be
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be crystal clear
1. Of a thing or image, to be strikingly clear or clean. The picture on this new high-definition TV is crystal clear! The skies at the top of the mountain were just crystal clear. Wow, those photos are crystal clear! What kind of camera do you have?
2. Of information or communication, to be very easy to understand and not vague or ambiguous. A: "You have to drop this package off by 5 PM sharp, or it won't get delivered. Is that clear?" B: "Yep, it's crystal clear." A good lecturer is crystal-clear in class, but a great one makes the lessons engaging too. I want the language in these legal contracts to be crystal clear so that there is no confusion.
be on (one's) high horse
To be adopting a haughty attitude of moral superiority. My sister was a troublemaker as a teenager, yet she's always on her high horse, lecturing me about everything. The radio host has been on his high horse all week about people sponging off the government, despite the fact that he is a known tax dodger. Sam is never going to make friends here if he's always on his high horse like that.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
be
/get on (one's) high horse To be or become disdainful, superior, or conceited.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
- (all) claret would be port if it could
- (as) happy as can be
- (as) mad as hops
- (as) ready as (one) ever will be
- (as) ready as (one) will ever be
- (be) careful what you wish for(, (because) you just might get it)
- (be) with you in a minute
- (be) with you in a moment
- (I) wouldn't want to be in (someone's) shoes
- (I'd be) happy to (do something)
- (if the) truth be known
- (if the) truth be told
- (I'll be) hanged if I know!
- (I'll) be seeing ya
- (I'll) be seeing you
- (it) couldn't be helped
- (it's) (all) Greek to me
- (it's) better to be a live dog than a dead lion
- (it's) better to be late than be dead on time
- (it's) good to be here
- (it's) nice to be here
- (it's) off with (one's) head
- (just) to be safe
- (not) half the person/man/woman (one) used to be
- (not) the be-all and end-all
- (not) the be-all and end-all of (something)
- (not) the be-all, end-all
- (not) the be-all, end-all of (something)
- (off) on a sidetrack
- (one had) better be going
- (one) (had) better be off
- (one) can't be arsed
- (one) could be (someone's) (parent/grandparent)
- (one) could be forgiven for (doing something)
- (one) has got to be pushing off
- (one) has got to be shoving off
- (one) has to be pushing off
- (one) has to be shoving off
- (one) is not a mind reader
- (one) is old enough to be (someone's) (parent/grandparent)
- (one) might be forgiven for (doing something)
- (one) must be going
- (one) should be so lucky
- (one) will be forgiven for (doing something)
- (one) will be lucky
- (one) won't be (doing something) again in a hurry
- (one) would be forgiven for (doing something)
- (one) would be lucky
- (one's) goose is cooked
- (one's) head is on the block
- (one's) nerves are shot
- (someone or something) be damned
- (someone or something) is going to be the death of (one)
- (someone or something) to be reckoned with
- (someone or something) will be the death of (one)
- (someone) is/would be turning over in their grave
- (someone) will be sorry
- (something) to be had
- (something)-to-be
- (the) youth must be served
- (Well) I'll be a monkey's uncle!
- (Well,) I'll be blowed!
- (well,) I'll be danged
- (Well,) I'll be darned!
- (Well,) I'll be durned!
- (well,) I'll be hanged!
- (well,) I'll be!
- (Will there be) anything else?
