American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms

hand. In addition to the idiom beginning with CONVERSATION, also see MAKE

CONVERSATION.

conversation piece

An unusual object that arouses comment or interest, as in That bust of Aunt Nettie is ugly but it's an excellent conversation piece. In the early 1700s this same term was used for a particular kind of painting that represented a group, often a family, arranged as though they were conversing with one another. Later in the century the term was extended to any object that stimulates conversation.

conviction

hand. see COURAGE OF ONE'S CONVICTIONS.

cook

hand. In addition to the idioms beginning with COOK, also see CHIEF COOK AND

BOTTLEWASHER; SHORT ORDER (COOK); TOO MANY COOKS SPOIL THE BROTH; WHAT'S COOKING.

cookie

hand. see HAND IN THE TILL (COOKIE JAR); THAT'S HOW THE BALL BOUNCES (COOKIE CRUMBLES); TOSS ONE'S COOKIES.

cook someone's goose

Ruin someone, upset someone's plans. For example, He thinks he'll get away with stealing my idea, but I'm going to cook his goose. The origin of this phrase has been lost, but there are numerous fanciful theories; one concerns a besieged town that displayed a goose to show it had enough food, causing the attackers to set it on fire. The first recorded use of this colloquial phrase was in 1851.

cook the books

Falsify a company's financial records, as in An independent audit showed that they've been cooking the books for years. This slangy phrase was first recorded in 1636.

cook up

Fabricate, concoct, as in She's always cooking up some excuse. [Colloquial; mid-1700s]

cook with gas Also, cook on the front burner. Do very well, make rapid progress. For example,

The first half is finished already? Now you're cooking with gas, or Two promotions in two years?

she's really cooking on the front burner! The first of these metaphoric phrases alludes to gas stoves, which began to replace slower wood-burning stoves about 1915. The variant, which alludes to something on a stove's front burner receiving more attention, is heard less often today. [Slang; 1940s] Also see BACK BURNER.

cool

hand. In addition to the idioms beginning with COOL, also see KEEP COOL; KEEP

ONE'S COOL; PLAY IT COOL.

cool as a cucumber

Calm and composed, self-possessed, as in Despite the mishap Margaret was cool as a cucumber.

This idiom may be based on the fact that in hot weather the inside of cucumbers remains cooler than the air.

[c. 1600] For a synonym, see COOL, CALM, AND COLLECTED.

cool, calm, and collected

Calm and composed, self-possessed. For example, No matter what the board decides, you have to appear cool, calm, and collected in front of the stockholders. This alliterative synonym for COOL

AS A CUCUMBER dates from the late 1800s.

cool down Also, cool off. 1. Effect a lower temperature, especially of the body following vigorous exercise. For example, After a race the coach makes the entire team do stretches to cool down, or

A.D. 1000 with reference to the weather or cooking (as in First let the eggs cool off). The first gained renewed currency with the exercise boom of the late 1900s. 2. See COOL OFF, def. 2.

cool it

1.Calm down, relax, as in John was beginning to seethe, but I told him to cool it. [Slang; c. 1950]

2.Stop what one is doing, especially stop talking or behaving conspicuously, as in We'd be wise to cool it until the scandal blows over. It is also used as an imperative, as in Cool it! We'll be in trouble if anyone hears you. [Slang; c. 1950]

cool off

COOL DOWN. 2. Also, cool down or out. Calm down, become less ardent, angry, or agitated, as in We can't discuss it until you've cooled off. The verb cool alone has been used in this sense since approximately A.D. 1000; off and down were added in the late 1800s, and Davy Crockett's Almanac (1836) had: "Resting a while, just long enough to cool out a little." 3. Also, cool out. Kill someone, as in They threatened to cool off his brother. [Slang; first half of 1800s] Also see COOL OUT, def. 2.

cool one's heels

Wait or be kept waiting, as in I've been cooling my heels in the doctor's waiting room for at least an hour. This term originally meant to cool one's feet when they become hot from walking, and began to be used ironically for being forced to rest (or wait) in the early 1600s.

