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

backtrack on something • track back to something
backtrack on something —reverse one’s position or policy, es-
pecially as a result of other people’s opposition: He has back-
tracked on what he told the public during his campaign.
Note: 
The expression does not correlate in meaning with the
phrase be back on track— return to one’s normal activities:
Within a few months, she was back on track, selling to Cana-
dian shops through a distributor.
track back to something —follow smth. back to its source:
We will need to be able to track back to key decisions, and
understand why and how they were made.
backwoodsman • woodsman
backwoodsman —
1
. a settler in the uncleared forest land: It
is this which gives that piquancy to the conversation of a back-
woodsman. 2. is used of a rough, uneducated person: He
sounded like a backwoodsman even in high hat. 3. (UK) a
member of the House of Lords who rarely attends that body:
This speech will encourage the backwoodsmen in the House
of Lords to take strong action.
woodsman —(also: woodman) a person who works or hunts
in the woods: By nature he was a woodsman and spent most
of his time roaming the forests in search of game.
bad apple • bad egg
bad apple —(coll.) a single bad person in a group (also: rotten
apple): Maybe she was the bad apple of the department, so I
made an appointment to meet with another woman.
bad egg —(coll.) a bad or despised individual (also: rotten
egg ): Billy was a bad egg and spent most of his time trying to
deceive the villagers. Cf.: good egg —(coll.) a proper and decent
person: Despite what most people around here think, I think
George is a good egg.
bad blood • fresh blood
bad blood —enmity or bitterness among individuals or
groups of people: He likewise said that prior to July 
1
4, there
was no bad blood between him and the victim.
fresh blood —new members of a group who are likely to have
new ideas: It has been nine years since the last Supreme Court
vacancy, and the court is in need of fresh blood.