| View Blog
|
|
|
|
27 Idioms beginning with C
Click on any idiom for more information, including example sentences, notes and quizzes.
Idioms
a chip off the old block
Someone can be described as a chip off the old block if they are very similar in character to one of their parents, usually their father.
a couch potato
You can say someone's a couch potato if they're very lazy and they spend a lot of time sitting around watching TV and eating junk food.
call a spade a spade
If you call a spade a spade, you tell the truth in a straightforward and direct way, even if the truth is not pleasant.
call it a day Informal
If you call it a day, you stop doing something that's usually related to work.
can of worms Informal
If you say a situation or an issue is a can of worms, you think that getting involved in it could lead to problems.
can't see the forest for the trees
If you can't see the forest for the trees, you can't see the whole situation clearly because you're looking too closely at small details, or because you're too closely involved.
can't see the wood for the trees
If you can't see the wood for the trees, you can't see the whole situation clearly because you're looking too closely at small details, or because you're too closely involved.
carte blanche Formal
If you give someone carte blanche, you give them freedom to do whatever they want in a situation.
caught red-handed
If someone is caught red-handed, they are caught in the act of doing something wrong such as cheating or stealing.
change your tune
If you change your tune, you change your opinion about something or your attitude towards someone.
chew the fat | chew the rag
If you chew the fat, or chew the rag, you have a long, friendly chat with someone.
chickens come home to roost
If chickens are coming home to roost, someone is suffering the unpleasant consequences of their bad actions in the past.
clean as a whistle
If something is as clean as a whistle, it's extremely clean, or for a person it can mean they have a perfect record and have never done anything illegal.
come a cropper Informal
If you come a cropper, you fall over, or you make a mistake which has serious consequences for you.
come clean
If you come clean about something, you let people know about it after keeping it a secret.
come in handy Informal
You can say something might come in handy if you think it might be useful.
come to a head
You can say a situation or a problem comes to a head if it reaches a crisis point and dealing with it can no longer be avoided.
come to grips with | get to grips with
If you come to grips with something, or get to grips with something, you deal with the problems or challenges it poses.
come to your senses
If you come to your senses, you see things clearly and begin to act sensibly after a period of confusion and unwise behaviour.
come up trumps
If you come up trumps, you succeed in something that you may not have been expected to succeed in.
cook the books | cook the accounts
If someone cooks the books, or cooks the accounts, they keep inaccurate accounts for a business, usually in order to pay less tax.
cost the earth | charge the earth
If something costs the earth, or they charge the earth for it, it's very expensive.
couldn't care less Informal
You can say "I couldn't care less" when you don't care about something, or it doesn't matter to you.
cover your tracks
If you cover your tracks, you make sure no-one can find evidence of what you've done.
cross that bridge when we come to it
You can say "we'll cross that bridge when we come to it" if someone mentions a problem that might occur in the future, but you want them to think about what's happening now instead.
cut to the chase Informal
If you tell someone to cut to the chase, you want them to get straight to the main point of what they are saying.
the cream of the crop
If something or someone is in the cream of the crop, they are among the best of a class of things or people.
|
|
Posted by kasman on 2008-10-10 14:20:16 | Rating: | Views: 35
|
|
| |
|
|
| Blog Comments
|
|
|
|
Ini saya tambahkan:
CALL IT A DAY
To stop an activity for the day.
We’ve done enough work today. Let’s call it a day.
CALL IT A NIGHT
To go to bed to sleep.
I’m tired. I’m going to have to call it a night.
CALL IT EVEN
To declare debts paid.
You save my life five years ago, and I saved your life just now. Let’s call it even.
CALL IT QUITS
To conclude; to quit or stop an activity.
I think everyone is very tired right now; let’s call it quits for now. Let’s try again tomorrow.
CAN OF WORMS
A difficult problem which produces additional problems.
Max couldn’t tell Mary the truth. He knew it would open a can of worms.
CARRY ON
To continue or proceed.
I’ll be gone for a couple weeks. I’m sure you can carry on without me.
CATCH ON
To understand; to realize.
Max took a little extra time to catch on, but eventually he understood the situation.
CHANGE ONE'S MIND
To decide differently or have a different opinion than before.
I know I said that I wanted vanilla, but I changed my mind; I want chocolate.
CHEAT ON
To be sexually unfaithful to.
John asked for a divorce when he found out that Mary was cheating on him.
CLOSE BUT NO CIGAR
A narrowly missed attempt or guess.
Nice try. Close but no cigar. Guess again.
COLD TURKEY
To stop an addiction all at once, not gradually.
Max quit smoking cigarettes cold turkey.
CROSS THAT BRIDGE WHEN ONE COMES TO IT
To not deal with a situation until one is actually in the situation.
I'm not sure what we'll do if he says no. I guess we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.
CROSS THE LINE
To go too far; to violate accepted boundaries or rules.
Max really crossed the line when he ate Mary’s last donut.
CUT (SOMEBODY) SOME SLACK
To be flexible or lenient with somebody.
Cut Max some slack. He didn’t mean to be rude. He just had a very difficult day.
CUT TO THE CHASE
To get to the main point; to state something directly.
Let me cut to the chase. I quit. As of tomorrow, I no longer work here.
From: http://www.eflnet.com/idioms/idiomlist.php?firstletter= C
|
|
Posted by Gwatlan
on 2008-10-10 21:55:02
|
|
|
|
|
|
Email This to a Friend 
