Meaning:
abies bracteata 
n.
a pyramidal fir of southwestern California having spiny pointed leaves and cone scales with long spines
rac Idiom, Proverb
a contract out on
a contract that pays to have someone killed There's a contract out on Mike. The boss doesn't like him.
all it's cracked up to be
as good as the ads say, live up to the reports The new computer isn't all it's cracked up to be. It's not so hot.
at the crack of dawn
at the first sign of light, at first light At the crack of dawn he would rise, wash and go for a walk.
away to the races
going without a problem, smooth sailing When they approve our business loan, we'll be away to the races.
character assassination
saying things that ruin a person's reputation, muckrake """What did they say about him?"" ""It was mainly gossip and character assassination."""
character density
number of dense people, number of dummies If I join your company, the character density will decrease.
contract out on
(See a contract out on)
crack a book
study, read a textbook Sean passed that exam without cracking a book.
crack a joke
tell a joke, say a funny word or phrase Please be serious. Don't crack jokes or laugh at us.
crack down on
stop, not permit, not allow The police began to crack down on speeders in the school zones.
crack me up
make me laugh hard, split a gut Robin Williams cracks me up when he tells a story.
crack of dawn
(See at the crack of dawn)
crack shot/salesman etc.
a person who is highly skilled at shooting etc. Marvin has developed into a crack salesman. He's excellent.
crack the line-up
earn a place on a team, make the team He's a good basketball player, but can he crack the line-up?
crack this case
solve a crime, discover who is guilty "David will crack this case; he's a thorough investigator."
crack under the strain
become irrational or hysterical due to strain, around the bend Mother was a strong person. She never cracked under the strain of raising ten children.
cracked
crazy, nuts, wacko He must be cracked. He mailed a letter to himself.
crackers
crazy, bonkers, nuts Don't worry about me. I've been crackers all my life.
crackpot
a person who is strange or weird, wacko Some crackpot wrote a letter to him threatening his family.
crackup
collision, crash Drinking and driving causes a lot of crackups.
drag race
two cars racing from a stop light """Did you see the drag race?"" ""Ya. The Corvette won."""
drive you to distraction
cause you to lose thoughts, drive me up the wall Her continual chatter will drive you to distraction.
fall from grace
lose approval The politician fell from grace with the public over the money scandal.
fall through the cracks
not be included, leave out These children fell through the cracks. They didn't learn to read.
fast track
the quickest route or path, short cut There is no fast track to success in the field of photography.
first crack at
first turn, first chance to do it I want first crack at solving the problem. I want to try first.
get cracking
hurry up, start moving fast, get started We will have to get cracking on this work if we want to finish it before dinner.
go to rack and ruin
reach a very bad state of repair The building has gone to rack and ruin since the new owners took over.
goodness gracious
oh my, oh dear, gosh Goodness gracious! That sauce is hot!
hard nut to crack
something or someone difficult to understand or do He is a very serious person and is a very hard nut to crack.
in character
as usual, typical, in the way that a person usually behaves Supporting the other members of the staff is in character with her usual actions.
in her good graces
being liked by her, doing what she likes If you are in her good graces, you will be invited to her tea party.
inside track
an advantage, shortest distance around a racetrack I think that he has the inside track on getting the new job at the computer company.
keep track
check, count Keep track of the time you work at the computer. Keep a record.
keep track of
maintain a record Please carefully keep track of your expenses during the trip.
keep you on track
tell you what to do, remind you of the topic The instructor will help to keep us on track. She'll remind us.
lose track
forget how many you have, lose count He tried to count the number of birds, but he soon lost track.
lose track of
lose contact with someone (or something) I
make tracks
hurry, move quickly, vamoose We better make tracks or we'll be late for dinner.
not all it's cracked up...
(See all it's cracked up to be)
off the beaten track
not on the main road, out of the way I like to explore places that are off the beaten track - wild places.
off to the races
moving quickly ahead, off to a good start When we get our business loan, we'll be off to the races.
on track
in the right direction, on the rails After a few problems, our project is back on track.
one-track mind
thinking about only one thing He has a one-track mind. All he thinks about is money.
piss like a race horse
have to urinate, back teeth are floating I hope this mall has a washroom. I have to piss like a race horse.
practice what you preach
do what you say people should do If you want to hear truth, tell the truth. Practice what you preach.
rack my brain
think hard, try to remember I've racked my brain, but I can't remember where I saw that man.
rack one
try one's best to think, make a great mental effort I racked my brain for over an hour to try and figure out what to do about the problem with the new computer.try hard to think or remember something I have been racking my brains all day trying to remember his name.
rack up
compile, increase, build up, run up He racked up a lot of points with his first hand of cribbage.
rat race
rushing around, confusing way of living that does not seem to have a purpose He is tired of living in the rat race every day and plans to quit his job soon and do something else.