CU Idiom
a cut above
superior, better A scholar's work is a cut above. It's superior to the others.
a cut-up
a joker, a person who tells jokes and has fun When Marsha goes to a party she's a real cut-up - a lot of fun.
an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure
prevent a problem so you don't have to solve it, a stitch in time... Forest fires deserve an ounce of prevention: public education in campfire safety.
biter (curling)
a rock that is touching the twelve-foot circle The Heidt rink is lying four - one is a biter.
break curfew
stay out later than the rules allow If you break curfew, the coach will remind you of the rules.
brush cut
short, level haircut - like a brush on top Your brush cut looks great - nice and flat on top.
calculated risk
an action that may fail but has a good chance to succeed They took a calculated risk when they introduced the new computer screen onto the market.
circular file
garbage can or wastebasket, file 13 A lot of memos go in the circular file. They're garbage.
clean cut
well groomed, clean, neat We're looking for clean-cut boys to work as waiters.
cool as a cucumber
calm, not nervous or anxious He is always as cool as a cucumber and never worries about anything.
cup of tea
favorite activity, choice of entertainment A holiday in the Yukon is not her cup of tea.
cup runneth over
feeling too full of love or joy or happiness My cup runneth over whenever I listen to Mother Teresa.
curiosity killed the cat
a very curious person may find trouble or danger Don't ask so many questions. Remenmber, curiosity killed the cat.
curl one
shock, frighten, horrify The movie is very realistic and many of the scenes will curl your hair.
curl up with a good book
sit down in a comfortable place and read a book On a cold and rainy day she likes to curl up with a good book.
curl your hair
shock you, disgust you The man described the accident. It was enough to curl your hair!
curtains
the end, the death, the last of If we clearcut Canada's forests, it's curtains for the lumber industry.
cushy
soft, luxurious, comfortable They had a cushy life in their beautiful home beside the ocean.
cuss
curse, say bad words, the air was blue The little boy had learned to cuss. He said damn and hell a lot.
cut
defined, clearly visible Neil's muscles are well cut. They ripple when he moves.
cut a deal
arrange a deal, make an agreement We were able to cut a deal and left the meeting in a positive mood.
cut a fine figure
look very good in your clothes, look sharp When Dee was in her twenties she cut a fine figure in this fur jacket.
cut a wide swath
do many things - party, play sports, live and love Tim cut a wide swath in his youth. He lived a full and active life.
cut above
(See a cut above)
cut and dried
simple, not complex, open and shut For me, the choice was cut and dried. I chose the Peugeot.
cut back
use fewer or use less The company has been cutting back on entertainment expenses for over a year now.
cut both/two ways
be capable of having two opposite effects My decision to complain to our boss could cut two ways and cause him to be pleased as well as angry at me.
cut corners
use less material, use less than required If we cut corners, we'll produce a low-quality product.
cut from the same cloth
from the same family, very similar Ty and Ed are cut from the same cloth - both are serious and quiet.
cut him off
not have sex with him, not make love to him If he doesn't buy me a car, I'll cut him off - no nookie!
cut it
do the job, satisfy, work Red and brown just don't cut it. They look ugly together.
cut it a little fine
leave very little time, have just enough money After paying the rent we had only $60. This is cutting it a little fine.
Cut it out!
stop doing something (that's annoying).
cut it out
stop it, do not do that, knock it off When the kids began throwing dirt, we told them to cut it out.
cut losses
quit the project and accept the financial losses If the stock price goes down, sell them and cut your losses.
cut me some slack
give me more time, give me more freedom You may be asking too much of your son. Cut him some slack.
cut me to the quick
hurt me, cause me to feel sad I was hurt when she called me a cow. She cut me to the quick.
cut my teeth on
learned as a young person, learned as I grew up Yes, I can tie a bow knot. I cut my teeth on string and ropes.
cut off
interrupt, prevent from talking, shut down "The chairman cut me off in the middle of my question. ""You're out of order,"" he said."
cut off one
make things worse for oneself because one is angry - usually at someone else When he decided not to go to the party he was cutting off his nose to spite his face. He was the one who lost out on a good opportunity to meet many new people.
cut off your nose to spite your face
make your problem worse, hurt yourself because you dislike yourself If you abuse drugs to forget a problem, you are cutting off your nose to spite your face.
cut one
spoil one's chances, ruin a person He is cutting his own throat if he doesn't make an effort to find a new job quickly.
cut one's losses
do something to stop losing money or something We should sell the old machinery as soon as possible and try and cut our losses.
cut out for
have natural ability for, be suited to I guess I'm just not cut out for bull riding. I'm not good at it.
cut-rate
sell for a price lower than usual We went to a cut-rate furniture store to buy some new furniture for our apartment.
cut (someone) off
stop someone from saying something We tried to outline our proposal but we were constantly cut off by our noisy opponents.
cut the cheese
let off gas, fart, pass wind Then somebody cut the cheese, and everybody laughed.
cut the crap
stop telling lies, do not BS, no more bull Will somebody tell him to cut the crap and give us the facts.
cut the mustard
do the job properly, cut it If I'm too old to cut the mustard, maybe I should retire, eh.
cut to the chase
tell the exciting part, get to the point George, please, cut to the chase. We're tired of the story already.
