A-Z Database

A-Z Database

All A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Caught flat-footed

To be caught flat-footed means to be caught unprepared and therefore to be at a disadvantage. The expression is originally American and dates from the...

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Caught in a cleft stick

see Cleft stick


Caught napping

see Catch someone napping


Caught on the back foot

see On the back foot


Caught red-handed

see Red handed


Caught with one’s hand in the cookie jar

see Cookie jar


Caution to the wind

see Throw caution to the wind


Cavey

see Keep cavey


cc

see Carbon copy


Cenotaph

A cenotaph is an empty tomb, from the Greek cenos meaning empty and taphos meaning tomb. The Cenotaph at Whitehall, London, was originally erected to...

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Centre stage

To take centre stage is to occupy the main position of focus and attention, derives obviously from the world of theatre and dates from 17th century.


Century

British slang for £100 dates from the early 20th century.


Chalfont St Giles

Rhyming slang for haemorrhoids, Chalfont St Giles/piles, dates from the 1980s as in expressions like my Chalfonts are killing me. Chalfont St Giles is...

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Chalk and cheese

The complete expression is as different as chalk and cheese, clearly two things that could not be more different. The alliteration has kept this old s...

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Chamois leather

see Shammy


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