English Idioms & Idiomatic Expressions

Come out of the woodwork

When things come out of the woodwork, they appear unexpectedly.  ('Crawl out of the woodwork' is also used.)

Come out of your shell

If someone comes out of their shell, they stop being shy and withdrawn and become more friendly and sociable.

Come rain or shine

If I say I'll be at a place come rain or shine, I mean that I can be relied on to turn up; nothing, not even the vagaries of British weather, will deter me or stop me from being there.

Come to a head

If events reach a crisis point, they come to a head.

Come to a pretty pass

If something has come to a pretty pass, then it is in a difficult, unfavourable or negative situation.

Come to bear

If something comes to bear on you, you start to feel the pressure or effect of it. 

Come to call

If someone comes to call, they respond to an order or summons directly.

Come to grips

If you come to grips with a problem or issue, you face up to it and deal with it.

Come to heel

If someone comes to heel, they stop behaving in a way that is annoying to someone in authority and start being obedient.

Come up roses

If things come up roses, they produce a positive result, especially when things seemed to be going badly at first.

Come up smelling of roses

(UK) If someone comes up smelling of roses, they emerge from a situation with their reputation undamaged.

Come up trumps

When someone is said to have 'come up trumps', they have completed an activity successfully or produced a good result, especially when they were not expected to.

Come what may

If you're prepared to do something come what may, it means that nothing will stop or distract you, no matter how hard or difficult it becomes.

Come with the territory

If something comes with the territory, it is part of a job or responsibility and just has to be accepted, even if unpleasant.

Comes with the territory

If something comes with the territory, especially when undesirable, it is automatically included with something else, like a job, responsibility, etc.('Goes with the territory' is also used.) 

Comfort zone

It is the temperature range in which the body doesn't shiver or sweat, but has an idiomatic sense of a place where people feel comfortable, where they can avoid the worries of the world. It can be physical or mental.

Confirmed bachelor

A confirmed bachelor is a man who shows little or no interest in women.  It can be used to  suggest  that they're gay.

Connect the dots

When you connect the dots, you understand the connections and relationships.

Constitution of an ox

If someone has the constitution of an ox, they are less affected than most people by things like tiredness, illness, alcohol, etc.

Cook someone's goose

If you cook someone's goose, you ruin their plans.

Cook the books

If people cook the books, they keep false accounts to make money illegally or avoid paying tax.

Cooking with gas

(USA) If you're cooking with gas, you're working very efficiently.

Cool as a cat

To act fine when you a actually scared or nervous

Cool your heels

If you leave someone to cool their heels, you make them wait until they have calmed down.

Coon's age

(USA) A very long time, as in 'I haven't seen her in a coon's age!'

Corner a market

If a business is dominant in an area and unlikely to be challenged by other companies, it has cornered the market.

Couch potato

A couch potato is an extremely idle or lazy person who chooses to spend most of their leisure time horizontal in front of the TV and eats a diet that is mainly junk food.

Could eat a horse

If you are very hungry, you could eat a horse.

Couldn't give two hoots

If you couldn't give two hoots about something, you don't care at all about it.

Count sheep

If people cannot sleep, they are advised to count sheep mentally.

Count your blessings

When people count their blessings, they concentrate on all the good things in their lives instead of the negative ones.

Country mile

(USA) A country mile is used to describe a long distance.

Cover all the bases

If you cover all the bases, you deal with all aspects of a situation or issue, or anticipate all possibilities. ('Cover all bases' is also used.)

Crack a nut with a sledgehammer

If you use a sledgehammer to crack a nut, you apply too much force to achieve a result. ('Jackhammer' is also used.)

Crack of dawn

The crack of dawn is very early in the morning.

Crash a party

If you crash a party, or are a gatecrasher, you go somewhere you haven't been invited to.

Cream of the crop

The cream of the crop is the best there is.

Cream rises to the top

A good person or idea cannot go unnoticed for long, just as cream poured in coffee or tea eventually rises to the top.

Creature comforts

If a person said "I hate camping. I don't like giving up my creature comforts." the person would be referring, in particular, to the comfortable things he/she would have at home but not when camping. At home, for example, he/she would have complete shelter from the weather, a television, a nice comfortable warm bed, the ability to take a warm bath or shower, comfortable lounge chairs to relax in and so on. The person doesn't like giving up the material and psychological benefits of his/her normal life.

Crème de la crème

The crème de la crème is the very best of something.

Crepe hanger

(USA) One who always looks at the bad side of things and is morbid or gloomy. In olden days crepe was hung on the door of a deceased person's home.

Critical mass

The minimum amount of resources or number of people needed to start and/or sustain a business, project or event.

Crocodile tears

If someone cries crocodile tears, they pretend to be upset or affected by something.

Crooked as a dog's hind leg

Someone who is very dishonest is as crooked as a dog's hind leg.

Cross my heart and hope to die

People say this to show how sincere their promise is.

Cross swords

When people cross swords, they argue or dispute. This expression is used when some groups accuse each other for non-adherence to norms. Actually no sword is used but the tempo of the argument is high enough to cause worsening of the already bad situation. It is a tussle (vehement struggle without use of arms) between the parties to establish supremacy.

Cross that bridge when you come to it

If you will cross that bridge when you come to it, you will deal with a problem when it arises, but not until that point

Cross to bear

If someone has a cross to bear, they have a heavy burden of responsibility or a problem that they alone must cope with.

Crossing the Rubicon

When you are crossing the Rubicon, you are passing a point of no return. After you do this thing, there is no way of turning around. The only way left is forward.

Crunch time

When people, companies, etc, have to make an important decision that will have a considerable effect on their future, it is crunch time.

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