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

clip the Queen’s English 
(break the
Queen’s English)
close at hand
(at arm’s length)
close but no cigar 
(close enough for gov-
ernment work)
close enough for jazz 
(close enough for
government work)
close shave 
(clean shave)
close the books on something 
(close
the book on something )
close the door to someone 
(close the
door on someone)
close to the bone 
(to the bone)
close up shop
(close up a shop)
close with someone (close to someone)
close with something
(close to some-
thing )
close your eyes and think of England
(close one’s eyes)
closed book, a 
(close the book on some-
thing )
closed shop 
(close up a shop)
closely shaven 
(clean-shaven)
closest thing, the
(close thing )
closing time
(close time)
cockeye pilot
(cock-eye Bob)
coffee hour 
(coffee break)
coin money 
(do one’s money)
cold as a wagon tire 
(cold as stone)
cold to someone
(cold for someone)
cold winter in hell 
(cold as hell)
college boards 
(college board)
colored vision
(color vision)
come across with something
(come
across something )
come apart at the seams
(burst at the
seams)
come back to someone
(come back at
someone)
come down on something 
(come down
to something )
come down to someone 
(come down on
someone)
come home 
(go home)
come in from the cold
(be out in the
cold)
come in on something
(come in for
something )
come in out of the rain 
(come in from
the cold)
come into force
(come in force)
come into service
(go into service)
come into use 
(come in useful)
come of someone 
(come from someone)
come of something 
(come from some-
thing )
come off the grass 
(come to grass)
come on stream 
(be in the swim)
come on strong 
(come it strong )
come on the carpet
(be on the carpet)
come out in a rush 
(come out in a
rash)
come out in the wash 
(come down in
the last shower)
come out of one’s shell 
(be hardly out
of the shell)
come out of the closet 
(be hardly out of
the shell)
come out of the woodwork 
(be out of
the woods)
come out with something
(come out in
something )
come over someone 
(come it over some-
one)
come short home 
(come short)
come short of the mark 
(be wide of the
mark)
come shortly 
(come short)
come through hell and high water
(come hell or high water)
come to a dead end
(come to a bad end)
come to a stop
(come to a full stop)
come to light 
(come into the limelight)
come to mind
(come to a head)
come to pass
(come to a pretty pass)
come to the fore
(come forward)
come to the point
(come to a point)
come to the top 
(come out on top)
come under the wire
(come down to the
wire)
come up against a blank wall
(be put
up against the wall)
come up against something 
(come out
against something )
come up smelling of roses
(come up
roses)
come up with something
(come down
with something )
comical actor
(comic actor)
coming and going
(come and go)
commentate on a match 
(comment on
a match)
common woman 
(common man)
commonsense 
(common sense)
community home
(community center)
community property 
(common prop-
erty)
compete with someone
(compete
against someone)
comport with something 
(comport
oneself with something )
comprehensive policy 
(comprehensible
policy)
computer hardware store
(hardware
store)
concentrate on something
(concentrate
at something )
concern oneself with something
(con-
cern oneself about something )
concerned with something
(concerned
about something )
consequential result 
(consequent result)
consideration of something 
(consider-
ation for something )
consist of something
(consist in some-
thing )
consult with someone
(consult some-
one)
contact someone directly 
(contact
someone direct)
content oneself with something
(be
content with something )
contents of a book
(content of a book)
convert something to something
(con-
vert something into something )
cool fish 
(cold fish)
cool million 
(cold cash)
cool one’s heels 
(get cold feet)
cooling card
(cool card)
copper nose
(Copper Nose)
copy-cat 
(copy boy)
copy man
(copy boy)
cork something up 
(cork something
down)
corpsman 
(corpse-man)
cost of living 
(cost of life)
cost someone dear
(cost someone a for-
tune)
cotton to something 
(cotton on to
something )
cotton up to someone
(cotton on to
someone)
cottony cloth 
(cotton cloth)
count sheep 
(count one’s chickens)
count someone out
(count someone off )
count the pennies 
(count the cost)
court shoes 
(US) (court shoes [UK])
cover the field 
(cover ground)
cover the territory 
(cover the ground)
– 347 –
Phrase Index

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cover up for someone 
(cover for some-
one)
covering note
(cover note)
cowboy 
(cow man)
crack a nut
(hard nut to crack)
Cracker State, the
(Corncracker State,
the)
crackhead
(crack-brain)
crash about someone’s ears
(crash
about)
crash course 
(collision course)
crazy like a fox
(crazy as a loon)
credit card
(money card)
credit someone with something
(credit
someone for something )
cross-check 
(cross a check)
cross paths 
(be at the cross-roads)
cross something out
(cross something
off )
cross the line
(cross the finish line)
cross the Rubicon 
(cross over Jordan)
cross the t’s 
(cross the T)
crowd out of something 
(be crowded
out of something )
crowfoots
(crow’s feet)
crush bar 
(crash barrier)
crush barrier
(crash barrier)
crush into something 
(crash into some-
thing )
cry for the moon
(bark at the moon)
cry out for something 
(cry for some-
thing )
cup of tea, a 
(different cup of tea, a)
curse someone
(curse at someone)
cut and dried 
(high and dry)
cut back something
(cut back on some-
thing )
cut back to something
(cut back on
something )
cut each other’s throats
(be at each
other’s throats)
cut it out 
(cut it)
cut loose with something
(cut loose
from something )
cut one’s losses 
(cut back one’s losses)
cut out of whole cloth 
(cut from the
same cloth)
cut someone down to size
(cut someone
down)
cut someone off at the pass
(cut some-
one off )
cut someone off without a shilling
(cut someone off with a shilling )
cut someone short 
(cut someone down)
cut someone’s throat 
(cut someone
dead)
cut something off
(cut something away)
cut something out 
(cut something away)
cut teeth 
(cut one’s teeth)
Czechoslovakia 
(Czech Republic, the)
damn it all
(damn all)
dance on air
(go on the air)
Dark Ages, the
(dark age)
dark box
(black box)
date from something
(date back to
something )
day or night 
(day and night)
day out
(day off )
dead beaten 
(beaten to death)
dead-cat bounce 
(see how the cat
jumps)
dead man walking
(living corpse)
dead-man’s arm
(dead hand)
dead man’s hand
(dead hand)
dead on the money
(dead money)
dead on time
(dead season)
dead pigeon 
(dead bird)
dead rent 
(dead money)
dead soldier 
(dead man)
dead time 
(dead season)
dead to rights 
(dead right)
dead to the world
(blind to the world)
deadbeat 
(dead beat)
deadline
(dead line)
deadly heat 
(dead heat)
deal with something
(deal in something )
death chamber
(dead room)
death-fire
(dead fire)
death house
(dead house)
death rope
(dead rope)
death ship
(dead ship)
death’s head
(dead head)
decide something 
(decide on something )
defend someone from something
(defend someone against something )
defensive industries
(defense industries)
defer to something 
(defer something )
definitive answer
(definite answer)
deliver oneself of something 
(deliver
someone from something )
deliver someone of something
(deliver
someone from something )
demand on something
(demand for
something )
descend to someone
(descend on some-
one)
determined on something
(determined
in something )
deux temps 
(double time)