American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms

hand. In addition to the idioms beginning with BUTTON, also see CUTE AS A BUTTON;

HAVE ALL ONE'S BUTTONS; ON THE BUTTON; PUSH (PRESS) SOMEONE'S BUTTONS; PUSH THE PANIC BUTTON.

buttonhole someone

Accost or detain a person in conversation. For example, The reporter tried to buttonhole the senator, but she got away. This term is a metaphor for literally grasping someone by a buttonhole on his or her clothing. [Mid-1800s]

button one's lip

hand. see BUTTON UP, def. 2.

button up

1. Close securely, fasten, as in The house was all buttoned up, or Button up your coat?

it's very cold. [Late 1500s] 2. Also, button one's lip. Hold one's tongue, keep quiet. For example,

Please button your lip about the surprise. A variant of this usage, button one's mouth, dates from the 17th century. [Mid1800s] 3. Finish successfully, as in I've got this report all buttoned up. [c. 1940]

buy into

Purchase a membership, a share, or an interest in something. For example, I'd love to buy into this partnership, but I can't afford it. [First half of 1600s]

buy it

1.Suffer a severe reversal, as in If they can't raise the money in time, they'll buy it. [Slang; mid-1900s]

2.Be killed; die. For example, By the time we could get to the hospital, he had bought it.

Originating during World War I as military slang, this term later was extended to peacetime forms of death. A later slang equivalent is buy the farm, dating from about 1950. For example, He'll soon buy the farm riding that motorcycle. According to J.E. Lighter, it alludes to jet planes crashing in a farmer's field, causing the farmer to sue the government for damages sufficient to pay off the farm's mortgage. Since the pilot usually died in such a crash, he in effect bought the farm with his life. 3. Believe it; see BUY SOMETHING.

buy off

Pay to get rid of a claim or opposition, or to avoid prosecution, as in He was caught trying to buy off the opposing candidate. [First half of 1600s]

buy out

Purchase the entire stock, business rights, or interests of a concern. For example,

A rival store owner offered to buy out my grandfather; but he refused. [Late 1200s]

VIII: "They buy up all manner of fish."

buy something

Believe something; accept as true or satisfactory. For example, You think he's a millionaire? I just won't buy that. [Slang; 1920s]

buy the farm

hand. see under BUY IT.

buy time

Increase the time available for a specific purpose. For example, Renting an apartment buys them time to look around for a new house.

buy up

Purchase all that is available, as in They want to buy up all the land in this area. This term was first recorded in a law enacted under Henry

buzz off

Go away, leave. For example, The store owner told the teenagers to buzz off and find another place to hang out. This curt imperative dates from World War I. Also see BUG OFF.

by a hair Also, by a hairbreadth or whisker. Very narrowly. For example, His serve was out by a hair, or We made our flight by a hairbreadth, or Dad missed hitting the pole by a whisker. The first two hyperboles for the very narrowest margin date from the 1300s and 1400s respectively; whisker meaning "a small amount" was first recorded in 1913. Also see BY THE SKIN OF

ONE'S TEETH; HANG BY A HAIR.

by all accounts Also, according to all accounts. From all reports available, from what everyone is saying. For example, By all accounts the party was a great success, or They spent a fortune on their cruise, according to all accounts. These phrases rely on account in the sense of "a particular report or description of some event." [Late 1700s]

by all means

1. Also, by all manner of means. In every possible way, as in I plan to make use of him by all means. [Late 1400s] 2. Also, by all manner of means. Without fail, at any cost, as in Losing the contract is to be avoided by all means. [c. 1600] 3. Certainly, yes, as in Are you coming tonight??

By all means, I'll be there. [Late 1600s] Also see BY ANY MEANS; BY NO MEANS.

by all odds

By far, as in She is by all odds the best player on the team. This idiom uses odds in the sense of "the amount by which one thing excels or exceeds." [Mid-1800s]

by a long shot

hand. see under LONG SHOT.

by a mile

hand. see MISS BY A MILE.

by and by

After a while, soon, as in She'll be along by and by. The expression probably relies on the meaning of by as a succession of quantities (as in "two by two"). This adverbial phrase came to be used as a noun, denoting either procrastination or the future. William Camden so used it for the former (Remains, 1605): "Two anons and a by and by is an hour and a half." And W.S. Gilbert used it in the latter sense when Lady Jane sings plaintively that little will be left of her ''in the coming by and by," that is, as she grows old. (Patience, 1881). [Early 1500s]

by and large

For the most part, generally speaking, as in By and large the novel was a success. This expression originated in 17th-century seamanship, where it referred to sailing into the wind and then off it, which made it easier to steer. By the early 1700s the term had been broadened to mean "in one direction and another," whence its present meaning of "in general." For a synonym, see FOR THE

