The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms

by Christine Ammer

  close to home Also, where one lives. Affecting one intimately and personally, as in That description of orphans really was too close to home, or The teacher’s criticisms of her work got her where she lives. The noun home here means “the heart of something,” a usage dating from the late 1800s; the variant was first recorded in 1860. Both of these colloquialisms are sometimes preceded by hit, that is, something is said to hit close to home or hit one where one lives, as in That remark about their marriage hit close to home. Also see TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT (TO HOME).

  close up Also, close up shop. Stop doing business, temporarily or permanently; also, stop working. For example, The bank is closing up all its overseas branches, or That’s enough work for one day—I’m closing up shop and going home. [Late 1500s]

  cloth → See OUT OF WHOLE CLOTH; SACKCLOTH AND ASHES.

  clothing → See WOLF IN SHEEP’S CLOTHING.

  cloud → In addition to the idioms beginning with CLOUD, also see HEAD IN THE CLOUDS; ON CLOUD NINE; SILVER LINING, EVERY CLOUD HAS; UNDER A CLOUD.

  cloud-cuckoo land An idealized mythical domain, as in That idea about flying cars is straight out of cloud-cuckoo land. This expression originated as a translation from the Greek of Aristophanes’ play The Birds, where it signifies the realm built by the birds to separate the gods from humankind. It came into use in the 1820s. During the 19th century it began to be used for a place of wildly fanciful dreams, unrealistic expectations, or the like, and it also acquired the connotation of “crazy” (from cuckoo, slang for “crazy” since about 1900). Also see LA-LA LAND; NEVER-NEVER LAND.

  cloud over Also, cloud up. 1. Become overcast with clouds, as in It’s clouding over now, so it may rain soon, or It was too hot and sunny, but after a while the sky clouded up and we ventured outside. [Mid-1700s] 2. Become opaque, misty, or dim, as in I’m sweating so much that my eyeglasses are clouded over.

  clover → See LIKE PIGS IN CLOVER.

  club → See JOIN THE CLUB.

  clue someone in Also, clue someone up. Give someone guiding information, as in It’s time someone clued us in on what’s happening, or I hope they clue us up soon. This expression, which uses the verb clue in the sense of “inform,” is sometimes put simply as clue (as in I’ll clue you—this isn’t going to work). [Colloquial; mid-1900s] Also see NOT HAVE A CLUE.

  clutch → See GRASP (CLUTCH) AT STRAWS.

  coal → See CARRY COALS TO NEWCASTLE; RAKE OVER THE COALS.

  coast is clear, the No observers or authorities are present; one can proceed safely. For example, Let’s make sure the coast is clear before we set up this surprise party. This expression may have originated among pirates and smugglers who were referring to the absence of coast guards, or with regard to a coastal military invasion, but no citations bear out these theories. By the late 1500s the term was used purely figuratively.

  coattails → See ON SOMEONE’S COATTAILS.

  cobbler → See STICK TO ONE’S LAST.

  cock and bull story An unbelievable tale that is intended to deceive; a tall tale. For example, Jack told us some cock and bull story about getting lost. This expression may come from a folk tale involving these two animals, or from the name of an English inn where travelers told such tales. W.S. Gilbert used it in The Yeomen of the Guard (1888), where Jack Point and Wilfred the Jailer make up a story about the hero’s fictitious death: “Tell a tale of cock and bull, Of convincing detail full.” [c. 1600]

  cock a snook Thumb one’s nose, as in As soon as the teacher turned her back, the boys cocked a snook at her. This expression was first recorded in 1791 and the precise source of snook, here used in the sense of “a derisive gesture,” has been lost. It is more widely used in Britain but is not unknown in America.

  cocked → See GO OFF HALF-COCKED; KNOCK INTO A COCKED HAT.

  cockles of one’s heart → See WARM THE COCKLES OF ONE’S HEART.

  cock of the walk A conceited, bossy person, as in Since his last promotion he’s been acting like the cock of the walk—he’s unbearable. This expression alludes to the rooster’s proud strut about the barnyard, asserting his rule over hens and chicks. [Mid-1800s]

  cog → In addition to the idiom beginning with COG, also see SLIP A COG.

  cog in the wheel Also, cog in the machine. One who holds a minor but necessary post in a large organization, as in Frank knew he was just a cog in the wheel of this giant corporation. This term alludes to the role of the mechanical cog, one of the teeth on a wheel or gear that, by engaging other teeth, transmits or receives motion. Used figuratively since about 1930, it sometimes is put as small cog in a large wheel, emphasizing a person’s lack of importance.

