IDIOMS 5

Cat nap

To have disturbed sleep // brief sleep

Cat’s paw

A person used as a tool by another

Catch 22

A particular situation in which one cannot do anything

Catch a tartar

To deal with someone or something that proves unexpectedly troublesome or powerful // To catch a dangerous person

Catch red

handed

Catch time by the forelock

Seize opportunity

Cat's whiskers

To be highly impressive

Change for the better

An improvement in the situation

Change hands

Pass from one person to another // Change of ownership

Change horses in midstream

To do something else in the course of action

Change of colours

Change from one person to another

Changed hands

Pass from one person to another // Change of ownership

Change and verse

To give exact information about something, especially something in a book // Provided minute details

Charley horse

Cramp

Chase rainbows

To pursue unrealistic goals

Cheek by jowl

Very close together

Chew someone out

To scold someone

Chew something over

Discuss or consider something at length

Chew the cud

Contemplating // to think slowly and carefully about something

Chew the fat

Gossip and make small talk // to gossip or have friendly talks

Chew the scenery

To act overly emotional

Chicken feed

Very little money

Chicken out

To decide not to do something because you are too frightened // withdrew

Chicken

hearted

Child's play

Something that is very easy to do // a very easy task

Children should be seen and not heard

Children should not speak in the presence of adults

Chill out

To calm down

Chinks in the armour

A weakness that can be taken advantage of

Chip off the old block

Reminds them of one’s father // someone similar in character or behavior to one’s father // Resembling parents

Clam up

To become silent

Clean hands

Innocent

Clear the air

To deal openly with misunderstandings to get rid of them

Cloak and dagger

An activity that involves mystery and secrecy // Like a spy

Close shave

Narrow escape from danger or disaster

Close to one’s heart

Something important to oneself

Closed the book on

Stopped working on

Cook and bull story

The evil intention // An unbelievable or absurd story

Cold comfort

Slight satisfaction

Comb through

To carefully look through

Come about

To happen

Come hell or high water

No matter what // In spite of any obstacles

Come in handy

Turn out to be useful

Come of age

To mature and develop fully

Come off

Be separated

Come rain or shine

Under any circumstances // Whatever happens // no matter what the weather is

Come to blows

Get into a fight physically

Come to grief

Have an accident // meet with disaster

Come to light

Been revealed // To be known publicly

Come to terms with something

To gradually accept a sad situation

Come to the point

To speak plainly about the real issue

Come true

To happen in the way you had hoped

Come what may

No matter what happens

Cook the books

To falsify financial records // Dishonest accounting

Cool about working

Ready to work

Cool as a cucumber

Not nervous or emotional // to be calm and composed // cool as ice

Cool it

To relax

Cool your heels

To be kept waiting // Unwillingly wait for something or someone

Cope with

Handle

Copycat

One who imitates another closely

Cordoned off

Isolated

Cost (someone) dearly

To bring one suffering

Cost an arm and a leg

Very expensive // A large amount of money

Couch potato

A lazy person // a person who watches too much television

Count one’s blessings

Be grateful for what one has

Cover up

Hide or conceal

Crack someone up

Laugh out loud // To make someone laugh

Crash and burn

To fail completely

Creature comforts

Luxuries

Cross one’s mind

To think of something // to be thought of

Cross swords

Disagree // To fight

Cross that bridge when you come to it

Deal with something only when necessary // deal with a problem when and if it arises

Cross your fingers

To hope that things will happen in the way that you want them to // To wish for good luck or success

Crux of the matter

The most important/critical point

Cry down

To depreciate

Cry for the moon

To make an impractical, unreasonable or unattainable request // To aspire to possess something beyond one’s reach

Cry in the wilderness

An unrealistic demand // An unpopular opinion // an unheeded warning

Cry over spilt milk

To complain about a loss from the past // Feeling sorry over a mistake that cannot be changed or rectified

Cup of tea

One's chosen or preferred thing // Something that pleases one

Currying favour with

Ingratiate oneself with someone through obsequious behaviour

Cut a poor figure

To put a bad impression

Cut and dried

Ready made // Already decided

Cut corners

To save money, time or effort when doing something by not including some parts // Do something perfunctorily so as to save time or money

Cut down on

Reduce

Cut from the same cloth

To be of a similar nature

Cut him off, without a shilling

Disinherited him

Cut in

Interrupt someone while they are speaking

Cut no ice with me

Had no influence on me

Cut one short

To interrupt someone

Cut short

Make shorter as if by cutting off

Cut someone some slack

To not manage someone very strictly or critically // To be more lenient with one

Cut the Gordian knot

Removed the difficulty // To perform a difficult task

Cut the mustard

To perform well // fit to succeed

Cut to the chase

To talk straight about the important aspects of something // come to the point

Dance attendance on someone

Obey or serve someone attentively and eagerly

Dance to someone's tune

Do what others want you to do

Day and night

Continuously

Dead heat

Close contest that ends in a tie

Dead in the water

No chance of succeeding or making any progress

Dead ringer

An exact duplicate

Dead set against

Disapproved