MOST PART.

by any means

In any possible way, no matter how, as in By any means I've got to get there. [Late 1400s] Also

see BY HOOK OR CROOK; BY MEANS OF; BY NO MEANS.

by any stretch

Beyond ordinary limits, especially of the imagination. For example, She could not, by any stretch of the imagination, be considered a great actress. The phrase sometimes is put in the negative, by no stretch, as in By no stretch can that work be called an opera. [Late 1700s]

by a thread

hand. see HANG BY A THREAD.

by chance

Casually, accidentally, as in I ran into Bill purely by chance. [c. 1300] Also see BY

COINCIDENCE.

by choice

Deliberately, as a matter of preference. For example, No one told me to come; I'm here by choice. This expression replaced the earlier with choice, used from about 1500.

by coincidence

Through an accidental simultaneous occurrence, as in By coincidence both researchers discovered the same solution. [Mid-1600s] Also see BY CHANCE.

BY HALF.

by definition

According to prior determination, as a given. For example, This antibiotic is by definition the most effective now on the market. [1970s]

by degrees

Gradually, by successive steps or stages. For example, By degrees he began to delegate more and more of his duties to his staff. [Mid-1500s] Also see BY INCHES.

by design

On purpose, deliberately, as in Whether by luck or by design, his application was accepted. This term, originally put as on design, uses design in the sense of "plan." [First half of 1600s]

by dint of

By means of, as in By dint of hard work he got his degree in three years. The word dint, which survives only in this expression, originally meant "a stroke or blow," and by the late 1500s signified the force behind such a blow. The current term preserves the implication of vigorous or persistent means.

by far Also, far and away. To the greatest degree, by a large margin. For example, She is by far the most experienced member of the cast, or, as Anthony Trollope wrote, "He was far and away the cleverest of his party" (The Duke's Children, 1880). The first term dates from the late 1700s, the variant from the mid-1800s. Also see

by fits and starts

hand. see

bygones

hand. see

by half

FITS AND STARTS.

LET BYGONES BE BYGONES.

Considerably, a great deal, as in He was too good a cook by half for this small restaurant. [c. A.D.

1000] Contrast BY HALVES.

by halves

Imperfectly, reluctantly, or half-heartedly, as in You really can't paint a portrait by halves. [Mid-1500s]

by hand

With a hand or hands, manually (as opposed to a machine or some other means). For example,

This letter was delivered by hand, or You can make these drawings by hand, but computer graphics are more efficient. [Mid-1500s]

BY DINT OF.

by heart Also, by rote. From memory; also, mechanically. For example, Betty had trouble learning the song by heart, but her teacher insisted on it, or Japanese schools put heavy emphasis on learning by rote. These terms are often put as know by heart or learn by rote. The first term was already used by Chaucer (in Troilus and Cressida). The variant, also dating from the 1300s, often implies mere memorization without deeper understanding. Both phrases remain in use, although this form of learning is no longer so widespread as it once was. Also see COMMIT TO

MEMORY.

by hook or crook

By any means possible, in one way or another. For example, The car broke down, but I'll get there by hook or crook. This term has a disputed origin. A widely held theory is that it comes from the custom of allowing commoners to take as much wood from royal forests as they could reach with a shepherd's crook and cut down with a billhook. [1300s] Also see the synonym BY ANY MEANS.

by inches Also, inch by inch. Gradually, bit by bit, as in We found ourselves in rush hour traffic, moving by inches. Shakespeare used this term in Coriolanus (5:4): "They'll give him death by inches." Despite the increasing use of metric measurements, it survives, often as an exaggeration of the actual circumstance. The phrase to inch along, first recorded in 1812, means "to move bit by bit," as in There was a long line at the theater, just inching along.

by Jove Also, by cracky. Used to express surprise or emphasis. For example, By Jove, I was glad to see her, or It was a great day, by cracky. These mild oaths are euphemisms, the first for "by Jesus" or "by God" (Jove is another name for Jupiter, the principal Roman god), and the folksy variant by cracky for "by Christ." Both idioms may be dying out.

by leaps and bounds

Rapidly, or in fast progress, as in The corn is growing by leaps and bounds, or School enrollment is increasing by leaps and bounds. This term is a redundancy, since leap and bound both mean "spring" or "jump," but the two words have been paired since Shakespeare's time and are still so used.

by means of

Through the use of, owing to, as in We plan to pay for medical school by means of a second mortgage, or He'll succeed by means of sheer persistence. [Early 1400s] Also see

by mistake

Erroneously, as in He took my coat by mistake. [c. 1700]

by no means Also, not by any means. In no way, certainly not. For example, He is by no means a weak opponent, or Not by any means will I go along with that decision. [Late 1400s]

by no stretch

hand. see BY ANY STRETCH.

