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

carry someone off his feet • get someone on his
feet
carry someone off his feet—(also: sweep someone off his feet) af-
fect a person with overwhelming enthusiasm: It was small
wonder that this beautiful woman carried him off his feet.
get someone on his feet—(also: set someone back on his feet)
cure a person: It was difficult when they made me sit up in
bed…. Over the course of a few weeks they gradually got me
on my feet.
carry water in a sieve • pour water into a sieve
carry water in a sieve —do futile work: It doesn’t look like
I’ve accomplished a thing. I might as well have been carrying
water in a sieve.
pour water into a sieve —
1
. = carry water in a sieve: It is of
no more use to give advice to the idle than to pour water into
a sieve. 2. waste money: Charles is head over ears in debt, but
he will not get another farthing from me. It is pouring water
into a sieve.
cash in on something • cash in something
cash in on something —
1
. make a profit on smth.: Steve
cashed in on the farmland he picked up dirt-cheap. 2. take
advantage of smth.: Japan’s diplomats are now trying to “cash
in on” the opportunities which its soldiers have created.
cash in something —exchange smth. for the amount of money
it is worth: The shares were cashed in to help buy my London
house.
cast a long shadow over something • cast a shadow
over something
cast a long shadow over something —exert a very strong in-
fluence on smth.: Helmut Kohl cast a very long shadow over
German politics, even after his defeat at the polls in 
1
998.
cast a shadow over something —(also: cast a shade over some-
thing ) have a damaging effect on smth. such as a person’s rep-
utation, relationships, etc.: The trauma suffered by these
women has cast a shadow over their lives.