back

at the back of your mind not consciously or specifically thought of or remembered but still part of your general awareness.

back and fill

1 go in contrary directions

2 be indecisive, temporize, vacillate. chiefly North American

☞ The expression was originally nautical: to back is to sail backwards, to fill, to sail forwards (from the notion of the wind filling the sails).

❷2003Commonweal Even as she wants to advance boldly, therefore, she is required by the evidence to back and fill, leaving the reader with a bewildering combination of affirmation and qualification.

back in the day: seeday.

a back number

1 an issue of a periodical before the current one.

2 a person whose ideas or methods are out of date and who is no longer relevant or useful.

back o' Bourke the outback. Australian informal

☞ Bourke is the name of a town in north-west New South Wales.

the back of beyond a very remote or inaccessible place.

2008Strange Horizons Naomi lives in Quebec's back of beyond with her two furry companions-one human, one canid.

back of the net: seenet.

back to basics: seebasic.

back to the drawing board used to indicate that an idea or scheme has been unsuccessful and a new one must be devised.

☞ An architectural or engineering project is at its earliest phase when it exists only as a plan on a drawing board.

2012Daily Telegraph Lawyers representing opponents of the scheme … are urging the High Court to force the government to go back to the drawing board and declare the scheme illegal.

back to square one back to the starting point, with no progress made.

☞ Square one may be a reference to a board game such as Snakes and Ladders, or may come from the notional division of a football pitch into eight numbered sections for the purpose of early radio commentaries.

back the wrong horse make a wrong or inappropriate choice.

be on (or get off) someone's back nag (or stop nagging) someone. informal

behind someone's back without a person's knowledge and in an unfair or dishonourable way.

break the back of

1 accomplish the main or hardest part of a task.

2 overwhelm or defeat.

by the back door using indirect or dishonest means to achieve an objective.

cover your back: seecover.

get someone's back up make someone annoyed or angry.

☞ This phrase developed as an allusion to the way a cat arches its back when it is angry or threatened.

get your own back: seeget.

have eyes in the back of your head: seeeye.

have someone's back support and protect someone.

2018Mel SherratHush Hush 'The Steeles won't protect you when all this goes pear-shaped'. 'Eddie has my back …. He'll look out for me because I look out for him'.

like the back of a bus: seebus.

know something like the back of your hand be entirely familiar with something.

make a rod for your own back: seerod.

mind your back: seemind.

not in my back yard: seenot.

on the back burner: seeburner.

on the back of following on from (and perhaps as a consequence of).

2002Irish Examiner After the Vatican called in the Israeli and American ambassadors for talks yesterday, and with world oil prices rising on the back of the soaring Middle East crisis, US President George Bush finally relented to mounting international pressure.

on the back of an envelope: seeenvelope.

on your back in bed recovering from an injury or illness.

pat someone on the back: seepat.

put your back into approach (a task) with vigour.

see the back of be rid of (an unwanted person or thing). British informal

the shirt off your back: seeshirt.

slap someone on the back: seeslap.

someone's back is turned someone's attention is elsewhere.

1989Orson Scott CardPrentice Alvin That prentice of yours look strong enough to dig it hisself, if he doesn't lazy off and sleep when your back is turned.

a stab in the back: seestab.

take a back seat take or be given a less important position or role. Compare with in the driver's seat (atdriver).

turn your back on

1 ignore (someone) by turning away from them.

2 reject or abandon (a person or thing that you were previously involved with).

watch your back: seewatch.

with your back to (or up against) the wall in a desperate situation.

you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours: seescratch.