[bear with]{v.}, {formal} To have patience with; not get angry with. •/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: CARRY ONE’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 the question or the point. •/He would not answer yes or no, but beat about the bush./ •/He beat about the bush for a half hour without coming to the point./ Compare: BESIDE THE POINT. Contrast: COME TO THE POINT.

[beat all] or [beat the Dutch] {v. phr.}, {informal} To be strange 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 a basket./

[beat all hollow] also [beat hollow] {v. phr.}, {slang} To do much 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 cat beat a hasty retreat when he saw the dog coming./ Compare: BACK DOWN, FALL BACK.

[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 the price?/ b. To persuade or force (someone) to accept a lower price or easier payments. •/He tried to beat us down, so we did not sell the house./ 3. To shine brightly or hotly. •/At noon the sun beat down on our heads as we walked home./

[beaten path]{n. phr.} The usual route or way of operating that has been conventionally established, •/If we always follow the beaten path, we’ll never 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 telling again 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 his head./ •/I cannot beat it into his head that he should take off his hat in the 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 as a 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 for calling 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 his brains out trying to get the answer./ •/Some students are lazy, but others beat their brains and succeed./

[beat one’s gums]{v. phr.}, {slang} To engage in idle talk, or meaningless chatter; generally to talk too much. •/"Stop beating your gums, Jack," Joe cried. "I am falling asleep."/ Compare: CHEW THE FAT or CHEW THE RAG, 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 uselessly against something that can’t be beaten or helped; not succeed after trying very hard. •/Trying to make him change his mind is just beating your head against a wall./

[beat the band]{adv. phr.}, {informal} At great speed; with much noise or commotion. — Used after "to". •/The fire engines were going down the road to beat the band./ •/The audience cheered and stamped and clapped to 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 bushes for funds to build the playground./ Contrast: BEAT ABOUT THE BUSH or BEAT AROUND THE BUSH.

[beat the drum]{v. phr.} To attract attention in order to advertise something or to promote someone, such as a political candidate. •/Mrs. Smith has been beating the drum in her town in order to get her husband elected mayor./

[beat the gun] See: JUMP THE GUN.

[beat the --- out of] or [lick the --- out of] or [whale the --- out of] {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 if Charlie 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 seven years?" Joe asked. "Well, unless you want to become gay, you can beat the meat and that’s about it," Max answered./

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

[beat the rap]{v. phr.} To escape the legal penalty one ought to receive. •/In spite of the strong evidence against him, the prisoner beat the rap 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 by moving one’s fingers or feet. •/Jack was beating time with his foot during the concert, which annoyed his neighbor./

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

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

[beat up]{v.}, {informal} To give a hard beating to; hit hard and much; thrash; whip. •/When the new boy first came, he had to beat up several neighborhood bullies before they would leave him alone./ — Used with "on" in substandard speech. •/The tough boy said to Bill, "If you come around here again, 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 beauties take a beauty sleep every day./

[beaver]{n.}, {slang}, {vulgar}, {avoidable}, {citizen’s band radio jargon} A female, especially one driving along the highway and operating a CB radio. •/I didn’t know there was a beaver aboard that eighteen wheeler./