English Idioms and Idiomatic Expressions
Alphabetical List of Idioms - C, page 7
from: 'chicken feed'
to: 'chips are down'
- chicken feed
- An amount of money considered small or unimportant is called chicken feed.
"I got a job during the holidays but the pay was chicken feed."
- An amount of money considered small or unimportant is called chicken feed.
- chicken out
- If you chicken out of something, you decide not to do something because you are afraid.
"He decided to join a karate class, but chickened out at the last minute."
- If you chicken out of something, you decide not to do something because you are afraid.
- (no) spring chicken
- To say that someone is no spring chicken means that
they are quite old or well past their youth.
"How old is the owner?" "I don't know, but she's no spring chicken!"
- To say that someone is no spring chicken means that
they are quite old or well past their youth.
- chickens come home to roost
- If you say that chickens have come home to roost, you mean that
bad or embarrassing things done in the past by someone are now causing problems for that person.
"As tenants the couple were noisy and disorderly. Now they can't find a place to rent. The chickens have come home to roost!"
- If you say that chickens have come home to roost, you mean that
bad or embarrassing things done in the past by someone are now causing problems for that person.
- too many chiefs, not enough indians
- This expression refers to a situation where there are too
many people giving instructions and not enough people doing the work.
"The business wasn't successful. There were too many chiefs and not enough indians."
- This expression refers to a situation where there are too
many people giving instructions and not enough people doing the work.
- child's play
- If something is referred to as child's play, it is considered to be simple or easy to do.
"Using this new computer is child's play compared to the old one."
- If something is referred to as child's play, it is considered to be simple or easy to do.
- chill out
- When people chill out, often after a period of
heavy work or nervous tension, they do something that helps them to calm down and relax for a while.
"After a week of exams, the students needed to go and chill out."
- When people chill out, often after a period of
heavy work or nervous tension, they do something that helps them to calm down and relax for a while.
- chill wind
- If you face or feel the chill wind of something, you
are beginning to encounter the problems or trouble it causes.
"Many building companies are facing the chill wind of the recession."
- If you face or feel the chill wind of something, you
are beginning to encounter the problems or trouble it causes.
- chime in
- If you chime in, you interrupt or join a conversation,
especially to repeat or agree with something.
"As I explained to the bus driver what had happened, the other passengers chimed in and gave their version."
- If you chime in, you interrupt or join a conversation,
especially to repeat or agree with something.
- Chinese arithmetic
- If something is very complicated or difficult to understand,
it is said to be like Chinese arithmetic.
"When he tried to explain the rules of the game to me, it was like Chinese arithmetic!"
- If something is very complicated or difficult to understand,
it is said to be like Chinese arithmetic.
- Chinese whispers
- This expression refers to a process by which a message or
piece of information (especially gossip, rumours or scandalous news) is passed on
from one person to another, and changes along the way, so that the final version is often very different from the original.
- This expression refers to a process by which a message or
piece of information (especially gossip, rumours or scandalous news) is passed on
from one person to another, and changes along the way, so that the final version is often very different from the original.
- chink in someone's armour
- If someone has a chink in their armour,
they have a weakness that other people can take advantage of.
"The candidate's opponents are busy looking for chinks in his armour."
- If someone has a chink in their armour,
they have a weakness that other people can take advantage of.
- (have a) chinwag
- If you have a chinwag with someone, you have an opportunity to chat with each other.
"How about having lunch together on Friday?" "OK, good idea, we can have a good old chinwag!"
- If you have a chinwag with someone, you have an opportunity to chat with each other.
- chip on your shoulder
- If someone has achip on their shoulder, the feel resentful because they feel they are being treated unfairly,
especially because of their background, their sex or their colour.
"He's got a chip on his shoulderbecause he's from a working-class family."
- If someone has achip on their shoulder, the feel resentful because they feel they are being treated unfairly,
especially because of their background, their sex or their colour.
- chip off the old block
- A person who is a chip off the old block
resembles one of their parents in appearance, character or behaviour.
"James is a chip off the old block - he reacts the same way as his father."
- A person who is a chip off the old block
resembles one of their parents in appearance, character or behaviour.
- had one's chips
- To say that someone has had their chips
means that they have completely failed in what they set out to achieve.
"After the second round, it looked as though Watson had had his chips."
- To say that someone has had their chips
means that they have completely failed in what they set out to achieve.
- chips are down
- This expression refers to people's behavior in a
difficult or dangerous situation when action must be taken.
"It's when the chips are down that Jack is at his best."
- This expression refers to people's behavior in a
difficult or dangerous situation when action must be taken.
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