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[back in circulation]{adv. phr.} 1. Socially active once again (said about people); back on the dating circuit after a divorce or a romantic breakup. •/Now that Sully is divorced from Jim she is hack in circulation./ 2. Once again available to the public (said about types of paper money, rare coins, or other commercially available goods). •/In the USA the two-dollar hill was back in circulation for a short time only in the 1950s and 1960s./

[back number]{n.} Something out of fashion, or out of date. •/Among today’s young people a waltz like "The Blue Danube" is a hack number./

[backfire]{v.} To misfire; to have a reverse effect from what was intended. •/Mimi’s gossip about the Head of the Department backfired wizen people began to mistrust her./

[backhanded compliment]{n. phr.} A remark that sounds like a compliment but is said sarcastically. •/"Not had for a girl" the coach said, offering a backhanded compliment./

[back of] or [in back of] {prep.} 1. In or at the rear of; to the back of; behind. •/The garage is hack of the house./ •/Our car was in hack of theirs at the traffic light./ 2. {informal} Being a cause or reason for; causing. •/Hard work was back of his success./ •/The principal tried to find out what was back of the trouble on the bus./ 3. {informal} In support or encouragement of; helping, clones will be elected because many powerful men are back of him. •/Get in back of your team by cheering them at the game./

[back out]{v. phr.} 1. To move backwards out of a place or enclosure. •/Bob slowly backed his car out of the garage./ 2. To withdraw from an activity one has promised to carry out. •/Jim tried to back out of the engagement with Jane, but she insisted that they get married./ Compare: BEG OFF, GO BACK ON.

[back seat] See: TAKE A BACK SEAT.

[backseat driver]{n.}, {informal} A bossy person in a car who always tells the driver what to do. •/The man who drove the car became angry with the back seat driver./

[back street]{n.} A street not near the main streets or from which it is hard to get to a main street. •/We got lost in the back streets going through the city and it took us a half hour to find our way again./ Compare: SIDE STREET.

[back talk]{n.} A sassy, impudent reply. •/Such back talk will get you nowhere, young man!/ See: TALK BACK.

[back the wrong horse]{v. phr.} To support a loser. •/In voting for George Bush, voters in 1992 were backing the wrong horse./

[back-to-back]{adv.} 1. Immediately following. •/The health clinic had back-to-back appointments for the new students during the first week of school./ 2. Very close to, as if touching. •/Sardines are always packed in the can back-to-back./ •/The bus was so full that people had to stand back-to-back./

[back to the salt mines]{informal} Back to the job; back to work; back to work that is as hard or as unpleasant as working in a salt mine would be. — An overworked phrase, used humorously. •/The lunch hour is over, boys. Back to the salt mines!/ •/"Vacation is over," said Billy. "Back to the salt mines."/

[back to the wall] or [back against the wall] {adv. phr.} In a trap, with no way to escape; in bad trouble. •/The soldiers had their backs to the wall./ •/He was in debt and could not get any help; his back was against the wall./ •/The team had their backs to the wall in the second half./ Compare: BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA, LAST DITCH, ON THE SPOT, UP AGAINST IT.

[back up]{v.} 1. To move backwards. •/The train was backing up./ 2. To help or be ready to help; stay behind to help; agree with and speak in support of. •/Jim has joined the Boy Scouts and his father is backing him up./ •/The principal backs up the faculty./ •/Jim told us what had happened and Bob backed him up./ Compare: BACK OF(3), STAND BY(4). 3. To move behind (another fielder) in order to catch the ball if he misses it. •/The shortstop backed up the second baseman on the throw./

[backward] See: BEND OVER BACKWARD or LEAN OVER BACKWARD; FALL OVER BACKWARDS or FALL OVER ONESELF.

[backward and forward] or [backwards and forwards] {adv. phr.} To the full extent; in all details; thoroughly; completely. •/He understood automobile engines backwards and forwards./ •/He knew basketball rules backwards and forwards./ •/I explained matters to him so that he understood backwards and forwards how it was./

[bacon] See: BRING HOME THE BACON.

[bad] See: GO FROM BAD TO WORSE, IN A BAD WAY, IN BAD, IN ONE’S BAD GRACES, LEAVE A BAD TASTE IN ONE’S MOUTH, NOT BAD or NOT SO BAD or NOT HALF BAD, ON ONE’S BAD SIDE, TOO BAD, WITH BAD GRACE.

[bad actor]{n.}, {informal} A person or animal that is always fighting, quarreling, or doing bad things. •/The boy was a bad actor and nobody liked him./

[bad blood]{n.}, {informal} Anger or misgivings due to bad relations in the past between individuals or groups. •/There’s a lot of bad blood between Max and Jack; I bet they’ll never talk to each other again./ Compare: BAD SHIT.

[bad egg]{n.}, {slang} A ne’er-do-well; good-for nothing; a habitual offender. •/The judge sent the bad egg to prison at last./ Contrast: GOOD EGG.

[bad mouth (someone)]{v.}, {slang} To say uncomplimentary or libelous things about someone; deliberately to damage another’s reputation. •/It’s not nice to had mouth people./

[bad news]{n.}, {slang} An event, thing, or person which is disagreeable or an unpleasant surprise. •/What’s the new professor like? — He’s all bad news to me./

[bad paper]{n.}, {slang} 1. A check for which there are no funds in the bank. 2. Counterfeit paper money. •/Why are you so mad? — I was paid with some bad paper./

[bad shit]{n.}, {vulgar}, {avoidable} An unpleasant event or situation, such as a long lasting and unsettled quarrel or recurring acts of vengeance preventing two people or two groups from reaching any kind of reconciliation. •/There is so much had shit between the two gangs that I bet there will he more killings this year./ Compare: BAD BLOOD.

