The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms

by Christine Ammer

  commit to memory Learn by heart, memorize, as in The director insisted that the altos commit their part to memory by Tuesday. First recorded in 1875, this phrase today is often replaced by the shorter memorize.

  common → In addition to the idioms beginning with COMMON, also see IN COMMON.

  common cause A joint interest, as in “The common cause against the enemies of piety” (from John Dryden’s poem, Religio Laici, or a Layman’s Faith, 1682). This term originated as to make common cause (with), meaning “to unite one’s interest with another’s.” In the mid-1900s the name Common Cause was adopted by a liberal lobbying group.

  common ground Shared beliefs or interests, a foundation for mutual understanding. For example, The European Union is struggling to find common ground among its members. [c. 1870]

  common touch, the The ability to appeal to the ordinary person’s sensibilities and interests. For example, The governor is an effective state leader who also happens to have the common touch. This phrase employs common in the sense of “everyday” or “ordinary.” [c. 1940]

  commotion → See CAUSE A COMMOTION.

  company → In addition to the idioms beginning with COMPANY, also see KEEP COMPANY; MISERY LOVES COMPANY; PART COMPANY; PRESENT COMPANY EXCEPTED; TWO’S COMPANY.

  company man A male worker more loyal to management than to his fellow workers; also, one who informs on fellow employees. For example, He’ll never join in a strike; he’s a company man. Dating from the 1920s, a period of considerable labor unrest, this term uses company in the sense of “a business concern” and was often applied as a criticism by supporters of labor unions.

  company manners One’s best behavior, as in George never interrupts when we have guests; he has fine company manners. This term employs company in the sense of “guests.” An older variant, Tell me thy company and I’ll tell thee thy manners, uses company in the sense of “companions.” The current term implies that one is more mindful of politeness with invited guests.

  compare → In addition to the idiom beginning with COMPARE, also see BEYOND COMPARISON (COMPARE).

  compare notes Exchange information, observations, or opinions about something, as in Michael and Jane always compare notes after a department meeting. This term originally referred to written notes. [c. 1700]

  complain → See CAN’T COMPLAIN.

  compliment → See LEFT-HANDED COMPLIMENT; PAY A COMPLIMENT; RETURN THE COMPLIMENT.

  concern → See AS FAR AS THAT GOES (IS CONCERNED); TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN.

  conclusion → See FOREGONE CONCLUSION; JUMP TO A CONCLUSION.

  condition → See IN CONDITION; MINT CONDITION; ON CONDITION THAT; OUT OF CONDITION.

  confidence → In addition to the idiom beginning with CONFIDENCE, also see IN CONFIDENCE; TAKE INTO ONE’S CONFIDENCE.

  confidence game Also, confidence trick; con game. A swindle in which the victim is defrauded after his or her trust has been won. For example, The police warned of a confidence game in which people were asked to turn over valuables for a so-called ­appraisal, or The typical confidence trick is easy to spot if you know what to look for, or I almost let myself be taken in by her con game—she seemed so sincere. These terms, which use confidence in the sense of “trust,” date from the mid-1800s. They also gave rise to confidence man (or con man) for the swindler.

  conk out 1. Stop functioning, fail, as in The engine finally conked out. [Colloquial; early 1900s] 2. Fall asleep, as in Every evening he conked out in front of the television set. [1940s] 3. Faint or collapse, as in I don’t know if it was the heat, but she suddenly conked out. [1920s] 4. Die, as in He’s paranoid about conking out and he’s only twenty! [Late 1920s]

  conniption → See HAVE A (CONNIPTION) FIT.

  conquer → See DIVIDE AND CONQUER.

  conscience → See HAVE A CLEAR CONSCIENCE; IN CONSCIENCE.

  consequence → See IN CONSEQUENCE; OF CONSEQUENCE.

  consideration → See IN CONSIDERATION OF; TAKE INTO ACCOUNT (CONSIDERATION); UNDER CONSIDERATION.

  conspicuous by its absence Also, conspicuous by one’s absence. Glaringly obvious by the fact of not being there. For example, One agenda item concerning publicity is conspicuous by its absence, or The bride’s father was conspicuous by his absence. The idea is ancient; it was expressed by the Roman writer Tacitus, concerning the absence of Junia’s brother and husband at her funeral procession. [Mid-1800s]

  conspiracy of silence A tacit or explicit agreement to keep something secret. For example, In this state’s medical society there is a conspiracy of ­silence regarding incompetent practitioners. This term was first used as a complaint about lack of attention, but today it more often refers to remaining silent about something unfavorable or criminal. [Late 1800s].

  contempt → See FAMILIARITY BREEDS CONTEMPT.

  content → See TO ONE’S HEART’S CONTENT.

  contention → See BONE OF CONTENTION.

  contradiction in terms A statement that seems to contradict itself, with one part of it denying another. For example, I’ve always believed that “a poor millionaire” was a contradiction in terms. [Late 1700s] A frequently used synonym is the noun oxymoron, such as a jumbo shrimp. [Mid-1600s]

  contrary → See ON THE CONTRARY; TO THE CONTRARY.

  control → In addition to the idiom beginning with CONTROL, also see OUT OF CONTROL; SPIN CONTROL.

  control freak An individual who needs to assume authority over his or her surroundings, situation, or other persons. This term uses “freak” in the sense of someone who is very enthusiastic for an activity (here, “control”), a usage dating from the early 1900s. For example, Divorce lawyers frequently encounter a spouse who insists on running every aspect of family life, a real control freak. [Slang, 1970]

  convenience → See AT ONE’S CONVENIENCE.

  conventional wisdom A widely held belief on which most people act. For example, According to conventional wisdom, an incumbent nearly always wins more votes than a new candidate. This term was invented by John Kenneth Galbraith, who used it in The Affluent Society (1958) to describe economic ideas that are familiar, predictable, and therefore accepted by the general public. Today it is used in any context where public opinion has considerable influence on the course of events.

  conversation → 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 → See COURAGE OF ONE’S CONVICTIONS.

  cook → 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 → 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 f
ront 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 → 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 Let’s take a dip to cool off. These phrases date from 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 1. See 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 Did you know they threatened to cool off his brother? [Slang; first half of 1800s]

  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 → 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 → 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 → See ROTTEN TO THE CORE.

  corner → In addition to the idiom beginning with CORNER, also see AROUND THE CORNER; CUT CORNERS; FOUR CORNERS OF THE EARTH; IN A TIGHT CORNER; IN SOMEONE’S 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 → 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 → See (COST AN) ARM AND A LEG; AT ALL COSTS; COUNT THE COST; (COST A) PRETTY PENNY.

  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]

  couch potato A person who incessantly watches television to the exclusion of more active pursuits. The potato may either allude to an inert vegetable or be a play on boob tuber, slang for a television watcher (a potato being a tuber). It also may allude to the person’s consumption of junk food such as potato chips while watching. [1970s]

  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 → See CAN (COULD) DO WITH; (COULD) SEE WITH HALF AN EYE. Also see under CAN; COULDN’T.

  couldn’t → In addition to the idiom beginning with 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 → See KEEP ONE’S OWN COUNSEL.

  count → 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 → 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.” [Mid-1800s] 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]