cool out

hand. see COOL OFF, def. 2 and 3.

coon's age Also, a dog's age. A very long time, as in I haven't seen Sam in a coon's age, or It's been a dog's age since I went to the ballpark. The first phrase rests on the mistaken idea that raccoons ("coons") live a long time. The variant may reflect a similar assumption but the true origin is not known. [c. 1835] Also see DONKEY'S YEARS.

coop

hand. see FLY THE COOP.

cop a feel

Surreptitiously fondle someone in a sexual manner. For example, The female clerks complained that Mr. Hardy was always trying to cop a feel. This term uses the verb cop in the sense of "get hold of." [Slang; 1930s]

cop a plea

1. Plead guilty or confess to a crime in exchange for a lighter sentence; also, plead guilty to a lesser charge in exchange for not being tried for a more serious charge. For example, Arnold decided he was better off copping a plea than facing a jury. [Colloquial; 1920s] 2. Plead for mercy; make excuses. For example, He copped a plea about not knowing his way around. [Slang; c. 1940]

cop out

Back out of a responsibility or commitment; also, take the easy way out. For example, Don't count on him; he's been known to fake illness and cop out, or She'll cop out and let her assistant do all the work. These meanings are derived from the underworld slang use of cop out for backing down or surrendering. [Late 1950s]

core

hand. see ROTTEN TO THE CORE.

corner

hand. In addition to the idiom beginning with CORNER, also see AROUND THE

CORNER; CUT CORNERS; FOUR CORNERS OF THE EARTH; IN A TIGHT CORNER; OUT OF THE CORNER OF ONE'S EYE; PAINT ONESELF INTO A CORNER; TURN THE CORNER.

corner the market

Buy all or most of a commodity or stock so that its price goes up. For example, In a famous maneuver the Hunt brothers cornered the market in silver. This idiom uses corner in the sense of "drive would-be buyers into a corner." [Early 1800s]

correct

hand. see STAND CORRECTED.

corridors of power

The offices of powerful leaders. For example, As clerk to a Supreme Court justice, Jim thought he'd get his foot inside the corridors of power. This term was first used by C.P. Snow in his novel Homecomings (1956) for the ministries of Britain's Whitehall, with their top-ranking civil servants. Later it was broadened to any high officials.

cost

hand. see ARM AND A LEG, COST AN; AT ALL COSTS; COUNT THE COST; PRETTY PENNY, COST A.

cotton to

1. Take a liking to, get along with, as in This dog doesn't cotton to strangers. Although this verbal phrase comes from the noun for the fabric, the semantic connection between these parts of speech is unclear. [Early 1800s] 2. Also, cotton on to. Come to understand, grasp, as in She didn't really cotton on to what I was saying. [Colloquial; early 1900s]

cough up

1. Hand over or relinquish, especially money; pay up. For example, It's time the delinquent members coughed up their dues. [Slang; late 1800s] 2. Confess or divulge, as in Pretty soon she'd cough up the whole story about last night. This idiom transfers the act of vomiting to telling the entire truth. [Slang; late 1800s]

could

hand. see CAN (COULD) DO WITH; SEE WITH HALF AN EYE, COULD. Also see under CAN; COULDN'T.

couldn't

hand. In addition to the idioms beginning with COULDN'T, also see HURT A FLEA,

COULDN'T. Also see under CAN'T.

couldn't care less Also, could care less. Be completely indifferent. For example, Pick whatever dessert you want; I couldn't care less, or I could care less about the editor's opinion. This expression originated about 1940 in Britain and for a time invariably used couldn't. About 1960 could was occasionally substituted, and today both versions are used with approximately equal frequency, despite their being antonyms.

counsel

hand. see KEEP ONE'S OWN COUNSEL.

count

hand. In addition to the idioms beginning with COUNT, also see DOWN FOR THE

COUNT; EVERY MINUTE COUNTS; OUT FOR (THE COUNT); STAND UP AND BE COUNTED.

count against

Be disadvantageous to, as in His earnings this year will count against his Social Security benefits.

