bait

bait and switch

1. A deceptive sales practice in which a store attracts customers by advertising low prices for products that are not available or are of poor quality, so that customers buy more expensive items instead. A: "Why did you buy such an expensive blender? What happened to the one that was on sale?" B: "That one is sold out and won't be available for months—the store pulled a real bait and switch."
2. Any deceptive practice in which the information initially presented is found to be untrue. I thought my favorite band was playing at this club tonight, but it turned out to be a bait and switch—it's just a cover band.
See also: and, bait, switch

clickbait

Online articles (especially on social media sites) that use provocative or intriguing headlines (often in combination with images) to drive traffic to the source. I wouldn't put too much faith in that article about "the one food no one should ever eat"—it's probably just clickbait.

crow bait

Someone or something that is near death, often an animal. That old horse can barely walk around the farm these days—he's just crow bait now.
See also: bait, crow

cut bait

1. To give up on something. Taken from the phrase "fish or cut bait," meaning to either work productively or else stand aside. After three years of hating medical school, Sean decided it was time to cut bait and try something different.
2. Literally, to cut fish into small pieces to be used as bait. These days, bait is mostly processed in a factory, but I still like to cut bait myself when I'm out fishing.
See also: bait, cut

fish or cut bait

Either commit to doing something productive or step aside and stop wasting time. Are you going to go back to medical school or not? It's time to fish or cut bait.
See also: bait, cut, fish

get (one's) bait back

To make nearly enough money to offset what one has spent on some endeavor. Primarily heard in US. When you first start a business, it takes a while before you get your bait back, unfortunately.
See also: back, bait, get

jailbait

Someone who is attractive but younger than the legal age of consent. I'd stay away from jailbait like her unless you want to spend your future days in a cell!

pogey bait

slang Candy or snacks. Most commonly used in the military. You've got pogey bait? Man, give me some! It's been months since we had any pogey bait on our ship.
See also: bait

rise to the bait

To respond to someone's provoking actions or words in the way that they intended. Likened to a fish attempting to eat the bait on a hook. That's just what he wants you to do. Don't rise to the bait. The undercover officer changed the conversation to the recent burglary, hoping the thief would rise to the bait and confess. Promise John some free drinks, and he'll rise to the bait every time.
See also: bait, rise

shark bait

1. slang A person swimming or surfing alone in the ocean. We sat on the beach with our drinks, watching the foolish shark bait going into the water alone for an evening swim.
2. (Hawaii slang) A very pale beachgoer, especially a tourist. (Supposedly because pale skin is attractive to sharks.) We don't hang out in this part of town too often in the summer, as it gets overwhelmed with shark bait this time of year.
3. A particularly naïve or gullible person who is an ideal target for a scam, graft, or con. He'd been in the game of scamming people for so long that he could spot shark bait from a mile away. Don't you dare wear that fanny pack out in town. We'll look like shark bait to the locals!
See also: bait, shark

swallow the bait

To respond to someone's actions or words in the way that they intended. Likened to a fish attempting to eat the bait on a hook. That's just what he wants you to do. Don't swallow the bait. The undercover officer changed the conversation to the recent burglary, hoping the thief would swallow the bait and confess.
See also: bait, swallow

take the bait

To respond to someone's actions or words in the way that they intended. Likened to a fish attempting to eat the bait on a hook. That's just what he wants you to do. Don't take the bait. The undercover officer changed the conversation to the recent burglary, hoping the thief would take the bait and confess.
See also: bait, take

with bated breath

Eagerly. The phrase suggests that one is breathing shallowly in anticipation of something. I've been waiting with bated breath to hear back from my first-choice school.
See also: breath

you need to bait the hook to catch the fish

proverb You need to take the necessary preparations in order to do something successfully. We can't bake the cake if you didn't buy eggs or vanilla extract. Come on, you need to bait the hook to catch the fish.
See also: bait, catch, fish, hook, need
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

bait and switch

Fig. a deceptive merchandising practice where one product is advertised at a low price to get people's attention [the bait], but pressure is applied to get the customer to purchase a more expensive item. Walter described how the store used bait and switch, since they never seemed to have in stock the bargains that they advertised. Wilbur accused the merchant of bait and switch practices and stalked out of the store.
See also: and, bait, switch

crow bait

Rur. someone or an animal that is likely to die; a useless animal or person. That old dog used to hunt good, but now he's just crow bait.
See also: bait, crow

Fish or cut bait.

