Dictionary of English Idioms & Idiomatic Expressions

~ C ~

Cake's not worth the candle
Calf lick
Call a spade a spade
Call it a day
Call on the carpet
Call the dogs off
Call the shots
Call the tune
Calm before the storm
Can of worms
Can't dance and it's too wet to plow
Can't do it for toffee
Can't hold a candle
Can't see the forest for its trees
Canary in a coal mine
Card up your sleeve
Carpetbagger
Carrot and stick
Carry the can
Case by case
Case in point
Cash in your chips
Cast a long shadow
Cast aspersion
Cast doubt on
Cast iron stomach
Cast pearls before swine
Cast sheep's eyes at
Cast your mind back
Cast your net widely
Casting vote
Castles in the air
Cat among the pigeons
Cat and dog life
Cat burglar
Cat fur and kitty britches
Cat got your tongue?
Cat nap
Cat's lick
Cat's pajamas
Cat's whiskers
Catch as catch can
Catch hell
Catch some z's
Catch someone red-handed
Catch-22
Caught with your hand in the cookie jar
Chalk and cheese
Champ at the bit
Champagne taste on a beer budget
Change horses in midstream
Change of heart
Change tack
Change your tune
Chaps my ass
Chapter and verse
Charity begins at home
Chase rainbows
Chase your tail
Cheap as chips
Cheap at half the price
Cheap shot
Cheat death
Cheek by jowl
Cherry pick
Chew on a bone
Chew the cud
Chew the fat
Chickenfeed
Child's play
Chinese walls
Chinese whispers
Chip off the old block
Chip on your shoulder
Chop and change
Cigarette paper
Circle the wagons
Circling the drain
Class act
Clean as a whistle
Clean bill of health
Clean break
Clean hands
Clean sheet
Clean slate
Clean sweep
Clear as a bell
Clear as mud
Cliffhanger
Climb on the bandwagon
Climb the greasy pole
Cling to hope
Close at hand
Close but no cigar
Close call
Close shave
Close the stable door after the horse has bolted
Close to your heart
Closed book to me
Cloth ears
Cloud cuckoo land
Cloud nine
Cloud of suspicion
Cloud on the horizon
Clutch at straws
Clutch play
Coals to Newcastle
Coast is clear
Cock a snook
Cock and bull story
Cock in the henhouse
Cock of the walk
Cold day in hell
Cold feet
Cold fish
Cold light of day
Cold shoulder
Cold sweat
Cold turkey
Colder than a witches tit
Collateral damage
Collect dust
Color bar
Come a cropper
Come clean
Come hell or high water
Come of age
Come on hard
Come on the heels of
Come out in the wash
Come out of the woodwork
Come out of your shell
Come rain or shine
Come to bear
Come to call
Come to grips
Come to heel
Come up roses
Come up smelling of roses
Come up trumps
Come what may
Come with the territory
Comes with the territory
Comfort zone
Constitution of an ox
Cook someone's goose
Cook the books
Cook up a storm
Cool as a cat
Cool your heels
Coon's age
Corner a market
Couch potato
Could eat a horse
Couldn't give two hoots
Count sheep
Count your blessings
Country mile
Cover all the bases
Crack a nut with a sledgehammer
Crash a party
Cream of the crop
Cream rises to the top
Creature comforts
Crème de la crème
Crocodile tears
Crooked as a dog's hind leg
Cross swords
Cross that bridge when you come to it
Cross to bear
Crossing the Rubicon
Crunch time
Cry wolf
Cry your eyes out
Cry-baby
Cuckoo in the nest
Cupboard love
Curate's egg
Curiosity killed the cat
Curry favour
Curve ball
Cut a long story short
Cut a rug
Cut above
Cut and dried
Cut and run
Cut corners
Cut down the tall poppies
Cut it fine
Cut off your nose to spite your face
Cut someone some slack
Cut the Gordian knot
Cut the mustard
Cut to the chase
Cut to the quick
Cut your coat according to your cloth
Cut your losses
Cut your teeth on
Cute as a bug
Cuts no ice
Cutting edge