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

by air • over the air
by air —using aircraft as a means of transport : Sending
goods by air is fast but can be expensive.
over the air —over the radio: Listeners will be able to “grill”
leading public figures over the air.
by all means • by any means
by all means —certainly; without fail: You should by all
means utilize the placement office at least a year before you
actually start job hunting.
by any means —in any way possible: We are trying to remake
Vietnamese society, a task which probably cannot be accom-
plished by any means.
by and by • by the by
by and by —soon; before long: They could see the smoke,
and by and by a shell would explode in their midst.
by the by —(introductory or parenthetical) in passing; inci-
dentally (also: by the way): By-the-by, Martin — any message
from my lady mother?
by any chance • by chance
by any chance —perhaps; possibly: I was wondering if by
any chance you could lend me five pounds.
by chance —accidentally; unpredictably: Karma is a belief
that nothing happens by chance.
by choice • of choice
by choice —voluntary; not forced or compelled: The grasp
of the church never relaxed unless freely and by choice.
of choice —(of drugs, treatment, etc.) preferred; recom-
busy as a bee
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mended: Chloromycetin has been the drug of choice for treat-
ing typhoid fever.
by day • by the day
by day —during the day; in the day-time: Eurostar trains
only travel by day and require a reservation.
by the day —
1
. on a daily basis: Clients who rent by the day
can be billed for phone service the day they leave. 2. with
every passing day: Protests on campuses were becoming uglier
by the day, and the administration cracked down hard.