Showing 50 of 1,235 (page 9).
collar someone
To detain or arrest someone
“I COLLARED HIM about the missing files.”
come clean
To confess; to admit to wrongdoing
“You need to COME CLEAN”
come hell or high water
No matter what happens
“I'll be there COME HELL OR HIGH WATER”
come out of one's shell
Gain personal confidence
“She CAME OUT OF HER SHELL”
come over
To visit; to change opinion; to affect someone
“Why don't you COME OVER for dinner?”
come rain or shine
Do regularly, whatever the circumstances
“I'll be there COME RAIN OR SHINE”
come to grips with
To begin to deal with a problem
“We need to COME TO GRIPS WITH reality.”
come to light
To become known or revealed
“The truth CAME TO LIGHT”
come to terms with
Feel acceptance toward something bad that has happened
“She needs to COME TO TERMS WITH it”
come up roses
To turn out perfectly; to succeed
“Everything CAME UP ROSES”
cook someone's goose
To insure someone's defeat, to frustrate someone's plans
“That really COOKED HIS GOOSE”
cool as a cucumber
Very calm and relaxed, especially in a difficult situation
“He was COOL AS A CUCUMBER during the crisis”
cool your heels
To wait; to be kept waiting
“I had to COOL MY HEELS for an hour.”
cost an arm and a leg
To be very expensive
“That new car COST me AN ARM AND A LEG”
couch potato
A lazy person who watches a great deal of television
“He's A COUCH POTATO”
could eat a horse
Very hungry
“I'M SO HUNGRY I COULD EAT A HORSE”
count on
To rely or depend on someone
“You can always COUNT ON me”
count your blessings
To be grateful for what you have
“You should COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS”
count your chickens before they hatch
Don't assume that something will happen or be successful before it actually occurs
“Don't COUNT YOUR CHICKENS BEFORE THEY HATCH”
cover someone's back
To protect or support someone
“Thanks for COVERING MY BACK in the meeting.”
cover your tracks
To hide evidence of one's activities
“He tried to COVER HIS TRACKS”
crack a smile
To smile slightly
“She couldn't even CRACK A SMILE at my joke”
crack down
To enforce rules more strictly
“Police are CRACKING DOWN on speeding”
crack the code
To solve a problem; to figure something out
“She CRACKED THE CODE”
crack up
To laugh uncontrollably; to go crazy
“I CRACKED UP when I saw their proposal.”
cram for an exam
To study intensively right before a test
“I need to CRAM FOR THE EXAM tonight.”
crash a party
To attend a party without being invited
“They CRASHED THE PARTY”
cream of the crop
The best of a group
“These students are THE CREAM OF THE CROP”
crocodile tears
Fake or insincere sadness
“Don't be fooled by his CROCODILE TEARS”
cross that bridge when you come to it
Deal with a problem if and when it becomes necessary, not before
“We'll CROSS THAT BRIDGE WHEN WE COME TO IT”
cross your fingers
To hope for good luck
“Keep your FINGERS CROSSED for good news”
cry over spilled milk
To waste energy moaning about something that has already happened
“Don't CRY OVER SPILLED MILK”
cry over spilt milk
To complain about a loss from the past; to be upset about something that cannot be changed
“Don't CRY OVER SPILT MILK - it's done”
cry uncle
To admit defeat; to surrender
“He finally CRIED UNCLE”
cry wolf
To issue a false alarm, to ask for help when none is needed
“He CRIED WOLF too many times”
curiosity killed the cat
Being too curious or inquisitive can get you into trouble
“Don't ask too many questions - CURIOSTY KILLED THE CAT”
curry favor
To try to win someone's approval
“She's CURRYING FAVOR with the boss”
cut corners
To do something in the easiest, cheapest, or quickest way, often by ignoring rules or not doing it properly
“Don't CUT CORNERS with safety procedures”
cut it fine
To do something at the last moment
“They really CUT IT FINE”
cut it out
To stop doing something annoying
“Just CUT IT OUT with the complaining.”
cut off your nose to spite your face
To act in a proud way that ultimately damages your own cause
“Don't CUT OFF YOUR NOSE TO SPITE YOUR FACE”
cut someone some slack
Avoid treating someone strictly or severely
“CUT HIM SOME SLACK”
cut the mustard
To succeed; to come up to expectations; to be adequate enough
“He didn't CUT THE MUSTARD in the interview”
cut to the chase
To get to the point
“Let's CUT TO THE CHASE”
cut your losses
To stop doing something that's failing
“It's time to CUT YOUR LOSSES”
cutting-edge
Very novel, innovative
“It's CUTTING-EDGE technology”
dab hand
An expert or skilled person
“She's A DAB HAND at chess”
damned if you do damned if you don't
In a lose-lose situation
“I'M DAMNED IF I DO, DAMNED IF I DON'T”
damp squib
Something that fails to meet expectations
“The party was A DAMP SQUIB”
dark horse
A competitor or candidate about whom little is known but who unexpectedly wins or succeeds
“She's the DARK HORSE in this election”