Fig. Do something or get out of the way. Fish or cut bait, Chuck. There's work to be done here. Decide whether you're going to watch or help. Fish or cut bait.
See also: bait, cut, fish

jump at someone or something

to jump in the direction of someone or something. The frog jumped at me, but I dodged it. The cat jumped at the leaf as it fell from the tree.
See also: jump

jump at something

Fig. to seize the opportunity to do something. (See also leap at the opportunity (to do something).) When I heard about John's chance to go to England, I knew he'd jump at it. If something you really want to do comes your way, jump at it.
See also: jump

rise to the bait

Fig. to respond to an allurement; to fall for an enticement or fall into a trap. (Alludes to a fish coming up from deep water to seize bait.) You can get him here easily. Tell him that there will be lots of food and he will rise to the bait. He rose to the bait and did just as he was expected to do.
See also: bait, rise

with bated breath

Cliché while holding one's breath. We stood there with bated breath while the man hung on the side of the bridge. They listened with bated breath for the announcement about the winner.
See also: breath
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

bait and switch

A deceptive commercial practice in which customers are induced to visit a store by an advertised sale item and then are told that it is out of stock or that it is far inferior to some more expensive item. For example, I won't buy a car from this outfit; they're notorious for their bait and switch tactics. The verb to bait has meant to supply a hook or trap with a morsel of food so as to attract a fish or animal since about 1300; the verb to switch has meant to change, alter, or transfer from one thing to another since the 1890s. The pairing of the two, however, dates only from the 1920s, although the practice is surely much older. It is called switch-selling in Britain.
See also: and, bait, switch

fish or cut bait

Either proceed with an activity or abandon it completely. For example, You've been putting off calling him for hours; either fish or cut bait. This expression, often uttered as an imperative, alludes to a fisherman who should either be actively trying to catch fish or cutting up bait for others to use. It was first recorded in the Congressional Record (1876), when Congressman Joseph P. Cannon called for a vote on a bill legalizing the silver dollar: "I want you gentlemen on the other side of the House to 'fish or cut bait.'" A vulgar synonym from the 1940s is shit or get off the pot.
See also: bait, cut, fish

jump at

Also, jump at the chance; jump at the bait. Take prompt advantage of, respond quickly to an opportunity. For example, When Dad said he'd help pay for my vacation, I jumped at the offer, or When the lead singer became ill, Sheila jumped at the chance to replace her, or They offered a large reward, hoping that someone would jump at the bait. [Mid-1700s]
See also: jump

rise to the bait

Be tempted by or react to an enticement, as in We told him there'd be lots of single young women at the party, and he rose to the bait . Likening a fish rising to bait to human behavior dates from the late 1500s.
See also: bait, rise

with bated breath

Eagerly or anxiously, as in We waited for the announcement of the winner with bated breath. This expression literally means "holding one's breath" ( bate means "restrain"). Today it is also used somewhat ironically, indicating one is not all that eager or anxious. [Late 1500s] Also see hold one's breath, def. 2.
See also: breath
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

bait and switch

AMERICAN
Bait and switch is a method of attracting customers by making a good offer, but then the customer is sold something of lower quality. The live performances were not shown often, and no doubt some viewers considered it a bait and switch. The bar really sells 11 dishes for the advertised price at lunch. There's no bait and switch here.
See also: and, bait, switch

fish or cut bait

AMERICAN
If you tell someone to fish or cut bait, you mean they should stop wasting time and make a decision to do something. Morale was low after seven weeks without progress — the time had come to fish or cut bait. Note: The literal meaning behind this expression seems to be that it is time for someone to make a definite decision either to start fishing, or else to prepare the bait so that other people can fish.
See also: bait, cut, fish

