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[catch (someone) dead] <v. phr.>, <informal> To see or hear (someone) in an embarrassing act or place at any time. Used in the negative usually in the passive. * /You won't catch Bill dead taking his sister to the movies./ * /John wouldn't be caught dead in the necktie he got for Christmas./

[catch fire] <v. phr.> 1. To begin to burn. * /When he dropped a match in the leaves, they caught fire./ 2. To become excited. * /The audience caught fire at the speaker's words and began to cheer./ * /His imagination caught fire as he read./

[catch flat-footed] See: FLAT-FOOTED(2).

[catch forty winks] See: FORTY WINKS.

[catch hold of] <v. phr.> To grasp a person or a thing. * /"I've been trying to catch hold of you all week," John said, "but you were out of town."/ * /The mountain climber successfully caught hold of his friend's hand and thereby saved his life./

[catch it] or [get it] <v. phr.>, <informal> To be scolded or punished. - Usually used of children. * /John knew he would catch it when he came home late for supper./ * /Wow, Johnny! When your mother sees those torn pants, you're going to get it./ Compare: GET WHAT'S COMING TO ONE. Contrast: GIVE IT TO(2).

[catch it in the neck] or [get it in the neck] <v. phr.>, <slang> To be blamed or punished. * /Tom got it in the neck because he forgot to close the windows when it rained./ * /Students get it in the neck when they lose library books./ Compare: CATCH IT, GET WHAT'S COMING TO ONE.

[catch off balance] <v. phr.> To confront someone with physical force or with a statement or question he or she is not prepared to answer or deal with; to exploit the disadvantage of another. * /The smaller wrestler caught his opponent off balance and managed to throw him on the float in spite of his greater weight and strength./ * /Your question has caught me off balance; please give me some time to think about your problem./

[catch off guard] <v. phr.> To challenge or confront a person at a time of lack of preparedness or sufficient care. * /The suspect was caught off guard by the detective and confessed where he had hidden the stolen car./

[catch on] <v.>, <informal> 1. To understand; learn about. - Often used with "to". * /You'll catch on to the job after you've been here awhile./ * /Don't play any tricks on Joe. When he catches on, he will beat you./ 2. To become popular; be done or used by many people. * /The song caught on and was sung and played everywhere./ 3. To be hired; get a job. * /The ball player caught on with a big league team last year./

[catch one's breath] <v. phr.> 1. To breathe in suddenly with fear or surprise. * /The beauty of the scene made him catch his breath./ Compare: TAKE ONE'S BREATH AWAY. 2a. To rest and get back your normal breathing, as after running. * /After running to the bus stop, we sat down to catch our breath./ 2b. To relax for a moment after any work. * /After the day's work we sat down over coffee to catch our breath./

[catch one's death of] or [take one's death of] <v. phr.>, <informal> To become very ill with (a cold, pneumonia, flu). * /Johnny fell in the icy water and almost took his death of cold./ Sometimes used in the short form "catch your death." * /"Johnny! Come right in here and put your coat and hat on. You'll catch your death!"/

[catch one's eye] <v. phr.> To attract your attention. * /I caught his eye as he moved through the crowd, and waved at him to come over./ * /The dress in the window caught her eye when she passed the store./

[catch red-handed] <v. phr.> /To apprehend a person during the act of committing an illicit or criminal act./ * /Al was caught red-handed at the local store when he was trying to walk out with a new camera he had not paid for./

[catch sight of] <v. phr.> To see suddenly or unexpectedly. * /Allan caught sight of a kingbird in a maple tree./ Contrast: LOSE SIGHT OF.

[catch some rays] <v. phr.>, <slang>, <informal> To get tanned while sunbathing. * /Tomorrow I'll go to the beach and try to catch some rays./

[catch some Z's] <v. phr.>, <slang>, <informal> To take a nap, to go to sleep. (Because of the "z" sound resembling snoring.) * /I want to hit the sack and catch some Z's./

[catch-22] <n.>, <informal> From Joseph Heller's novel "Catch-22", set in World War II. 1. A regulation or situation that is self-contradictory or that conflicts with another regulation. In Heller's book it referred to the regulation that flight crews must report for duty unless excused for reasons of insanity, but that any one claiming such an excuse must, by definition, be sane. * /Government rules require workers to expose any wrongdoing in their office, but the Catch-22 prevents them from their doing so, because they are not allowed to disclose any information about their work./ 2. A paradoxical situation. * /The Catch-22 of job-hunting was that the factory wanted to hire only workers who had experience making computers but the only way to get the experience was by working at the computer factory./

