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

Boat Race, the • boat race
Boat Race, the —(UK) the annual race between the rowing
crews of Oxford and Cambridge Universities: The event which
most excited children’s loyalties was the Boat Race.
boat race —a race between rowing-boats: We are sorry to
state that the proposed boat race will not take place.
boat-train • liner train
boat-train —a passenger train timed to meet a boat: There
was a domestic agency called Universal Aunts doing things
that real aunts ought to be doing, like meeting small boys
from India at the boat train.
liner train —an express goods train between industrial cen-
ters and seaports: If Beeching’s figures are accepted at their
face value, the cost of carrying goods by liner trains will be
much less than by heavy lorries.
boathouse • houseboat
boathouse —a small building or shed at the edge of a river
or lake, in which boats are kept: Canoes and kayaks are pop-
ular on the lake and can also be rented from the boathouse.
houseboat—
1
. (U.S. also: float home) a boat roofed over and
fitted up as a house for living in: Living in a houseboat has its
charm. The tranquility and view is unequivocal. 2. (U.S. din-
ers) banana split (an ice cream–based dessert served with sliced
bananas): They learn to say “mats” for pancakes, and “house-
boat” for banana split, for instance, in their diner adventure.
body English • body language
body English —an attempt to control the movement of an
object by contorting the body without touching the object:
Todd and Leszek demonstrate the intensity, concentration,
and body English that are required to push a radio controlled
sailboat.
body language —communication by facial expression and
gestures rather than by spoken language: When we have a
hunch that somebody is telling lies, for instance, what we
really mean is that their body language and their spoken words
do not agree.