| Idiom | Meaning | Example |
|---|
| a common thread |
an idea or theme that is similar to others |
There's a common thread in most of Berton's stories. |
| a contract out on |
a contract that pays to have someone killed |
There's a contract out on Mike. The boss doesn't like him. |
| a coon's age |
many years, a dog's age |
We haven't been out to the coast in a coon's age. It's been years. |
| a crash course |
a short course that has the main facts and skills |
He took a crash course in cooking and bought a cafe. |
| a crush on |
sudden feeling of love or romance |
Judy has a crush on Tim. See the way she looks at him. |
| a crying shame |
a sad event, it is too bad |
It's a crying shame that they didn't have fire insurance. |
| a cut above |
superior, better |
A scholar's work is a cut above. It's superior to the others. |
| a cut-up |
a joker, a person who tells jokes and has fun |
When Marsha goes to a party she's a real cut-up - a lot of fun. |
| a daredevil |
a daring person, bodacious, take a chance |
What a daredevil! She jumped across a ten-foot chasm! |
| a dead giveaway |
a clear signal, an obvious sign |
The smile on her face was a dead giveaway that she got the job. |
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