clip someone's wings
Restrict someone's freedom or limit their abilities
Browse all entries 4942
All languages English Tiếng Việt
clipper
A fine fast-sailing vessel. Applied also as a term of encomium to a handsome woman.
clipping
Excellent, very good. CLIPPER, anything showy or first-rate.
cliques and clans
Small, exclusive groups of people with shared interests
cloak and dagger
Secret and mysterious, often involving espionage or intrigue
Cloak and Sword Plays
Swashbuckling plays, full of fighting and adventure. The name comes from the Spanish comedies of the 16th- century dramatists, Lope de Vega and Calderon — the Commedia de capay espada; but whereas with them it signified merely a drama of domestic intrigue and was named from the rank of the chief characters, in France — and, through French influence, in England — it was applied as above.
cloak twitchers
Rogues who lurk about the entrances into dark alleys, and bye-lanes, to snatch cloaks from the shoulders of passengers.
clobbered
Drunk.
clock
A watch. Watches are also distinguished by the terms "red clock," a gold watch, and "white clock," a silver watch. Generally modified into "red’un" and "white’un."
clock in
to start work and record one's arrival time
clock is ticking
Time is passing and a decision must be made quickly
clock the tea
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
clockweight
A testicle.
clod hopper
A country farmer, or ploughman.
clod pate
A dull, heavy booby.
Clog Almanac
A primitive almanac or calendar, originally made of a four-square *kclog," or log of wood; the sharp edges were divided by notches into three months each, every week being marked by a bigger notch. The faces contained the saints' days, the festivals, the phases of the moon, and so on, sometimes in Runic characters, whence the "clog" was also called a "Runic staff.
clog up
to block or slow something
close
As close as God's curse to a whore's a-se: close as shirt and shitten a-se.
close as a clam
Mean, close-fisted; from the difficulty with which a clam is made to open its shell and give up all it has worth having.
Close as a Kentish oyster
Absolutely secret; hermetically sealed. Kentish oysters are pro- verbially good, and all good oysters are fast closed.
close as the grave
Very secret indeed. It's enough to make him turn in his grave. Said when something happens to which the deceased person would have strongly objected. Someone is walking over my grave. An ex- clamation made when one is seized with an involuntary convulsive shuddering.
close enough for government work
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
close helmet
The complete head-piece,. having in front two movable parts, which could be lifted up or let down at pleasure.
close in on
To get nearer to something or someone, often in pursuit
close on the heels of
Immediately after something or someone
close one eye
To ignore or pretend not to notice something
close one's eyes
To ignore or pretend not to notice something
close one's eyes and think of England
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
close one's mind
To refuse to consider new ideas or opinions
Close Rolls
Mandates, letters, and writs of a private nature, addressed, in the Sovereign's name, to individuals, and folded or closed and sealed on the outside with the Great Seal.
close season
A period when hunting or fishing is not allowed
close the book on
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
close the books
To finalize or complete a project or activity
close the face
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
close to somebody
having a strong emotional bond with someone
close, but no cigar
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
Close-time for Game
See SPORTING SEA- SONS. Cloth, The. This word was formerly applied to the customary garb of any trade, and is akin in usage to the word livery. About the 17th century it became restricted to the clergy; the clerical office; thus we say " having respect for the cloth.
closed book
Completely unknown or mysterious
closet case
A person who hides their true sexual orientation
closh
A general name given by the mobility to Dutch seamen, being a corruption of CLAUS, the abbreviation of Nicholas, a name very common among the men of that nation.
cloth market
He is just come from the cloth market, i.e. from between the sheets, he is just risen from bed.
clothes don't make the man
A person's character is more important than their appearance
clothes make the man
A person's appearance and attire reflect their character and social status
clothespin vote
a vote cast for a candidate only because of party affiliation
cloud
Tobacco. Under a cloud; in adversity.
cloud
TO BE UNDER A, to be in difficulties, disgrace or disrepute; in fact, to be in shady circumstances.
cloud nine
a state of perfect happiness
cloud seven
a state of perfect happiness
clout
A blow. I'll give you a clout on your jolly nob; I'll give you a blow on your head. It also means a handkerchief. CANT. Any pocket handkerchief except a silk one.
clout
Or RAG, a cotton pocket-handkerchief.—Old Cant. Now "clouts" means a woman’s under-clothes, from the waist downwards, i.e., petticoats when they are on the person; but the term is extended to mean the whole unworn wardrobe. Probably St. Giles’s satire, having reference to the fact that few women there possess a second gown.
clout list
A list of influential people to win over for support
clouted shoon
Shoes tipped with iron.
clouter
A thief.
clouting lay
Picking pockets of handkerchiefs.
clouts
Clothes.
cloven foot
To spy the cloven foot in any business; to discover some roguery or something bad in it: a saying that alludes to a piece of vulgar superstition, which is, that, let the Devil transform himself into what shape he will, he cannot hide his cloven foot
Cloven Foot
To show the cloven foot, i.e. to show a knavish intention; a base motive. The allusion is to Satan, represented with the legs and feet of a goat; and, however he might disguise himself, he could never conceal his cloven feet. See BAG o' NAILS; CLOOTIE.
clover
To be, or live, in clover; to live luxuriously. Clover is the most desirable food for cattle.
clover
Happiness, luck, a delightful position—from the supposed extra enjoyment which attends cattle when they suddenly find their quarters changed from a barren field to a meadow of clover.
cloves
Thieves, robbers, &c.
Advertisement
Ad space — ads help keep Idiomer free. Premium will remove them.