busy as a bee • busy as a beehive busy as a bee —(of a person) full of lively activity; very busy: I don’t have time to talk to you. I am as busy as a bee . busy as a beehive—(of an office, shop, etc.) crowded with cus- tomers; bustling with activity: The firm was at once as busy as a beehive . but me no buts • there are no buts about it but me no buts—(coll.) don’t give me any of your excuses: But me no buts this time, just do what I tell you and do it at once! there are no buts about it—(coll.) there is no doubt about it: I saw you steal the money from the drawer. There are no buts about it . butcher, baker, candlestick maker • chief cook and bottle washer butcher, baker, candlestick maker —said of people with tra- ditional occupations or skills: Jean rushed to his favorite wine merchant, to his tobacconist, to his butcher, baker, candlestick maker . Note: The expression is not equivalent in meaning to the phrase doctor, lawyer, or Indian chief—whatever your profession or occupation: You can be a doctor, lawyer, or Indian chief , as the rhyme goes. But in the midst of making a living, what kind of person will you be? chief cook and bottle washer—(also: head cook and bottle washer) smb. who is in charge but who also has to attend to trivial duties; a person (specifically a spouse) who does every- thing: As a stay at home Dad, I am also the chief cook and bottle washer . butter someone up • oil someone up butter someone up—(coll.) flatter a person in order to get him to do smth.: No, I am not trying to butter up the pro- fessor who is going to grade me on this. oil someone up—1. (Austral. sl.) advise a person; give smb. reliable information: Don’t worry, I’ll oil him up on what needs to be done. 2. = butter someone up: He had been chosen be- cause of his power in the Senate. Kennedy oiled him up and convinced him he’d be even more powerful as Vice-President. Note: The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase grease someone’s palm (sl.)—pay or bribe a person for a special favor: We had to grease the palm of the waiter to get a table in the crowded restaurant. buy it • get it buy it—(sl.) 1. believe smth.: I told my new boyfriend that I am pregnant with his kid. Do you think he will buy it ? Cf.: sell it—(sl.) persuade a person to accept smth. as true: Don’t try to sell it to me as a great work of comedy. The film struck me as being very dumb. 2. die, especially suddenly or violently (also: buy the farm): By the time we could get to the hospital, he had bought it . get it—1. (often negat.) understand smth.: As for the movie, well, I don’t get it . There seems to be something profound going on here that I don’t understand. 2. (coll.) be punished: “Boy,” I said, “are you going to get it when mom sees you.” buy someone off • buy someone out buy someone off—bribe a person to persuade him do smth.: It is impossible to open a big gambling operation without buying off public officials. buy someone out—1. buy smb.’s share of property: He bor- rowed a large sum of money in order to buy out his partner. 2. buy all of smth. that a person has: He didn’t have much ice-cream, and he wouldn’t let us buy him out . 3. gain smb.’s freedom by paying money: Bill’s parents paid a lot of money to buy him out of the army. buy the farm • sell the farm buy the farm—(coll.) die, especially suddenly or violently (also: buy it): Well, I almost bought the farm last weekend. A friend was driving too aggressively and she put us into a dan- gerous situation. sell the farm —sell all one’s assetts to invest in a new venture; act rashly or overreact: The economy has been tough on every- one these days, but don’t sell the farm just yet. Cf.: who wouldn’t sell a farm and go to sea—(Nautical catch phrase) 1. used to express one’s genuine delight at being at sea: Kettle looked round at the elaborate fittings of the cabin. Lord! Who wouldn’t sell a farm and go to sea ? 2. used ironically when smth. difficult has to be done: ’Tis when that order comes on cold, blustering nights that “Jack” grimly mutters: “Who would not sell a farm and go to sea ?” Note: The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase give away the farm—negotiate poorly or make a deal that puts one at a serious disadvantage: He signed a law that gave away the farm to big drug companies while leaving sen- iors with hardly any benefits. by a fraction • to a fraction by a fraction—(also: by a hair’s breadth) by a very small de- gree or amount: Hester does not change by a fraction her in- tention to run away with Arthur. to a fraction—(also: to a hair’s breadth) with great accuracy: Escudero supposed that two hundred Mexican ounces would compensate him to a fraction . by a hair’s breadth • to a hair’s breadth by a hair’s breadth—(also: by a fraction) by a very small de- gree or amount: If I swerve by a hair’s breadth from the straight line of the most rigid respectability, I’m done for. to a hair’s breadth—(also: to a fraction) with great accuracy: You had plenty of time to put your heads together before the police arrived. I’m sure the stories would tally to a hair’s breadth . by air • over the air by air—using aircraft as a means of transport: Sending goods by air is fast but can be expensive. over the air—over the radio: Listeners will be able to “grill” leading public figures over the air . by all means • by any means by all means—certainly; without fail: You should by all means utilize the placement office at least a year before you actually start job hunting. by any means —in any way possible: We are trying to remake Vietnamese society, a task which probably cannot be accom- plished by any means . by and by • by the by by and by—soon; before long: They could see the smoke, and by and by a shell would explode in their midst. by the by—(introductory or parenthetical) in passing; inci- dentally (also: by the way): By-the-by , Martin—any message from my lady mother? by any chance • by chance by any chance—perhaps; possibly: I was wondering if by any chance you could lend me five pounds. by chance—accidentally; unpredictably: Karma is a belief that nothing happens by chance . by choice • of choice by choice—voluntary; not forced or compelled: The grasp of the church never relaxed unless freely and by choice . of choice—(of drugs, treatment, etc.) preferred; recom- busy as a bee – 62 –