beam (redirected from on its beam ends)

beam someone or something up (to some place)

to transport someone or something (up) to something. (Originally in the context of a Star Trek adventure, but also used jocularly.) The captain asked the first mate to beam him up. Please beam up the crew, Roger. Beam me up so I can see your penthouse suite!

See also: up

Beam me up, Scotty!

Get me out of here!; Take me away from this mess! (From the late 1960s television program StarTrek.) This place is really crazy! Beam me up, Scotty! I've heard enough! Beam me up, Scotty!

beam up

Sl. to die. (Alluding to the television program Star Trek.) Pete Dead? I didn't think he was old enough to beam up. I was so exhausted after climbing four flights that I was afraid I would beam up.

See also: up

broad in the beam 

1. Lit. [of a ship] wide at amidships. This old tub is broad in the beam and sits like a ball in the water, but I love her.

2. Fig. Inf. with wide hips or large buttocks. l am getting a little broad in the beam. It's time to go on a diet. John is just naturally broad in the beam.

See also: broad

on the beam

Fig. exactly right; thinking along the correct lines. That's the right idea. Now you're on the beam! She's not on the beam yet. Explain it to her again.

steam someone's beam

Sl. to make someone angry. Being stood up really steams my beam! Come on, don't steam your beam. Remember how hard times are now.

See also: steam

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be broad in the beam  (old-fashioned)

to have a large bottom Tess has always been rather broad in the beam, despite all those diets.

See also: broad

be off beam  (British & Australian)

to be wrong Overall the article was well-written although one or two points that she made were a little off beam. I'm afraid your calculations are way off beam.

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beam somebody/something down also beam down somebody/something

to send someone or something to earth as waves of energy A few people liked my idea, but most just looked at me as though I'd beamed down from outer space.

beam somebody/something up also beam up somebody/something

to send someone or something into space as waves of energy Mission Control beamed up pictures of the spaceship taken from the space station. The ads show aliens beaming up a cow.

Etymology: based on the literal meaning of beam (a line of light) and made popular by the TV show "Star Trek," in which people would ask to be transported by saying beam me up

See also: up