DARK HORSE Originally, the phrase “dark horse” was used to describe a candidate in an election who entered relatively unknown or unexpected. In recent years, the term has been used to describe a person or thing that is unexpectedly successful. A dark horse is an unexpected candidate for victory or success. It can also refer…
CUT (SOMEONE) TO THE QUICK When someone is cut to the quick, it means they have been deeply offended. For example, if a person’s friend makes a joke about their weight, this would be considered cutting them to the quick. A person who is cut to the quick has been deeply wounded and might react…
CUT AND DRIED Cut-and-dried means to be settled, certain, or definite. An example of this is if you have made a decision about something and feel sure it is the right choice. This phrase can also be used to refer to someone who does not have any hidden agendas or secrets that they are trying…
CRY OVER SPILLED MILK The idiom, “cry over spilled milk,” is an English proverb that means to lament over a misfortune that has already occurred. It is usually employed when someone complains about something that cannot be fixed or changed, such as an injury or past event, and is often portrayed as a waste of…
CREAM OF THE CROP This idiom is used to describe the best of a group or category. It’s often used to demonstrate superiority, but can also be used to highlight quality in a variety of contexts. In the context of this idiom, a group is an organism’s population and a category is its hierarchical rank….
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…