  coin → In addition to the idiom beginning with COIN, also see OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN; PAY BACK (IN SOMEONE’S OWN COIN).

  coin money Also, mint money. Make a great deal of money easily or very quickly. For example, With a monopoly on the market he could coin money, or These highly motivated realtors just about enable the agency to mint money. This hyperbolic expression dates from the mid-1800s.

  cold → In addition to the idioms beginning with COLD, also see BLOW HOT AND COLD; CATCH COLD; COME IN FROM THE COLD; IN A COLD SWEAT; IN COLD BLOOD; IN COLD STORAGE; IN THE COLD LIGHT OF DAY; KNOCK OUT (COLD); LEAVE ONE COLD; MAKE ONE’S BLOOD RUN COLD; OUT COLD; OUT IN THE COLD; POUR COLD WATER ON; STONE COLD; STOP COLD.

  cold cash Also, hard cash. Actual currency (bills and coins); money immediately available, paid at the time of a purchase. For example, Will you lower the price if I pay in cold cash instead of using a credit card? or We have only a limited amount of hard cash—the rest is in accounts receivable. [First half of 1900s]

  cold comfort Slight or no consolation. For example, He can’t lend us his canoe but will tell us where to rent one—that’s cold comfort. The adjective cold was being applied to comfort in this sense by the early 1300s, and Shakespeare used the idiom numerous times.

  cold feet, get Also, have cold feet. Retreat from an undertaking; lose one’s nerve. For example, I got cold feet when I learned the trip involves white-water rafting, or Don’t count on including her—she’s been known to have cold feet in the past. The origin of this term has been lost. In early 17th-century Italy it meant to be short of money, but that sense has never been used in English. [Late 1800s]

  cold fish A hard-hearted, unfeeling individual, one who shows no emotion, as in Not even the eulogy moved him; he’s a real cold fish. This expression was used by Shakespeare in The Winter’s Tale (4:4): “It was thought she was a woman, and was turn’d into a cold fish.” However, it came into wider use only in the first half of the 1900s.

  cold hands, warm heart Not showing one’s feelings does not signify lack of feeling. For example, Dan rarely sends flowers or anything, but he’s a case of cold hands, warm heart. Why a literally cold hand should indicate sympathy or affection is not really clear, but this expression has been so used since about 1900, and the Germans have an identical saying (kalte Hand, warmes Herz).

  cold shoulder Deliberate coldness or disregard, a slight or snub. For example, When I said hello to her in the library, she gave me the cold shoulder and walked away. This term, which first appeared in writings by Sir Walter Scott and others, supposedly alludes to the custom of welcoming a desired guest with a meal of roasted meat, but serving only a cold shoulder of beef or lamb—a far inferior dish—to those who outstayed their welcome. [Early 1800s]

  cold shower A surprisingly chilly reception, reaction, or response, as in The small voter turnout was a cold shower to the League of Women Voters. The allusion in this term is to the unexpected and not always pleasant effect of an ice-cold shower. [Second half of 1900s]

  cold snap Also, cold spell. A short period of unusually cold weather, as in The recent cold snap has threatened the crop. The first expression presumably likens snap in the sense of “a sudden bite or cut” to sudden unexpected cold. The variant is more obvious, spell having been used in the sense of “a bout or turn at something” since the early 1700
s. [Early 1800s]

  cold storage → See IN COLD STORAGE.

  cold sweat → See IN A COLD SWEAT.

  cold turkey Immediate, complete withdrawal from something, especially an addictive substance; also, without planning or preparation. For example, My bad shoulder forced me to quit playing tennis cold turkey, or I’d never done any rock climbing, but decided to try it cold turkey. This term may have come from the earlier expression TALK TURKEY (for blunt speaking). At first used strictly for abrupt withdrawal from drugs or alcohol, it soon was transferred to quitting any habit or activity. [Early 1900s]

  collar → See HOT UNDER THE COLLAR.

  collected → See COOL, CALM, AND COLLECTED.

  collector’s item An object of great interest, value, or rarity, as in This necklace is a collector’s item. Originating in the early 1900s as collector’s piece, a usage still common in Britain, the term in its present form is occasionally transferred to persons as well, as in The Beach Boys became a collector’s item on the tour [c. 1930]

  collision course A path that will lead to a violent confrontation. The idiom transfers the literal sense of vehicles colliding to other kinds of clash. For example, The New Statesman had it in 1961: “The great powers are now headed on a collision course over Berlin” (cited by OED). [Mid-1900s]

  color → In addition to the idiom beginning with COLOR, also see FALSE COLORS; HORSE OF A DIFFERENT COLOR; LEND COLOR TO; SEE THROUGH ROSE-COLORED GLASSES; WITH FLYING COLORS.

