201.
|
critical – the critical list
|
A list of hospital patients who are extremely ill or seriously injured and at risk of death
|
202.
|
cross - at cross purposes
|
Mutual misunderstanding due to each side referring to a different matter
|
203.
|
cross – cross a cheque
|
To draw or print two parallel lines across a cheque so that it can only be paid into a bank account.
|
204.
|
cross - cross one’s fingers
|
Cross one finger with another as a sign of hope that a good or the wished-for thing will happen.
|
205.
|
cross - cross one’s heart
|
Make a sign of the cross over one’s heart to emphasize what one is saying is true.
|
206.
|
cross – cross one’s mind
|
Occur in one’s thought.
|
207.
|
cross - cross swords with
|
To have an argument or dispute with someone.
|
208.
|
cross - cross the floor
|
Walk over to join the opposing side in Parliament.
|
209.
|
cruel - a cruel blow
|
A tragic event that is so unfair and occurs so suddenly.
|
210.
|
cry - in full cry
|
In hot pursuit
|
211.
|
cudgel – cudgel one’s brain
|
To think very hard about something.
|
212.
|
cudgel - take up cudgels
|
To start to fight for or defend something one strongly believes in.
|
213.
|
curry - curry favour with
|
To bring oneself into favour with someone by flattering or pleasing them.
|
214.
|
cut - a cut above
|
Noticeably better than others.
|
215.
|
cut - cut a dash
|
To appear attractive when one puts on particular clothes.
|
216.
|
cut - cut and dried
|
(agreement, decision, etc.) reached and cannot be changed.
|
217.
|
cut - cut and paste
|
In computing, remove text from one location to place it on another.
|
218.
|
cut - cut and run
|
Withdraw from a situation that becomes difficult rather than attempt to cope with it.
|
219.
|
cut - cut and thrust
|
Uncontrolled and rough environment.
|
220.
|
cut - cut both ways
|
Have both good and bad sides
|
221.
|
cut - cut in line
|
To jump queue.
|
222.
|
cut - cut it out
|
Used to tell someone to stop saying or doing something.
|
223.
|
cut - cut no ice
|
Will not be able to bring about change in someone.
|
224.
|
cut - cut somebody free/loose
|
To set someone free by cutting the rope that binds them.
|
225.
|
cut - cut somebody short
|
To stop someone from finishing what they are saying.
|
226.
|
cut - cut someone dead
|
To deliberately ignore someone.
|
227.
|
cut - cut the cord
|
To not continue depending on someone.
|
228.
|
cut - cut the crap
|
Used to tell someone to stop wasting time on minor details and concentrate on the important ones.
|
229.
|
cut - cut the mustard
|
To be good enough to reach certain standard.
|
230.
|
cute - get cute with
|
To be mischievous.
|
231.
|
dagger – at daggers drawn
|
With mutual hatred.
|
232.
|
damnedest - do one’s damnedest
|
To try extremely hard to succeed or obtain something.
|
233.
|
damsel – damsel in distress
|
A young woman who needs to be rescued.
|
234.
|
dark – in the dark
|
In a state of ignorance.
|
235.
|
day – day of reckoning
|
The time when someone has to face up to the consequences of their actions.
|
236.
|
dead - be dead meat
|
To be in serious trouble.
|
237.
|
dead – dead and buried
|
Over and finished, no longer worth considering.
|
238.
|
dead – dead man’s shoes
|
Succeeding someone or inheriting his property is only possible on his death.
|
239.
|
dead – dead on time
|
At the stated or agreed time.
|
240.
|
deal - it’s a deal
|
Used to express one’s agreement to something.
|
241.
|
deal - strike a deal
|
Mutually agree to do something for each other.
|
242.
|
death – at death’s door
|
So ill that one may die soon.
|
243.
|
death - on death row
|
To be kept in the area of a prison where prisoners awaiting execution are confined.
|
244.
|
declare – declare an interest
|
To make known publicly that one holds an interest in something.
|
245.
|
decline – someone’s declining years
|
Last years of one’s life when one experiences diminishing physical strength and good health.
|
246.
|
delusion – delusions of grandeur
|
Possessing a very strong sense of self-importance.
|
247.
|
dice – dice with death
|
To place oneself in a rather risky position.
|
248.