- a candidate for a pair of wings
- a door must be either shut or open
- a force to be reckoned with
- a law unto
- a word (once) spoken cannot be recalled
- a/the feeling (that) (something is/will be the case)
- acknowledge (one) to be right
- acknowledge to be right
- act (one's) age
- act shoulder to shoulder
- act/be your age
- all balled up
- all ears, to be
- all in one piece
- all in, be
- all it's cracked up to be
- all over the shop
- all there
- all things to all men, to be
- all things to all people, be
- all thumbs, to be
- all wet, to be
- always be on (one's) guard
- an open book, he/she is (like an)
- and be done with it
- appearances can be deceiving
- as the case may be
- as to be (something)
- at a loss, to be
- at bay
- at loggerheads, to be
- at one
- at one's wits' end, to be
- at pains, be at
- at sea, to be/all
- at someone's feet, be
- at the receiving end
- at wits' end
- back up
- bad blood
- basic
- be
- be (a bit) on the expensive side
- be (a bit) on the heavy side
- be (a bit) on the large side
- be (a certain amount of pounds) soaking wet
- be (a fine) one to talk
- be (a little) slow on the uptake
- be (a) Jekyll and Hyde
- be (a) one for (something)
- be (a) party to (something)
- be (a) witness to (something)
- be (a)round the bend
- be (all) brothers/sisters under the skin
- be (all) choked up
- be (all) dolled up
- be (all) dressed up
- be (all) dressed up in Christmas tree-order
- be (all) dressed up like a Christmas tree
- be (all) fired up
- be (all) for (someone or something)
- be (all) het up
- be (all) lit up like a Christmas tree
- be (all) of a piece
- be (all) out of excuses
- be (all) out to (do something)
- be (all) over
- be (all) part of life's rich pageant
- be (all) part of life's rich tapestry
- be (all) sealed up
- be (all) set
- be (all) set to (do something)
- be (all) shot to hell
- be (all) skin and bone(s)
- be (all) spruced up
- be (all) the better for (something)
- be (all) tore up
- be (all) tore up about (something)
- be (all) torn up
- be (all) tuckered out
- be (all) wrought up
- be (as) alike as chalk and cheese
- be (as) big as a barn
- be (as) black as a dog's guts
- be (as) black as coal
- be (as) black as pitch
- be (as) blind as a bat
- be (as) blind as Chloe
- be (as) boring as beans
- be (as) brave as a lion
- be (as) busy as a bee
- be (as) calm as a millpond
- be (as) Canadian as maple syrup
- be (as) chirpy as a cricket
- be (as) clean as a new penny
- be (as) clean as a new pin
- be (as) clean as a whistle
- be (as) close as wax
- be (as) cold as a wagon tire
- be (as) cold as a well digger's arse
- be (as) cold as a witch's kiss
- be (as) cold as ice
- be (as) common as pig tracks
- be (as) cool as a cucumber
- be (as) crazy as a soup sandwich
- be (as) cute as a speckled pup
- be (as) dead as a dodo
- be (as) dead as a doorknob
- be (as) dead as a doornail
- be (as) dead as a herring
- be (as) dead as a kipper
- be (as) dead as a mackerel
- be (as) deaf as a doorpost
- be (as) drunk as a biled owl
- be (as) drunk as a boiled owl
- be (as) drunk as a cunt
- be (as) drunk as a fiddler
- be (as) drunk as a fiddler's bitch
- be (as) drunk as a hoot owl
- be (as) drunk as a lord
- be (as) drunk as a peach orchard sow
- be (as) drunk as a piper
- be (as) drunk as a skunk
- be (as) drunk as a sow
- be (as) drunk as a wheelbarrow
- be (as) drunk as an owl
- be (as) drunk as Chloe
- be (as) drunk as David's/Davy's sow
- be (as) dumb as a bag of hammers
- be (as) dumb as a coal bucket
- be (as) dumb as a doorknob
- be (as) dumb as a doornail
- be (as) dumb as a rock
- be (as) dumb as a sack of hammers
- be (as) dumb as an ox
- be (as) easy as ABC
- be (as) easy as cake
- be (as) easy as falling off (of) a log
- be (as) easy as one-two-three
- be (as) easy as pie
- be (as) easy as rolling off (of) a log
- be (as) empty as a pauper's purse
- be (as) English as apple pie
- be (as) fat as a house
- be (as) fertile as a turtle
- be (as) fine as a frog('s) hair
