hold office: Those who sit on the back benches are members of the governing party who are not ministers. These members are known collectively as the back bench . 2. (U.S. Congress) new members of Congress considered as a group: Reform often comes from the back bench in Congress. Junior members have the least to lose and the shortest (and usually cleanest) records. back seat—(in the phrase “take a back seat”) a subordinate or less important position: Serious writing took hold of my life when I was in my teens, but with a long work schedule it took a back seat . back drop • backdrop back drop—a trampoline stunt in which from a bounce a gymnast lands on his back and then rebounds to an erect po- sition: When doing a back drop it is very easy for the recoil of the bed to bring you back up to your feet. backdrop —1. a cloth hung across the rear of a stage to serve as scenic background: The vast shuffle area is a stage, with theatrical lighting and backdrops rising as high as 85 feet. 2. the appropriate atmosphere for an event; the setting within which smth. is viewed: Indochina is the backdrop for this tensely written story. See also: drop back / drop behind. back-fire • fire back back-fire—1. (of an engine) undergo a mistimed explosion in the cylinder with a loud noise: Some engines have a nasty tendency to back-fire . 2. (of firearms) explode: He was held li- able for allowing an unqualified teacher to supervise a shooting competition during which a rifle backfired and injured a stu- dent. 3. light a fire ahead of an advancing prairie-fire in order to stop it: Man learned to back-fire , so but very few settlers lost their lives from prairie-fires. 4. (of a plan, etc.) have the opposite effect to what was intended: One of McGraw’s schemes back-fired on him. fire back —1. return gunfire: Hanson switched the Schmeis- ser regulator to single-shot and started to fire back . 2. = back- fire 1: If engine fires back into carburetor, do a few smooth in- jections with the primer pump. back in the saddle • back on track back in the saddle—back in a position of leadership or au- thority: After having been out of office for two years, Governor Jones won the election and was back in the saddle . back on track—back to one’s normal activities: A view of the San Francisco skyline, freshly showered and sparkling, un- folded. I was back on track , both literally and figuratively. back-light • background light back-light—(Photography) illumination of the subject from behind to produce a highlight along its edge: Halo is the effect obtained in portraiture when a strong back-light is used. background light—(Photography) illumination of a set or background: One 250-watt bulb is capable of giving enough background light for a whole room. back off from something • back out of something back off from something—withdraw from smth. one has promised or agreed to do: Schultz continues to resent Syria’s backing off from a peace agreement. back out of something —1. move out of smth. backwards: He slowly backed out of the room keeping his eye on the angry dog all the time. 2. = back off from something: Buying at auction can be risky, in part because buyers can’t back out of the sale. back to basics • back to square one back to basics —returning to the previously held fundamental principles: In her quest to shape up, Rebekah shunned weight loss clinics and fad diets, instead opting for a back-to-basics approach. back to square one—returning to the starting-point of an experiment, etc. because of failure or lack of progress: He put forward this analysis of the latest development: “We are back to square one .” back to the drawing-board • back to the salt mines back to the drawing-board—dealing with the same matter again (because smth. has gone wrong): They make presenta- tions and if the proposal is rejected, it is back to the drawing board . back to the salt mines—returning to one’s work or another duty which might be hard or unpleasant: I’d better get back to the salt mines . I’ve got a lot of unfinished jobs. backbite someone • bite something back backbite someone—slander the reputation of smb. who is absent: People will backbite one another to any extent rather than not be amused. bite something back—hold back a remark one was about to make: She wanted to tell him her real feelings, but she bit the words back . backtrack on something • track back to something backtrack on something—reverse one’s position or policy, es- pecially as a result of other people’s opposition: He has back - tracked on what he told the public during his campaign. Note: The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase be back on track—return to one’s normal activities: Within a few months, she was back on track , selling to Cana- dian shops through a distributor. track back to something—follow smth. back to its source: We will need to be able to track back to key decisions, and understand why and how they were made. backwoodsman • woodsman backwoodsman —1. a settler in the uncleared forest land: It is this which gives that piquancy to the conversation of a back - woodsman . 2. is used of a rough, uneducated person: He sounded like a backwoodsman even in high hat. 3. (UK) a member of the House of Lords who rarely attends that body: This speech will encourage the backwoodsmen in the House of Lords to take strong action. woodsman —(also: woodman) a person who works or hunts in the woods: By nature he was a woodsman and spent most of his time roaming the forests in search of game. bad apple • bad egg bad apple —(coll.) a single bad person in a group (also: rotten apple): Maybe she was the bad apple of the department, so I made an appointment to meet with another woman. bad egg—(coll.) a bad or despised individual (also: rotten egg ): Billy was a bad egg and spent most of his time trying to deceive the villagers. Cf.: good egg —(coll.) a proper and decent person: Despite what most people around here think, I think George is a good egg . bad blood • fresh blood bad blood—enmity or bitterness among individuals or groups of people: He likewise said that prior to July 14, there was no bad blood between him and the victim. fresh blood —new members of a group who are likely to have new ideas: It has been nine years since the last Supreme Court vacancy, and the court is in need of fresh blood . bad boy • bad man bad boy—(also: Peck’s bad boy) 1. an unruly or mischievous child: He was not a bad boy , but he did have one problem: he refused to brush his teeth. 2. an adult person defying the ac- cepted moral or artistic conventions: Michael was the bad boy who stole Tara’s heart and eloped with her. back drop – 28 –