|
dish – dish the dirt
|
To engage in casual conversation or idle gossip about other people.
|
249.
|
divide – divide and rule
|
To maintain control over people, and provoke dissent between them to ensure they do not rise in opposition.
|
250.
|
do – do or die
|
To persist in a course of action even if the outcome is death.
|
251.
|
do - dos and don’ts
|
The things that one must and must not do in a given situation.
|
252.
|
do – that does it!
|
Used to show that one can tolerate no more.
|
253.
|
dog - a dog’s age
|
A very long time.
|
254.
|
dog - dog eat dog
|
A situation in which people compete ruthlessly.
|
255.
|
dog – going to the dogs
|
Deteriorating with no possibility of improving.
|
256.
|
doing – take some doing
|
Involving hard work or much effort.
|
257.
|
domino - the domino effect
|
A situation in which one event triggers similar events around it to happen successively.
|
258.
|
done - a done deal
|
An agreed proposal or a completed business deal.
|
259.
|
done - the done thing
|
To be socially acceptable.
|
260.
|
dot – on the dot
|
Punctually.
|
261.
|
dot – to a dot
|
Exactly; precisely.
|
262.
|
dotage – in one’s dotage
|
In one’s old age.
|
263.
|
double - at/on the double
|
Very quickly.
|
264.
|
drag – drag one’s feet
|
To be deliberately slow to do something.
|
265.
|
drain - down the drain
|
Entirely wasted.
|
266.
|
draw - draw a blank
|
To be unsuccessful, especially after searching for something such as evidence, etc.
|
267.
|
draw – draw someone’s eye
|
To make someone notice something.
|
268.
|
dress – dress a salad
|
Add a mixture of additional ingredients onto a salad.
|
269.
|
dress – dressed to kill
|
Quality clothes worn to make a striking impression.
|
270.
|
drop – drop a bombshell
|
To suddenly reveal a shocking piece of news.
|
271.
|
drop – drop a clanger/brick
|
To pass an embarrassing remark in a social environment.
|
272.
|
drop – drop a hint
|
To convey something in an indirect way by what one says or does.
|
273.
|
drop – drop one’s guard
|
To cease keeping careful watch for possible danger.
|
274.
|
drown – drown one’s sorrows
|
To forget one’s problems by drinking a lot of alcohol.
|
275.
|
drum – drum one’s fingers
|
To unconsciously display one’s anxiety.
|
276.
|
due – in due course
|
At the appropriate time in the future.
|
277.
|
due – pay one’s dues
|
Make regular payments to; fulfil one’s obligations.
|
278.
|
duff - up the duff
|
Pregnant.
|
279.
|
dust – dust and ashes
|
Something that causes great disappointment.
|
280.
|
early - an early grave
|
Dying too soon.
|
281.
|
early – it’s early days
|
Early in time for something to happen, etc.
|
282.
|
earn – earn one’s keep
|
To do enough work to justify what one receives in return.
|
283.
|
earth – go to earth
|
Go into hiding.
|
284.
|
eat – eat humble pie
|
Admit one’s mistake and offer an apology.
|
285.
|
eat - eat one’s words
|
Retract one’s statement, usually under pressure.
|
286.
|
economy – economies of scale
|
To economic benefit of production of an item in large quantities.
|
287.
|
effect - to that effect
|
Getting the desired outcome or meaning.
|
288.
|
empty – empty your bowels
|
To defecate.
|
289.
|
end – be the end
|
Be the limit of what one can tolerate.
|
290.
|
end - days on end
|
Lasting many days.
|
291.
|
end – end in itself (an)
|
Something that one really wants to do, and not for other reasons.
|
292.
|
end – end it all
|
To kill own self; commit suicide.
|
293.
|
end – end to end
|
Arrange things in a row with ends touching
|
294.
|
end – in the end
|
Eventually; ultimately.
|
295.
|
end – make ends meet
|
To live within one’s means.
|
296.
|
end - to that end
|
To aim at or achieve something.
|
297.
|
end – to this end
|
For this purpose.
|
298.
|
even - get even with
|
To inflict harm or insult on someone just as much as they have harmed or insulted you.
|
299.
|
event - in any event
|
Used to emphasize that an event will happen besides others that may happen.
|
300.
|
event - in the event
|
Used to emphasize what actually happened or might happen in a given situation. |
