Note that, in the passages below, the emboldened and same-coloured parts of words listed immediately after the phrase ‘Pronunciation tip’, are pronounced in the same way. For example, ‘Pronunciation tip: cordon, about’ means the ‘o‘ (i.e. the second ‘o’) in the word ‘cordon’ sounds just like the ‘a’ in the word ‘about’.
call [someone’s] bluff
The phrase ‘call [someone’s] bluff’ means ‘challenge [someone] to carry out [his/her] stated intention, in the expectation of being able to expose it as a pretence, false claim or idle threat ‘.
call me on my mobile
Note that in this phrase, the preposition ‘on’ is used.
can’t take
The phrase ‘can’t take’ may be used in the following manner: ‘I can’t take another day of emotional torture.’
can’t take it anymore
The phrase ‘can’t take it anymore’ can mean ‘can’t tolerate it anymore‘.
carry through
The phrase ‘carry through’ has several meanings.
One of its meanings is ‘continue with or persevere to the end‘, as in the sentence ‘His dad carried the project through despite being sick.‘.
Another meaning of ‘carry through’ is ‘sustain, or enable to endure‘, as in the sentence ‘My mother’s faith helped carry her through this ordeal.‘.
You can learn about all the other meanings from a good dictionary.
catch my breath
The phrase ‘catch my breath’ means ‘try to resume my breathing normally after a physically taxing activity that causes heavy breathing‘.
catch up on
Here are some example sentences that illustrate the usage of the phrase ‘catch up on’: ‘I need to catch up on the sleep I missed.‘; ‘I need to catch up on my homework because I was too sick to do any in the past few weeks.‘
chase up
Here is an example sentence that illustrates the usage of the phrase ‘chase up’: ‘Please chase up the consultant to submit the drawings.‘
chime in
The phrase ‘chime in’ means ‘break into a conversation‘. The ‘i‘ in the word ‘chime’ sounds just like the ‘i’ in the word ‘ice’.
clarify with
The phrase ‘clarify with you (this thing)’ means ‘seek clarification from you regarding (this thing)‘.
clear up
The phrase ‘clear up’ has several meanings.
One of its meanings is ‘make clear and (more) understandable‘, as illustrated by the following sentences: ‘I cleared up the confusion about the rules.‘; ‘I cleared up the mystery surrounding her disappearance.‘
Another meaning of ‘clear up’ is ‘become free from clouds or less cloudy‘, as illustrated by the sentence ‘The sky clears up.‘.
come across as
Both the phrases ‘come across as‘ and ‘come across like‘ mean ‘be viewed by others in a particular way‘.
However, their usages differ slightly as illustrated by the following sentences: ‘He comes across as brainless.‘; ‘He comes across like a brainless person.‘
come by
The phrase ‘come by’ means ‘pay a visit‘.
come down
The phrase ‘come down’ means ‘travel to a place that is further south or is less important or smaller than the place you are leaving‘.
come down to
The phrase ‘come down to’ means ‘amount to the most important aspect of something, or be reduced to‘.
The following sentences serve as examples that illustrate the meaning of ‘come down to’:-
- ‘I know it’s a great offer, but honestly, my decision comes down to salary.‘
- ‘When it comes right down to it, I have to admit that my dad was wrong.‘
- ‘With rents getting more and more expensive, it all comes down to how much you desire to continue living in this part of the city.‘
come full circle
The phrase ‘come full circle’ means ‘return to a past position, circumstance, or situation‘. This phrase is used especially in situations where the return is considered inevitable.
come through
The phrase ‘come through’ has several meanings.
One of its meanings is ‘produce, deliver or perform as promised‘, as illustrated by the following sentences: ‘My dad comes through for me whenever I call him.‘; ‘He came through for his fans with a great performance.‘; ‘She came through with the money she had promised.‘
Another meaning of ‘come through’ is ‘reach a desired goal or attain success‘, as illustrated by the sentence ‘She came through her exam with flying colours.‘.
The phrase ‘come through’ can also be used to mean ‘be approved‘, as illustrated by the sentence ‘Your loan came through.‘.
Fourthly, ‘come through’ also means ‘be revealed, often despite an attempt at masking‘, as illustrated by the sentence ‘Her grief came through in her facial expressions.‘.
Feel free to share with us any other meaning that you know.
come to grips with
When you come to grips with a problematic or difficult person, thing, or situation, you make an effort to or begin to understand, accept, and deal with it.
compare against
If you say ‘I compare A against B‘, it implies that B is a standard or reference point of some sort.
cop out
The phrase ‘cop out’ means ‘choose not to do something, as out of fear of failing‘.
cordon off
The phrase ‘cordon off’ means ‘divide by means of a rope‘.
Pronunciation tip: cordon, about.
course of action
A ‘course of action’ is a ‘way of proceeding‘.
credit into
You use the word ‘into’ with ‘credit’, and ‘out of’ with ‘debit’ as follows: ‘credit into’; ‘debit out of’
Cut it out!
The exclamation ‘Cut it out!’ means ‘Stop doing that!‘.
cut the cheese
The phrase ‘cut the cheese’ means ‘pass gas or fart‘.