by one's bootstraps

hand. see under PULL ONESELF UP.

by oneself

Alone, unaccompanied; also, unassisted. For example, She enjoyed being by herself much of the time, or Brian can pick up his toys by himself. [c. A.D. 1000]

by one's wits

hand. see LIVE BY ONE'S WITS.

by reason of

Because of, owing to, as in By reason of a crop failure, the price of coffee is bound to rise. This expression is considered quite formal today. [c. 1300]

by request Also, on or upon request. In response to being asked to do something. For example,

The band is playing our favorite song by request. This usage replaced at request. [Late 1600s]

by rights

Justly, in fairness, as in By rights he should have been chosen first. Originally put as by right, this term was first recorded about 1315.

by storm

hand. see TAKE BY STORM.

by surprise

hand. see TAKE BY SURPRISE.

by the balls

hand. see HAVE ONE BY THE BALLS.

by the board Fallen out of use, discarded. This expression usually is put as go by the board, as in With all the crime around here, the practice of leaving the house unlocked has gone by the board. The board here is the board of a ship, and the expression has been used since about 1630 to signify something that has fallen overboard and been carried away. [Mid-1800s]

by the book

Strictly according to the rules, as in Our trip leader is going by the book, allowing us to wander off only for short periods.

Shakespeare already used the term figuratively in Romeo and Juliet (1:5): "You kiss by the book."

Also see BY THE NUMBERS.

by the bye Also, by the by. Incidentally, in passing, as in By the bye, my wife is coming too, or Exactly where do you live, by the by? The bye or second by in this term originally meant "a side

path," whence the current sense of "off the track" or "of secondary importance." [Early 1500s] Also

see BY THE WAY.

by the day Also, by the hour or week or month or year. According to a specific time period, as in I'm renting this car by the day, or He's being paid by the hour. This usage generally describes some kind of rate. [1400s]

by the dozen Also, by the hundred or thousand. According to a definite quantity, as in She's buying tapes by the dozen. This usage is generally employed for some kind of rate. A 1950 film about efficiency expert Frank Gilbreth and his family was entitled Cheaper by the Dozen. [c. 1300]

by the numbers

In a strict sequence, step-by-step; also, mechanically. For example, The only way to assemble this computer is to do it by the numbers, or Writing a novel is not something one can do by the numbers. This expression has nothing to do with actual numerical figures (like BY THE DOZEN)

but uses numbers in the sense of a strict order or sequence.

by the same token

1. In the same way, for the same reason. For example, He has a good ear for music, and by the same token he finds it easy to pronounce foreign words. This phrase today is used in a general way to connect statements that have some logical association with one another. [Mid-1400s] 2. As a corroborating circumstance, as in Boston's population has grown very fast, and by the same token its urban problems have also increased. [Late 1800s]

by the seat of the pants

hand. see SEAT OF THE PANTS.

by the short hairs

Under one's complete control. This expression is often used with get or have, as in She had her husband by the short hairs. It is in effect a euphemism for HAVE SOMEONE BY THE BALLS,

the hairs in question being pubic hair. [Colloquial; second half of 1800s]

by the skin of one's teeth

Just barely, very narrowly, as in Doug passed the exam by the skin of his teeth. A related term appears in the Bible (Job 19:20), where Job says, "I am escaped with the skin of my teeth," presumably meaning he got away with nothing at all. Today the phrase using by is used most often to describe a narrow escape. [c. 1600] Also see SQUEAK THROUGH.

by the sweat of one's brow

By hard work, as in The only way he'll succeed is by the sweat of his brow. This figurative usage appears in the Bible (Genesis 31:9), where Adam's punishment for eating fruit in Eden is "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread"?

that is, he will have to work for his bread, or living. [c. 1600]

by the way

1.In passing, incidentally, as in She's my wife's cousin, and by the way, a good friend. [Mid-1500s]

2.Parenthetically, in addition, as in We saw Mary last week, and by the way, did Tom call you?

[Early 1600s]

by turns

Alternately, one after another, as in She is by turns cheerful, serious, and sad. [First half of 1500s]

by virtue of Also in virtue of. On the grounds of, by reason of, as in By virtue of a large inheritance she could easily afford not to work. [Early 1300s]

by way of

1.Through, via, as in I'm flying to Australia by way of Hawaii. [Mid-1400s]

2.As a means of, as in He paid our fares by way of apology. [Late 1300s]

by weight

According to weight rather than height, volume, or some other measure. For example, In Europe bread often is sold by weight rather than by the loaf. [c. A.D. 1000]

by word of mouth

hand. see WORD OF MOUTH.

byways

hand. see HIGHWAYS AND BYWAYS.

cabin fever

Distress or anxiety caused by prolonged confinement in a small or remote place, as in We've been snowed in for a week and everyone has cabin fever. Originating in the West, this term at first alluded to being penned up in a remote cabin during a long winter but has since been applied more broadly. [Late 1800s]

caboodle

hand. see WHOLE KIT AND CABOODLE.

cahoots

hand. see under IN LEAGUE WITH.

