English Idioms and Idiomatic Expressions
Alphabetical List of Idioms - C, page 13
from: 'cough up'
to: 'cream of the crop'
- cough up
- If you have to cough up something, such as money or
information, you give it reluctantly or unwillingly.
"He refused to say who attacked him until his father made him cough up the names."
- If you have to cough up something, such as money or
information, you give it reluctantly or unwillingly.
- count your blessings
- If you count your blessings, you focus your thoughts
on all the good things in your life rather than on the negative ones.
"Whenever anyone in the family starts to complain, my mother always advises us to count our blessings."
- If you count your blessings, you focus your thoughts
on all the good things in your life rather than on the negative ones.
- take your courage in both hands
- If you take your courage in both hands, you make
yourself do something very brave.
"When I saw the child in the burning house, I took my courage in both hands and ran inside."
- If you take your courage in both hands, you make
yourself do something very brave.
- on course
- If you are on course for something, you are likely to achieve it.
"Our team is on course for a victory in the national championship."
- If you are on course for something, you are likely to achieve it.
- cover your tracks
- If you cover your tracks, you conceal or destroy
evidence of what you have been doing or where you have been.
"Charlie was sorry he hadn't covered his tracks better when his wife discovered he had been unfaithful."
- If you cover your tracks, you conceal or destroy
evidence of what you have been doing or where you have been.
- cover (or hide) a multitude of sins
- If something covers or hides a multitude of sins,
it prevents others from seeing the less pleasant reality.
"Loose-fitting clothes can cover a multitude of sins!"
- If something covers or hides a multitude of sins,
it prevents others from seeing the less pleasant reality.
- why buy a cow when you can get milk for free?
- This refers to not paying for something that you can obtain for free.
(Sometimes refers to a decision not to marry when you can have the benefits of marriage without any commitment.)
"Rent is high so Bobby is still living with his parents.
He says : why buy a cow when you can get milk for free?"
- This refers to not paying for something that you can obtain for free.
- till the cows come home
- To say that a person could do something till the cows
come home means that they could do it for a
long time.
"You can ask me till the cows come home but I'm not buying you a scooter!"
- To say that a person could do something till the cows
come home means that they could do it for a
long time.
- crack down on something
- If the authorities crack down on something, they
enforce the law by taking severe measures to restrict undesirable or criminal actions.
"To reduce road accidents, it was decided to crack down on speeding."
- If the authorities crack down on something, they
enforce the law by taking severe measures to restrict undesirable or criminal actions.
- crack the whip
- If you crack the whip, you use your authority to
make someone obey you or work more efficiently, usually by threatening them.
"Every so often I'll crack the whip to make sure we meet the deadline."
- If you crack the whip, you use your authority to
make someone obey you or work more efficiently, usually by threatening them.
- cramp someone's style
- If you cramp someone's style you do something to
prevent them from behaving freely, or performing to the best of their ability.
"I can't paint with people watching me - it cramps my style!"
- If you cramp someone's style you do something to
prevent them from behaving freely, or performing to the best of their ability.
- crank into gear
- When a person or activity cranks (or gets) into gear, they
start to work or become effective.
"Immediately after the announcement, a group of protesters cranked into gear."
- When a person or activity cranks (or gets) into gear, they
start to work or become effective.
- (a) crash course
- If you do a crash course, you do an intensive
training course in order to obtain quick results.
"Before going to Tokyo, Paul did a crash course in Japanese."
- If you do a crash course, you do an intensive
training course in order to obtain quick results.
- cream of the crop
- This expression refers to the best people or things in a particular group.
"As usual, the cream of the crop of this year's graduates were offered the best jobs."
- This expression refers to the best people or things in a particular group.
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