  color of someone’s money, see the Prove that you can pay, as in Before we talk any more about this car, let’s see the color of your money. This term probably originated in gambling or betting. [Slang; early 1900s]

  comb → See FINE-TOOTH COMB.

  come → In addition to the idioms beginning with COME, also see BIGGER THEY COME; CROSS A BRIDGE WHEN ONE COMES TO IT; DREAM COME TRUE; EASY COME, EASY GO; FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED; FULL CIRCLE, COME; GET ONE’S COMEUPPANCE; HOW COME; IF THE MOUNTAIN WON’T COME TO MUHAMMAD, MUHAMMAD MUST GO TO THE MOUNTAIN; IF WORST COMES TO WORST; JOHNNY-COME-LATELY; MAKE A COMEBACK; OF AGE, COME; ON THE SCENE, COME; OPEN TO ALL COMERS; OUT OF NOWHERE, COME; PUSH COMES TO SHOVE; TILL THE COWS COME HOME; (COME) TO THE POINT; WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND; WHEN IT COMES TO; WHEN ONE’S SHIP COMES IN. Also see under COMING.

  come about 1. Also, come to pass. Happen, take place, as in How did this quarrel come about? or When did this new development come to pass? Shakespeare used the first term, first recorded in 1315, in Hamlet (5:2): “How these things came about.” The variant, dating from the late 1400s, appears often in the Bible, as in, “And it came to pass... that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus” (Luke 2:1). 2. Also, go about. In sailing, to change tack (direction), as in It’s important to duck under the boom when we come about. [Mid-1500s]

  come across 1. Also, come upon; run across. Meet or find by chance, as in I came across your old letters today, or He came upon her looking in the store window. or If I run across it, I’ll call you. The first term dates from the 1800s. The first variant was used by Oliver Goldsmith in She Stoops to Conquer (1773): “You are to go sideways till you come upon Crack-Skull Common.” The second variant was used by Mark Twain in A Tramp Abroad (1880): “If I don’t run across you in Italy, you hunt me up in London.” 2. Also, come across with. Pay or give what is expected or demanded, as in He finally came across with some food, or The landlord wants the rent, so come across. [Colloquial; late 1800s] 3. Make a particular impression, as in He comes across as a very sincere person, or Her meaning doesn’t really come across; she’ll have to revise the speech. [Colloquial; first half of 1900s] Also see GET ACROSS; PUT ACROSS.

  come again? What did you say? as in Come again? I can’t believe you said that. This expression takes the literal meaning of the phrase—return—to ask someone to repeat a statement, either because it wasn’t heard clearly or because its truth is being questioned. [Colloquial; second half of 1800s]

  come alive Also, come to life. 1. Become vigorous or lively. For example, It took some fast rhythms to make the dancers come alive, or As soon as he mentioned ice cream, the children came to life. The adjective alive has been used in the sense of “vivacious” since the 1700s. Also, the variant originally (late 1600s) meant “to recover from a faint or apparent death.” [Colloquial; first half of 1900s] 2. Appear real or believable, as in It’s really hard to make this prose come to life. Also see LOOK ALIVE.

  come along 1. Accompany or go with someone. For example, Are you coming along with us today? [Late 1600s] 2. Advance toward a goal, make progress, as in How are you coming along with your piano lessons? 3. Appear or materialize, as in I’m hoping another offer will come along soon.

  come a long way Make considerable progress or improvement, as in That’s good, Rob—you’ve certainly come a long way. This usage, which transfers the “distance” of a long way to progress, gained considerable currency in the 1960s and 1970s in an advertising slogan for Virginia Slims cigarettes addressed especially to women: “You’ve come a long way, baby.”

  come and get it Come and eat, the meal is ready, as in She called to the children, “Come and get it!” Originating in the British armed forces, this term passed to other English-speaking armies in the late 1800s and was taken up as a dinner summons by various groups who shared meals in a camp, among them cowboys, lumbermen, and construction workers. It occasionally is used facetiously for other summons, especially for sexual favors. For example, “‘Come and get it,’ she said and ­going to the bed, she lay down . . . and beckoned to him” (James Hadley Chase, You’re Dead Without Money, 1972).

