below someone)
best man
(best boy)
best people 
(best boy)
between hawk and buzzard 
(between
dog and wolf )
between hay and grass 
(between dog
and wolf )
between wind and water 
(between a
rock and a hard place)
between you and me and the cat’s
whiskers 
(cat’s whisker)
beware of something 
(be aware of
something )
beyond oneself 
(beyond one)
beyond question
(beside the question)
biennial event 
(biannual event)
big drink of water
(big drink)
big fish 
(have bigger fish to fry)
Big Grey Dog 
(big dog )
big sticks
(big stick)
big talk 
(little talk)
bird food 
(chicken feed)
bite one’s lip 
(bite one’s tongue)
bite something back
(backbite some-
one)
bite the tongue
(bite one’s tongue)
Black Acts, the
(Black Act, the)
Black and Tans, the
(black and tan)
black and white
(black and white film)
black comedy 
(black and white film)
Black Country, the 
(Black Republic,
the)
black film
(black and white film)
black hat 
(black cap)
black hole of Calcutta 
(black hole)
black-letter book 
(black book)
Black Republicans
(Black Republic,
the)
black swan 
(black sheep)
blackbird
(black bird)
blackboard 
(black board)
blackeye
(black eye)
Blackfoot 
(black-leg )
blank sheet 
(blank check)
blind bidding
(blind auction)
Blind Tom
(Blind Freddy)
block worker 
(block operator)
blood-tub
(blood bath)
Bloody Mary
(Bloody Maria)
blow it out of proportion
(blow it)
blow me
(blow it)
blow one’s brains out 
(beat one’s brains
out)
blow one’s own trumpet 
(float some-
one’s boat)
blow smoke 
(blow off steam)
blow someone off
(blow someone away)
blow someone out of the water 
(blow
someone away)
blow someone’s mind 
(blow someone’s
brains out)
blue canary 
(Blue Bird)
blue devil fish 
(blue devil)
blue devils 
(blue devil)
blue-eyed babies
(baby blue-eyes)
blue-eyed boys 
(baby blue-eyes)
blue money 
(blue million)
blue one’s money 
(blue million)
blue skies
(blue heavens)
blue-sky laws
(blue laws)
bluebird 
(Blue Bird)
bluecoat boys
(blue coats)
boarding school
(board school)
boardinghouse
(boarding home)
boat person
(boat man)
boat race
(Boat Race, the)
body language
(body English)
body shopper 
(body shop)
body worker
(body work)
boil something up 
(boil something
down)