- be (as) fine as a frog('s) hair split four ways
- be (as) fine as a frog('s) hair split three ways
- be (as) fine as frog('s) hair (split four ways)
- be (as) fit as a butcher's dog
- be (as) fit as a Mallee bull
- be (as) flat as a pancake
- be (as) fresh as a daisy
- be (as) fresh as a rose
- be (as) full as a boiled owl
- be (as) gay as a lark
- be (as) gay as a picnic basket
- be (as) gay as springtime
- be (as) green as a gooseberry
- be (as) guilty as sin
- be (as) happy as a clam (at high tide)
- be (as) happy as a prince
- be (as) hard as iron
- be (as) hard as nails
- be (as) healthy as a horse
- be (as) hearty as a buck
- be (as) heavy as a dead donkey
- be (as) homely as a hedge fence
- be (as) hot as a fresh fucked fox in a forest fire
- be (as) hot as a pistol
- be (as) hot as Hades
- be (as) hot as the hinges of hell
- be (as) hungry as a hog
- be (as) innocent as the babe unborn
- be (as) innocent as the child unborn
- be (as) large as a barge
- be (as) limber as a dishrag
- be (as) loose as a goose
- be (as) mad as a bear with a sore head
- be (as) mad as a cut snake
- be (as) mad as a hatter
- be (as) mad as a meat axe
- be (as) mean as a rattlesnake
- be (as) nervous as a cat
- be (as) nutty as a fruitcake
- be (as) odious as a toad
- be (as) old as dirt
- be (as) old as the devil
- be (as) old as the hills
- be (as) old as time
- be (as) pissed as a fart
- be (as) plain as day
- be (as) plain as Dunstable highway
- be (as) plain as Dunstable road
- be (as) plain as porridge
- be (as) pleased as punch
- be (as) plenty as blackberries
- be (as) poor as Job
- be (as) pretty as a peach
- be (as) pretty as a speckled pup
- be (as) proud as punch
- be (as) pure as the driven snow
- be (as) queer as a clockwork orange
- be (as) quiet as a grave
- be (as) quiet as a mouse
- be (as) quiet as a snowflake
- be (as) rare as a four-leaf clover
- be (as) rich as Rockefeller
- be (as) right as rain
- be (as) serious as a heart attack
- be (as) sharp as cut glass
- be (as) sick as a dog
- be (as) sick as a parrot
- be (as) silent as the grave
- be (as) skinny as a beanpole
- be (as) skinny as a pole
- be (as) skinny as a rail
- be (as) skinny as a rake
- be (as) skinny as a stick
- be (as) skinny as a toothpick
- be (as) slippery as a snake
- be (as) slow as a snail
- be (as) slow as a tortoise
- be (as) slow as a turtle
- be (as) slow as molasses
- be (as) slow as molasses in January
- be (as) slow as tar
- be (as) snug as a bug in a rug
- be (as) sober as a judge
- be (as) soft as butter
- be (as) solid as a rock
- be (as) solid as the Rock of Gibraltar
- be (as) sound as a dollar
- be (as) stewed as an owl
- be (as) stiff as a board
- be (as) still as a stock
- be (as) straight as a soldier
- be (as) strong as an oak
- be (as) strong as an ox
- be (as) strong as iron
- be (as) strong as steel
- be (as) stubborn as a mule
- be (as) sturdy as an oak
- be (as) thick as a brick
- be (as) thick as a plank
- be (as) thick as a short plank
- be (as) thick as thieves
- be (as) thick as two short planks
- be (as) thin as a rail
- be (as) thin as a rake
- be (as) thin as a stick
- be (as) thin as a wafer
- be (as) tight as a boiled owl
- be (as) tight as a duck's arse
- be (as) timid as a mouse
- be (as) timid as a rabbit
- be (as) tipsy as David's sow
- be (as) toey as a Roman sandal
- be (as) tough as nails
- be (as) tough as old boots
- be (as) tough as shoe leather
- be (as) ugly as sin
- be (as) warm as life
- be (as) weak as water
- be (as) white as (the) driven snow
- be (as) white as snow
- be (as) wisht as a winnard
- be (batting) on a losing wicket
- be (batting) on a sticky wicket
- be (dead) set on (something)
- be (dead) set upon (something)
- be (down) on (one's) uppers
- be (either) feast or famine
- be (flat) on (one's) back
- be (just) a phone call away
- be (just) along for the ride
- be (just) as well
- be (just) good friends
- be (just) pulling (one's) leg
- be (just/right) up (one's) street
