|
Idiom |
Definition |
Usage |
| calculated risk |
an action that may fail
but has a good chance to succeed |
Investing in that stock
is a calculated risk. |
| CALL A
SPADE A SPADE |
to speak plainly or call something by its right name, even
if it is unpleasant
Antonym: beat about/around the bush
The expression is usually used when something is described
more favorably than it deserves. Call a spade a spade is a
request for a more realistic description. The phrase dates
back to ancient Greece, where the words for “spade,” “boat,”
and “bowl” were very similar; the original translation my
have been ‘call a boat a boat.’ |
1. Some people say Ben is generous with his money, but I
call a spade a spade. He’s not generous, he’s foolish.
2. It’s polite of you to refer to them as “lively” children,
but let’s call a spade a spade. They are actually very
naughty. |
| call
it a day |
|
|
| call it quits |
finish |
She wants to
call it quits and go home. |
| call of nature |
need to go to the toilet |
He is answering the
call of nature. |
| call off |
cancel |
They had to call
off the game because of rain. |
| call on |
visit |
She was planning to
call on her friend when she got into town. |
| call on |
request participation of |
The teacher likes to
call on students sitting in the back. |
|
CALL (SOMEONE’S) BLUFF |
to challenge someone to carry out a threat or prove the
truth of a statement
This idiom is based on the literal meaning of this phrase as
used in card games such as poker. A player who is bluffing
may pretend to have a winning hand when in fact he or she
does not. To call one’s bluff in poker is to challenge one
to show his or her cards. |
1. I told my parents that I had gotten passing grades in all
my classes, but they didn’t believe me. They called my bluff
and asked to see my report card.
2. The bank robber threatened to shoot the bank guard, but
the guard called the robber’s bluff by walking up to him and
taking away his gun. |
| CALL
(SOMEONE) ON THE CARPET |
to confront or hold someone responsible for some misdeed
Synonyms: rake (someone) over the coals; chew (someone) out;
read (someone) the riot act
This phrase originates from the military, where it used to
be that only senior officers had carpet in their offices. To
be called on the carpet meant that a lower-ranking soldier
was brought into the senior’s office to be formally
reprimanded for an offense. |
1. The student tried to make the teacher think that his
report was original, but the teacher knew it wasn’t, and
called him on the carpet.
2. I got called on the carpet for being late again. |
| CALL
THE SHOTS |
to be in control or to give orders
This idiom stems from use in sports that involve aiming. For
example, in darts, the thrower might call out the exact spot
he/she expects to hit on the target. Calling the shots well
shows the player to be in control of the outcome. |
1. In this classroom, the teacher is in control. The teacher
calls the shots, not the students.
2. The lawyer tried to take control of the courtroom, but
the judge reminded him that it is the judge who calls the
shots. |
| canary
in a coal mine |
|
|
| CAN OF
WORMS, OPEN A |
a situation that contains many unexpected and unwanted
problems and consequences
Synonym: Pandora’s box, open a |
1. The company’s management thought their new policy would
increase employee productivity, but instead it opened a
whole new can of worms.
2. His situation is completely messed up; it’s a can of
worms that I’m happy not to have to deal with. |
| captain of
industry |
top corporation officer |
The company president is
a captain of industry. |
| CARRY A
TORCH (FOR SOMEONE) |
to be in love with someone, usually someone who does not
love in return
The expression suggests that love is a flame in the heart. |
1. Why don’t you find a new boyfriend? Don’t spend your life
carrying a torch for someone who doesn’t love you anymore.
2. Sara will never remarry. She will always carry a torch
for Henry. |
| carry over |
delay |
The store decided to
carry over the sale until next week. |
| carry over |
transfer |
They had to
carry over the budget deficit to next year. |
| CARRY
THE BALL |
to take on work or responsibility in order to keep a project
moving forward |
1. We need more people to help get this work done on time.
Are you going to sit there and do nothing or are you going
to help carry the ball?
2. The people in the office were sorry to see Amira leave
the company. She was such a dependable worker and you could
always count on her to carry the ball. |
| carry the day |
be successful |
The new product should
carry the day. |
| carry through |
continue |
She thought It would be
best to carry through with her plans. |
| cash
cow |
|
|
| cash or credit |
cash or credit card |
Will that be
cash or credit? |
| CAST
PEARLS BEFORE SWINE |
to offer something to someone who cannot appreciate it.
