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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