- be (like) a bird in a gilded cage
- be (like) night and day
- be (like) pennies from heaven
- be (like) water off a duck's back
- be (living) on another planet
- be (not) (one's) bag
- be (not) (one's) style
- be (not) a patch on
- be (not) all beer and skittles
- be (not) all fun and games
- be (not) all moonlight and roses
- be (not) as black as (someone or something) is painted
- be (not) backward in coming forward
- be (not) comme il faut
- be (not) on speaking terms
- be (not) out of the woods
- be (not) supposed to (do something)
- be (not) the end of the world
- be (not) the marrying kind
- be (not) worth diddly-squat
- be (of) no use to man or beast
- be (on) the right side of (an age)
- be (on) the wrong side of (some age)
- be (one's) (own) lookout
- be (one's) baby
- be (one's) bread and butter
- be (one's) brother's keeper
- be (one's) calling card
- be (one's) department
- be (one's) for the asking
- be (one's) for the taking
- be (one's) jam
- be (one's) last resort
- be (one's) life
- be (one's) man/woman
- be (one's) middle name
- be (one's) own man/woman/person
- be (one's) own master
- be (one's) own mistress
- be (one's) own worst enemy
- be (one's) pigeon
- be (one's) place (to do something)
- be (one's) spiritual home
- be (one's) strong point
- be (one's) time
- be (one's) type
- be (one's)/the main squeeze
- be (oneself) again
- be (only) to be expected
- be (out) in left field
- be (out) in the open
- be (out) on the piss
- be (out) on the razzle
- be (really) something
- be (right) down (one's) alley
- be (right) on the money
- be (right) under (one's) (very) nose
- be (right) up there with (someone or something)
- be (sitting) in the catbird seat
- be (sitting) on (one's) tail
- be (sitting) on top of the world
- be (some distance) out from (something or some place)
- be (some place) on the dot
- be (someone's) call
- be (someone's) funeral
- be (someone's) huckleberry
- be (someone's) strong suit
- be (something) itself
- be (something) to the good
- be (still) going strong
- be (strictly) for the birds
- be (stuck) in a rut
- be (stuck) on a treadmill
- be (the) bomb
- be (the) devil's advocate
- be (the) first out (of) the box
- be (the) first out (of) the gate
- be (the) keeper of (something)
- be (the) king of the hill
- be (the) master of (one's) own destiny
- be (the) master of (one's) own fate
- be (the) worse for wear
- be (walking) on thin ice
- be (well) on (one's) way to(ward) (something)
- be (well) on the way to(ward) (something)
- be (with)in sight
- be 100 years too early
- be a (big) yikes
- be a (fully) paid-up member of (something)
- be a (real) piece of work
- be a (something) in the making
- be a (something) through and through
- be a (something) to (one's) fingertips
- be a 10
- be a bad apple
- be a bad egg
- be a bag of cats
- be a barrel of laughs
- be a bed of nails
- be a bed of thorns
- be a big drink of water
- be a bit dicey
- be a bit much
- be a bit of a reach
- be a bit off
- be a bit steep
- be a bit/rather steep
- be a blank slate
- be a blessing in disguise
- be a box of birds
- be a breeze
- be a bump on a log
- be a bundle of laughs
- be a bundle of nerves
- be a cakewalk
- be a can of worms
- be a card
- be a card-carrying member (of something)
- be a case of (something)
- be a case of when, not if
- be a casualty of (something)
- be a catch
- be a cat's-paw
- be a change for the better
- be a chapter of accidents
- be a chip off the old block
- be a closed book
- be a clotheshorse
- be a cold fish
- be a cougar
- be a crafty devil
- be a credit to
- be a credit to (someone or something)
- be a crumb
- be a crying shame
- be a cut above
- be a dab hand
- be a dab hand at
- be a dab hand at something/at doing something
- be a dead cert
- be a dead duck
- be a dead loss
- be a dead ringer for (someone or something)
- be a devil
- be a devil!
- be a different kettle of fish
- be a dime a dozen
- be a dimwit
- be a doddle
- be a doll
- be a donkey