The expression originates from the Biblical Sermon on the
Mount, in which he says “Do not throw your pearls before
swine, lest they trample them under foot.” |
1. Buying our son an expensive car would be casting pearls
before swine. He would be just as happy with an old used
car.
2. Taking your young children to Europe would be like
casting pearls before swine—they are too young to appreciate
it. |
| catch some rays |
get some sunshine |
I'm going to lie on the
beach and catch some rays. |
| catch some Z's |
sleep |
I decided to
catch some Z's before going back to the college. |
| CATCH
(SOMEONE’S) EYE |
to attract someone’s visual attention |
1. I was walking past some stores when a beautiful red dress
in one of the windows caught my eye.
2. When the girls met their mother in front of the post
office, they could see her walking towards them in the
crowd, but couldn’t catch her eye. |
| CATCH
(SOMEONE’S) FANCY |
to appeal to someone
Compare to: tickle (someone’s) fancy |
1. Daniel arrived at the party not expecting to have a good
time, but he met someone there who caught his fancy and
spent the entire evening talking to her.
2. Before you decide that you don’t want anything for your
birthday, let’s go to the jewelry store. You might see
something there that catches your fancy. |
| CATCH
(SOMEONE) RED-HANDED [GET CAUGHT RED-HANDED] |
to catch someone in the act of committing some offense
Dating from the 15th century, this idiom is a reference to
the notion of killers being caught with the blood of their
victims on their hands. The meaning later expanded to being
caught in the act of any kind of wrongdoing. |
1. The little girl’s mother caught her red-handed trying to
steal cookies from the cookie jar.
2. The two men dropped the stolen goods when they heard the
police car sirens. They didn’t want to get caught
red-handed. |
| catch you later |
see you later |
Yeah, catch you
later. |
| cat
nap |
|
|
| cats
and dogs |
|
|
| CHANGE
HORSES IN MIDSTREAM |
to change plans or leaders in the middle of some action or
event
The expression connotes that trying to change horses in the
middle of a stream is not a wise thing to do—it would be
better to wait until one is on land. |
1. The president told the people that if they wanted the
country to continue to move forward, they should reelect
him. He said that to elect his opponent would be like
changing horses in midstream.
2. The chairman of the board died suddenly before he could
complete his plans for the company. The stockholders were
forced to change horses in midstream and elect someone new. |
| CHANGE
OF HEART |
a reversal of attitude |
1. Karen told her boss that she planned to leave the
company, but after the boss offered her a pay raise, she had
a change of heart and agreed to stay.
2. The girl’s parents said no at first, but then they had a
change of heart and let her go to the dance. The expression
is usually applied to an emotional attitude. |
| CHARMED
LIFE, LEAD A |
to be lucky or avoid danger |
1. That boy leads a charmed life. He always manages to avoid
getting into trouble.
2. Monica leads a charmed life—she’ll never have to work a
day in her life. |
|
CHECKERED PAST |
a personal history that includes both successes and
failures, or ethical and unethical behavior
The expression originates from the alternating black and
white (opposite colors) of a checker board. It is generally
used in a negative sense, focusing more on failures and
unethical behavior than on successes and ethical behavior. |
1. Larry has quite a checkered past, but things are getting
better. He has a new job and is saving for a new apartment.
2. The personnel director of the company refused to consider
Mr. Dupont’s application for employment because of his
checkered past. |
| check it out |
look |
Hey, check it
out. |
| check out |
look at |
We can check out
the babes at the park. |
| CHEW
(SOMEONE) OUT [GET CHEWED OUT] |
to scold someone harshly
Compare to: read (someone) the riot act; rake (someone) over
the coals; call (someone) on the carpet; give (someone) a
piece of (one’s) mind |
1. When Peggy came home three hours late, her parents were
very angry. They chewed her out and told her she was
restricted for two weeks.
2. The newspaper boy got chewed out by Mrs. James when he
ran through her flower garden. |
| CHEW
(SOMETHING) OVER |
to think slowly and carefully about something
The idiom probably originates from another expression, chew
the cud, referring to the fact that a cow chews slowly and
regurgitates its food to chew it a second time. |
1. I know the idea doesn’t seem appealing at first, but why
don’t you chew it over for a few days before you decide?
