Idioms C
Call off the dogs If someone calls off the dogs, they stop attacking or criticising someone
Call the shots
If you call the shots, you are in charge and tell people what to do
Call the tune The person who calls the tune makes the important decisions about something
Calm before the storm A calm time immediately before period of violent activity or argument is the calm before the storm
Can of worms If an action can create serious problems, it is opening a can of worms
Card up your sleeve If you have a card up your sleeve, you have a surprise plan or idea that you are keeping back until the time is right
Carpet bagger A carpetbagger is an opportunist without any scruples or ethics
Carrot and a stick If someone offers a carrot and stick, they offer an incentive to do something combined with the threat of punishment
Case in point Meaning an instance of something has just occurred that was previously discussed
Cast a long shadow Something or someone that casts a long shadow has considerable influence on other people or events
Cast aspersion
 If you cast an aspersion, you try to blacken someone's name and make people think badly of them
Cast doubt on If you make other people not sure about a matter, then you have cast doubt on it
Cast iron stomach A person with a cast iron stomach can eat or drink anything without any ill effects
Cast pearls before swine If you cast pearls before swine, you offer something of value to someone who doesn't appreciate it. a swine is a pig
Cast sheep's eyes If you cast sheep's eyes at at someone, you look lovingly or with longing at them
Casting vote The casting vote is a vote given to a chairman or president that is used when there is a deadlock
Castles in the air Plans that are impractical and will never work out are castles in the air
Cat among the pigeons If something or someone puts, or sets the cat among the pigeons, they create a disturbance and cause trouble
Cat got your tongue If someone asks if the cat has got your tongue, they want to know why you are not speaking when they think you should
Cat nap A short sleep is called a cat nap
Cats whiskers Something excellent is the cat's whiskers
Catch someone red handed If someone is caught red-handed, they are found doing something wrong or illegal
Caught with your hand in the cookie jar If someone is caught with his or her hand in the cookie jar, he or she is caught doing something wrong
Champ at the bit If someone is champing at the bit, they are very eager to accomplish something
Change horses mid stream If people change horses in midstream, they change plans or leaders when they are in the middle of something
Change of heart If you change the way you think or feel about something, you have a change of heart
Change track If you change tack, you use a different method for dealing with something
Change your tune If someone changes their ideas or the way they talk about them, they change their tune
Chapter and verse When you know something very well, and can quote it, you know it chapter and verse
Charity begins at home This means that family members are more important than anyone else, and should be the focus of a person's efforts
Chasing rainbows If someone chases rainbows, they try to do something that they will never achieve
Chasing your tail If you are chasing your tail, you are going round in circles trying to achieve something without a positive result
Cheap as chips If something is very inexpensive, it is as cheap as chips
Cheap at half the price If something's cheap at half the price, it's very cheap indeed
Cheap shot A cheap shot is an unprincipled criticism
Cheek by jowl
 If things or people are cheek by jowl, they are very close together
Cherry pick
If people cherry pick, they choose the things they want that are beneficial to them and leave the rest
Chew on a bone If someone is chewing on a bone, he or she is thinking about something intently
Chew the fat If you chew the fat with someone, you talk at leisure with them
Child's play If something is child's play, it is very easy and simple
Chinese whispers
Is when something is told from person to person, especially if it is gossip or scandal
Chip off the old block If someone is a chip off the old block, they closely resemble one or both of the parents in character
Chip on your shoulder

If someone has a chip on their shoulder, they are resentful about something and feel that they have been treated badly
Chop and change If things chop and change, they keep changing, often unexpectedly
Clean as a whistle If something is as clean as a whistle, it is extremely clean, spotless
Clean bill of health
 If something or someone has a clean bill of health, then there's nothing wrong
Clean break If you make a clean break, you break away completely from something
Clean hands Someone with clean hands, or who keeps their hands clean, is not involved in illegal or immoral activities
Clean sheet When someone has a clean sheet, they have got no criminal record or problems affecting their reputation
Clean slate If you start something with a clean slate, then nothing bad from your past is taken into account
