[back number] Something out of fashion, or out of date. * /Among today's young people a waltz like "The Blue Danube" is a hack number./
[backfire] To misfire; to have a reverse effect from what was intended. * /Mimi's gossip about the Head of the Department backfired wizen people began to mistrust her./
[backhanded compliment] A remark that sounds like a compliment but is said sarcastically. * /"Not had for a girl" the coach said, offering a backhanded compliment./
[back of] or [in back of] 1. In or at the rear of; to the back of; behind. * /The garage is hack of the house./ * /Our car was in hack of theirs at the traffic light./ 2. Being a cause or reason for; causing. * /Hard work was back of his success./ * /The principal tried to find out what was back of the trouble on the bus./ 3. In support or encouragement of; helping, clones will be elected because many powerful men are back of him. * /Get in back of your team by cheering them at the game./
[back out] 1. To move backwards out of a place or enclosure. * /Bob slowly backed his car out of the garage./ 2. To withdraw from an activity one has promised to carry out. * /Jim tried to back out of the engagement with Jane, but she insisted that they get married./ Compare: BEG OFF, GO BACK ON.
[back seat] See: TAKE A BACK SEAT.
[backseat driver] , A bossy person in a car who always tells the driver what to do. * /The man who drove the car became angry with the back seat driver./
[back street] A street not near the main streets or from which it is hard to get to a main street. * /We got lost in the back streets going through the city and it took us a half hour to find our way again./ Compare: SIDE STREET.
[back talk] A sassy, impudent reply. * /Such back talk will get you nowhere, young man!/ See: TALK BACK.
[back the wrong horse] To support a loser. * /In voting for George Bush, voters in 1992 were backing the wrong horse./
[back-to-back] 1. Immediately following. * /The health clinic had back-to-back appointments for the new students during the first week of school./ 2. Very close to, as if touching. * /Sardines are always packed in the can back-to-back./ * /The bus was so full that people had to stand back-to-back./
[back to the salt mines] Back to the job; back to work; back to work that is as hard or as unpleasant as working in a salt mine would be. - An overworked phrase, used humorously. * /The lunch hour is over, boys. Back to the salt mines!/ * /"Vacation is over," said Billy. "Back to the salt mines."/