2. Janice is not sure she is going on vacation in August.
She’s chewing it over. |
| CHICKEN |
scared; frightened |
1. When the boy wouldn’t jump from the high diving board
into the pool below, his older brother called him chicken.
2. Are you too chicken to play a trick on the teacher?
Compare to: chicken out |
| CHICKEN
OUT |
to become too frightened to do something; to lose one’s
nerve
Synonyms: cold feet
Compare to: chicken |
1. The girls wanted to ask the movie star for his autograph,
but they got scared and chickened out.
2. You said you wanted to try parachuting, so we came up in
this airplane. The door is open and it’s time to jump. Don’t
chicken out now. |
| CHIP
OFF THE OLD BLOCK, A |
very much like one’s parent(s)
Synonym: spitting image
The expression probably originates from the idea that a chip
off a block of wood or stone, though smaller, has the same
characteristics as the block itself. A chip off the old
block usually refers to a likeness in character or
personality. |
1. The young man likes to do the same things his father
does. He’s a chip off the old block.
2. Now that Ralph has grown up, he and his father are as
different as night and day. But when Ralph was younger, he
was a chip off the old block. |
| CHIP ON
(ONE’S) SHOULDER |
a feeling of bitterness caused by a sense that one has been
treated unfairly
The sense of personal injustice is usually imagined. The
expression originates from the custom of placing a chip on
one’s shoulder and daring another person to knock it off as
a way of challenging someone to fight. |
1. I said good morning to Ed and he snapped back at me. He
sure has a chip on his shoulder today.
2. Carl has a chip on his shoulder because he was passed
over for promotion in favor of Maria, although he feels he
was better qualified. |
| chow down |
eat a lot |
I need to find a place
to chow down. |
| churn
out |
|
|
| |
to not say anything.
The expression suggests that one keeps one’s mouth as
tightly closed as a clamshell. |
1. The witness was ready to testify at the trial, but at the
last minute she clammed up and wouldn’t say a thing
2. The boy’s parents were sure he knew something about the
theft at school, but when they asked him about it, he
clammed up. |
| CLAM
UP |
|
|
| CLEAN
SLATE [WIPE THE SLATE CLEAN] |
a new beginning, usually achieved by removing any record of
previous bad deeds (sentence 1) or debts (sentence 2)
Synonym: turn over a new leaf
The expression originates from the idea of a slate, the
forerunner to the blackboard, which can be wiped clean to
allow for new writing. |
1. The man had done some terrible things in the past, but he
moved to a new town and changed his name. He was trying to
make a new life with a clean slate.
2. If you pay me what you owe me, you’ll have wiped the
slate clean. |
| CLEAN
(SOMEONE) OUT |
to take or steal everything someone has
This expression is sometimes used to describe stealing, but
can also be used to describe legal situations where
everything is taken. |
1. The robbers broke into the bank at night and cleaned the
place out.
2. We needed to go to the grocery store after the party. Our
guests really cleaned us out! |
| |
to resolve hidden resentment or uncover hidden thoughts
Synonym: bury the hatchet
The expression originates from the idea that when there is
smoke or fog in the air, it is difficult to see. |
1. I must have done something to offend Louise—she’s been so
unfriendly to me. I told her I wanted to clear the air, but
she just turned and walked away from me.
2. The boss called a meeting because there were lots of
rumors flying around the office. He said he wanted to clear
the air. |
| CLEAR
THE AIR |
|
|
|
CLIMB/JUMP ON THE BANDWAGON |
to join the crowd in following a popular position, cause,
activity, or fashion
The expression is often uncomplimentary. A person who is
described as climbing on the bandwagon has not joined the
crowd out of commitment, but out of peer pressure. |
1. Susan was never one to follow the trends of the times
just because everyone else did. You couldn’t accuse her of
climbing on the bandwagon.
2. The senator was a supporter of medical care for everyone
in the country long before it became a popular cause. Now,
however, everyone is jumping on the bandwagon. |
| CLIMB
THE WALLS |
to be uneasy or restless
Synonyms: go bananas |
1. Peter had been studying for more than ten hours, and he
was beginning to have trouble concentrating on his books. He
was starting to climb the walls.
