[back and forth]{adv.} Backwards and forwards. •/The chair is rocking hack and forth./ •/The tiger is pacing hack and forth in his cage./ Compare: TO AND FRO.
[back away]{v.} To act to avoid or lessen one’s involvement in something; draw or turn back; retreat. * The townspeople backed away from the building plan when they found out how much it would cost.
[back door]{n.}, {slang}, {citizen’s band radio jargon} Rear of vehicle. •/I am watching your back door./
[back down] or [back off] {v.}, {informal} To give up a claim; not follow up a threat. •/Bill said he could beat Ted, but when Ted put up his fists Bill backed down./ •/Harry claimed Joe had taken his book, but backed down when the teacher talked with him./ Syn.: BEAT A RETREAT. Compare: BACK OUT, GIVE IN, GO BACK ON(1).
[back in circulation]{adv. phr.} 1. Socially active once again (said about people); back on the dating circuit after a divorce or a romantic breakup. •/Now that Sully is divorced from Jim she is hack in circulation./ 2. Once again available to the public (said about types of paper money, rare coins, or other commercially available goods). •/In the USA the two-dollar hill was back in circulation for a short time only in the 1950s and 1960s./
[back number]{n.} Something out of fashion, or out of date. •/Among today’s young people a waltz like "The Blue Danube" is a hack number./
[backfire]{v.} To misfire; to have a reverse effect from what was intended. •/Mimi’s gossip about the Head of the Department backfired wizen people began to mistrust her./
[backhanded compliment]{n. phr.} A remark that sounds like a compliment but is said sarcastically. •/"Not had for a girl" the coach said, offering a backhanded compliment./
[back of] or [in back of] {prep.} 1. In or at the rear of; to the back of; behind. •/The garage is hack of the house./ •/Our car was in hack of theirs at the traffic light./ 2. {informal} Being a cause or reason for; causing. •/Hard work was back of his success./ •/The principal tried to find out what was back of the trouble on the bus./ 3. {informal} In support or encouragement of; helping, clones will be elected because many powerful men are back of him. •/Get in back of your team by cheering them at the game./
[back out]{v. phr.} 1. To move backwards out of a place or enclosure. •/Bob slowly backed his car out of the garage./ 2. To withdraw from an activity one has promised to carry out. •/Jim tried to back out of the engagement with Jane, but she insisted that they get married./ Compare: BEG OFF, GO BACK ON.
[back seat] See: TAKE A BACK SEAT.
[backseat driver]{n.}, {informal} A bossy person in a car who always tells the driver what to do. •/The man who drove the car became angry with the back seat driver./
[back street]{n.} A street not near the main streets or from which it is hard to get to a main street. •/We got lost in the back streets going through the city and it took us a half hour to find our way again./ Compare: SIDE STREET.
[back talk]{n.} A sassy, impudent reply. •/Such back talk will get you nowhere, young man!/ See: TALK BACK.
[back the wrong horse]{v. phr.} To support a loser. •/In voting for George Bush, voters in 1992 were backing the wrong horse./
[back-to-back]{adv.} 1. Immediately following. •/The health clinic had back-to-back appointments for the new students during the first week of school./ 2. Very close to, as if touching. •/Sardines are always packed in the can back-to-back./ •/The bus was so full that people had to stand back-to-back./
[back to the salt mines]{informal} Back to the job; back to work; back to work that is as hard or as unpleasant as working in a salt mine would be. — An overworked phrase, used humorously. •/The lunch hour is over, boys. Back to the salt mines!/ •/"Vacation is over," said Billy. "Back to the salt mines."/
[back to the wall] or [back against the wall] {adv. phr.} In a trap, with no way to escape; in bad trouble. •/The soldiers had their backs to the wall./ •/He was in debt and could not get any help; his back was against the wall./ •/The team had their backs to the wall in the second half./ Compare: BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA, LAST DITCH, ON THE SPOT, UP AGAINST IT.
[back up]{v.} 1. To move backwards. •/The train was backing up./ 2. To help or be ready to help; stay behind to help; agree with and speak in support of. •/Jim has joined the Boy Scouts and his father is backing him up./ •/The principal backs up the faculty./ •/Jim told us what had happened and Bob backed him up./ Compare: BACK OF(3), STAND BY(4). 3. To move behind (another fielder) in order to catch the ball if he misses it. •/The shortstop backed up the second baseman on the throw./
[backward] See: BEND OVER BACKWARD or LEAN OVER BACKWARD; FALL OVER BACKWARDS or FALL OVER ONESELF.
[backward and forward] or [backwards and forwards] {adv. phr.} To the full extent; in all details; thoroughly; completely. •/He understood automobile engines backwards and forwards./ •/He knew basketball rules backwards and forwards./ •/I explained matters to him so that he understood backwards and forwards how it was./
[bacon] See: BRING HOME THE BACON.
[bad] See: GO FROM BAD TO WORSE, IN A BAD WAY, IN BAD, IN ONE’S BAD GRACES, LEAVE A BAD TASTE IN ONE’S MOUTH, NOT BAD or NOT SO BAD or NOT HALF BAD, ON ONE’S BAD SIDE, TOO BAD, WITH BAD GRACE.
[bad actor]{n.}, {informal} A person or animal that is always fighting, quarreling, or doing bad things. •/The boy was a bad actor and nobody liked him./
[bad blood]{n.}, {informal} Anger or misgivings due to bad relations in the past between individuals or groups. •/There’s a lot of bad blood between Max and Jack; I bet they’ll never talk to each other again./ Compare: BAD SHIT.
[bad egg]{n.}, {slang} A ne’er-do-well; good-for nothing; a habitual offender. •/The judge sent the bad egg to prison at last./ Contrast: GOOD EGG.