Словарь американских идиом (8000 единиц)
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[cover the waterfront] <v. phr.> To talk or write all about something; talk about something all possible ways. * /The principal pretty well covered the waterfront on student behavior./
[cover up] <v.>, <informal> 1. To hide something wrong or bad from attention. * /The spy covered up his picture-taking by pretending to be just a tourist./ * /A crooked banker tried to cover up his stealing some of the bank's money by starting a fire to destroy the records./ Compare: COVER ONE'S TRACKS(2). 2. In boxing: To guard your head and body with your gloves, arms, and shoulders. * /Jimmy's father told him to cover up and protect his chin when he boxed./ 3. To protect someone else from blame or punishment; protect someone with a lie or alibi. Often used with "for". * /The teacher wanted to know who broke the window and told the boys not to try to cover up for anyone./ * /The burglar's friend covered up for him by saying that he was at his home when the robbery occurred./
[cover-up] <n.>, <slang> A plan or excuse to escape blame or punishment; lie, alibi. * /When the men robbed the bank, their cover-up was to dress like policemen./ * /Joe's cover-up to his mother after he had been fighting was that he fell down./
[cow] See: HOLY CATS or HOLY COW, SACRED COW.
[cowboy] <n.>, <slang>, <informal> A person who drives his car carelessly and at too great a speed in order to show off his courage. * /Joe's going to be arrested some day - he is a cowboy on the highway./
[cow college] <n.>, <slang> 1. An agricultural college; a school where farming is studied. * /A new, bigger kind of apple is being grown at the cow college./ 2. A new or rural college not thought to be as good as older or city colleges. * /John wanted to go to a big college in New York City, not to a cow college./
[cows tail] <n.>, <dialect> A person who is behind others. * /John was the cow's tail at the exam./ * /Fred was always the old cow's tail for football practice./
[cozy up] <v.>, <slang> To try to be close or friendly; try to be liked.
– Usually used with "to". * /John is cozying up to Henry so he can join the club./
[crack] See: HARD NUT TO CRACK or TOUGH NUT TO CRACK.
[crack a book] <v. phr.>, <slang> To open a book in order to study.
– Usually used with a negative. * /John did not crack a book until the night before the exam./ * /Many students think they can pass without cracking a book./
[crack a bottle] <v. phr.> To open a new bottle of alcoholic beverage. * /On birthdays it is customary to crack a bottle and offer one's best wishes./
[crack a joke] <v. phr.>, <informal> To make a joke; tell a joke. * /The men sat around the stove, smoking and cracking jokes./
[crack a smile] <v. phr.>, <informal> To let a smile show on one's face; permit a smile to appear. * /Bob told the whole silly story without even cracking a smile./ * /Scrooge was a gloomy man, who never cracked a smile./ * /When we gave the shy little boy an ice cream cone, he finally cracked a smile./
[crack down] <v. phr.>, <informal> To enforce laws or rules strictly; require full obedience to a rule. * /After a speeding driver hit a child, the police cracked down./ - Often used with "on". * /Police suddenly cracked down on the selling of liquors to minors./ * /The coach cracked down on the players when he found they had not been obeying the training rules./
[crack of dawn] <n. phr.> The time in the morning when the sun's rays first appear. * /The rooster crows at the crack of dawn and wakes up everybody on the farm./
[cracked up] <adj. phr.>, <informal> Favorably described or presented; praised.
– Usually used in the expression "not what it's cracked up to be". * /The independent writer's life isn't always everything it's cracked up to be./ * /In bad weather, a sailing cruise isn't what it's cracked up to be./
[cracking] See: GET CRACKING - at GET GOING(2).
[crackpot] <n.>, <attrib. adj.>, <informal> 1. <n.> An eccentric person with ideas that don't make sense to most other people. * /Don't believe what Uncle Noam tells you - he is a crackpot./ 2. <attrib. adj.> * /That's a crackpot idea./
[crack the whip] <v. phr.>, <informal> To get obedience or cooperation by threats of punishment. * /If the children won't behave when I reason with them, I have to crack the whip./
[crack up] <v.> 1. To wreck or be wrecked; smash up. * /The airplane cracked up in landing./ * /He cracked up his car./ 2. <informal> To become mentally ill under physical or mental overwork or worry. * /He had kept too busy for years, and when failures came, he cracked up./ * /It seemed to be family problems that made him crack up./ 3. Burst into laughter or cause to burst into laughter. * /That comedian cracks me up./
[cradle] See: ROB THE CRADLE.
[cradle robber], [cradle robbing] See: ROB THE CRADLE.
[cramp] See: WRITER'S CRAMP.
[cramp one's style] <v. phr.>, <informal> To limit your natural freedom; prevent your usual behavior; limit your actions or talk. * /He cramped his style a good deal when he lost his money./ * /Army rules cramped George's style./
[crash dive] <n.> A sudden dive made by a submarine to escape an enemy; a dive made to get deep under water as quickly as possible. * /The captain of the submarine told his crew to prepare for a crash dive when he saw the enemy battleship approaching./
[crash-dive] <v.> 1. To dive deep underwater in a submarine as quickly as possible. * /We shall crash-dive if we see enemy planes coming./ 2. To dive into (something) in an airplane. * /When the plane's motor was hit by the guns of the enemy battleship, the pilot aimed the plane at the ship and crash-dived into it./
[crash the gate] <v. phr.>, <slang> To enter without a ticket or without paying; attend without an invitation or permission. * /Bob got into the circus without paying. He crashed the gate./ * /Three boys tried to crash the gate at our party but we didn't let them in./