break it up—1. disperse; get moving: A policeman forced his way through the crowd, shouting, “Stand aside! Break it up !” 2. stop the fight or quarrel: All right you two, break it up ! Don’t make me get a hose on you… break one’s silence • break the silence break one’s silence—1. finally bring up a subject: Charlotte described the telephone call with which the kidnappers had broken their silence . 2. say smth. after a long pause in con- versation: Enoch sat hunched and brooding, breaking his si - lence only to pass the time of day with John Biffen. break the silence— = break one’s silence 2: Everything was quiet and time seemed to stand still until Jill broke the silence saying that Dave had won. break something away • break something off • break something out break something away—detach smth. completely by break- ing: You’ll have to break the branches away to get through the thick forest. break something off—1. cause smth. to come apart from smth. else: Mary broke off some of the chocolate to give to the children. 2. = break something away: These are wonderful plants and I definitely need advice on what to do after they bloom. How far do you break the branches off ? 3. (of an agree- ment, association, etc.) end abruptly; discontinue: The talks were broken off an hour ago and will not be resumed today. 4. stop doing smth. for a short time: Let’s break off work and have a cup of tea now. break something out—1. break smth. in an outward direction: They had to break the door out to escape from the fire. 2. un- fold or open smth.: We must break out a new case of wine for his birthday. break something down • break something up break something down—1. destroy smth. by reducing to pieces: The old cars were broken down for their metal and parts. 2. cause smth. to be defeated; overcome smth.: The po- lice tried to break down the prisoner’s opposition. 3. cause matter to undergo chemical change: Chemicals in the body break down our food into useful substances. 4. separate smth. into parts; refer smth. to different categories: The figures must be broken down into several lists. break something up—1. (of ice, etc.) cleave smth. into smaller pieces: Enviro Disposal Service can break up old concrete driveways, then haul away the debris. 2. disband an organiza- tion, etc.; cause smth. to cease: The king’s death at once broke up the unity of the Court. break the Queen’s English • clip the Queen’s En- glish break the Queen’s English—(also: break the King’s English) speak incorrectly owing to lack of skill: Every Berliner feels exalted when a real English jockey speaks to him and gives him an opportunity of breaking the Queen’s English . clip the Queen’s English—(dated sl., also: clip the King’s En- glish) pronounce words hurriedly and indistinctly when drunk: He was pretty far overcome by the Champaign, for he clipped the Queen’s English . break the wind • break wind break the wind—said of a line of trees, fence, etc. which gives protection against the wind: The dunes break the wind on the beach and provide a beautiful background. break wind—(euph., also: pass wind) expel intestinal gas from the anus: I’ll kill the first son of a bitch who even breaks wind . Note: Neither expression correlates in meaning with the com- pound broken-winded—(also: wind-broken) used of a horse that has impaired breathing: The train was heavy, and where there was any incline the two engines grunted like broken- winded horses. break time • broken time break time —an interval for lunch: Many schools are on the one hand educating children about healthy eating and on the other selling at break time nothing less than junk foods. broken time —working time reduced by interruptions, etc.: It is up to each individual union to deal with this problem, but the obvious right course is to compensate for broken time . breakdown car • broken-down car breakdown car—a truck which is used to tow inoperative vehicles: If you have a breakdown we are always on call with our own breakdown car . broken-down car —a car that stops working because there is smth. wrong with it: The wayside was strewn with motor tires and broken down cars . bridal banquet • bridal party bridal banquet—a wedding festivity: The bridal banquet is not an obligatory part of the wedding process, and its holding will depend on the traditions of the bride’s family. bridal party —the bride and her attendants and friends: The question of who should be invited to join the bridal party was a huge topic of discussion this morning. bright as a button • bright as a new pin bright as a button—(usually of children) intelligent; quick- minded: You can’t fool Mandy. She may be only six years old, but she’s bright as a button . Note: The expression is antonymous in meaning to the phrase bright as a two-watt bulb(Austral., ironic) dull or stupid: Johnnie’s about as bright as a two-watt bulb , and sometimes the light’s a little slow coming on. bright as a new pin—said of smth. spotlessly clean and shiny: After Nora cleaned the house, it was as bright as a new pin . bright in the eye • bright-eyed and bushy-tailed bright in the eye —(dated sl.) slightly drunk: “You are drunk!” Walter clutched the window frame and muttered, “Just a trifle bright in the eye , love.” bright-eyed and bushy-tailed —(U.S. sl.) alert and enthusi- astic; ready for action: You look all bright-eyed and bushy- tailed this morning. bring down the curtain on something • draw the curtain on something bring down the curtain on something—(also: ring down the curtain on something ) cause an activity, business, etc. to come to an end: Lewis refuses to fix a date when he will bring down the curtain on his incredible fight career. draw the curtain on something—(also: draw the curtain over something ) refrain from discussing smth.; be discreet or secre- tive about smth.: What happened when he got home, I dare not describe. Better draw the curtain on the scene. bring home the bacon • bring home the silver bring home the bacon—1. work and earn money for one’s family: Single mothers get little support, and the system has long been constructed on the premise that the husbands will bring home the bacon . 2. succeed in an undertaking; accom- plish smth. of significant value: The company’s aggressive pro- motional efforts seem to have brought home the bacon , despite technical problems. bring home the silver—(Sport) take second place; come in second (with reference to the silver medals awarded in competi- – 57 – bring home the bacon