Thành ngữ tiếng anh - B Idioms
Bạn đã làm quen với những thành ngữ tiếng anh bắt đầu bằng chữ A, bây giờ chúng ta tiếp tục học những thành ngữ tiếng anh chữ B - Idioms nhé
• Back Get off smb’s back – Yêu cầu người khác không làm phiền► stop annoying smb, for example, by telling them what to do or trying to force them to do smth; make smb stop annoying you in this way.
I’ve done all that already, so why don’t you just get off my back?
• Ball
A ball and chain (BrE) – Khó khăn, thách thức
► a problem that prevents you f-rom doing what you would like to do.
The business never made any money and was regarded more as a ball and chain than anything else.
► (humorous) smb’s husband or wife
I must get home to the ball and chain.
Be on the ball – Biết mình biết ta
► be aware of what is happening and be able to react or deal with it quickly
For the assistant manager’s job we need someone who’s really on the ball.
Get/keep/set/start/ the ball rolling – Tiếp tục thảo luận
► begin/continue an activity, discussion etc.
• Bananas
Go bananas (slang) – Tức giận
► become angry, crazy or silly If I’m late again my dad’ll go bananas!
• Bang
Go (off) with a bang (informal)- Thành công mỹ mãn
► (of an event, etc) be very successful Last night’s party really went off with a bang.
• Bar
Bar none – Không ngoại lệ
► without exception This is the best pudding I’ve ever tasted, bar none.
• Barking
Be barking up the wrong tree – Sai lầm
► be mistaken about smth
The police are barking up the wrong tree if they think I had anything to do with the crime! I wasn’t even in the country when it happened!
• Basics
Get/go back to basics – Bắt đầu từ cơ bản
► Think about the simple or most important ideas within a subject or an activity instead of new ideas or complicated details
It’s time for us all to get back to basics and concentrate on what really matters.
• Bay
Hold / keep smb/sth at bay – Ngăn ngừa / Ngăn chặn
► prevent smb or smth f-rom coming too close or attacking
Vitamin C helps to keep colds and flu at bay.
• Bear
Bear the brunt of smth – Chịu đựng – Chấp nhận hậu quả
► suffer most as the result of an attack, a loss, bad luck
We all lost money when the business collapsed, but I bore the brunt of it because I had invested the most.
• Beat
Beat about the bush – Vòng vo tam quốc
► take too long before saying what you want to say
Don’t beat about the bush. Tell me exactly what you think about my work.
• Bed
Get out of bed on the wrong side – Uống nhầm thuốc
► be bad-tempered f-rom the moment you get up
Why is Pete so irritable this morning? Did he get out of bed on the wrong side again?
• Bee Have (got) a bee in your bonnet – Lo lắng quá mức
► think and talk about smth all the time and believe it is very important
Harry’s always going around opening windows. He’s got a bee in his bonnet about fresh air.
• Been
Been there done that – Chuyện cũ rích
► used to show that you think a place or an activity is not very interesting or impressive because you have already experienced it
Not camping again! Been there, done that, got the T-shirt.
• Bell
Give smb a bell (informal) – Gọi điện cho ai
► call smb by telephone I’ll give you a bell tomorrow.
• Belly
Go belly up – Phá sản
► Used to say a company has a financial crisis and bankrupt.
Recently, our company’s sales have been down so much. I think we’re going belly up.
• Belt
Below the belt – Không công bằng / Không tốt bụng
(of a comment, attack etc) unfair and unkind
Her remarks about his age were a bit below the belt.
• Bend
Bend the truth – Bẻ cong sự thật
► say smth that is not completely true
In the end he admitted bending the truth. He had done some of his essay but he hadn’t finished it.
• Bent
Be bent on smth / on doing smth – Quyết định làm gì
be determined to do or have smth
I advised her against it but she was bent on taking part in the marathon.
• Best
Put your best foot forward – Cố gắn hết sức
► go, work, etc. as fast as you can
If we put our best foot forward, we should be there by noon.
To the best of your belief / knowledge – Những gì tôi biết
► as far as you know
He never made a will, to the best of my knowledge.
• Better
Against your better judgement – Cảm tính
► although you know your action, decision, etc is not sensible
She was persuaded against her better judgement to lend him the money and now she is regretting it.
(all) the better for smth – Tốt hơn là
► made better by doing smth; benefiting f-rom smth
You’ll be all the better for (having had) a holiday by the sea.
• Beyond
Be beyond smb – Không tưởng tượng được
► be impossible for smb to imagine, understand or do
Why she decided to marry such a boring man is beyond me.
• Bide
Bide your time – Chờ thời cơ
► wait for a suitable opportunity to do smth
She’s just biding her time until the right job comes.
• Big
Too big for your boots – Nghĩ mình quan trọng
► thinking that you are more important than you really are
His political rivals had decided that he was getting too big for his boots.
• Birds
The birds and the bees (old-fashioned or humorous) – Vấn đề người lớn
► the basic facts about sex and reproduction, the “facts of life”, as told to children.
