Словарь американских идиом: 8000 единиц - Makkai Adam - Страница 40

[Christmas] See: FATHER CHRISTMAS.

[Christmas card]{n.}, {slang}, {citizen’s band radio jargon} A speeding ticket. •/Smokey just gave a Christmas card to the eighteen wheeler we passed./

[Christmas club]{n.} A plan for putting money in the bank to be saved for Christmas shopping. •/John deposits $10 each week in the Christmas club./ •/The woman will get her Christmas club money on December 10./

[chum around with]{v. phr.} 1. To be close friends with someone. •/They have been chumming around with one another for quite some time./ 2. To travel around with someone. •/Jack is planning to chum around with Tim in Europe this summer./

[cigar-store Indian]{n. phr.} A wooden statue of an Indian which in the past was placed in front of a cigar store. •/A cigar store Indian used to mean a cigar store in the same way a barber pole still means a barber shop./

[circle] See: COME FULL CIRCLE, IN A CIRCLE or IN CIRCLES, RUN CIRCLES AROUND also RUN RINGS AROUND.

[circulation] See: IN CIRCULATION, OUT OF CIRCULATION.

[circumstance] See: UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES also IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES.

[circumstances alter cases]{formal} The way things are, or happen, may change the way you are expected to act. •/John’s father told him never to touch his gun, but one day when Father was away, John used it to shoot a poisonous snake that came into the yard. Circumstances alter cases./

[circus] See: THREE-RING CIRCUS.

[citizen] See: SENIOR CITIZEN.

[civil] See: KEEP A CIVIL TONGUE IN ONE’S HEAD.

[claim] See: STAKE A CLAIM.

[claim check]{n.} A ticket needed to get back something. •/The man at the parking lot gave Mrs. Collins a claim check./ •/The boy put the dry cleaning claim check in his billfold./ •/The man told Mary the pictures would be ready Friday and gave her a claim check./

[clamp down]{v.}, {informal} To put on strict controls; enforce rules or laws. •/After the explosion, police clamped down and let no more visitors inside the monument./ •/The school clamped down on smoking./ •/When the crowds became bigger and wilder, the police clamped down on them and made everyone go home./

[clam up]{v.}, {slang} To refuse to say anything more; stop talking. •/The suspect clammed up, and the police could get no more information out of him./

[class] See: HIGH-CLASS, SECOND CLASS.

[clay] See: FEET OF CLAY.

[clay pigeon]{n.}, {slang}, {informal} 1. A popular target at practice shooting made of clay and roughly resembling a pigeon; an easy target that doesn’t move. •/All he can shoot is a clay pigeon./ 2. A person who, like a clay pigeon in target practice, is immobilized or is in a sensitive position and is therefore easily criticized or otherwise victimized. •/Poor Joe is a clay pigeon./ 3. A task easily accomplished like shooting an immobile clay pigeon. •/The math exam was a clay pigeon./

[clean] See: COME CLEAN, KEEP ONE’S NOSE CLEAN, MAKE A CLEAN BREAST OF, NEW BROOM SWEEPS CLEAN, TAKE TO ONE’S HEELS, also SHOW A CLEAN PAIR OF HEELS.

[clean bill of health]{n. phr.} 1. A certificate that a person or animal has no infectious disease. •/The government doctor gave Jones a clean bill of health when he entered the country./ 2. {informal} A report that a person is free of guilt or fault. •/The stranger was suspected in the bank robbery, but the police gave him a clean bill of health./

[clean break]{n. phr.} A complete separation. •/Tom made a clean break with his former girlfriends before marrying Pamela./

[cleaners] See: TO TAKE TO THE CLEANERS.

[clean hands]{n. phr.}, {slang} Freedom from guilt or dishonesty; innocence. •/John grew up in a bad neighborhood, but he grew up with clean hands./ •/There was much proof against Bill, but he swore he had clean hands./

[clean out]{v.} 1. {slang} To take everything from; empty; strip. •/George’s friends cleaned him out when they were playing cards last night./ •/The sudden demand for paper plates soon cleaned out the stores./ 2. {informal} To get rid of; remove; dismiss. •/The new mayor promised to clean the crooks out of the city government./

[clean slate]{n. phr.} A record of nothing but good conduct, without any errors or bad deeds; past acts that are all good without any bad ones. •/Johnny was sent to the principal for whispering. He had a clean slate so the principal did not punish him./ •/Mary stayed after school for a week, and after that the teacher let her off with a clean slate./ Compare: TURN OVER A NEW LEAF.

[clean sweep]{n. phr.} A complete victory. •/Our candidate for the United States Senate made a clean sweep over his opponent./

[clean up]{v. phr.} 1. To wash and make oneself presentable. •/After quitting for the day in the garage, Tim decided to clean up and put on a clean shirt./ 2. To finish; terminate. •/The secretary promised her boss to clean up all the unfinished work before leaving on her Florida vacation./ 3. {informal} To make a large profit. •/The clever investors cleaned up on the stock market last week./

[clean-up]{n.} 1. An act of removing all the dirt from a given set of objects. •/What this filthy room needs is an honest clean-up./ 2. The elimination of pockets of resistance during warfare or a police raid. •/The FBI conducted a clean-up against the drug pushers in our district./

[clear] See: COAST IS CLEAR, IN THE CLEAR, OUT OF THE BLUE or OUT OF A CLEAR SKY or OUT OF A CLEAR BLUE SKY, SEE ONE’S WAY CLEAR, STEER CLEAR OF.

[clear-cut]{adj.} Definite; well defined. •/The president’s new policy of aggressive action is a clear-cut departure from his old methods of unilateral appeasement./

[clear-eyed]{adj.} Understanding problems or events clearly; being able to tell very well the results of a way of acting. •/Tom is very clear-eyed. He knows he doesn’t have much chance of winning the race, but he will try his best./ •/He is a clear-eyed and independent commentator on the news./

[clear one’s name]{v. phr.} To prove someone is innocent of a crime or misdeed of which he has been accused. •/The falsely accused rapist has been trying in vain to clear his name./

[clear out]{v.} 1. To take everything out of; empty. •/When Bill was moved to another class he cleared out his desk./ 2. {informal} To leave suddenly; go away; depart. •/The cop told the boys to clear out./ •/Bob cleared out without paying his room rent./ •/Clear out of here! You’re bothering me./ Compare: BEAT IT.

[clear the air]{v. phr.} To remove angry feelings, misunderstanding, or confusion. •/The President’s statement that he would run for office again cleared the air of rumors and guessing./ •/When Bill was angry at Bob, Bob made a joke, and it cleared the air between them./

[clear the decks]{v. phr.} To put everything in readiness for a major activity; to eliminate unessentials. •/The governor urged the State Assembly to clear the decks of all but the most pressing issues to vote on./

[clear up]{v.} 1. To make plain or clear; explain; solve. •/The teacher cleared up the harder parts of the story./ •/Maybe we can clear up your problem./ 2. To become clear. •/The weather cleared up after the storm./ 3. To cure. •/The pills cleared up his stomach trouble./ 4. To put back into a normal, proper, or healthy state. •/The doctor can give you something to clear up your skin./ •/Susan cleared up the room./ 5. To become cured. •/This skin trouble will clear up in a day or two./