| Idiom | Meaning | Example |
| the apple doesn't fall far from the tree |
kids are like their parents; a chip off the old block; like father, like son
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I looked at the father, then at the son, and I thought, The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
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| the apple of his eye |
his favorite girl, the girl he desires
|
Susie was Don's sweetheart, the apple of his eye.
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| the balance of power |
the deciding votes; votes that cause the winner, tip the scales
|
He will try to get the support of the workers because they hold the balance of power.
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| the ball's in your court |
you speak or act now, it's your turn
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She offered to pay $1900 for your car, so the ball's in your court.
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| the be-all, end-all |
the best, the greatest, his nibs, world beater
|
Brian believes he's the be-all, end-all in politics, but wait until he loses the next election.
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| the bee's knees |
the best, superior, the cat's meow
|
Kay was voted best citizen. Now she thinks she's the bee's knees.
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| the benefit of the doubt |
fair judgement when some of the facts are not known, take your word for it
|
If money is missing, we give you the benefit of the doubt. We assume you didn't take it.
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| the best-laid plans of mice and men go oft astray |
plans are not guaranteed, plans sometimes do not work out
|
If this boat sinks, we'll say, "The best-laid plans of mice and men go oft astray."
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| the best of both worlds |
the best parts of two cultures or styles etc., two heads are better...
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If you have Italian design and German engineering, you have the best of both worlds, eh.
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| the best things in life are free |
the sun, the stars, the ocean, etc. are free; Mother Nature
belongs to all of us
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We went on a camping trip and discovered that the best
things in life are free.
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