bait
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bait and switch
1. A deceptive sales practice in which a store attracts customers by advertising low prices for products that are not available or are of poor quality, so that customers buy more expensive items instead. A: "Why did you buy such an expensive blender? What happened to the one that was on sale?" B: "That one is sold out and won't be available for months—the store pulled a real bait and switch." Customers seem pretty annoyed about this bait and switch. They don't want to have to spend $80 on a mop because we no longer have the $20 one we advertised. Don't pull a bait and switch like this, man. It will only alienate your customers.
2. Any deceptive practice in which the information initially presented is found to be untrue. I thought my favorite band was playing at this club tonight, but it turned out to be a bait and switch—it's just a cover band. I was supposed to bat against a lefty pitcher, and I have great stats against lefties, but then the opposing coach pulled a bait and switch and brought in a righty! Guess what, I struck out. Hey, this isn't the price we discussed last time—this is a total bait and switch!
clickbait
Online articles (especially on social media sites) that use provocative or intriguing headlines (often in combination with images) to drive traffic to the source. I wouldn't put too much faith in that article about "the one food no one should ever eat"—it's probably just clickbait. This used to be a reputable website for news about science, but now it's just full of clickbait. Do medical views on coffee and wine consumption change so frequently just to generate clickbait, or am I just totally jaded now?
crow bait
Someone or something that is near death, often an animal. That old horse can barely walk around the farm these days—he's just crow bait now. Oh gosh, that poor squirrel must have been hit by a car. He's pretty much crow bait now. When I was in that accident, I was so scared that I would end up as crow bait.
cut bait
1. To give up on something. Taken from the phrase "fish or cut bait," meaning to either work productively or else stand aside. After three years of hating medical school, Sean decided it was time to cut bait and try something different. Are you going to get back together with Chloe, or are you going to cut bait? Either way, you need to make a decision so you guys can get on with your lives. If there's a class you're doing poorly in, this is your last chance to cut bait and drop it.
2. Literally, to cut fish into small pieces to be used as bait. These days, bait is mostly processed in a factory, but I still like to cut bait myself when I'm out fishing. A: "Since when do you know how to cut bait?" B: "Grandpa showed me the last time we came out to the lake!" Once you've cut bait, then you can attach it to your fishing hook.
fish or cut bait
Either commit to doing something productive or step aside and stop wasting time. Are you going to go back to medical school or not? It's time to fish or cut bait. Either make an offer on this house or stop obsessing about it. Fish or cut bait already. A: "When his lease was up, we had to decide if we'd move in together. It was time to fish or cut bait." B: "And you broke up, so I guess you 'cut bait,' huh?"
get (one's) bait back
To make nearly enough money to offset what one has spent on some endeavor. Primarily heard in US. When you first start a business, it takes a while before you get your bait back, unfortunately. I know what you spent on this trip to Vegas. Do you honestly think you're going to get your bait back at the slot machines? I know we're not going to make a ton of sales today. Really, I just hope to get my bait back in terms of supplies.
jailbait
Someone who is attractive but younger than the legal age of consent. I'd stay away from jailbait like her unless you want to spend your future days in a cell!
not take the bait
To refuse to engage with someone in the particular manner being provoked. He's clearly egging you on so that you lose your cool and start shouting. Don't take the bait. The undercover officer changed the conversation to the recent burglary, hoping to coax a confession out of the thief, but he wouldn't take the bait.
pogey bait
slang Candy or snacks. Most commonly used in the military. You've got pogey bait? Man, give me some! It's been months since we had any pogey bait on our ship.
See also: bait
rise to the bait
To respond to someone's provoking actions or words in the way that they intended. Likened to a fish attempting to eat the bait on a hook. That's just what he wants you to do. Don't rise to the bait. The undercover officer changed the conversation to the recent burglary, hoping the thief would rise to the bait and confess. Promise John some free drinks, and he'll rise to the bait every time.
shark bait
1. slang A person swimming or surfing alone in the ocean. We sat on the beach with our drinks, watching the foolish shark bait going into the water alone for an evening swim.
2. (Hawaii slang) A very pale beachgoer, especially a tourist. (Supposedly because pale skin is attractive to sharks.) We don't hang out in this part of town too often in the summer, as it gets overwhelmed with shark bait this time of year.
