| Idiom | Meaning | Example |
| the breaking point |
the time you cannot go on, the point where you quit
|
My job was so stressful I reached the breaking point. I had to quit.
|
| the brush-off |
refusal, rejection
|
The first time he asked her for a date, she gave him the brush-off.
|
| the buck stops here |
I am responsible for what we do - no one else; pass the buck
|
"The buck stops here," the new manager said to us. "We don't blame others for our problems."
|
| the bum's rush |
being chased away, run out of town
|
If you tell us to pay more tax we'll give you the bum's rush.
|
| the burbs |
the suburbs; outlying residential districts
|
That's Jan's dream: two children and a home in the burbs.
|
| the burning question |
the main question, what we all want to know
|
Who drove the car into the lake? That's the burning question.
|
| the butt of the joke |
the person who is laughed at, the goat
|
Frank is so sensitive. He hates to be the butt of a joke.
|
| the call of duty |
the feeling that you have to work, duty calls
|
When the group needs a secretary I answer the call of duty.
|
| the calm before the storm |
the quiet time just before anger or an attack
|
The enemy is planning an attack. This is the calm before the storm.
|
| the can |
toilet, washroom, the john, the loo
|
Who's in the can? Please hurry! I have to go!
|