Clear as a bell If something is as clear as a bell, it is very clear or easy to understand
Clear as mud If something is as clear as mud, then it is very confusing and unclear
Climb on the band wagon When people climb on the bandwagon they do something because it is popular and everyone else is doing it
Close at hand If something is close at hand, it is nearby or conveniently located
Close call
If the result of something is a close call, it is almost impossible to distinguish between the parties involved and to say who has won or whatever.  It can also mean that you very nearly have a serious accident or get into trouble
Close the door after the horse has bolted If people try to fix something after the problem has occurred, they are trying to close the stable door after the horse has bolted
Close to your heart
 If something is close to your heart, you care a lot about it
Cloth ears If you don't listen to people, they may suggest you have cloth ears
Cloud cuckoo land If someone has ideas or plans that are completely unrealistic, they are living in cloud cuckoo land
Cloud nine If you are on cloud nine, you are extremely happy
Cloud of suspicion If a cloud of suspicion hangs over an individual, it means that they are not believed or are distrusted
Cloud on the horizon
 If you think you see a problem coming it's called a cloud on the horizon
Cook a snook To make a rude gesture by putting one thumb to the nose with the fingers outstretched
Cold feet If you get cold feet about something, you lose the courage to do it
Cold fish Is a person who shows no emotion
Cold light of day
 If you see things in the cold light of day, you see them as they really are, not as you might want them to be
Cold sweat
If something brings you out in a cold sweat, it frightens you a lot
Collateral damage
 Accidental or unintended damage or casualties are collateral damage
Collecting dust If something is collecting dust, it isn't being used any more
Come clean If someone comes clean about something, they admit to deceit or wrong doing
Come hell or high water
 If someone says they'll do something come hell or high water, they mean that nothing will stop them, no matter what happens
Come out in the wash If something comes out in the wash, it won't have any permanent negative effect
Come out of your shell If someone comes out of their shell, they stop being shy and withdrawn and become more friendly and sociable
Come to grips If you come to grips with a problem or issue, you face up to it and deal with it
Come up smelling of roses If you come up smelling roses, you get a positive result, especially when things seemed to be going badly at first
Comes with the territory
 If something comes with the territory, it is part of a job or responsibility and just has to be accepted
Cook someone's goose If you cook someone's goose, you ruin their plans
Cook the books
 If people cook the books, they keep false accounts to make money illegally or avoid paying tax
Cool as a cucumber To act fine when you a actually scared or nervous
Couch potato A couch potato is an extremely idle or lazy person who chooses to spend most of their leisure time horizontal in front of the TV and eats a diet that is mainly junk food
Couldn't give two hoots If you couldn't give two hoots about something, you don't care at all about it
Count your blessings When people count their blessings, they concentrate on all the good things in their lives instead of the negative ones
Crack a nut with a sledge hammer If you use a sledgehammer to crack a nut, you apply too much force to achieve a result
Cream of the crop The cream of the crop is the best there is
Crocodile tears If someone cries crocodile tears, they pretend to be upset or affected by something
Cross a bridge when you come to it If you cross a bridge when you come to it, you deal with the problem when it arises, and not before
Cross to bear If someone has a cross to bear, they have a heavy burden of responsibility or a problem that they alone must cope with
Cry wolf
If someone cries wolf, they raise a false alarm about something
Curiosity killed the cat This is said of a person who pokes their nose into something they shouldn't
Curry favour
If people try to curry favour, they try to get people to support them
Cut above If a person is described as a cut above other people, they are better in some way
Cut and dried If something is cut and dried, then everything has already been decided about it
Cut it fine If you cut it fine, you only just manage to do something- at the very last moment
Cut the mustard If somebody or something doesn't cut the mustard, they or it fails to reach the required standard
Cut to the quick If someone's cut to the quick by something, they are very hurt and upset indeed
Cut your teeth on
 The place where you gain your early experience is where you cut your teeth
Cut no ice If something cuts no ice, it doesn't have any effect or influence
Cutting edge Something that is cutting edge is at the forefront of progress in its area
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