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The C drawer
39 phrases beginning with C.
- Carry coals to Newcastle Supply something where it is already plentiful, making the effort needless. Newcastle refers to Newcastle upon Tyne, not another city of the same…
- Carry on like a pork chop Make an excessive fuss, behave foolishly or become noisily agitated. Very informal. The fuller synagogue version can sound culturally insensitive and…
- Cast pearls before swine Offer something valuable to people who cannot or will not appreciate it. Often sounds judgmental because it likens unappreciative people to swine. Use…
- Cast the first stone Be the first to accuse, condemn, or punish someone, especially when no accuser is blameless. Usually invokes hypocrisy or shared fallibility, not…
- Cat got your tongue? A teasing or mildly challenging question asked when someone is unexpectedly silent or unwilling to answer.
- Catawampus Askew, out of alignment, or in a confused and irregular state. Current but regional, jocular, and semantically flexible Regional use: United States…
- Caught between a rock and a hard place Facing a dilemma with no good options, stuck picking between two tough choices.
- Caught flat-footed Caught off-guard or slow, not ready.
- Caught in the act Nabbed doing something wrong, mid-move.
- Caught in the crossfire Trapped in a conflict not your own, hit by stray shots.
- Caught in the crosshairs Trapped in a tight spot or aim, pinned.
- Caught napping Caught off-guard or unprepared, dozing at the wrong moment.
- Caught on the back foot Taken by surprise or off balance, reeling.
- Caught on the hop Caught off-guard or mid-step, surprised.
- Caught red-handed To be discovered in the act of doing something wrong or illegal, with undeniable evidence of guilt, leaving no room for denial.
- Caught with chaff Fooled or nabbed by a trick, taken in.
- Caught with egg on your face Left looking foolish or publicly embarrassed because something you did, said, or predicted went wrong.
- Caught with your hand in the cookie jar Nabbed doing something sneaky or wrong, caught red-handed.
- Caught with your hand in the till Nabbed pilfering or stealing, caught cold.
- Caught with your pants down Caught unexpectedly while unprepared, exposed or in an embarrassing or compromising situation. The expression is informal.
- Chapter and verse Precise supporting authority or full, exact details about a claim or event. Can mean exact source references or, more loosely, a complete detailed…
- Charity begins at home One's first responsibility is to care for people and needs close at hand, especially family. Can defend reasonable local responsibility or excuse…
- Cheap at half the price A humorous way to call something very expensive; it is also sometimes used illogically to praise a bargain. Potentially ambiguous. Publish only with…
- Children should be seen and not heard Children are expected to remain quiet and not interrupt adults. Now usually quoted critically, humorously, or as an example of authoritarian and…
- Close, but no cigar A near success that still falls short of the goal. Current informal expression Regional use: United States, later international.
- Cock a snook Make a derisive gesture, or openly show contempt for a person or rule. Informal and defiant. The literal gesture is also known as thumbing one's nose…
- Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey Extremely cold. The headphrase contains a vulgar anatomical joke. 'Brass monkey weather' is the neutral alternative. Regional use: United Kingdom and…
- Cold feet A sudden loss of courage or confidence that makes someone hesitate or withdraw from a planned action.
- Come from away A person who is not originally from the Atlantic Canadian place being discussed. Current regional identity term; tone depends on speaker and setting…
- Come the raw prawn Attempt to deceive, impose upon or treat someone unfairly. Informal and confrontational, often used in a warning not to try a trick. Regional use…
- Copper-bottomed Completely reliable, secure or trustworthy; unlikely to fail under pressure. Informal but common in business and political language. It may describe…
- Cross that bridge when you come to it To deal with a problem only when it arises, not fretting ahead.
- Cry over spilled milk To waste time or emotion regretting something trivial or irreversible, lamenting a loss that can't be undone instead of moving on. It conjures a…
- Cry wolf To raise false alarms, calling danger too often.
- Curry favour Seek someone's approval or an advantage through calculated flattery or ingratiating behaviour. Usually disapproving. American English spells the noun…
- Cut and dried Already settled, prepared or decided, often in a routine way that allows little originality or debate. Commonly used in the negative, as in not cut…
- Cut of your jib Your characteristic appearance, manner or style, especially as the basis of a first impression. Informal and nautical in flavour. It can signal…
- Cut the mustard Meet the required standard or perform adequately. Current informal idiom Regional use: United States; now widespread.
- Cut to the chase To skip unnecessary details and get to the main point or action quickly, often reflecting impatience with preamble or fluff. It's a directive for…