[bad trip]{n.}, {slang}, {also used colloquially} A disturbing or frightening experience, such as terrifying hallucinations, while under the influence of drugs; hence, by colloquial extension any bad experience in general. •/Why’s John’s face so distorted? — He had a bad trip./ •/How was your math exam? — Don’t mention it; it was a bad trip./

[bag] See: GRAB BAG, IN THE BAG, LEAVE HOLDING THE BAG, LET THE CAT OUT OF THE BAG.

[bag and baggage]{adv.}, {informal} With all your clothes and other personal belongings, especially movable possessions; completely. •/If they don’t pay their hotel bill they will be put out bag and baggage./

[baggage] See: BAG AND BAGGAGE.

[bail] See: JUMP BAIL or SKIP BAIL.

[bail out(1)]{v.} 1. To secure release from prison until trial by leaving or promising money or property for a while. •/When college students got into trouble with the police, the college president would always bail them out./ 2. {informal} To free from trouble by giving or lending money. •/He started a small business, which prospered after his father had to bail him out a couple of times./

[bail out(2)]{v.} To jump from an airplane and drop with a parachute. •/When the second engine failed, the pilot told everyone to bail out./

[bail out(3)]{v.} To dip water from a filling or leaking boat; throw water out of a boat to prevent its sinking. •/Both men were kept busy bailing out the rowboat after it began to leak./

[bait] See: FISH OR CUT BAIT.

[bake] See: HALF-BAKED.

[baker’s dozen]{n.}, {informal} Thirteen. •/"How many of the jelly doughnuts, Sir? " the salesclerk asked. "Oh, make it a baker’s dozen."/

[balance] See: HANG IN THE BALANCE, OFF BALANCE.

[ball] See: BASE ON BALLS, CARRY THE BALL, FLY BALL, FOUL BALL, GET THE BALL ROLLING, SET THE BALL ROLLING, START THE BALL ROLLING, GOPHER BALL, GROUND BALL, HAVE A HALL, HAVE SOMETHING ON THE BALL, JUMP BALL, KEEP THE BALL. ROLLING, LONG BALL, ON THE BALL, PASSED BALL, PLAY BALL.

[ball game]{n.}, {slang}, also {informal} The entire matter at hand; the whole situation; the entire contest. •/You said we can get a second mortgage for the house?! Wow! That’s a whole new ball game./

[ball of fire]{n.}, {informal} A person with great energy and ability; a person who can do something very well. •/He did poorly in school but as a salesman he is a ball of fire./ •/The new shortstop is a good fielder but certainly no ball of fire in batting./ Compare: HOT NUMBER, HOT ONE.

[balloon] See: TRIAL BALLOON, LEAD BALLOON.

[ballot stuffing] See: STUFF THE BALLOT BOX.

[ball up]{v.}, {slang} To make a mess of; confuse. •/Don’t ball me up./ •/Hal balled up the business with his errors./ — Often used in the passive. •/He was so balled up that he did not know if he was coming or going./ Compare: MIXED UP.

[baloney]{n.}, {informal} Nonsense, unbelievable, trite, or trivial. •/John brags that he’s won the $10 million lottery, and I think it’s just a lot of baloney./ •/"Will you marry Joe?" mother asked. "Baloney," Susie answered with a disgusted look./ •/Do you still believe all that baloney about socialism excluding free enterprise? Look at China and Hungary./

[banana oil]{n.}, {slang} Flattery that is an obvious exaggeration; statements that are obviously made with an ulterior motive. •/Cut out the banana oil; flattery will get you nowhere!/

[band] See: BEAT THE BAND.

[bandbox] See: LOOK AS IF ONE HAS COME OUT OF A BANDBOX.

[band together]{v. phr.} To join a group to exert united force. •/The inhabitants of the ecologically threatened area banded together to stop the company from building new smokestacks./

[bandwagon] See: JUMP ON THE BANDWAGON.

[bandy about]{v. phr.} To spread rumors or whisper secrets. •/The news of Jim and Mary’s divorce was bandied about until everyone at the office had heard it./

[bang up]{adj.}, {informal} Very successful; very good; splendid; excellent. •/The football coach has done a bang-up job this season./ •/John did a bang-up job painting the house./ Syn.: FIRST-CLASS.

[bank] See: PIGGY BANK.

[bank on]{v.}, {informal} To depend on; put one’s trust in; rely on. •/He knew he could bank on public indignation to change things, if he could once prove the dirty work./ •/The students were banking on the team to do its best in the championship game./ Syn.: COUNT ON.

[bar] See: BEHIND BARS, PARALLEL BARS.

[bargain] See: DRIVE A BARGAIN, IN THE BARGAIN or INTO THE BARGAIN.

[bargain for] or [bargain on] {v.} To be ready for; expect. •/When John started a fight with the smaller boy he got more than he bargained for./ •/The final cost of building the house was much more than they had bargained on./ Compare: COUNT ON.

[barge in]{v. phr.}, {informal} To appear uninvited at someone’s house or apartment, or to interrupt a conversation. •/I’m sorry for barging in like that, Sir, but my car died on me and there is no pay phone anywhere./ •/I’m sorry for barging in while you two are having a discussion, but could you please tell me where the nearest exit is?/

[bark up the wrong tree]{v. phr.}, {informal} To choose the wrong person to deal with or the wrong course of action; mistake an aim. •/If he thinks he can fool me, he is barking up the wrong tree./ •/He is barking up the wrong tree when he blames his troubles on bad luck./ •/The police were looking for a tall thin man, but were barking up the wrong tree; the thief was short and fat./