rise to the bait

or

take the bait

If you rise to the bait or take the bait, you react to something that someone has said or done in exactly the way that they wanted you to react. Adrina tried to provoke me, but I refused to rise to the bait. Julia told him that she had fallen off a horse as a child and lost her confidence. Hewitt immediately took the bait, offering to teach her to ride. Note: In fly-fishing, the fish rise to the surface of the water to take the bait, and so they get caught.
See also: bait, rise

with bated breath

COMMON If you wait for something with bated breath, you wait in an anxious or excited way to see what happens next. Flora and I waited with bated breath to hear what Evelyn considered sensible. They got the people in the villages interested in what was going to happen, so they were then watching with bated breath as the experiment began. Note: `Bate' is an old form of `abate', which in this context means `control' or `hold back'.
See also: breath
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

with bated breath

in great suspense; very anxiously or excitedly.
Baited , which is sometimes seen, is a misspelling, since bated in this sense is a shortened form of abated , the idea being that your breathing is lessened under the influence of extreme suspense.
See also: breath

fish or cut bait

stop vacillating and decide to act on or disengage from something. North American informal
See also: bait, cut, fish

rise to the bait

react to a provocation or temptation exactly as intended.
The image here is of a fish coming to the surface to take a bait or fly.
1966 Listener I should perhaps apologise for having risen to the bait of Mr Wilkinson's provocative letter.
See also: bait, rise
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

with ˌbated ˈbreath

hardly able to breathe because you are very anxious about something: We watched with bated breath as the lion moved slowly towards him.
See also: breath

fish or cut ˈbait

(American English, informal) used to tell somebody to make a decision and take the necessary action: There’s been enough discussion. It’s time for the government to fish or cut bait.
Bait is the food you put on a hook to catch fish. If you cut bait, you stop fishing.
See also: bait, cut, fish

rise to the ˈbait

act or react to something in exactly the way another person wants you to: I knew he was trying to get me angry, but I didn’t rise to the bait.
A fisherman uses bait to attract fish to his hook.
See also: bait, rise

swallow the ˈbait

(informal) accept an offer, etc. which has been made or prepared specially by somebody in order to get you to do something: When people read the words ‘Free Gift’ on a magazine they usually swallow the bait and buy it.
A fisherman uses bait to attract fish to his hook.
See also: bait, swallow
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

jump at

v.
1. To leap or bound toward someone or something: The security guard jumped at the attacker.
2. To take advantage of something enthusiastically, as an opportunity; respond quickly to something: We jumped at the chance to invest in the project.
3. To make a sudden verbal attack on someone; lash out at someone: The students jumped at the speaker during the lecture.
See also: jump
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs.

Fish or cut bait

sent. Do something or get out of the way. Decide whether you’re going to watch or help. Fish or cut bait.
See also: bait, cut, fish
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions

cut bait

To abandon an activity or enterprise.
See also: bait, cut

fish or cut bait

Informal
To proceed with an activity or abandon it altogether.
See also: bait, cut, fish
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition.

fish or cut bait

Get on with what you’re doing or quit and give someone else a chance; stop putting it off. This metaphor, alluding to a fisherman who ties up the use of a boat or rod when he could at least be preparing bait for others to use, originated in nineteenth-century politics. It appeared in the Congressional Record in 1876, when Congressman Joseph P. Cannon, telling the Democrats to vote on a bill that would legalize the silver dollar, said, “I want you gentlemen on the other side of the House to ‘fish or cut bait.’” A ruder twentieth-century American version is shit or get off the pot.
See also: bait, cut, fish

with bated breath

Holding one’s breath back in expectation. To bate meant to restrain, but this verb is scarcely heard today except in this cliché, which itself has an archaic sound and often is used ironically. Shakespeare used it in The Merchant of Venice (1.3): “Shall I bend low, and in a bondsman’s key, With bated breath, and whispering humbleness.” A more recent colloquial locution is don’t hold your breath, meaning “don’t wait in vain.”
See also: breath
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer

get your bait back

Just about recoup your expenditure. An old New England fisherman's expression for barely making expenses. Some who caught just enough fish to sell to compensate for the day's expenses was said to have gotten his bait back.
See also: back, bait, get

fish or cut bait

Do it or leave. The entire expression was “fish or cut bait or go ashore,” a commercial fishing industry warning that if you weren't hauling in a catch, you'd better find something more useful to do, such as cutting baitfish into pieces. And if you couldn't do that, you were just taking up space and you'd be fired. A similar expression that's still in use is the non-gender specific “pee or get off the pot” (or in slightly less genteel surroundings, “shit or get off the pot”).
See also: bait, cut, fish
Endangered Phrases by Steven D. Price
See also:
  • bait and switch
  • call someone's bluff, to
  • bad faith
  • put a con on (one)
  • put a con on someone
  • through the back door
  • in bad faith
  • dirty work
  • fast-talk (someone) out of (something)
  • fast-talk out of
References in periodicals archive
Mix up some stinky bait, get your gear and get out and catch some channel cat.
Early summer catfish: good to catch, great to eat
"Beyond the idea that a drop-shot lets you show fish two or more different looks in one rig (depending on state regulations), the near-neutral buoyancy of a lightwire hook and bait make it easier for bluegills and other fish to inhale it."
Softbait Hacks FOR HARDWATER PANFISH
If you're planning to slow troll or move a lot with a bait dangled under a kite, bridle it through the nostrils instead of on top of the head so the bait will move easily through the water, advises Capt.
Purpose Built Bait Rigs: Different hooks in different places
Influence of trap color and food bait on the catches of Scyphophorus acupunctatus by pheromone-baited traps in tuberose crop.
Amount and bagging of the bait food affect the captures of Scyphophorus acupunctatus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) by pheromone-baited traps
The quantity of bait applied and consumed varied by 20.99 and 19.20%, respectively which means that the bait applied per night was sufficient for wild boars visiting each bait point.
Field Evaluation of Coumatetralyl for the Control of Wild Boar, Sus scrofa cristatus
Sardine bait could be considered the most attractant for the oriental wasp in the four studied locations during the carrying out of the experiments of attractiveness, but only in the first 24 hours.
Evaluation of the attractiveness of the oriental wasp Vespa orientalis L. (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) to different bait traps
We didn't blink, and eventually she dropped down and went back toward the dog-food bait on the ground.
To dream the impossible dream
Bait Al Zubair has a brilliant collection of Omani jewellery and silver accessories, and works to explain the unique differences of traditional clothing worn by Omanis in different regions.
Bait Al Zubair: A window to Omani culture and heritage
Slowly turning up the rheostat (thankfully still working after sitting in the rain) we saw the tom feeding with his front feet up on the bait. Telling Bob to take the shot, he did and the cat took off grunting to our right.
A stormy last night: with the end of the hunt drawing close and not a tom having hit the baits we started to get a bit despondent, but we kept following the adage, "if you leave the fight you have lost"
The bait was about 250 yards in the timber, and the vegetation in this area was very thick.
Brown bear bonanza: Alaska's new regulations a boon to bowhunters
Bait: Ledgered Pink Sparkle PowerBait Eggs with Magic Dust, Gold Toby.
Angling; SPORTS ROUND-UP
A percentage of each rental goes to the city and for the first week Shark Bait is donating a portion of sales to the Vero Beach Lifeguard Association (VBLA.org).
Shark Bait Umbrella and Chair Rentals Available at Vero's South Beach Park
if there's no hit (on the bait or the animal), then that's the end of the line.
Leopard the ultimate chessgame: Craig boddington
These nocturnal mollusks, Deroceras reticulatum, are such pests that in western Oregon, producers of grass seed, wheat, and other field crops spend around $3.7 million every year for around 2.9 million pounds of slug bait. The bait is often in the form of metaldehyde--either as pellets, granules, or liquid--or iron phosphate pellets.
Foraging worms guarantee slug bait failure
The Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) has announced work has begun on the Al Bait Hotel project, which will be located in the Heart of Sharjah, the city's heritage tourism development.
Work begins on $27.2m Al Bait Hotel