go to bat for someone
Meaning: To support or defend someone.
Language: English
Literally: (Already vivid in English)
Example: “Her manager went to bat for her when the promotion came up.”
Category: Daily Life
Origin: From baseball, where a substitute goes to bat in place of another player. The figurative use is American, from the early 20th century.
Equivalents in other languages
- Dutch: een lans breken — literally: to break a lance
More idioms — Daily Life
- pull the plug — To put a stop to something, especially by cutting off its support.
- clean house — To get rid of unwanted people or practices in an organization.
- kick it up a notch — To increase effort, intensity or excitement.
- under lock and key — Securely locked away.
- the truth will out — The truth cannot stay hidden forever.
- above board — Honest and open, with nothing hidden.
More English idioms
- take matters into one's own hands — To act oneself because others have failed to.
- fight fire with fire — To respond to an attack with the same methods.
- all in one's head — Imagined rather than real, or a matter of attitude.
- stink to high heaven — To smell terrible; also, to seem very dishonest.
- on a silver platter — Given to someone without any effort on their part.
- stake a claim — To declare that something is yours, or that you have a right to it.
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