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

bitten by the same bug • tarred with the same
brush
bitten by the same bug —said of people who have the same
interest or hobby: My cousin and I were bitten by the same
bug. We collect coins.
tarred with the same brush —said of people considered to
have similar objectionable qualities: As the numbers of immi-
grants increase, refugees are tarred with the same brush as il-
legal economic migrants. Cf.: painted with the tar brush — said
of people or things represented as evil or harmful: The myth of
the liberal media grew stronger and the Democrats were
painted with the tar brush.
Black Act, the • Black Acts, the
Black Act, the —(UK hist.) the English statute of 
1
722, di-
rected against certain lawless persons who designated them-
selves “The Blacks”: The Waltham blacks committed such
enormities, that Government was forced to interfere with that
severe Act called the Black Act.
Black Acts, the —(UK hist.) acts of the Scottish Parliament
passed between the accession of James I and 
1
587: Under the
administration of the Earl of Arran, a subservient Scottish
Parliament passed the legislation known as the Black Acts,
making the king supreme in all.
black and tan • Black and Tans, the
black and tan —(UK sl.) a drink composed of porter and
ale: He asked for a pint of black and tan, and had to explain
to the waiter what it was.
Black and Tans, the —(UK hist.) an armed force specially re-
cruited in 
1
92
1
to combat Sinn-Fein (an Irish movement dedi-
cated to the unification of Northern Ireland and the Republic of
Ireland): I read a lot about the Black and Tans during my
British and Irish politics class.
black and white film • black film
black and white film —a monochrome film or motion pic-
ture: He submitted a strong script that led Fox to substitute
color film and wide screen for black-and-white and the con-
ventional small-screen ratio.