This idiom uses count in the sense of "make a reckoning," in this case negative. [Early 1900s]

count down

1. Count backward from any number to zero to indicate time, as in The final seconds before take off were counted down: 10, 9, 8, etc. The down in this term refers to the decreasing size of the numbers. This usage originated in connection with the firing of missiles and spacecraft and has since been broadened to such events as the roll call of states at a political convention. [c. 1950] 2.

Make final preparations for an event, as in Hong Kong was counting down to the day when it became part of mainland China. This usage is derived from def. 1. [Late 1950s]

counter

hand. see RUN COUNTER TO; UNDER THE COUNTER.

count for

1. Have importance or worth, as in Doesn't his long tenure count for anything? or Does this tournament count for computer points? This usage employs count in the sense of "enter into a reckoning." [Mid1800s] 2. count for nothing. Have no influence or effect, as in All his work counts for nothing since they've dropped the project. This idiom was first recorded in 1861.

count in

Include, as in Can all the members be counted in? or I'd love to come; count me in. [Mid-1800s]

count noses Also, count heads. Reckon up the number of those present. For example, The theater seemed only half-full, so the producer decided to count noses, or Our tour leader was always careful to count heads before the bus started off. This idiom was originally put as tell noses. [Mid-1600s]

count off

1. Count aloud from one end of a line of persons to the other, each person counting in turn. For example, The soldiers counted off one by one. This usage and the practice it describes come from the military. 2. Place in a separate group by counting, as in The office counted off the telephone books for each delivery route.

count on Also, count upon. Rely on, depend on, as in You can always count on Kent to be punctual, or Carol was counting upon getting a raise in spring. [First half of 1600s]

count one's chickens before they hatch

Make plans based on events that may or may not happen. For example, You might not win the prize and you've already spent the money? Don't count your chickens before they hatch! or I know you have big plans for your consulting business, but don't count your chickens. This expression comes from Aesop's fable about a milkmaid carrying a full pail on her head. She daydreams about buying chickens with the milk's proceeds and becoming so rich from selling eggs that she will toss her head at suitors; she then tosses her head and spills the milk. Widely translated from the original Greek, the story was the source of a proverb and was used figuratively by the 16th century. Today it is still so well known that it often appears shortened and usually in negative cautionary form (don't count your chickens).

count out

1. Declare a boxer (or other contestant) to have lost, as in Paul was counted out in the first round. This term alludes to count in the sense of "ten seconds," the time allowed for a boxer to rise after being knocked down (if he does not rise in time, he is "out"). The earliest recorded use of the term was for a cockfight in 1808; its use for boxing came about a century later. Also see DOWN FOR

THE COUNT. 2. Exclude, leave out of consideration, as in As for skiing this winter, you'll have to count me out. [Colloquial; mid-1800s] Also see COUNT IN. 3. Apportion; also, recalculate. For example, They counted out four pieces of music for each band member, or When Peggy got her change she counted out all the pennies. [Mid-1800s]

country cousin

One whose lack of sophistication or rural ways may amuse or embarrass city dwellers. For example,

The sightseeing guide geared his tour toward country cousins who had never been to a large city before. This term, which literally means "a cousin who lives in the country," has been used in this figurative way since the second half of the 1700s, although the idea is much older (such persons were stock figures of fun in Restoration comedies of the late 1600s and early 1700s).

count to ten

Calm down, get hold of one-self. For example, Before you tell him what you think of him, count to ten. Often used as an imperative, this phrase in effect means that if one takes the time to count from one to ten one can regain one's composure.

courage

hand. In addition to the idiom beginning with COURAGE, also see DUTCH COURAGE;

PLUCK UP (ONE'S COURAGE).

courage of one's convictions, have the

Behave according to one's beliefs. For example, Carl wouldn't give his best friend any of the test answers; he had the courage of his convictions. This expression is believed to have originated as a translation of the French le courage de son opinion ("the courage of his opinion"), dating from the mid1800s and at first so used. By the late 1800s it had changed to the present form.

