[ball game] , , also The entire matter at hand; the whole situation; the entire contest. * /You said we can get a second mortgage for the house?! Wow! That's a whole new ball game./
[ball of fire] , A person with great energy and ability; a person who can do something very well. * /He did poorly in school but as a salesman he is a ball of fire./ * /The new shortstop is a good fielder but certainly no ball of fire in batting./ Compare: HOT NUMBER, HOT ONE.
[balloon] See: TRIAL BALLOON, LEAD BALLOON.
[ballot stuffing] See: STUFF THE BALLOT BOX.
[ball up] , To make a mess of; confuse. * /Don't ball me up./ * /Hal balled up the business with his errors./ - Often used in the passive. * /He was so balled up that he did not know if he was coming or going./ Compare: MIXED UP.
[baloney] , Nonsense, unbelievable, trite, or trivial. * /John brags that he's won the $10 million lottery, and I think it's just a lot of baloney./ * /"Will you marry Joe?" mother asked. "Baloney," Susie answered with a disgusted look./ * /Do you still believe all that baloney about socialism excluding free enterprise? Look at China and Hungary./
[banana oil] , Flattery that is an obvious exaggeration; statements that are obviously made with an ulterior motive. * /Cut out the banana oil; flattery will get you nowhere!/
[band] See: BEAT THE BAND.
[bandbox] See: LOOK AS IF ONE HAS COME OUT OF A BANDBOX.
[band together] To join a group to exert united force. * /The inhabitants of the ecologically threatened area banded together to stop the company from building new smokestacks./
[bandwagon] See: JUMP ON THE BANDWAGON.
[bandy about] To spread rumors or whisper secrets. * /The news of Jim and Mary's divorce was bandied about until everyone at the office had heard it./
[bang up] , Very successful; very good; splendid; excellent. * /The football coach has done a bang-up job this season./ * /John did a bang-up job painting the house./ Syn.: FIRST-CLASS.
[bank] See: PIGGY BANK.
[bank on] , To depend on; put one's trust in; rely on. * /He knew he could bank on public indignation to change things, if he could once prove the dirty work./ * /The students were banking on the team to do its best in the championship game./ Syn.: COUNT ON.
[bar] See: BEHIND BARS, PARALLEL BARS.
[bargain] See: DRIVE A BARGAIN, IN THE BARGAIN or INTO THE BARGAIN.