[catch up] <v.> 1. To take or pick up suddenly; grab (something). * /She caught up the book from the table and ran out of the room./ 2. To capture or trap (someone) in a situation; concern or interest very much. - Usually used in the passive with "in". * /The Smith family was caught up in the war in Europe and we did not see them again till it was over./ * /We were so caught up in the movie we forgot what time it was./ Compare: MIX UP. 3. To go fast enough or do enough so as not to be behind; overtake; come even. - Often used with "to" or "with". * /Johnny ran hard and tried to catch up to his friends./ * /Mary missed two weeks of school; she must work hard to catch up with her class./ Compare: UP TO. 4. To find out about or get proof to punish or arrest. - Usually used with "with". * /A man told the police where the robbers were hiding, so the police finally caught up with them./ 5. To result in something bad; bring punishment. - Usually used with "with". * /The boy's fighting caught up with him and he was expelled from school./ * /Smoking will catch up with you./ Compare: CHICKENS COME HOME TO ROOST. 6. To finish; not lose or be behind. - Used with "on" and often in the phrase "get caught up on". * /Frank stayed up late to get caught up on his homework./ * /I have to catch up on my sleep./ * /We caught up on all the latest news when we got back to school and saw our friends again./ Syn.: KEEP UP.

[catch with one's pants down] <v. phr.>, <slang> To surprise someone in an embarrassing position or guilty act. * /They thought they could succeed in the robbery, but they got caught with their pants down./ * /When the weather turned hot in May, the drive-in restaurant was caught with its pants down, and ran out of ice cream before noon./

[cat got one's tongue] You are not able or willing to talk because of shyness. Usually used about children or as a question to children. * /Tommy's father asked Tommy if the cat had got his tongue./ * /The little girl had a poem to recite, but the cat got her tongue./ Compare: LOSE ONE'S TONGUE.

[cat has nine lives] A cat can move so fast and jump so well that he seems to escape being killed many times. * /We thought our cat would be killed when he fell from the roof of the house. He was not, but he used up one of his nine lives./

[cathouse] <n.>, <slang> A house of ill repute, a house of prostitution. * /Massage parlors are frequently cathouses in disguise./

[cat's meow] or [cat's pajamas] <n.>, <slang> Something very wonderful, special, or good. * /John's new hike is really the cat's meow./ * /Mary's party is going to be the cat's pajamas./

[caught short] <adj. phr.>, <informal> Not having enough of something when you need it. * /Mrs. Ford was caught short when the newspaper boy came for his money a day early./ * /The man was caught short of clothes when he had to go on a trip./

[cause eyebrows to raise] <v. phr.> To do something that causes consternation; to shock others. * /When Algernon entered Orchestra Hall barefoot and wearing a woman's wig, he caused eyebrows to raise./

[cause tongues to wag] See: TONGUES TO WAG.

[caution] See: THROW CAUTION TO THE WINDS.

[cave in] <v.> 1. To fall or collapse inward. * /The mine caved in and crushed three miners./ * /Don't climb on that old roof. It might cave in./ 2. <informal> To weaken and be forced to give up. * /The children begged their father to take them to the circus until he caved in./ * /After the atomic bomb, Japan caved in and the war ceased./

[cease fire] <v.> To give a military command ordering soldiers to stop shooting. * /"Cease fire!" the captain cried, and the shooting stopped./

[cease-fire] <n.> A period of negotiated nonaggression, when the warring parties involved promise not to attack. * /Unfortunately, the cease-fire in Bosnia was broken many times by all parties concerned./

[ceiling] See: HIT THE CEILING or HIT THE ROOF.

[cent] See: TWO CENTS, WORTH A CENT.

[center] See: FRONT AND CENTER, OFF-CENTER, SHOPPING CENTER.

[century] See: TURN OF THE CENTURY.

[C.E.O.] <n.> Abbreviation of "Chief Executive Officer." The head of a company, factory, firm, etc. * /We are very proud of the fact that our C.E.O. is a young woman./

[ceremony] See: STAND ON CEREMONY.

[certain] See: FOR SURE or FOR CERTAIN.

[chain gang] <n.> A group of convicts or slaves in the old South who were chained together. * /Chain gangs are no longer an acceptable way of punishment, according to modem criminologists./

[chain letter] <n.> A letter which each person receiving it is asked to copy and send to several others. * /Most chain letters die out quickly./

[chain-smoke] <v.> To smoke cigarettes or cigars one after another without stopping. * /Mr. Jones is very nervous. He chain-smokes cigars./ [chain smoker] <n.> * /Mr. Jones is a chain smoker./ [chain-smoking] <adj.> or <n.> * /Chain smoking is very dangerous to health./

[chain stores] <n.> A series of stores in different locations, joined together under one ownership and general management. * /The goods in chain stores tend to be more uniform than in independent ones./

[chained to the oars] <adj. phr.> The condition of being forced to do strenuous and unwelcome labor against one's wishes for an extended period of time. * /Teachers in large public schools frequently complain that they feel as if they had been chained to the oars./

[chair] See: MUSICAL CHAIRS.