course

hand. In addition to the idiom beginning with COURSE, also see CRASH COURSE; IN

DUE COURSE; MATTER OF COURSE; OF

COURSE; PAR FOR THE COURSE; RUN ITS COURSE; STAY THE COURSE.

course of true love never ran smoothly, the

Lovers often face difficulties, as in Every time he tells me that he and his wife are fighting, I say the same thing?

you know about the course of true love. The full term is a quotation from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream (1:1): "The course of true love never did run smooth." Over the years it has become so familiar that today it is often shortened, as in the example.

court

hand. see BALL'S IN YOUR COURT; DAY IN COURT; FRIEND IN COURT; HOLD COURT; KANGAROO COURT; LAUGH OUT OF COURT; PAY COURT TO.

cousin

hand. see COUNTRY COUSIN; FIRST COUSIN; KISSING COUSINS; SECOND COUSIN.

cover

hand. In addition to the idioms beginning with COVER, also see BLOW ONE'S COVER;

BREAK COVER; JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER; (COVER A) MULTITUDE OF SINS; TAKE COVER; UNDER COVER.

cover for

1. Also, cover up for. Conceal a wrongdoing or wrongdoer, as in Bill was supposed to be on duty but went to a ballgame and Alan agreed to cover for him or I covered up for my friend when her mother called to find out where she was. [1960s] Also see COVER UP, def. 2. 2. Substitute

for someone, act on someone's behalf, as in Mary was asked to cover for Joe while he was on jury duty. [c. 1970] 3. cover for something. Provide protection against some hazard, as in This policy covers the house for fire but not for theft.

This idiom employs the verb to cover in the sense of "protect" or "shield," a usage dating from the 13th century.

cover girl

An attractive woman whose photograph is featured on a magazine cover; also, a woman attractive enough to be so featured. For example, All models hope to be cover girls some day, or She's gorgeous?a real cover girl. [c. 1910]

cover ground Also, cover the ground or a lot of ground. 1. Go a given extent or considerable distance, especially at a satisfactory speed. For example, She really knows how to cover ground with her studies, or This outfielder covers a lot of ground. [Early 1800s] 2. Deal with or accomplish in a certain way, as in This history text covers the ground quite well. [Late 1800s] Also see

COVER THE FIELD.

cover one's ass Also, cover one's hide or oneself. Make excuses or otherwise take action to avoid being blamed, punished, or harmed. For example, The first thing you learn in the army is to cover your ass, or Jane is ingenious at finding ways to cover her hide. The first phrase, considered vulgar slang, dates from the 1960s; the variants are more polite.

cover one's tracks

Conceal one's whereabouts, activities, intentions, or the evidence of one's involvement. For example,

No one knows much about where he's been?

he's very good at covering his tracks. This term transfers hiding one's footprints to more general activities. [1870s] Also see COVER UP, def. 2.

cover story

1. A featured story in a magazine that concerns the illustration on the cover, as in The earthquake is this week's cover story for all the news magazines. [Mid-1900s] 2. A false story intended to mislead or deceive; also, an alibi. For example, Their cover story while investigating local repair services was that they had just bought the house and were having problems, or The suspect gave the police some cover story about being held up. [Mid-1900s]

cover the field Also, cover the territory or waterfront. Be comprehensive. For example,

The review course will cover the field very well, or Bob's new assignment really covers the territory, or The superintendent's speech covered the waterfront on the drug problem. These expressions all employ the verb cover in the sense of "extend over" or "include," a usage dating from the late 1700s, with the nouns (field, ground, territory, waterfront) each meaning "whole area."

cover up

1. Wrap up or enfold in order to protect. For example, Be sure to cover up the outdoor furniture in case of rain, or It's cold, so be sure to cover up the baby. [Late 1800s] 2. Conceal something, especially a crime, as in The opposition accused the President of covering up his assistant's suicide.

