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[call to arms]{v. phr.} To summon into the army. •/During World War II millions of Americans were called to arms to fight for their country./
[call to mind]{v. phr.} To remember; cause to remember. •/Your story calls to mind a similar event that happened to us a few years back./
[call to order]{v. phr.} 1. To open (a meeting) formally. •/The chairman called the committee to order./ •/The president pounded with his gavel to call the convention to order./ 2. To warn not to break the rules of a meeting. •/The judge called the people in the court room to order when they talked too loud./
[call out]{v. phr.} 1. To shout; speak loudly. •/My name was called out several times, but I was unable to hear it./ 2. To summon someone. •/If the rioting continues, the governor will have to call out the National Guard./
[call up]{v.} 1. To make someone think of; bring to mind; remind. •/The picture of the Capitol called up memories of our class trip./ 2. To tell to come (as before a court). •/The district attorney called up three witnesses./ 3. To bring together for a purpose; bring into action. •/Jim called up all his strength, pushed past the players blocking him, and ran for a touchdown./ •/The army called up its reserves when war seemed near./ 4. To call on the telephone. •/She called up a friend just for a chat./
[call upon] See: CALL ON.
[calm down]{v. phr.} To become quiet; relax. •/"Calm down, Mr. Smith," the doctor said with a reassuring smile. "You are going to live a long time."/
[camel] See: STRAW THAT BROKE THE CAMEL’S BACK at LAST STRAW.
[camp] See: BREAK CAMP.
[campaign] See: WHISPERING CAMPAIGN.
[camp follower]{n.} 1. A man or woman who goes with an army, not to fight but to sell something. •/Nowadays camp followers are not allowed as they were long ago./ 2. A person who goes with a famous or powerful person or group in hope of profit. •/A man who runs for president has many camp followers./
[camp out]{v.} To live, cook, and sleep out of doors (as in a tent). •/We camped out near the river for a week./
[can] See: AS BEST ONE CAN, CATCH AS CATCH CAN.
[canary] See: LOOK LIKE THE CAT THAT ATE THE CANARY or LOOK LIKE THE CAT THAT SWALLOWED THE CANARY.
[cancel out]{v.} To destroy the effect of; balance or make useless. •/The boy got an "A" in history to cancel out the "C" he got in arithmetic./ •/Our track team won the mile relay to cancel out the other team’s advantage in winning the half-mile relay./ •/Tom’s hot temper cancels out his skill as a player./
[cancer stick]{n.}, {slang} A cigarette. •/Throw away that cancer stick! Smoking is bad for you!/
[candle] BURN THE CANDLE AT BOTH ENDS, GAME IS NOT WORTH THE CANDLE, HOLD A CANDLE.
[canned heat]{n.} Chemicals in a can which burn with a hot, smokeless flame. •/Some people use canned heat to keep food warm./ •/The mountain climbers used canned heat for cooking./
[canned laughter]{n.}, {informal} The sounds of laughter heard on certain television programs that were obviously not recorded in front of a live audience and are played for the benefit of the audience from a stereo track to underscore the funny points. •/"How can there be an audience in this show when it is taking place in the jungle? — Why, it’s canned laughter you’re hearing."/
[canned music]{n.} Recorded music, as opposed to music played live. •/"Let us go to a real concert, honey," Mike said. "I am tired of all this canned music we’ve been listening to."/
[canoe] See: PADDLE ONE’S OWN CANOE.
[can of worms]{n.}, {slang}, {informal} 1. A complex problem, or complicated situation. •/Let’s not get into big city politics — that’s a different can of worms./ 2. A very restless, jittery person. •/Joe can’t sit still for a minute — he is a can of worms./
[can’t help but]{informal} also {formal} [cannot but] {v. phr.} To be forced to; can only; must. •/When the streets are full of melting snow, you can’t help but get your shoes wet./ •/When a friend gave Jim a ticket to the game, he couldn’t help but go./ •/When a close friend dies, you cannot but feel sad./ Compare: CAN HELP, HAVE TO.
[can’t make an omelette without breaking (some) eggs] To achieve a certain goal one must sometimes incur damage, experience difficulties, or make sacrifices. — A proverb. •/When we drove across the country, we put a lot of mileage on our car and had a flat tire, but it was a pleasant trip. "Well, you can’t make an omelette without breaking some eggs," my wife said with a smile./
[can’t see the wood for the trees] or [can’t see the woods for the trees] or [can’t see the forest for the trees] {v. phr.} To be unable to judge or understand the whole because of attention to the parts; criticize small things and not see the value or the aim of the future achievement. •/Teachers sometimes notice language errors and do not see the good ideas in a composition; they cannot see the woods for the trees./ •/The voters defeated a bond issue for the new school because they couldn’t see the forest for the trees; they thought of their taxes rather than of their children’s education./ •/We should think of children’s growth in character and understanding more than of their little faults and misdeeds; some of us can’t see the wood for the trees./
[cap] See: FEATHER IN ONE’S CAP, SET ONE’S CAP FOR, PUT ON ONE’S THINKING CAP.
[cap the climax]{v. phr.} To exceed what is already a high point of achievement. •/Sam’s piano recital was great, but Bill’s performance capped the climax./
[card] See: CREDIT CARD, FLASH CARD, HOUSE OF CARDS, IN THE CARDS or ON THE CARDS, LAY ONE’S CARDS ON THE TABLE, PLAY ONE’S CARDS RIGHT, PUT ONE’S CARDS ON THE TABLE, STACK THE CARDS, TRUMP CARD.