[chalk] See: WALK THE CHALK.

[chalk up] <v.>, <informal> 1. To write down as part of a score; record. * /The scorekeeper chalked up one more point for the home team./ 2. To make (a score or part of a score); score. * /The team chalked up another victory./ * /Bob chalked up a home run and two base hits in the game./ * /Mary chalked up good grades this term./

[champ at the bit] <v. phr.> To be eager to begin; be tired of being held back; want to start. * /The horses were champing at the bit, anxious to start racing./ * /As punishment John was kept after school for two hours. He was champing at the bit to go out./

[chance] See: BY CHANCE, FAT CHANCE, STAND A CHANCE, TAKE A CHANCE.

[chance it] <v. phr.> To be willing to risk an action whose outcome is uncertain. * /"Should we take the boat out in such stormy weather?" Jim asked. "We can chance it," Tony replied. "We have enough experience."/

[chance on] also [chance upon] <v.> To happen to find or meet; find or meet by accident. * /On our vacation we chanced upon an interesting antique store./ * /Mary dropped her ring in the yard, and Mother chanced on it as she was raking./ Syn.: HAPPEN ON. Compare: RUN INTO.

[change] See: RING THE CHANGES.

[change color] <v. phr.> 1. To become pale. * /The sight was so horrible that Mary changed color from fear./ * /Bill lost so much blood from the cut that he changed color./ 2. To become pink or red in the face; become flushed; blush. * /Mary changed color when the teacher praised her drawing./ * /Tom got angry at the remark and changed color./

[change hands] <v. phr.> To change or transfer ownership. * /Ever since our apartment building changed hands, things are working a lot better./

[change horses in the middle of a stream] or [change horses in midstream] <v. phr.> To make new plans or choose a new leader in the middle of an important activity. * /When a new President is to be elected during a war, the people may decide not to change horses in the middle of a stream./

[change off] <v.>, <informal> To take turns doing something; alternate. * /John and Bill changed off at riding the bicycle./ * /Bob painted one patch of wall and then he changed off with Tom./

[change of heart] <n. phr.> A change in the way one feels or thinks about a given task, idea or problem to be solved. * /Joan had a change of heart and suddenly broke off her engagement to Tim./ * /Fred got admitted to medical school, but he had a change of heart and decided to go into the Foreign Service instead./

[change of life] <n. phr.> The menopause (primarily in women). * /Women usually undergo a change of life in their forties or fifties./

[change of pace] <n. phr.> A quick change in what you are doing. * /John studied for three hours and then read a comic book for a change of pace./ * /The doctor told the man he needed a change of pace./

[change one's mind] <v. phr.> To alter one's opinion or judgment on a given issue. * /I used to hate Chicago, but as the years passed I gradually changed my mind and now I actually love living here./

[change one's tune] <v. phr.>, <informal> To make a change in your story, statement, or claim; change your way of acting. * /The man said he was innocent, but when they found the stolen money in his pocket he changed his tune./ * /Bob was rude to his teacher, but she threatened to tell the principal and he changed his tune./ Syn.: SING A DIFFERENT TUNE.

[change up] See: LET UP(4).

[character] See: IN CHARACTER.

[charge] See: CARRYING CHARGE, CHARGE OFF(2), IN CHARGE, IN CHARGE OF, TAKE CHARGE.

[charge account] <n.> An agreement with a store through which you can buy things and pay for them later. * /Mother bought a new dress on her charge account./ * /Mr. Jones has a charge account at the garage on the corner./

[charge off] <v.> 1. To consider or record as a loss, especially in an account book. * /The store owner charged off all of the last season's stock of suits./ Syn.: WRITE OFF(1). 2. or [charge up] <informal> To accept or remember (something) as a mistake and not worry about it any more. - Often used with "to experience". * /He charged off his mistakes to experience./ Syn.: CHALK UP. Compare: CHARGE TO.

[charge something to something] <v.> 1. To place the blame on; make responsible for. * /John failed to win a prize, but he charged it to his lack of experience./ * /The coach charged the loss of the game to the team's disobeying his orders./ 2. To buy something on the credit of. * /Mrs. Smith bought a new pocketbook and charged it to her husband./ * /Mr. White ordered a box of cigars and had it charged to his account./