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

be canned • be in the can
be canned —(U.S. sl.) be expelled or dismissed from one’s
employment: When the coach was fired, some said he was
canned for siding with John.
be in the can —(sl.) 
1
. (of a movie, etc.) be finished and ready:
The scene was “in the can” after twenty-five retakes. 2. (U.S.)
be in prison: I know that he spent two years in the can for
armed robbery.
be carried away by something • be carried off by
something
be carried away by something —become eager or enthusiastic
about smth.: Roosevelt was carried away by the thought of
another large relief project.
be carried off by something —(euph.) be killed (by a disease):
Unhappily he never got to the Tradition meeting, he had been
carried off by a heart attack.
– 33 –
be carried away by something

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be clear about something • be in the clear over
something
be clear about something —understand smth. completely: Let
us be clear about this: the pirates of 
1
964, like the pirates of
old, are simply out after money.
be in the clear over something —be out of a difficulty or trou-
ble caused by smth.: Is the Government in the clear yet over
the composition of the committee?
be content with something • content oneself with
something
be content with something —be satisfied with smth.; be will-
ing to accept smth.: The questionnaire results showed that 98
percent of students were “content” with their housing situa-
tion.
content oneself with something —be satisfied with just one
thing and not bother with other things: She hadn’t said much
but had contented herself with smoking cigarettes and smil-
ing.