Cain

hand. see RAISE CAIN.

cake

hand. see EAT ONE'S CAKE AND HAVE IT, TOO; FLAT AS A PANCAKE; ICING ON THE CAKE; NUTTY AS A FRUITCAKE; PIECE OF CAKE; SELL LIKE HOT CAKES; SLICE OF THE PIE (CAKE); TAKE THE CAKE.

calculated risk

A chance taken after careful estimation of the probable outcome, as in Taking their dispute to arbitration was definitely a calculated risk. This term uses calculated in the sense of "planned with forethought," a usage from the mid-1800s. Its pairing with risk dates from World War II, when the chances for losing bombers were taken into account before a bombing mission was sent out. After the war the term was transferred to other undertakings where taking a chance to succeed had to be weighed against the costs of failure.

calf

hand. see KILL THE FATTED CALF; PUPPY (CALF) LOVE.

call

hand. In addition to the idioms beginning with CALL, also see ABOVE AND BEYOND

(THE CALL OF DUTY); AT SOMEONE'S BECK AND CALL; CLOSE CALL; DRESSING (CALLING) DOWN; NO CALL FOR; ON CALL; PAY A CALL; POT CALLING THE KETTLE BLACK; TOO CLOSE TO CALL; UNCALLED FOR; WAKE-UP CALL; WITHIN CALL.

call a halt

Order something stopped, as in It was getting too dark to see the ball, so the referee called a halt to the match, or They'd played the march four times, so the conductor called a halt to the rehearsal. [Late 1800s]

call a spade a spade

Speak frankly and bluntly, be explicit, as in You can always trust Mary to call a spade a spade. This term comes from a Greek saying, call a bowl a bowl, that was mistranslated into Latin by Erasmus and came into English in the 1500s. Also see TELL IT LIKE IT IS.

call back

1. Ask someone to return; also, ask that something be returned, as in He passed the first audition and was waiting to be called back, or These screws are defective; the manufacturer has called them back. [Late 1500s] 2. call someone back. Telephone someone in return, as in May I call you back next week? [Early 1900s]

call down

1. Invoke, as from heaven; for example, He called down the wrath of God. [Early 1800s] 2. call

someone down. Scold or reprimand, as in The conductor called her down for playing out of tune.

[Mid-1800s] For a synonym, see DRESS DOWN, def. 1.

call for

1. Go to get someone or something, as in John said he'd call for Mary at eight, or Someone's at the door, calling for the package. [First half of 1600s] 2. Summon someone or something. For example, The audience called for the playwright, or The judge called for the verdict. [First half of 1500s] 3. Require, demand, as in This job calls for a lot of patience. [First half of 1700s] Also see

NO CALL FOR; UNCALLED FOR.

call in

1. Summon for help or consultation, as in We've decided to call in a specialist to look at Father.

[Second half of 1600s] 2. Withdraw from circulation, as in We're calling in all the old models. [Late 1500s] 3. Communicate by telephone, as in In this office salesmen must call in once a day.

[Mid-1900s]

call in question Also, call into question. Dispute, challenge; also, cast doubt on. For example,

How can you call her honesty into question? This usage was first recorded in John Lyly's Euphues

(1579): "That . . . I should call in question the demeanour of all."

call in sick

Telephone one's employer or school that one is ill and cannot come to work or attend. For example, Ben called in sick and told his boss he would miss the meeting. [Mid-1900s]

call it a day

Stop a particular activity for the rest of the day, as in It's past five o'clock so let's call it a day. Similarly, call it a night means "to stop something for the rest of the night," as in One more hand of bridge and then let's call it a night. The original phrase was call it half a day, first recorded in 1838, which referred to leaving one's place of employment before the work day was over. The first recorded use of call it a day was in 1919, and of call it a night in 1938. Also see CALL IT QUITS.

call it quits

Stop working, abandon something, give up, as in John is calling it quits for now or This ground is far too stony for a garden so I'm calling it quits. This idiom comes from cry quits, dating from the 1600s and meaning "declare even" or "get even." The verb call was substituted in the late 1800s.

Also see CALL IT A DAY.

call names

Verbally abuse someone, use offensive epithets, as in The teacher told the children to stop calling names. This idiom was first recorded in the late 1600s but Shakespeare used a similar expression

earlier in Richard III (1:3): "That thou hadst called me all these bitter names."

call of duty