3. A particularly naïve or gullible person who is an ideal target for a scam, graft, or con. He'd been in the game of scamming people for so long that he could spot shark bait from a mile away. Don't you dare wear that fanny pack out in town. We'll look like shark bait to the locals!
swallow the bait
To respond to someone's actions or words in the way that they intended. Likened to a fish attempting to eat the bait on a hook. That's just what he wants you to do. Don't swallow the bait. The undercover officer changed the conversation to the recent burglary, hoping the thief would swallow the bait and confess.
take the bait
To respond to someone's actions or words in the way that they intended. Likened to a fish attempting to eat the bait on a hook. That's just what he wants you to do. Don't take the bait. The undercover officer changed the conversation to the recent burglary, hoping the thief would take the bait and confess.
wait with bated breath
To remain in a state of eager anticipation (of or for something). I've been waiting with bated breath to hear whether I got into grad school. Fans waited with bated breath for new information about the latest installment in our favorite video game franchise.
with bated breath
Eagerly. The phrase suggests that one is breathing shallowly in anticipation of something. I've been waiting with bated breath to hear back from my first-choice school.
you need to bait the hook to catch the fish
proverb You need to take the necessary preparations in order to do something successfully. We can't bake the cake if you didn't buy eggs or vanilla extract. Come on, you need to bait the hook to catch the fish.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
bait and switch
Fig. a deceptive merchandising practice where one product is advertised at a low price to get people's attention [the bait], but pressure is applied to get the customer to purchase a more expensive item. Walter described how the store used bait and switch, since they never seemed to have in stock the bargains that they advertised. Wilbur accused the merchant of bait and switch practices and stalked out of the store.
crow bait
Rur. someone or an animal that is likely to die; a useless animal or person. That old dog used to hunt good, but now he's just crow bait.
Fish or cut bait.
Fig. Do something or get out of the way. Fish or cut bait, Chuck. There's work to be done here. Decide whether you're going to watch or help. Fish or cut bait.
jump at someone or something
to jump in the direction of someone or something. The frog jumped at me, but I dodged it. The cat jumped at the leaf as it fell from the tree.
See also: jump
jump at something
Fig. to seize the opportunity to do something. (See also leap at the opportunity (to do something).) When I heard about John's chance to go to England, I knew he'd jump at it. If something you really want to do comes your way, jump at it.
See also: jump
rise to the bait
Fig. to respond to an allurement; to fall for an enticement or fall into a trap. (Alludes to a fish coming up from deep water to seize bait.) You can get him here easily. Tell him that there will be lots of food and he will rise to the bait. He rose to the bait and did just as he was expected to do.
with bated breath
Cliché while holding one's breath. We stood there with bated breath while the man hung on the side of the bridge. They listened with bated breath for the announcement about the winner.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
bait and switch
A deceptive commercial practice in which customers are induced to visit a store by an advertised sale item and then are told that it is out of stock or that it is far inferior to some more expensive item. For example, I won't buy a car from this outfit; they're notorious for their bait and switch tactics. The verb to bait has meant to supply a hook or trap with a morsel of food so as to attract a fish or animal since about 1300; the verb to switch has meant to change, alter, or transfer from one thing to another since the 1890s. The pairing of the two, however, dates only from the 1920s, although the practice is surely much older. It is called switch-selling in Britain.
fish or cut bait
Either proceed with an activity or abandon it completely. For example, You've been putting off calling him for hours; either fish or cut bait. This expression, often uttered as an imperative, alludes to a fisherman who should either be actively trying to catch fish or cutting up bait for others to use. It was first recorded in the Congressional Record (1876), when Congressman Joseph P. Cannon called for a vote on a bill legalizing the silver dollar: "I want you gentlemen on the other side of the House to 'fish or cut bait.'" A vulgar synonym from the 1940s is shit or get off the pot.
jump at
Also, jump at the chance; jump at the bait. Take prompt advantage of, respond quickly to an opportunity. For example, When Dad said he'd help pay for my vacation, I jumped at the offer, or When the lead singer became ill, Sheila jumped at the chance to replace her, or They offered a large reward, hoping that someone would jump at the bait. [Mid-1700s]
See also: jump
rise to the bait
Be tempted by or react to an enticement, as in We told him there'd be lots of single young women at the party, and he rose to the bait . Likening a fish rising to bait to human behavior dates from the late 1500s.
with bated breath
Eagerly or anxiously, as in We waited for the announcement of the winner with bated breath. This expression literally means "holding one's breath" ( bate means "restrain"). Today it is also used somewhat ironically, indicating one is not all that eager or anxious. [Late 1500s] Also see hold one's breath, def. 2.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
bait and switch
AMERICANBait and switch is a method of attracting customers by making a good offer, but then the customer is sold something of lower quality. The live performances were not shown often, and no doubt some viewers considered it a bait and switch. The bar really sells 11 dishes for the advertised price at lunch. There's no bait and switch here.
