CORNERED A situation in which one is backed into a corner with no possible retreat is called ‘cornered’. This can be an idiom for when an individual has gone past the point of no return, or feels that they are in a position where they have nowhere to go. The phrase ‘cornered’ is an idiom…
COOK (SOMEONE’S) GOOSE Cook someone’s goose is used to mean ruining someone’s plans, putting an end to their success. This idiom attracts the image of someone cooking a goose which is then served with stuffing, potatoes, and gravy. Actually, there is no soup in “souping up” which means making something faster or more powerful. Idiom:…
COME OFF IT! In this idiom, the phrase “come off it” is a colloquialism that indicates a request for someone to stop deceiving themselves. It is often accompanied by a rhetorical question, inviting the person to stop denying the truth or to admit that they are wrong. The phrase come off it is an idiomatic…
COLD TURKEY An idiom typically is a phrase that has a figurative meaning different from the literal meaning of the phrase. The term “cold turkey” is an idiomatic expression of someone abruptly quitting or cutting off something, such as drugs. The term “cold turkey” is often used to refer to a person going through cold…
CLOWN AROUND To “clown around” is to have fun in an informal, playful way. When people “clown around,” they are not being serious or formal. They are not taking themselves too seriously. The term “clown around” is an idiomatic phrase which means “to behave in a silly or childish manner.” The phrase can have many…
CLIMB/JUMP ON THE BANDWAGON The idiom “jump on the bandwagon” advises people to get in on a trend that has already gone mainstream, instead of waiting until it’s too late. Doing this allows for a quicker and easier chance of gaining popularity and notoriety than if you were to wait and face competition. The term…
CLEAN (SOMEONE) OUT The term “clean someone out” refers to a person being robbed of all their possessions. This often involves a thief who steals a person’s credit card and then purchases items that she or he can easily resell for cash, such as electronics. If a person has a bank account and someone removes…
CHIP ON (ONE’S) SHOULDER A chip on one’s shoulder is an expression for perceived or imaginary insult, often seen as the result of a person’s own insecurity. The term comes from the military metaphor meaning to carry (and protect) one’s weapon (the shoulder) higher than usual because of the feeling that one needs to be…
CHICKEN The phrase “chicken” is likely to be used as a term for cowardice. It may also refer to someone playing the role of “chicken” in a game or activity, such as by agreeing to go first or last without flipping a coin. The word is also commonly used as an informal way of telling…
CHECKERED PAST Checkered past is a term used to describe someones life history of having been engaged in questionable behavior. The phrase was used as early as the 1700s and 1800s as a metaphor for “marked with some kind of pattern or spot, as if checkered. Having a checkered past is a colloquial way of…