A dictionary of Confusable Phrases: More Than 10,000 Idioms and Collocations

cover note • covering note
cover note —(UK) a temporary certificate of insurance (be-
tween the acceptance and issue of a policy): The insurance
expired four days ago, and since I was away there isn’t even a
cover note.
covering note —(also: covering letter) a letter sent with an en-
closure to provide additional information: This fact should
be made clear in the covering note that goes with the sample.
cover the ground • cover the territory
cover the ground —
1
. (also: cover ground) deal with an assign-
ment, etc. (especially efficiently or rapidly): His supporters
just couldn’t cover the ground fast enough to capitalize on the
sudden shift in public sentiment. 2. (of a book, etc.) treat a
subject: The author’s statements, as to testing the cement be-
fore it was accepted, are very instructive and seem to cover the
ground most thoroughly.
cover the territory —(also: cover the field) be comprehensive:
The book really covers the territory in terms of outlining the
medical treatment options, their pluses and minuses.
cow in milk • milch cow
cow in milk —a cow yielding milk: Their goal now is to de-
crease the number of cows in milk and maintain production
and profit where it is.
milch cow —
1
. = cow in milk: The farm needs the replace-
ment of milch cows as the original stocks have become less
productive. 2. a person who is easily tricked out of his money;
a source of easy income: The industry is a milch cow for state
and national political campaigns.
cow man • cowboy
cow man —a man who raises or tends cattle: In Florida he
was a “cow hunter” (later also called a “cow puncher”), and
the stockowner or dealer was a “cow man” or “cattleman.”
cowboy —
1
. a man hired to round up and tend cattle, espe-
cially in the western United States: Cowboys traditionally
work on horseback, but now also use motor vehicles. 2. a man
who performs in shows such as rodeos: Visit this site for a
two-minute clip of the Blanco County Rodeo; hear how a real
cowboy describes the experience of riding a bull.