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
Creature comforts

All those things in life that make us, as creatures, comfortable and happy, like a safe, cosy home, good food, warmth, hot water for bathing etc. Merr...

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Creep

A weak, ineffectual, potentially despicable person. American English expression first cited from the late 19th century. Derives from persons that cree...

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Creeps

Describes the unpleasant sensation of mild fear or abhorrence that one sometimes experiences, usually in the presence of someone or something that cau...

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Creepy-crawly

Colloquial expression for any, usually unpleasant, crawling insect. First cited from c. 1861.


Crikey

Crikey is a common exclamation of surprise and is a contraction of the much older expression Christ the King which dates from The Middle Ages.


Criss-cross

The modern, everyday meaning describes anything that is marked by intersections or transverse patterns and is a corruption of Christ-cross which descr...

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Critter

An animal, person or any creature, US and Canadian slang since the early 19th century derives from a corruption of the word creature to critter.


Crock

The full expression is crock of shit but the abbreviation crock is generally more acceptable in public media. It is American in origin and dates from...

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Crocodile tears

Represent an insincere show of sorrow or remorse and derive from the ancient and erroneous belief that crocodiles weep before devouring their prey. Cr...

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Crony

This familiar colloquialism dates from 1663 according to the OED and was first recorded as chrony. It was originally Cambridge University slang for an...

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Cropper

see Come a cropper


Cross bridges when you come to them

see Crossing bridges


Cross one’s heart (and hope to die)

There is a strong feeling that the habit of crossing one’s heart goes a long way back in time and is connected to the old religious practice of making...

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Cross swords with

Since time immemorial, a violent argument might have ended in real swordplay, but even as a figurative expression where to have words with someone was...

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Crossing bridges when you come to them

A strange proverb in that one cannot cross a bridge until one comes to it, however, crossing a bridge here is a metaphor for dealing with a problem or...

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