bury your head in the sand
If you bury your head in the sand, you refuse to face the unpleasant reality by pretending that the situation doesn't exist.
"It's no good burying your head in the sand. We've got a problem on our hands."
bury the hatchet
When people who have had a disagreement decide to forget their quarrel and become friends again, they bury the hatchet.
"I didn't agree with my colleague's decision, but for the sake of peace, I decided to bury the hatchet."
business as usual
After an unpleasant or unexpected event, this expression means that everything is continuing in a normal way, in spite of the difficulties.
"It was business as usual at the supermarket the day after the hold-up."
business before pleasure
This expression means that it is considered preferable to finish one's work before going to relax and enjoy oneself.
"I'd love to have lunch with you but I've got a report to finish - business before pleasure I'm afraid!"
business is business
This is a way of saying that in financial and commercial matters, friendship or personal feelings should not be allowed to have any influence.
"I'll hire your brother only if he is the best candidate. I'm sorry but business is business!"
busman's holiday
A busman's holiday is when you spend your spare time or your holidays doing the same sort of activity as you do in your job.
"My husband is a chef, so for him time off with the family is often a busman's holiday!"
(as) busy as a bee
If someone is as busy as a bee they are very active and have a lot of things to do.
"Tom is as busy as a bee getting everything ready for the exhibition."
butter someone up
When you butter someone up, you flatter them or you are very nice to them, especially if you want to obtain something.
"He was so keen to get the job that he spent his time buttering up the boss."
butter wouldn't melt in (someone's) mouth
If you say that someone looks as if butter wouldn't melt in their mouth, you mean that they look completely innocent, but that they are capable of doing unpleasant things.
"The boy who stole the purse looked as if butter wouldn't melt in his mouth."
butterflies in your stomach
If you have butterflies in your stomach, you are feeling very nervous.
"At the beginning of an exam, I always have butterflies in my stomach."
buy a lemon
If buy something, especially a car, that is defective, unsatisfactory, constantly gives trouble or stops running after a short time, you buy a lemon.
"The car I bought was a real lemon. It broke down two weeks later."
buy time
If you buy time, you deliberately delay an action or event so that you will have more time to achieve something.
"The lawyer representing the defendant tried to buy time in order to find more witnesses."
"If you need to buy time on the phone, tell the other person that the reception is very poor!"
by degrees
If something happens or develops by degrees, it happens gradually or little by little as time goes by.
"By degrees their business relationship grew into friendship."
by force of habit
If you do something by force of habit, you continue to do something that you've been doing repeatedly or regularly for a long time.
"Even though I’ve retired, I still get up at 7 am by force of habit."