cardwell’s men
Officers promoted in pursuance of the new system of non-purchase.
Browse English 49241
All languages English Tiếng Việt
Where will you be? Anywhere UK & IrelandUnited StatesOnline slangBusiness jargon
care a button
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
care a jackstraw
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
care a whit
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
care about something
Feel concern or interest in something
care for somebody
To look after and provide for someone's needs
care package
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
careless talk costs lives
Traditional English proverbial phrase; full definition pending editorial review.
carew
Life and Adventures of Bamfylde Moore Carew, the King of the Beggars, with Canting Dictionary, portrait, 8vo. 1791.
cark it
To die.
Carling Sunday
It was an old custom, especially in the north, to eat parched peas fried in butter on this day, and they were called Carlings.
Carmen Sylva
This was the pen-name of Queen Elizabeth of Rumania (1843-1916). She was a woman of cultivated tastes, a musician, painter, and writer of poems and stories.
carney
Soft hypocritical language. Also, to flatter, wheedle, or insinuate oneself.—Prov.
carnish
Meat, from the Ital. CARNE, flesh; a Lingua Franca importation; CARNISH-KEN, a thieves’ eating-house; "cove of the CARNISH-KEN," the keeper thereof.—North Country Cant.
caroon
Five shillings. French, COURONNE; Gipsy, COURNA; Spanish, CORONA.
Carpathian Wizard
Proteus, who lived in the island of Carpathus (now Scarpanto), between Rhodes and Crete, who could transform himself into any shape he pleased. He is represented as carrying a sort of crook in his hand, because he was an ocean shepherd and had to manage a flock of sea-calves. By the Carpathian wizard's book.
Carpe Diem
Enjoy yourself while you have the opportunity. Seize the present day. "Dum vivimus, vivamus" Carpe diem quarn minimum credula postere.
carpet
"upon the CARPET," any subject or matter that is uppermost for discussion or conversation. Frequently quoted as sur le tapis, or more generally "on the tapis," but it does not seem to be at all known in France. Also servants’ slang. When a domestic is summoned by the master or mistress to receive a warning or reprimand, he or she is said to be CARPETED. The corresponding term in commercial establishments is a WIGGING.
carpet knight
One dubbed at Court by favour, not having won his spurs by military service in the field. Perhaps because mayors, lawyers, and civilians generally are knighted as they kneel on a carpet before their sovereign in contradistinction to those knighthoods that used to be conferred on the actual field of battle; but more probably with allusion to the preference shown by non-martial knights for the carpeted drawing-room over the tented field.
carpet munching
cunnilingus
Carpet The magic carpet
The carpet which, to all appearances, was worthless, but which, if anyone sat thereon, would transport him instantaneously to the place he wished to go, is one of the stock properties of Eastern wonder-tales and romance.
carpet-knight
An habitué of drawing-rooms, a "ladies’ man."
carriage company
Persons who go visiting in their private carriage. Seeing a great deal of carriage company.
carriage trade
High-end or luxury customers
carried away
to be overwhelmed by emotion or excitement
carrier-pigeon
A swindler, one who formerly used to cheat lottery-office keepers. Now used among betting men to describe one who runs from place to place with "commissions."
carriers
A set of rogues who are employed to look out and watch upon the roads, at inns, &c. in order to carry information to their respective gangs, of a booty in prospect.
carrion hunter
An undertaker; called also a cold cook, and death hunter. See COLD COOK and DEATH HUNTER.
carriwitchet
A hoaxing, puzzling question, not admitting of a satisfactory answer, as—"How far is it from the first of July to London Bridge?" "If a bushel of apples cost ten shillings, how long will it take for an oyster to eat its way through a barrel of soap?"
carrot
"Take a CARROT!" a vulgar insulting phrase.
carrots
A redhead.
carrots
The coarse and satirical term for red hair. An epigram gives an illustration of the use of this term:—
carrotty-pated
Ginger-hackled, red-haired. See GINGER-HACKLED.
carry a torch
to have a long-standing crush or love for someone
carry away
to sweep someone off their feet with strong emotions
carry corn
To bear success well and equally. It is said of a man who breaks down under a sudden access of wealth—as successful horse-racing men and unexpected legatees often do—or who becomes affected and intolerant, that "he doesn’t CARRY CORN well."
carry forward
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
carry me out!
An exclamation of pretended astonishment on hearing news too good to be true, or a story too marvellous to be believed. Sometimes varied by "Let me die," i.e., I can’t survive that. Profanely derived from the Nunc dimittis (Luke xi. 29). The Irish say, "CARRY ME OUT, and bury me decently."
carry off
to succeed or accomplish something
carry on
continue doing something
carry on with something
continue doing something
carry one's weight
to do one's share of work or contribute equally
carry oneself
To conduct or behave oneself in a particular way
carry out
To perform or execute a task or plan
carry over
to extend or transfer something to another time or situation
carry someone's water
To support or promote someone's interests or ideas
carry something out
to complete or fulfill a task or plan
carry the ball
to take responsibility and lead a project or effort
carry the can
be blamed or punished for someone else's mistake
carry the mail
to perform well or succeed
carry the message to Garcia
To take initiative and responsibility to complete a task
carry the torch
to continue or support a tradition or idea
carry through
To complete or fulfill something
carry water for
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
carry witchet
A sort of conundrum, puzzlewit, or riddle.
carry-on
To joke a person to excess, to CARRY ON a "spree" too far; "how we CARRIED ON, to be sure!" i.e., what fun we had. Nautical term—from carrying on sail.
Carrying coals to Newcastle
Doing something unnecessary or redundant
cart
To put the cart before the horse; to mention the last part of a story first. To be flogged at the cart's a-se or tail; persons guilty of petty larceny are frequently sentenced to be tied to the tail of a cart, and whipped by the common executioner, for a certain distance: the degree of severity in the execution is left to the discretion of the executioner, who, it is said, has cats of nine tails of all prices.
cart-wheel
A five-shilling piece. Generally condensed to "WHEEL."
carte de visite
A visiting card; a photographic likeness on a card, originally intended to be used as a visiting card. The idea was started in 1857, but it never "caught on," as such, although the small size of photo- graph became very popular. Cartel (kar tel'J, This is a word with several meanings. Originally it was applied only to a written agreement between opponents in a war arranging the exchange of prisoners.
Advertisement
Ad space — ads help keep Idiomer free. Premium will remove them.