battle of wills
A conflict, argument or struggle where both sides are determined to win is described as a battle of wills.
"When they separated, neither party would make concessions - it was a battle of wills."
be all things to all people
If you are all things to all people, you please or satisfy everyone.
"She's exhausted trying to be a good wife, a good mother and a good teacher, but she can't be all things to all people."
be as good as your word
If you promise to do something and then do it, you are as good as your word.
"Emily promised to help me prepare the food and she was as good as her word. I knew I could count on her!"
be in the driver’s seat
A person who is the driver’s seat is in a dominant position with authority or power to make decisions and control what happens.
"Now that Paul is in the driver’s seat, let’s hope the situation will improve."
be at the forefront
If someone is at the forefront, they hold a leading or prominent position in an important activity.
"She was at the forefront on many important social issues."
be full of beans
A person who is full of beans is lively, healthy and active.
"Charlie may be getting old but he's still full of beans."
spill the beans
If you spill the beans, you reveal a secret or talk about something private.
"Come on! Spill the beans! What did he say? "
be in the driving seat
If a person is in charge or in control of a situation, or in a position in which they are able to control what happens, it is said that they are in the driving seat.
"With a new president in the driving seat, the company hopes to improve relations with the shareholders."
be my guest
The expression 'be my guest' is used to give someone permission to do something.
"If you'd like to use the phone, be my guest."
be-all and end-all
To say that something is the be-all and end-all means that it is the ultimate or most important thing, or what matters most.
"Being selected for the Olympic Games is the be-all and end-all of her life right now."
be that as it may
The expression 'be that as it may' means that while what the speaker says may be true, it will not change the situation.
"OK. Fewer people may come because of the bad weather, but be that as it may, it's too late to cancel the show."
bear the brunt
A person who has to bear the brunt of something is the one who suffers the most when something bad or unpleasant happens.
"When things go wrong, his assistant always has to bear the brunt of his anger. "
bear fruit
If something bears fruit, it produces positive or successful results.
"After years of hard work, his research finally began to bear fruit."
bear in mind
If a person asks you to bear something in mind, they are asking you to remember it because it is important.
"You must bear in mind that the cost of living is higher in New York."
(like a) bear with a sore head
If someone is behaving like a bear with a sore head, they are very irritable and bad-tempered.
"When his team lost the match, Brad was like a bear with a sore head."
beard the lion in his den
If you visit someone important in the place where they work, in order to challenge him/her or obtain something, you beard the lion in his den.
"If he continues to refuse my calls, I'll have to beard the lion in his den."
beat one's brain out
If someone beats their brains out, they try very hard to understand something or solve a problem.
"My grandmother beats her brains out every evening trying to do the crossword puzzle in the newspaper."
(don't) beat around the bush / stop beating around the bush
The expression 'beat around the bush' is used to tell someone to say what they have to say, clearly and directly, even if it is unpleasant.
"Stop beating around the bush. Just tell me what has been decided!"
beat/flog a dead horse
To say that someone is beating a dead horse means that they are wasting time and effort trying to do or achieve something that is impossible.
"Mark is beating a dead horse trying to get his money reimbursed.
The company has gone bankrupt!"