  come and go 1. Arrive and depart, either briefly or repeatedly; go to and fro. Shakespeare had it in The Merry Wives of Windsor (2:2): “He may come and go between you both.” [Late 1300s] 2. Alternately appear and disappear, as in This rash is odd; it comes and goes. [Mid-1300s] Also see COMING OR GOING; EASY COME, EASY GO.

  come apart at the seams Also, come unglued or unstuck. Become extremely upset; break down. For example, After he lost his job Brad seemed to come apart at the seams, or The proposed bank merger is coming unglued, or When her last play flopped she became completely unstuck. This idiom transfers physical to emotional disintegration. [Slang; mid-1900s]

  come around Also, come round. 1. Make a circuit; also, arrive casually or visit. For example, The milkman comes around every day at this time, or You should come round more often. [Early 1800s] Also see COME BY, def. 2. Change in a favorable way, as in I was sure you would come around and see it my way. [Early 1800s] 3. Recover consciousness, be restored to a normal condition, as in The smelling salts quickly made her come round. [Mid-1800s]

  come at 1. Get hold of, attain, as in You can come at a classical education with diligent study. [Mid-1300s] 2. Rush at, make for, attack, as in They came at him in full force. [Mid-1600s]

  come back 1. Return to or regain past success or popularity, as in It’s hard to come back from two sets down and win the match, or Long hemlines are coming back this fall. [Early 1900s] 2. Return to one’s mind, as in Her name came back to me after I saw her picture. [Late 1800s] 3. Retort or reply; also, retaliate. For example, No matter how many insults he flings, I can always come back with another. [Late 1800s]

  come between Divide, cause to be antagonized, as in I wouldn’t want to come between husband and wife. This idiom transfers the literal meaning of the phrase, “to intervene” (as in Volume 6 should come between Volumes 5 and 7), to figurative ­interference.

  come by 1. Acquire, obtain, as in A good assistant is hard to come by. This usage, dating from about 1600, superseded the earlier sense of acquiring something with considerable effort. A variant is come by honestly, meaning “to obtain in some honorable or legitimate way.” For example, I’m sure she didn’t come by that large bonus honestly, or He does have an unusual gait but he came by it honestly; his father’s is the same. 2. Stop in, visit, as in Please come by whenever you’re in the neighborhood. [Late 1800s]

  come clean Confess ev
erything, as in If you come clean about what happened I will promise to keep it to myself. [Slang; early 1900s]

  come down 1. Lose wealth or position, as in After the market crashed, the Tates really came down in the world. A 1382 translation of the Bible by followers of John Wycliffe had this term: “Come down from glory, sit in thirst” (Jeremiah 48:18). 2. Become reduced in size or amount, be lowered, as in Interest rates will have to come down before the economy recovers. [Mid-1600s] 3. Be handed down by inheritance, tradition, or a higher authority. For example, This painting has come down to us from our great-grandparents, or These stories have come down through the generations, or An indictment finally came down. [c. 1400] 4. Also, go down. Happen, occur, as in What’s coming down tonight? [Slang; 1960s]

  come down on Also, come down upon. 1. Also, come down hard on. Punish or reprimand severely. For example, My professor is going to come down on me for not completing the paper, or The judge promised to come down hard on drug dealers. [Early 1600s] Also see LIKE A TON OF BRICKS. 2. Oppose, voice one’s opposition, as in The President came down on the new budget cuts, promising to veto them. [Late 1800s] 3. come down on the side of. Make a choice or decision in favor of, plump for, as in I’ll come down on the side of those who are needy.

  come down the pike Appear, become prominent, as in He was the best writer to come down the pike in a long time. The noun pike here is short for “turnpike.” [Slang; mid-1900s]

  come down to Also, come right down to. Amount to or be reduced to, as in It all comes down to a matter of who was first in line, or When it comes right down to it, you have to admit he was mistaken. [Late 1800s] Also see BOIL DOWN, def. 2.

  come down with Become ill with, as in The whole family came down with the flu. [Late 1800s]

  comedy of errors A complex or humorous series of events, as in Mary and John went to the Smiths’, while the Smiths went to the Parkers’, and the Parkers wondered why no one answered the door at John and Mary’s—a true comedy of errors. The term borrows the title of Shakespeare’s play, The Comedy of Errors, about two sets of twin brothers, master and slave, who are separated in infancy, and the mixups occurring when they arrive in the same place many years later. [c. 1600]