Idioms Dictionary With Meaning and Sentences Part 21

List-21

1.if the cap fits, wear it

Meaning: –if you think the remarks made reference to you, then act accordingly

Use:-The officer has great trust in you; if the cap fits, wear it.

2. To go cap in hand

Meaning: –to beseech in a humble manner

Use:-After making mischief, he went cap in hand to apologise to the teacher.

3. Capital punishment

Meaning: –the death sentence or penalty

Use:-Some people think that capital punishment is better than life imprisonment.

4. Capital ship

Meaning: –a warship of the most powerful kind

Use:-The Capital ship was sunk in the war.

5. To put the cart before the horse

Meaning: –to do first what ought to be done afterwards; to reverse the proper order of things

Use:-By taking the last step first, he tried to put the cart before the horse.

6. To let the cat out of the bag

Meaning: –to expose the trick; to let out the secret

Use:-He let the cat out of the bag by disclosing that his friend was the culprit.

7. To fight like cats and dogs

Meaning: –to be always quarrelling and fighting

Use:-Gurbux and his wife always fight like cats and dogs.

8. Care killed the cat

Meaning: Don’t worry and fret yourself to death

Use:-You should not worry much about this problem, for care killed the cat.

9. See which way the cat jumps

Meaning: –Sit on the fence; see how things are likely to turn out before deciding on a course of action

Use:-Before joining any party, I will see which way the cat jumps.

10. To rain cats and dogs

Meaning: –to rain incessantly

Use:-It has been raining cats and dogs since morning.

11. He is a cat’s paw

Meaning: –one used as a tool to do something dangerous.

Use:-In the fable the Monkey used the Cat’s paw to pull chestnuts out of the fire. He is not guilty but he has been used as a cat’s paw by his officer.

12. To catch one’s eye

Meaning: to attract attention

Use:-She caught everyone’s eye at the function.

13. To give a sop to Cerberus

Meaning: –to appease someone by gift or bribe; to bribe

Use:-These days you have to give a sop to Cerberus in every office for getting your work done.

14. To take the chair

Meaning: –to preside at a meeting

Use:-Mohan took the chair at the meeting of the working committee.

15. To ring the changes

Meaning: –to be continually making alterations and trying new methods

Use:-He never follows old methods and is always ringing the changes.

16. Chauvinism

Meaning: –absurd patriotism which manifests itself in warlike conduct)

Use:-From Nicholas Chauvin, a soldier ardently devoted to Napoleon. Chauvinism is a dangerous trait of character.

17. Catch at a straw

Meaning: –a help in dire need

Use: –A drowning man catches at a straw.

18. She is no chicken

Meaning: –She is older than she says, or appears to be

Use:-She appears to be very young but she is no chicken.

19. Chicken-hearted

Meaning: –weak timid, cowardly

Use:-He appears to be very brave but in fact, he is a chicken-hearted fellow.

20. Don’t count your chickens before they are hatched

Meaning: –Don’t calculate your gains before they are realised

Use:-Let the result come; don’t count your chickens before they are hatched.

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