Now that Jamie is eleven, isn’t it time you told him about the birds and the bees?
• Bite
Bite the dust (informal) – Thất bại
► fail, or be defeated or destroyed Thousands of small businesses bite the dust every year.
► (humorous) die
Bite off more than you can chew (informal)- Cố đấm ăn xôi
► attempt to do smth that is too difficult for you or that you do not have enough time to do.
He’s promised to get all this work finished by the weekend but I’ve got a feeling he’s bitten off more than he can chew.
Bite your tongue – Nhường nhịn
► stop yourself f-rom saying smth that might upset smb or cause an argument, although you want to speak
I didn’t believe her explanation but I bit my tongue
• Black
Black and blue – Thâm tím
► covered with bruises (= blue, brown or purple marks on the body)
She was black and blue all over after falling downstairs.
• Bleed
Bleed smb dry / white (disapproving) – Nướng hết tiền
► take away all smb’s money He used to be quite wealthy, but his children have bled him dry.
• Blessing
A blessing in disguise – Trong cái rũi có cái may
► a thing that seems bad, unpleasant, etc. at first but that has advantages in the end
Not getting that job turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as the firm went out of business only a few months later.
• Blood
In the/smb’s blood/genes – Di truyền
► part of smb’s nature and shared by other members of their family
Both his father and his mother were writers, so literature runs in his blood.
Make smb’s blood boil – Làm ai đó giận sôi máu
► make smb very angry Seeing him beating that little dog made my blood boil.
• Blue
Out of the blue – Bất ngờ
► Suddenly and unexpectedly
She had no idea that anything was wrong until he announced out of the blue that he wanted a divorce.
• Board
Take smth on board (informal) – Chấp nhận
► accept (an idea, suggestion, etc); recognize (a problem, etc)
I hope the committee takes our recommendations on board when coming to a decision.
Bob (and) Bob’s your uncle (BrE, informal) – Tất cả những gì cần làm là...
► Often used after explaining how to do smth, solve a problem, etc to emphasize how easy it is
To make the alarm go off at the right time, you just press this button, set the clock, and Bob’s your uncle!
• Bones
Make no bones about (doing) smth – Không chần chừ, Trung thực và cởi mở
► not hesitate to do smth; be honest and open about smth
She made no bones about telling him she wanted a pay rise.
He makes no bones about the fact that he’s been in prison.
• Bore
Bore smb to tears; bore smb stiff; bore smb out of their mind (informal) – Làm ai đó cảm động
► (often used in the passive) bore smb very much
He bored me to tears with stories about his childhood.
After listening to the speech for three hours I was bored stiff.
• Bothered
Can’t be bothered (to do smth) (BrE, informal) – Không muốn làm
► not willing to make the effort (to do smth)
I got home so late last night that I couldn’t be bothered to cook dinner.
• Bottom
The bottom line (informal) – Kết quả cuối cùng
► the important conclusion, judgement or result
We’ve had some success this year, but the bottom line is that the business is still losing money.
• Break
Break even – Không lời không lỗ (Hòa vốn)
► make neither a profit not a loss
In the first year of the business we only just managed to break even.
Break the news – Cho ai biết
► to make something known
You’d better break the news to your father carefully. After all, you don’t want him to have a heart attack.
• Breath
A breath of fresh air - Luồng khí mới
► a person or thing that is new and different and therefore interesting and exciting
Having these young people living with us is like a breath of fresh air after years on our own.
• Broad
In broad daylight – Thanh thiên, bạch nhật
► in the clear light of day when it is easy to see
He was attacked right in the centre of town in broad daylight.
• Burn
Burn your bridges (BrE also ‘burn your boats) – Không còn đường lui.
► do smth that makes it impossible for you to return to a previous situation
Once you have signed your documents, you’ll have burned your boats, and will have to go ahead with the sale.
Burn the candle at both ends – Làm việc sớm hôm
► Make yourself very tired by doing too much, especially by going to bed late and getting up early
You look exhausted. Been burning the candle at both ends, have you?
• Buck
To make a fast/quick buck (informal, often disapproving) – Kiếm Tiền nhanh
► Earn money quickly and easily
He didn’t really care about the business, he just wanted to make a fast buck.
• Bursting
(be) bursting to do smth -
► want to do smth so much that you can hardly stop yourself
She was just bursting to tell us the news.
• Bust
Go bust – Phá sản
► (of a business) fail financially; become bankrupt
The firm went bust and fifty workers lost their jobs.
• Busy
(as) busy as a bee – Rất bận
► very busy
Jack is a Manager of a Landscaping Company; he have to travel around to have meeting with customers. I thought he is busy as a bee.
• Buzz
Give smb a buzz (informal) – Thông báo cho
► telephone smb I’ll give you a buzz before I leave.
(also ‘get a buzz f-rom sth/f-rom doing smth’)
► If smth gives you a buzz or you get a buzz f-rom it, it provides interest and enjoyment for you
If the work gives you a buzz, then you do your job better.