[aught] See: FOR AUGHT at FOR ALL(2), FOR ALL ONE KNOWS.

[Aunt Tom]{n.}, {slang}, {originally from Black English} A successful professional or business woman who, due to her success in a masculine profession, doesn’t care about the women’s liberation movement or the passing of the Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. •/Hermione is a regular Aunt Tom, she’ll never vote for the ERA./

[avail] See: TO NO AVAIL or OF NO AVAIL.

[average] See: ON AN AVERAGE or ON THE AVERAGE, LAW OF AVERAGES.

[awe] See: STAND IN AWE OF.

[awkward age]{n.} Adolescence; awkwardness during adolescence. •/Sue used to be an "ugly duckling" when she was at the awkward age, but today she is a glamorous fashion model./

[AWOL] See: ABSENT WITHOUT LEAVE.

[ax to grind]{n. phr.}, {informal} Something to gain for yourself: a selfish reason. •/In praising movies for classroom use he has an ax to grind; he sells motion picture equipment./ •/When Charles told the teacher he saw Arthur copying his homework from Jim, he had an ax to grind; Arthur would not let Charles copy from him./

B

[babe in the woods]{n. phr.} A person who is inexperienced or innocent in certain things. •/He is a good driver, but as a mechanic he is just a babe in the woods./ Compare: OVER ONE’S HEAD, BEYOND ONE’S DEPTH.

[baby] See: WAR BABY.

[baby boom]{n.} A sudden increase in the birth rate. •/The universities were filled to capacity due to the baby boom that followed World War II./

[baby grand]{n.} A small grand piano no longer than three feet, maximally four feet. •/This apartment can’t take a regular grand piano, so we’ll have to buy a baby grand./

[baby kisser]{n.}, {slang} A person campaigning for votes in his quest for elected political office; such persons often kiss little children in public. •/Nixon was a baby kisser when he ran for Vice President with Eisenhower./

[back] See: BACK OF or IN BACK OF, BEHIND ONE’S BACK, BRUSH BACK, COME BACK, CUT BACK, DOUBLE BACK, DRAW BACK, DROP BACK. EYES IN THE BACK OF ONE’S HEAD, FADE BACK, FALL BACK, FALL BACK ON, FLANKER BACK. FROM WAY BACK, GET BACK AT, GET ONE’S BACK UP, GIVE THE SHIRT OFF ONE’S BACK, GO BACK ON, HANG BACK, HARK BACK, HOLD BACK, LIKE WATER OFF A DUCK’S BACK, LOOK BACK, OFF ONE’S BACK, ON ONE’S BACK, PAT ON THE BACK, PIGGY-BACK, PIN ONE’S EARS BACK, PUT BACK THE CLOCK or TURN BACK THE CLOCK, PUT ONE’S BACK TO IT, SCRATCH ONE’S BACK, SET BACK, SET BACK ON ONE’S HEELS, SIT BACK, STAB IN THE BACK, TAKE A BACK SEAT, TAKE BACK, TALK BACK also ANSWER BACK, TURN ONE’S BACK ON, WEIGHT OF THE WORLD ON ONE’S SHOULDERS or WORLD ON ONE’S BACK, WHILE BACK.

[back and forth]{adv.} Backwards and forwards. •/The chair is rocking hack and forth./ •/The tiger is pacing hack and forth in his cage./ Compare: TO AND FRO.

[back away]{v.} To act to avoid or lessen one’s involvement in something; draw or turn back; retreat. * The townspeople backed away from the building plan when they found out how much it would cost.

[back door]{n.}, {slang}, {citizen’s band radio jargon} Rear of vehicle. •/I am watching your back door./

[back down] or [back off] {v.}, {informal} To give up a claim; not follow up a threat. •/Bill said he could beat Ted, but when Ted put up his fists Bill backed down./ •/Harry claimed Joe had taken his book, but backed down when the teacher talked with him./ Syn.: BEAT A RETREAT. Compare: BACK OUT, GIVE IN, GO BACK ON(1).

[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./