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[bark up the wrong tree]{v. phr.}, {informal} To choose the wrong person to deal with or the wrong course of action; mistake an aim. •/If he thinks he can fool me, he is barking up the wrong tree./ •/He is barking up the wrong tree when he blames his troubles on bad luck./ •/The police were looking for a tall thin man, but were barking up the wrong tree; the thief was short and fat./

[bark worse than one’s bite]{informal} Sound or speech more frightening or worse than your actions. •/The small dog barks savagely, but his bark is worse than his bite./ •/The boss sometimes talks roughly to the men, but they know that his bark is worse than his bite./ •/She was always scolding her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite./

[barn] See: LOCK THE BARN DOOR AFTER THE HORSE IS STOLEN.

[barrel] See: OVER A BARREL also OVER THE BARREL, SCRAPE THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL.

[barrelhead] See: CASH ON THE BARREL-HEAD.

[bar the door] See: CLOSE THE DOOR.

[base] See: FIRST BASE, GET TO FIRST BASE or REACH FIRST BASE, LOAD THE BASES or FILL THE BASES, OFF BASE, SECOND BASE, STOLEN BASE, THIRD BASE.

[base on balls]{n.} First base given to a baseball batter who is pitched four balls outside of the strike zone. •/He was a good judge of pitchers and often received bases on balls./

[basket] See: PUT ALL ONE’S EGGS IN ONE BASKET.

[basket case]{n.}, {slang}, {also informal} 1. A person who has had both arms and both legs cut off as a result of war or other misfortune. 2. A helpless person who is unable to take care of himself, as if carted around in a basket by others. •/Stop drinking, or else you’ll wind up a basket case!/

[bat] See: AT BAT, GO TO BAT FOR, RIGHT AWAY or RIGHT OFF also RIGHT OFF THE BAT.

[bat an eye] or [bat an eyelash] {v. phr.}, {informal} To show surprise, fear, or interest; show your feelings. — Used in negative sentences. •/When I told him the price of the car he never batted an eye./ •/Bill told his story without batting an eyelash, although not a word of it was true./ Compare: STRAIGHT FACE.

[bath] See: SPONGE BATH, THROW THE BABY OUT WITH THE BATH.

[bats in one’s belfry] or [bats in the belfry] {n. phr.}, {slang} Wild ideas in his mind; disordered senses; great mental confusion. •/When he talked about going to the moon he was thought to have bats in his belfry./

[bat the breeze] See: SHOOT THE BREEZE.

[batting average]{n. phr.} Degree of accomplishment (originally used as a baseball term). •/Dr. Grace has a great batting average with her heart transplant operations./

[battle] See: HALF THE BATTLE.

[battle of nerves]{n. phr.} A contest of wills during which the parties do not fight physically but try to wear each other out. •/It has been a regular battle of nerves to get the new program accepted at the local state university./ See: WAR OF NERVES.

[bawl out]{v.}, {informal} To reprove in a loud or rough voice; rebuke sharply; scold. •/The teacher bawled us out for not handing in our homework./ Compare: HAUL OVER THE COALS, LIGHT INTO, TELL A THING OR TWO.