[c. 1920]

cow

hand. In addition to the idiom beginning with cow, also see CASH COW; HOLY COW;

SACRED COW; TILL THE COWS COME HOME.

cow college

An agricultural college; any small, relatively unknown rural college. For example, He's never

published a paper, but he might do all right in some cow college. This term uses cow in the somewhat pejorative sense of "provincial." [c. 1910]

cozy up

Try to get on friendly or intimate terms, ingratiate oneself. For example, That new woman is always cozying up to one or another club member so she'll be asked to join. [Mid-1900s]

crack

hand. In addition to the idioms beginning with CRACK, also see BY JOVE (CRACKY);

FALL BETWEEN THE CRACKS; GET CRACKING; HARD NUT TO CRACK; HAVE A CRACK AT; MAKE A CRACK; NOT ALL IT'S CRACKED UP TO BE; PAPER OVER (THE CRACKS).

crack a book

Open a book to study or read, as in He passed the exam without cracking a book. This expression employs the verb to crack in the sense of "to open," a slang usage that dates from the early 1700s. [Colloquial; c. 1930]

crack a bottle

Open a bottle so as to drink its contents, as in Let's celebrate by cracking a bottle of champagne!

This seemingly modern colloquialism was first recorded in H. Kelly's School for Wives (1773): "When shall we crack a bottle together?"

crack a joke

Make a joke, say something humorous, as in You can count on Grandpa to crack a joke on every occasion. This expression uses the verb to crack in the now obsolete sense of "briskly pronounce" or "boast." [Early 1700s]

crack a smile

Smile, as in Betty was a very serious person; she rarely cracked a smile. This colloquialism transfers crack in the sense of "break" to breaking a serious facial expression into a smile.

crack down

Act more forcefully to regulate, repress, or restrain. For example, The police cracked down on speeding. [1930s]

cocaine). For example, "Who's cracked up, who's cracked out, and who's dead?" (World News Tonight, ABC-TV, May 12, 1992). [1980s]

crack of dawn

Very early morning, daybreak. For example, I got up at the crack of dawn. The crack in this term alludes either to the suddenness of sunrise or to the small wedge of light appearing as the sun rises over the horizon. Originally the term was usually put as crack of day. [Late 1800s]

crack the whip

Behave in a domineering and demanding way toward one's subordinates. For example, He's been cracking the whip ever since he got his promotion. This expression, first recorded in 1647, alludes to drivers of horse-drawn wagons who snapped their whips hard, producing a loud cracking noise. Its figurative use dates from the late 1800s.

crack up

1. Suffer an emotional breakdown, become insane, as in He might crack up under the strain. This usage alludes to the result of cracking one's skull; from the early 1600s to crack alone was used in this way. [Slang; early 1900s] 2. Damage or wreck a vehicle or vessel. For example, I'm always afraid that I'll crack up the car. 3. Experience a crash, as in We cracked up on the freeway in the middle of the ice storm. 4. Also, crack someone up. Burst or cause to burst out laughing, as in

The audience cracked up, or That joke really cracked me up. [Slang; c. 1940] Also see BREAK

UP, def. 6. All of these expressions derive from crack in the sense of "break into pieces" or "collapse," a usage dating from the late 1600s. Also see CRACKED UP.

cradle

hand. see FROM THE CRADLE TO THE GRAVE; ROB THE CRADLE.

cramp someone's style

Restrict or prevent someone from free action or expression, as in It really cramps my style when Mom hovers around me while I'm making dinner. Although in 1819 Charles Lamb complained that using different inks cramped his style of writing, the present sense of this colloquial term dates only from the early 1900s.

crank in

Factor in, integrate, as in We'll have to crank in both state and federal taxes when we make our plans. [Slang; 1960s]

crank letter Also, crank call. An irrational, fanatical, or hostile letter or telephone call. For example, The office was flooded with mail, including a lot of crank letters, or Harriet was upset enough by the crank calls to notify the police. This expression employs crank in the sense of "irrational person." The first term dates from the mid-1900s, the variant from the 1960s.

crank out