2. That child’s behavior is intolerable. If I’m around him
for more than a few minutes, he has me climbing the walls. |
|
CLOSED-MINDED |
unwilling to consider new ideas
Antonym: (keep an) open mind |
1. I encourage you to try new things. Don’t be so
closed-minded!
2. Anyone who wants to make the world a better place will
eventually have to contend with closed-minded people. |
| close out |
discontinued merchandise |
The store had a
close out sale and sold everything. |
| CLOSE
SHAVE |
a narrow escape
The expression probably originates from the idea that a man
who shaves closely is narrowly escaping cutting his skin. |
1. The driver was distracted for just a moment and nearly
hit another car. He missed the other car, but it was a close
shave.
2. The spy had a close shave when she was nearly caught in
the military camp. She had to climb a tree just to stay
hidden. |
| close the books |
end a bookkeeping period |
The company will
close the books at the end of the fiscal year. |
| CLOWN
AROUND |
to act silly
Compare to: fool around; horse around; monkey around |
1. The teacher asked the students to stop being silly. She
told them to stop clowning around.
2. Jerry likes to clown around and is always playing
practical jokes on everyone. |
|
COCK-AND-BULL STORY |
a story that is too unlikely to be believed
Synonyms: song and dance; snow job
The expression originates from an English fable in which a
cock and a bull had an unbelievable conversation. |
1. You want me to believe some cock-and-bull story that
you’re late getting home because you got lost and then ran
out of gas?
2. The driver tried to explain his way out of getting a
speeding ticket by inventing a cock-and-bull story. |
| cold call |
call persons she has
never seen or met |
She had to cold
call for the entire day. |
| COLD
FEET |
too scared to do something
Synonyms: chicken out; have second thoughts |
1. Joel wanted to ask Mr. Lee for a pay raise, but when Joel
saw him, he got cold feet and just said, “Good morning.”
2. The soldier got cold feet when the pilot told him it was
time to parachute out of the airplane. |
| cold
shoulder |
|
|
| COLD
TURKEY |
abruptly; not gradually
This slang expression was originally used to describe a way
of stopping the intake of addictive drugs, and is still used
most often in reference to drugs, including cigarettes. |
1. Harry decided to stop smoking cigarettes all at once. He
decided to quit cold turkey.
2. Many doctors believe that if you want to give up using a
drug, you can’t do it gradually. You have to stop cold
turkey. |
| COME
FULL CIRCLE |
to return (figuratively) to a point where one has been
before
The expression suggests that in creating a full circle, one
returns to the starting point. |
1. Bruce practiced law in a small law firm, then taught law
at a university, then gave up teaching and is practicing law
again. He has come full circle.
2. We started with a small, two-bedroom house, but as the
family grew, so did the size of the houses we moved into
over the years. Now that the children are grown and have
left home, we’ve come full circle and are moving back into a
small house. |
| COME
HOME TO ROOST |
to return to cause trouble
The expression probably originates from the idea of a bird
leaving and then returning to its roost, the perch on which
a bird rests. It is usually used to refer to something bad
happening to someone who has demonstrated some bad behavior
in the past. |
1. If you tell a lie, you may get caught up in it and find
that it comes home to roost.
2. Dorothy is convinced that she is ill and dying because
her unhealthy lifestyle has come home to roost. |
| COME
OFF IT |
a response to a statement that cannot be believed (sentence
1) or a behavior that must be stopped (sentence 2)
The expression is always used as an expletive in the command
form. It is very informal and would normally only be used by
parents with their children, or between equals. |
1. You expect me to believe that you don’t know how that
dent in the car fender got there? Oh, come off it!
2. First you ask for juice and then change your mind and say
you want milk. I get it for you, and now you beg for water.
Come off it! |
| come on strong |
overwhelm with
excessively strong language or personality |
Salespeople usually
come on strong when trying to sell their
product. |
| COME
OUT OF (ONE’S) SHELL |
to stop being shy
The expression suggests that a person who is shy or quiet is
like a turtle that retreated into its shell. |
1. Is that Tom dancing with all the girls? He used to be so
shy and look at him now! He certainly has come out of his
shell.
