[carry the ball]{v. phr.}, {informal} To take the most importantor difficult part in an action or business. •/None of the other boys wouldtell the principal about their breaking the window, and John had to carry theball./ •/When the going is rough, Fred can always be depended on to carrythe ball./

[carry the banner]{v. phr.} To support a cause or an ideal withobvious advocacy. •/Our college is carrying the banner for saving thehumpback whale, which is on the list of endangered species./

[carry the day]{v. phr.}, {informal} To win completely; to succeedin getting one’s aim accomplished. •/The defense attorney’s summary beforethe jury helped him carry the day./

[carry the torch] See: CARRY A TORCH.

[carry the weight of the world on one’s shoulders] See: WEIGHT OF THE WORLDON ONE’S SHOULDERS.

[carry through]{v.} 1a. To put into action. •/Mr. Green was not ableto carry through his plans for a hike because he broke his leg./ 1b. To dosomething you have planned; put a plan into action. •/Jean makes good plansbut she cannot carry through with any of them./ Compare: GO THROUGH WITH,CARRY OUT. 2. To keep (someone) from failing or stopping; bring through; help.•/When the tire blew out, the rules Jim had learned in driving class carriedhim through safely./

[carry weight]{n.} To be influential; have significance and/or clout;impress. •/A letter of recommendation from a full professor carries moreweight than a letter from an assistant professor./

[cart before the horse (to put)]{n. phr.}, {informal} Things inwrong order; something backwards or mixed up. — An overused expression.Usually used with "put" but sometimes with "get" or "have". •/When thesalesman wanted money for goods he hadn’t delivered, I told him he was puttingthe cart before the horse./ •/To get married first and then get a job isgetting the cart before the horse./

[cart off] or [cart away] {v.}, {informal} To take away, oftenwith force or with rough handling or behavior. •/The police carted therioters off to jail./ •/When Bobby wouldn’t eat his supper, his mothercarted him away to bed./

[carved] or [chiseled] or [inscribed in granite] / [written instone] {adj. phr.} Holy; unchangeable; noble and of ancient origin.•/You should wear shoes when you come to class, although this is not carvedin granite./ •/The Constitution of the United States is so hard to changethat one thinks of it as written in stone./

[case] See: BASKET CASE, CIRCUMSTANCES ALTER CASES, COUCH CASE, GET DOWN TOBRASS TACKS also GET DOWN TO CASES, IN ANY CASE, IN CASE or IN THE EVENT, INCASE OF also IN THE EVENT OF, VANITY CASE.

[case in point]{n. phr.} An example that proves something or helps tomake something clearer. •/An American can rise from the humblest beginningsto become President. Abraham Lincoln is a case in point./

[case the joint]{v. phr.}, {slang} 1. To study the layout of aplace one wishes to burglarize. •/The hooded criminals carefully cased thejoint before robbing the neighborhood bank./ 2. To familiarize oneself with apotential workplace or vacation spot as a matter of preliminary planning.•/"Hello Fred," he said. "Are you working here now?" "No, not yet," Fredanswered. "I am merely casing the joint."/

[cash] See: COLD CASH.

[cash-and-carry(1)]{adj.} Selling things for cash money only andletting the customer carry them home, not having the store deliver them; alsosold in this way. •/This is a cash-and-carry store only./ •/You can savemoney at a cash-and-carry sale./

[cash-and-carry(2)]{adv.}. With no credit, no time payments, and nodeliveries. •/Some stores sell cash-and-carry only./ •/It is cheaper tobuy cash-and-carry./

[cash crop]{n.} A crop grown to be sold. •/Cotton is a cash crop inthe South./ •/They raise potatoes to eat, but tobacco is their cashcrop./

[cash in]{v.} 1. To exchange (as poker chips or bonds) for the valuein money. •/He paid the bill by cashing in some bonds./ •/When the cardgame ended, the players cashed in their chips and went home./ 2. or [cashin one’s chips] {slang} To die. •/When the outlaw cashed in his chips,he was buried with his boots on./ •/He was shot through the body and knewhe was going to cash in./

[cash in on]{v.}, {informal} To see (a chance) and profit by it;take advantage of (an opportunity or happening). •/Mr. Brown cashed in onpeople’s great interest in camping and sold three hundred tents./

[cash on the barrelhead]{n. phr.}, {informal} Money paid at once;money paid when something is bought. •/Father paid cash on the barrelhead fora new car./ •/Some lawyers want cash on the barrelhead./ Compare: COLDCASH.

[cast] or [shed] or [throw light upon] {v. phr.} To explain;illuminate; clarify. •/The letters that were found suddenly cast a new lighton the circumstances of Tom’s disappearance./ •/Einstein’s General Theoryof Relativity threw light upon the enigma of our universe./

[cast about] also [cast around] {v.}, {literary} 1. To lookeverywhere; search. •/The committee was casting about for an experiencedteacher to take the retiring principal’s place./ 2. To search your mind; tryto remember something; try to think of something. •/The teacher cast aboutfor an easy way to explain the lesson./ •/Jane cast around for a goodsubject for her report./

[cast down]{adj.} Discouraged; sad; unhappy. — Used less often thanthe reverse form, "downcast". •/Mary was cast down at the news of her uncle’sdeath./ •/Charles felt cast down when he lost the race./

[cast in one’s lot with]{formal} See: THROW IN ONE’S LOT WITH.

[castle in the air] See: BUILD CASTLES IN THE AIR.

[castles in Spain] See: CASTLES IN THE AIR.

[cast off]{v.} 1a. or [cast loose] To unfasten; untie; let loose(as a rope holding a boat). •/The captain of the boat cast off the line andwe were soon out in open water./ 1b. To untie a rope holding a boat orsomething suggesting a boat. •/We cast off and set sail at 6 A.M./ 2. Toknit the last row of stitches. •/When she had knitted the twentieth row ofstitches she cast off./ 3. To say that you do not know (someone) any more;not accept as a relative or friend. •/Mr. Jones cast off his daughter whenshe married against his wishes./

[cast one’s lot with] See: THROW IN ONE’S LOT WITH.

[cast out]{v.}, {formal} To force (someone) to go out or away;banish; expel. •/After the scandal, he was cast out of the best society./Compare: CAST OFF(3).

[cast pearls before swine] or [cast one’s pearls before swine] {n.phr.}, {literary} To waste good acts or valuable things on someone whowon’t understand or be thankful for them, just as pigs won’t appreciate pearls. — Often used in negative sentences. •/I won’t waste good advice on John anymore because he never listens to it. I won’t cast pearls before swine./

[cast the first stone]{v. phr.}, {literary} To be the first toblame someone, lead accusers against a wrongdoer. •/Jesus said that a personwho was without sin could cast the first stone./ •/Although Ben saw thegirl cheating, he did not want to cast the first stone./