fish or cut bait
AMERICANIf you tell someone to fish or cut bait, you mean they should stop wasting time and make a decision to do something. Morale was low after seven weeks without progress — the time had come to fish or cut bait. Note: The literal meaning behind this expression seems to be that it is time for someone to make a definite decision either to start fishing, or else to prepare the bait so that other people can fish.
rise to the bait
ortake the bait
If you rise to the bait or take the bait, you react to something that someone has said or done in exactly the way that they wanted you to react. Adrina tried to provoke me, but I refused to rise to the bait. Julia told him that she had fallen off a horse as a child and lost her confidence. Hewitt immediately took the bait, offering to teach her to ride. Note: In fly-fishing, the fish rise to the surface of the water to take the bait, and so they get caught.
with bated breath
COMMON If you wait for something with bated breath, you wait in an anxious or excited way to see what happens next. Flora and I waited with bated breath to hear what Evelyn considered sensible. They got the people in the villages interested in what was going to happen, so they were then watching with bated breath as the experiment began. Note: `Bate' is an old form of `abate', which in this context means `control' or `hold back'.
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012
with bated breath
in great suspense; very anxiously or excitedly.Baited , which is sometimes seen, is a misspelling, since bated in this sense is a shortened form of abated , the idea being that your breathing is lessened under the influence of extreme suspense.
fish or cut bait
stop vacillating and decide to act on or disengage from something. North American informalrise to the bait
react to a provocation or temptation exactly as intended.The image here is of a fish coming to the surface to take a bait or fly.
1966 Listener I should perhaps apologise for having risen to the bait of Mr Wilkinson's provocative letter.
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
with ˌbated ˈbreath
hardly able to breathe because you are very anxious about something: We watched with bated breath as the lion moved slowly towards him.fish or cut ˈbait
(American English, informal) used to tell somebody to make a decision and take the necessary action: There’s been enough discussion. It’s time for the government to fish or cut bait. Bait is the food you put on a hook to catch fish. If you cut bait, you stop fishing.
rise to the ˈbait
act or react to something in exactly the way another person wants you to: I knew he was trying to get me angry, but I didn’t rise to the bait.A fisherman uses bait to attract fish to his hook.
swallow the ˈbait
(informal) accept an offer, etc. which has been made or prepared specially by somebody in order to get you to do something: When people read the words ‘Free Gift’ on a magazine they usually swallow the bait and buy it.A fisherman uses bait to attract fish to his hook.
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
jump at
v.
1. To leap or bound toward someone or something: The security guard jumped at the attacker.
2. To take advantage of something enthusiastically, as an opportunity; respond quickly to something: We jumped at the chance to invest in the project.
3. To make a sudden verbal attack on someone; lash out at someone: The students jumped at the speaker during the lecture.
See also: jump
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs. Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Fish or cut bait
sent. Do something or get out of the way. Decide whether you’re going to watch or help. Fish or cut bait.
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
cut bait
To abandon an activity or enterprise.
fish or cut bait
Informal To proceed with an activity or abandon it altogether.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
fish or cut bait
Get on with what you’re doing or quit and give someone else a chance; stop putting it off. This metaphor, alluding to a fisherman who ties up the use of a boat or rod when he could at least be preparing bait for others to use, originated in nineteenth-century politics. It appeared in the Congressional Record in 1876, when Congressman Joseph P. Cannon, telling the Democrats to vote on a bill that would legalize the silver dollar, said, “I want you gentlemen on the other side of the House to ‘fish or cut bait.’” A ruder twentieth-century American version is shit or get off the pot.
with bated breath
Holding one’s breath back in expectation. To bate meant to restrain, but this verb is scarcely heard today except in this cliché, which itself has an archaic sound and often is used ironically. Shakespeare used it in The Merchant of Venice (1.3): “Shall I bend low, and in a bondsman’s key, With bated breath, and whispering humbleness.” A more recent colloquial locution is don’t hold your breath, meaning “don’t wait in vain.”
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer Copyright © 2013 by Christine Ammer
get your bait back
Just about recoup your expenditure. An old New England fisherman's expression for barely making expenses. Some who caught just enough fish to sell to compensate for the day's expenses was said to have gotten his bait back.
fish or cut bait
Do it or leave. The entire expression was “fish or cut bait or go ashore,” a commercial fishing industry warning that if you weren't hauling in a catch, you'd better find something more useful to do, such as cutting baitfish into pieces. And if you couldn't do that, you were just taking up space and you'd be fired. A similar expression that's still in use is the non-gender specific “pee or get off the pot” (or in slightly less genteel surroundings, “shit or get off the pot”).
Endangered Phrases by Steven D. Price Copyright © 2011 by Steven D. Price