2. Patty has been sitting on the couch by herself since she
arrived. Why don’t you go over and start a conversation with
her? See if you can get her to come out of her shell. |
| COME
OUT SMELLING LIKE A ROSE |
to avoid blame that one deserves; to seem innocent |
1. Larry should have gotten into trouble for what he did,
but he was lucky and came out smelling like a rose.
2. Everyone in the government is accusing everyone else of
wrongdoing and corruption. No one is going to come out of
this affair smelling like a rose. |
|
comfort zone |
|
|
| come
full circle |
|
|
| company man |
person who always works
hard |
The manager is a
company man. |
| company town |
town dominated by one
company |
This is really a
company town. |
| COOK
(SOMEONE’S) GOOSE |
to ruin someone’s plans
The expression is used when someone is about to be punished. |
1. Lynn knew that she was going to be in trouble for coming
home late again. She wouldn’t be able to talk her way out of
it this time; her goose was cooked.
2. The students had sneaked into the classroom to see if
they could find a copy of the exam, but now they could hear
the teacher coming down the hall toward the room. Their
goose was cooked. |
| COOK UP |
to invent or plan
The expression connotes scheming, but is not necessarily
negative (such as in sentence one). |
1. When Paul’s friends planned his surprise party, they had
to cook up a good excuse to get him to the restaurant
without his suspecting a thing.
2. The prison inmates cooked up a scheme to break out of
jail. |
| cool
as a cucumber |
|
|
| cool down |
calm down |
Things should
cool down in a day or two. |
| COOL
(ONE’S) HEELS |
to wait
The expression connotes some degree of annoyance and would
usually be used in informal situations. |
1. The assistant had a 3 o’clock appointment with his boss
but the boss kept him cooling his heels in the outer office
until well past 4:30.
2. I’m sorry I’m late getting home. The professor had me
cooling my heels in his office while he was on the
telephone. |
|
CORNERED |
trapped with no means of escape.
Synonym: back to the wall |
1. The dogs chased the rabbit into the barn. It was cornered
where it could not escape until the dogs’ owner called them
away
2. When the police followed the thief into the back of the
market, the thief tried to open the back door but found it
locked. The police called out to the thief, “Come out now.
There’s no way to escape. We’ve got you cornered.” |
| COST
(SOMEONE) A MINT/ AN ARM AND A LEG |
to cost a great deal of money
Compare to: pay through the nose
The expression suggests that something costs all the money
stored in a mint—a place where money is coined—or that
something costs the same value as someone’s arm and leg.
Unlike pay through the nose, these two expressions are used
for monetary payments only. |
1. I really wanted that painting, but it cost a mint, so I
decided not to buy it.
2. Sending my son to that college will cost me an arm and a
leg, but it will be worth it. |
| costs
a pretty penny |
|
|
| COUCH
POTATO |
a person who sits for long periods of time on the couch,
usually eating snack foods and watching television
The slang expression suggests that the person has acquired
the shape of a potato because of lack of exercise and eating
too much unhealthy food. |
1. My boyfriend likes to sit around watching television all
weekend. He’s a couch potato.
2. Let’s not sit around doing nothing. I don’t want to
become a couch potato. |
| cover
a lot of ground |
|
|
| crack open |
open |
Let's crack open
a bottle for his birthday. |
| crawl
out of the woodwork |
|
|
| CREAM
OF THE CROP |
the best
Synonym: first-rate Antonym: third-rate |
1. The students in this math class are the best in the
school. They are the cream of the crop.
2. That computer company never hires mediocre employees.
It’s such an outstanding company that they hire only the
cream of the crop. |
|
CROCODILE TEARS |
false, exaggerated tears
This expression comes from the ancient belief that
crocodiles cry false tears to lure their prey. |
1. I don’t believe Tommy really hurt himself when he fell. I
think he’s crying crocodile tears just to get attention.
2. The little girl started to cry but you could tell she was
watching everyone to see what kind of reaction she was
getting. They were nothing but crocodile tears. |
| CROSS
(ONE’S) FINGERS |
to hope for luck |
1. I sure hope we haven’t missed the plane. There isn’t
another one for a week. Cross your fingers.
