Meaning:

A (morally) bad person who makes a whole group bad.

A bad apple is someone who has a bad effect on a whole group or system.

People also say, “One bad/rotten apple spoils the (whole) bushel/barrel.”

Example:

The corruption in the government started with a bad apple, a high official two years ago. Now the whole system is corrupt.

Picture:

This picture was electronically drawn by Erika Aoyama on April 14, 2003.

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Last modified on June 10, 2003

Be a piece of cake

Meaning:

To be very easy

If something is a piece of cake, it is very easy to do.

Example:

A: How was the driving test yesterday? Did you pass?
B: Of course! It was a piece of cake.

Picture:

This picture was electronically drawn by Erika Aoyama on September 17, 2003.

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Last modified on September 18, 2003

Be all ears

Meaning:

Be very intersted in what someone is about to say.

If you are all ears, you are eager and ready to listen to what someone is going to say.

Example:

Now tell us all about your adventures in Afraica last summer. I’m all ears.

When the president started his speech, he found everyone listening, all ears.
Picture:

This picture was electronically drawn by Erika Aoyama on November 27, 2003.

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Last modified on December 30, 2003

Be the apple of someone’s eye

Meaning:

Be loved very much by someone.

If someone is the apple of your eye, you think he/she is very important to you, and you love him/her very much.
This idiom is used especially when someone is loved by an older member of his/her family.

Example:

Erika is Mark’s only granddaughter, and she’s the apple of his eye.

Sarah’s only son was the apple of her eye.

Picture:

This picture was drawn by Erika Aoyama

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Last modified on April 4, 2002

Be as American as apple pie

Meaning:

Be typically American

If something or someone is as American as apple pie, it/he/she is typically or completely American.

Example:

Jose and Maria came to the U.S. 10 years ago and still keep the traditions of their home country. However, their children are as American as apple pie.

An American couple opened a restaurant in Japan, and their food tasts as American as apple pie.

Picture:

This picture was electronically drawn by Erika Aoyama on May 5, 2003.

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Last modified on June 10, 2003

Be as blind as a bat

Meaning:

Be unable to see well or unable to see at all.

If someone is as blind as a bat, he/she cannot see well or cannot see at all because of his/her very bad eyesight.

Example:

A: Can you read the first paragraph on page 115 for me?
B: Sorry, I forgot to bring my glasses. I’m as blind as a bat without them.

Picture:

This picture was electronically drawn by Erika Aoyama on May 24, 2003.

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Last modified on June 25, 2003

Backfire

Meaning:

to produce an unexpected / undesired / opposite result.

If your plan or action backfires, you get the opposite result to the one you wanted.

Example:

The new stricter school policy may backfire and do more harm to the students than good.

Her plan to lose weight backfired. After losing 10 pounds, she started to eat a lot again and gained 20 pounds quickly.

Picture:

This picture was drawn by a student in Ms. Hsu’s listening/speaking class.

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Last modified on February 18, 2003

Bark up the wrong tree

Meaning:

To misunderstand a situation and complain to a wrong person or blame a wrong thing.

If someone is barking up the wrong tree, he/she has an incorrect idea about a situation, and his/her course of action is wrong.
Example:

Don’t blame me. I have nothing to do with it. You are barking up the wrong tree.

The committee spent more than 5 month to try to solve the problem. They were just barking up the wrong tree.

Picture:

This picture was electronically drawn by Erika Aoyama on January 11, 2004.

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Last modified on April 1, 2004

Beat around the bush

Meaning:

Avoid or delay talking about something unpleasant or embarrassing

If you beat around the bush, you don’t say something directly to someone because you are worried about his/her reaction and don’t want to upset him/her.

Some people also say ” beat about the bush. ”

Example:

Don’t beat around the bush! Tell me what exactly you want.

Let’s not beat around the bush anymore. You’d better do this project over. It’s not acceptable to us.

Picture:

This picture was electronically drawn by Erika Aoyama on November 27, 2003.

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Last modified on December 24, 2003

Beat it

Meaning:

Go away immediately.

If you say “Beat it” to someone, you tell him/her to leave quickly because he/she is annoying. This is an impolite command.

Example:

I guess we should beat it before she comes back.

“This is not your place. Beat it!” (This is not a polite way to ask someone to leave.)

Picture:

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Last modified on January 28, 2002

Bend over backwards (backward)

Meaning:

Do as much as you can to help or please someone.

If you bend over backwards, you do your best or try harder than you need in order to please someone or do something he/she wants.

Example:

The manager bent over backwards to help new employees.

I bent over backward, trying to defend her. I don’t know what else I can do for her.

Picture:

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Last modified on January 26, 2002

Bite off more than one can chew

Meaning:

To try to do something that is too difficult

If you bite off more than you can chew, you try to do more than you are able to.

Example:

She has bitten off more than she can chew again. She has agreed to finish 3 very difficult projects by the end of this year.

Do your best. Do whatever you can, but don’t bite off more than you can chew.
Picture:

This picture was electronically drawn by Erika Aoyama on December 21, 2004.

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Last modified on December 29, 2004

Bookworm

Meaning:

Someone who loves reading very much

If you describe someone as a bookworm, he/she likes reading very much and reads a lot.

Example:

My daughter was a real bookworm when she was a child.

I found the joys of reading when I read that book. I became a bookworm after that.

Picture:

This picture was electronically drawn by Erika Aoyama on January 14, 2004.

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Last modified on July 10, 2004

The Bottom Line

Meaning:

The most important factor in a situation or a decision to consider.

If you say the bottom line is xxxx, you mean xxxx is the most important or critical fact you want others to consider.

Note: The original meaning of the bottom line is the final line of an accounting report of a company or an organization.
That line shows how much money the company/organization has earned or lost during a particular period of time.

Example:

After a long heated discussion, the manager finally said, “The bottom line is, we have a limited budget and simply can’t continue this project any longer.”

I’ve heard enough of your excuses. What’s the bottom line?
Picture:

This picture was electronically drawn by Erika Aoyama on December 21, 2004.

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