[cards stacked against one] See: STACK THE CARDS.
[card up one’s sleeve]{n. phr.}, {informal} Another help, plan, or argument kept back and produced if needed; another way to do something. •/John knew his mother would lend him money if necessary, but he kept that card up his sleeve./ •/Bill always has a card up his sleeve, so when his first plan failed he tried another./ Compare: ACE IN THE HOLE(2).
[care] See: COULDN’T CARE LESS, HAVE A CARE, GIVE A HANG or CARE A HANG, TAKE CARE.
[carpet] See: CALL ON THE CARPET, MAGIC CARPET, ROLL OUT THE RED CARPET.
[car pool]{n.} A group of people who own cars and take turns driving each other to work or on some other regular trip. •/It was John’s father’s week to drive his own car in the car pool./
[carriage trade]{n.}, {literary} Rich or upper class people. •/The hotel is so expensive that only the carriage trade stays there./ •/The carriage trade buys its clothes at the best stores./
[carrot and stick]{n. phr.} The promise of reward and threat of punishment, both at the same time. •/John’s father used the carrot and stick when he talked about his low grades./
[carry] See: CASH-AND-CARRY.
[carry a torch] or [carry the torch] {v. phr.} 1. To show great and unchanging loyalty to a cause or a person. •/Although the others gave up fighting for their rights, John continued to carry the torch./ 2. {informal} To be in love, usually without success or return. •/He is carrying a torch for Anna, even though she is in love with someone else./
[carry a tune]{v. phr.} To sing the right notes without catching any false ones. •/Al is a wonderful fellow, but he sure can’t carry a tune and his singing is a pain to listen to./
[carry away]{v.} To cause very strong feeling; excite or delight to the loss of cool judgment. •/The music carried her away./ •/He let his anger carry him away./ — Often used in the passive, •/She was carried away by the man’s charm./ •/He was carried away by the sight of the flag./
[carry coals to Newcastle]{v. phr.} To do something unnecessary; bring or furnish something of which there is plenty. •/The man who waters his grass after a good rain is carrying coals to Newcastle./ •/Joe was carrying coals to Newcastle when he told the doctor how to cure a cold./ (Newcastle is an English city near many coal mines, and coal is sent out from there to other places.)
[carrying charge]{n.} An extra cost added to the price of something bought on weekly or monthly payments. •/The price of the bicycle was $50. Jim bought it for $5.00 a month for ten months plus a carrying charge of $1 a month./
[carry on]{v.} 1. To cause death of; kill. •/Years ago smallpox carried off hundreds of Indians of the Sioux tribe./ Compare: WIPE OUT. 2. To succeed in winning. •/Bob carried off honors in science./ •/Jim carried off two gold medals in the track meet./ 3. To succeed somewhat unexpectedly in. •/The spy planned to deceive the enemy soldiers and carried it off very well./ •/In the class play, Lloyd carried off his part surprisingly well./
[carry --- off one’s feet] See: KNOCK OFF ONE’S FEET, SWEEP OFF ONE’S FEET.
[carry off the palm] or [bear off the palm] {v. phr.}, {literary} To gain the victory; win. •/John carried off the palm in the tennis championship match./ •/Our army bore off the palm in the battle./ (From the fact that long ago a palm leaf was given to the winner in a game as a sign of victory.)
[carry on]{v.} 1. To work at; be busy with; manage. •/Bill and his father carried on a hardware business./ •/Mr. Jones and Mr. Smith carried on a long correspondence with each other./ 2. To keep doing as before; continue. •/After his father died, Bill carried on with the business./ •/The colonel told the soldiers to carry on while he was gone./ •/Though tired and hungry, the Scouts carried on until they reached camp./ Compare: BEAR UP(2), GO ON. 3a. {informal} To behave in a noisy, foolish, and troublesome manner. •/The boys carried on in the swimming pool until the lifeguard ordered them out./ 3b. {informal} To make too great a show of feeling, such as anger, grief, and pain. •/John carried on for ten minutes after he hit his thumb with the hammer./ Compare: TAKE ON(4). 4. {informal} To act in an immoral or scandalous way; act disgracefully. •/The townspeople said that he was carrying on with a neighbor girl./
[carry one’s cross] or {literary} [bear one’s cross] {v. phr.} To live with pain or trouble; keep on even though you suffer or have trouble. •/Weak ankles are a cross Joe carries while the other boys play basketball./ •/We didn’t know the cheerful woman was bearing her cross, a son in prison./
[carry out]{v.} To put into action; follow; execute. •/The generals were determined to carry out their plans to defeat the enemy./ •/John listened carefully and carried out the teacher’s instructions./
[carry over]{v.} 1. To save for another time. •/The store had some bathing suits it had carried over from last year./ •/What you learn in school should carry over into adult life./ 2. To transfer (as a figure) from one column, page, or book to another. •/When he added up the figures, he carried over the total into the next year’s account book./ 3. To continue in another place. •/The story was carried over to the next page./
[carry the ball]{v. phr.}, {informal} To take the most important or difficult part in an action or business. •/None of the other boys would tell the principal about their breaking the window, and John had to carry the ball./ •/When the going is rough, Fred can always be depended on to carry the ball./
[carry the banner]{v. phr.} To support a cause or an ideal with obvious advocacy. •/Our college is carrying the banner for saving the humpback whale, which is on the list of endangered species./
[carry the day]{v. phr.}, {informal} To win completely; to succeed in getting one’s aim accomplished. •/The defense attorney’s summary before the jury helped him carry the day./
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