2. We’re hoping that the operation is a success. We have our
fingers crossed. |
| crunch
time |
|
|
| CRY
OVER SPILLED MILK |
to be unhappy because of a past event that cannot be changed
Compare to: eat (one’s) heart out Whereas cry over spilled
milk is to grieve over some event that has happened and
cannot be changed, eat one’s heart out is to grieve over an
emotional situation that cannot be changed. |
1. There’s no use worrying about a test you didn’t pass. You
can’t make it up, so stop crying over spilled milk.
2. When Martin didn’t get the job he wanted so badly, his
father gave him good advice. He told him not to cry over
spilled milk and that another, equally good job would come
his way eventually. |
| CRY/SAY
UNCLE |
to admit defeat |
1. Larry and Nicholas were wrestling on the floor, and Larry
pinned Nicholas down. When Nicholas was ready to admit
defeat, he cried uncle.
2. Two children were fighting on the playground. The girl
grabbed the boy by the hair. The girl told the boy that she
wouldn’t let him go until he said uncle. “Uncle, uncle!”
cried the boy. |
| CRY
WOLF |
to raise a false alarm or exaggerate so often that one is no
longer believed
The expression originates from one of Aesop’s fables in
which a young shepherd boy falsely alerts people that a wolf
is attacking the sheep. At first, people respond to the
boy’s cries, but he cries “wolf” so many times just for fun
that eventually they stop. When the wolf really does come
and the boy cries “wolf,” no one comes to his aid. |
1. Every Friday, that man comes in to the police station and
says he thinks he has been robbed, but when we get to his
house, there is never anything missing. I think he’s just
crying wolf. You can’t believe him anymore.
2. Terry regularly lied to his mother, saying that his older
brother hit him on the head. Terry did it so frequently that
she stopped believing him and told him that one day he would
be sorry that he had cried wolf so often. |
| CUT AND
DRIED |
routine (sentence 1) or clear and unequivocal (sentence 2) |
1. The boss said that there wouldn’t be a problem with my
getting a pay raise. I was long overdue for one, so the
matter was cut and dried.
2. The case was cut and dried. It was clear to everyone that
the man was guilty of the crime, and the best he could hope
for was a short prison sentence. |
| cut back on |
reduce |
The company needs to
cut back on expenses. |
| CUT
CORNERS |
to do things poorly or incompletely in order to save money |
1. It doesn’t pay to cut corners by buying cheap tires for
your car. You’ll only have to buy new ones much sooner, and
the cheap ones may cause you to have an accident.
2. Don’t cut any corners when you write that report. Spend
as much time as you need on it and do a good job. It will be
important when the boss decides who gets the next promotion. |
| cut
from the same cloth |
|
|
| cut off |
cut off |
The telephone
conversation was cut off because of the
storm. |
| CUT OFF
(ONE’S) NOSE TO SPITE (ONE’S) FACE |
to injure oneself in the process of seeking revenge or
attempting to punish someone |
1. Sally was offended when she did not immediately receive
an invitation to the party. When she got hers the next week,
she refused to attend even though she really wanted to. She
cut off her nose to spite her face.
2. When Philip looked at the first question on the test and
knew he could not answer it, he became frustrated and
refused to go on to the next question. He failed the test
when he might have passed. He cut off his nose to spite his
face. |
| cut out |
leave |
It is late. I have to
cut out. |
| CUT
(SOMEONE) TO THE QUICK |
to hurt or wound someone deeply
The expression suggests the idea of cutting live flesh (the
quick). |
1. When Christina broke off their engagement, she hurt
George’s feelings terribly. She cut him to the quick.
2. I was very hurt when my son and daughter-in-law told me
they wouldn’t be spending Christmas with us this year. I was
cut to the quick. |
| CUT THE
MUSTARD |
to meet standards
Synonyms: make the grade; up to snuff Whereas make the grade
and up to snuff can be used to describe both people and
things, cut the mustard is only used with people. |
1. The coach accepted 50 boys who wanted to play football.
Before the regular season opened, however, he had to remove
from the team those players who couldn’t cut the mustard.
2. The captain of the ship was trying to assemble a sailing
crew. He told all the men who applied that they would have
to work long and hard hours, and that he would accept only
those who could cut the mustard. |
| cut to
the chase |
|
|
