[bear with]{v.}, {formal} To have patience with; not get angrywith. •/Your little sister is sick. Try to bear with her when she cries./•/It is hard to bear with criticism./ Syn.: PUT UP WITH. Compare: CARRYONE’S CROSS.

[beat] See: HEART SKIP A BEAT, OFF THE BEATEN TRACK.

[beat about the bush] or [beat around the bush] {v. phr.},{slang} To talk about things without giving a clear answer; avoid thequestion or the point. •/He would not answer yes or no, but beat about thebush./ •/He beat about the bush for a half hour without coming to thepoint./ Compare: BESIDE THE POINT. Contrast: COME TO THE POINT.

[beat all] or [beat the Dutch] {v. phr.}, {informal} To bestrange or surprising. •/John found a box full of money buried in his garage.Doesn’t that beat all!/ •/It beats the Dutch how Tom always makes abasket./

[beat all hollow] also [beat hollow] {v. phr.}, {slang} To domuch better than; to beat very badly. •/We beat their team all hollow./•/As a speaker, he beats us all hollow./

[beat a retreat]{v. phr.} 1. To give a signal, esp. by beating a drum,to go back. •/The Redcoats' drums were beating a retreat./ 2. To run away.•/They beat a retreat when they saw that they were too few./ •/The catbeat a hasty retreat when he saw the dog coming./ Compare: BACK DOWN, FALLBACK.

[beat around the bush] See: BEAT ABOUT THE BUSH.

[beat down]{v.} 1. To crush or break the spirit of; win over; conquer.•/All their defenses were beaten down by the tanks./ 2. {informal} a.To try to get reduced; force down by discussing. •/Can we beat down theprice?/ b. To persuade or force (someone) to accept a lower price or easierpayments. •/He tried to beat us down, so we did not sell the house./ 3. Toshine brightly or hotly. •/At noon the sun beat down on our heads as wewalked home./

[beaten path]{n. phr.} The usual route or way of operating that hasbeen conventionally established, •/If we always follow the beaten path, we’llnever have the courage to try something new./

[beaten track]{n.} See: BEATEN PATH.

[beat hollow] See: BEAT ALL HOLLOW.

[beat into one’s head]{v. phr.}, {informal} To teach by tellingagain and again; repeat often; drill, also, to be cross and punish often.•/Tom is lazy and stubborn and his lessons have to be beaten into hishead./ •/I cannot beat it into his head that he should take off his hat inthe house./

[beat it]{v.}, {slang} To go away in a hurry; get out quickly.•/When he heard the crash he beat it as fast as he could./ — Often used asa command. •/The big boy said, "Beat it, kid. We don’t want you with us."/Compare: CLEAR OUT(2), LIGHT OUT, HEAD FOR THE HILLS.

[beat one to it]{v. phr.} To arrive or get ahead of another person.•/I was about to call you, John, but you have beat me to it! Thanks forcalling me./

[beat one’s brains out] or [beat one’s brains] {v. phr.},{slang} To try very hard to understand or think out something difficult;tire yourself out by thinking. •/It was too hard for him and he beat hisbrains out trying to get the answer./ •/Some students are lazy, but othersbeat their brains and succeed./

[beat one’s gums]{v. phr.}, {slang} To engage in idle talk, ormeaningless chatter; generally to talk too much. •/"Stop beating your gums,Jack," Joe cried. "I am falling asleep."/ Compare: CHEW THE FAT or CHEW THERAG, SHOOT THE BREEZE or BAT THE BREEZE or FAN THE BREEZE or SHOOT THE BULL.

[beat one’s head against a wall]{v. phr.} To struggle uselesslyagainst something that can’t be beaten or helped; not succeed after trying veryhard. •/Trying to make him change his mind is just beating your head againsta wall./

[beat the band]{adv. phr.}, {informal} At great speed; with muchnoise or commotion. — Used after "to". •/The fire engines were going downthe road to beat the band./ •/The audience cheered and stamped and clappedto beat the band./

[beat the bushes] also [beat the brush] {v. phr.}, {informal}To try very hard to find or get something. •/The mayor was beating the bushesfor funds to build the playground./ Contrast: BEAT ABOUT THE BUSH or BEATAROUND THE BUSH.

[beat the drum]{v. phr.} To attract attention in order to advertisesomething or to promote someone, such as a political candidate. •/Mrs. Smithhas been beating the drum in her town in order to get her husband electedmayor./

[beat the gun] See: JUMP THE GUN.

[beat the --- out of] or [lick the --- out of] or [whale the --- outof] {v. phr.}, {informal} To beat hard; give a bad beating to. — Used with several words after "the", as "daylights", "living daylights", "tar".•/The big kid told Charlie that he would beat the daylights out of him ifCharlie came in his yard again./

[beat the meat]{v. phr.}, {vulgar}, {avoidable} To masturbate(said primarily of men). •/"So what did you do for sex in prison for sevenyears?" Joe asked. "Well, unless you want to become gay, you can beat the meatand that’s about it," Max answered./

[beat the pants off]{v. phr.} 1. To prevail over someone in a race orcompetition. •/Jim beat the pants off George in the swimming race./ 2. Togive someone a severe physical beating. •/Jack beat the pants off the twoyoung men who were trying to hold him up in Central Park./

[beat the rap]{v. phr.} To escape the legal penalty one ought toreceive. •/In spite of the strong evidence against him, the prisoner beat therap and went free./

[beat the shit out of]{v. phr.}, {vulgar}, {avoidable} See:KNOCK THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS OUT OF.

[beat time]{v. phr.} To follow the rhythm of a piece of music bymoving one’s fingers or feet. •/Jack was beating time with his foot duringthe concert, which annoyed his neighbor./

[beat to]{v.}, {informal} To do something before someone else doesit. •/I was waiting to buy a ticket but only one ticket was left, and anotherman beat me to it./ •/We were planning to send a rocket into space but theRussians beat us to it./ Compare: GET THE JUMP ON.

[beat to the punch] or [beat to the draw] {v. phr.}, {slang} Todo something before another person has a chance to do it. •/John was going toapply for the job, but Ted beat him to the draw./ •/Lois bought the dressbefore Mary could beat her to the punch./

[beat up]{v.}, {informal} To give a hard beating to; hit hard andmuch; thrash; whip. •/When the new boy first came, he had to beat up severalneighborhood bullies before they would leave him alone./ — Used with "on" insubstandard speech. •/The tough boy said to Bill, "If you come around hereagain, I’ll beat up on you."/

[beauty sleep]{n.} A nap or rest taken to improve the appearance.•/She took her beauty sleep before the party./ •/Many famous beautiestake a beauty sleep every day./

[beaver]{n.}, {slang}, {vulgar}, {avoidable}, {citizen’sband radio jargon} A female, especially one driving along the highway andoperating a CB radio. •/I didn’t know there was a beaver aboard that eighteenwheeler./