[catch with one’s pants down]{v. phr.}, {slang} To surprisesomeone in an embarrassing position or guilty act. •/They thought they couldsucceed in the robbery, but they got caught with their pants down./ •/Whenthe weather turned hot in May, the drive-in restaurant was caught with itspants down, and ran out of ice cream before noon./

[cat got one’s tongue] You are not able or willing to talk because ofshyness. Usually used about children or as a question to children. •/Tommy’sfather asked Tommy if the cat had got his tongue./ •/The little girl had apoem to recite, but the cat got her tongue./ Compare: LOSE ONE’S TONGUE.

[cat has nine lives] A cat can move so fast and jump so well that he seemsto escape being killed many times. •/We thought our cat would be killed whenhe fell from the roof of the house. He was not, but he used up one of his ninelives./

[cathouse]{n.}, {slang} A house of ill repute, a house ofprostitution. •/Massage parlors are frequently cathouses in disguise./

[cat’s meow] or [cat’s pajamas] {n.}, {slang} Something verywonderful, special, or good. •/John’s new hike is really the cat’s meow./•/Mary’s party is going to be the cat’s pajamas./

[caught short]{adj. phr.}, {informal} Not having enough ofsomething when you need it. •/Mrs. Ford was caught short when the newspaperboy came for his money a day early./ •/The man was caught short of clotheswhen he had to go on a trip./

[cause eyebrows to raise]{v. phr.} To do something that causesconsternation; to shock others. •/When Algernon entered Orchestra Hallbarefoot and wearing a woman’s wig, he caused eyebrows to raise./

[cause tongues to wag] See: TONGUES TO WAG.

[caution] See: THROW CAUTION TO THE WINDS.

[cave in]{v.} 1. To fall or collapse inward. •/The mine caved in andcrushed three miners./ •/Don’t climb on that old roof. It might cave in./2. {informal} To weaken and be forced to give up. •/The children beggedtheir father to take them to the circus until he caved in./ •/After theatomic bomb, Japan caved in and the war ceased./

[cease fire]{v.} To give a military command ordering soldiers to stopshooting. •/"Cease fire!" the captain cried, and the shooting stopped./

[cease-fire]{n.} A period of negotiated nonaggression, when thewarring parties involved promise not to attack. •/Unfortunately, thecease-fire in Bosnia was broken many times by all parties concerned./

[ceiling] See: HIT THE CEILING or HIT THE ROOF.

[cent] See: TWO CENTS, WORTH A CENT.

[center] See: FRONT AND CENTER, OFF-CENTER, SHOPPING CENTER.

[century] See: TURN OF THE CENTURY.

[C.E.O.]{n.} Abbreviation of "Chief Executive Officer." The head of acompany, factory, firm, etc. •/We are very proud of the fact that our C.E.O.is a young woman./

[ceremony] See: STAND ON CEREMONY.

[certain] See: FOR SURE or FOR CERTAIN.

[chain gang]{n.} A group of convicts or slaves in the old South whowere chained together. •/Chain gangs are no longer an acceptable way ofpunishment, according to modem criminologists./

[chain letter]{n.} A letter which each person receiving it is asked tocopy and send to several others. •/Most chain letters die out quickly./

[chain-smoke]{v.} To smoke cigarettes or cigars one after anotherwithout stopping. •/Mr. Jones is very nervous. He chain-smokes cigars./[chain smoker] {n.} •/Mr. Jones is a chain smoker./[chain-smoking] {adj.} or {n.} •/Chain smoking is very dangerousto health./

[chain stores]{n.} A series of stores in different locations, joinedtogether under one ownership and general management. •/The goods in chainstores tend to be more uniform than in independent ones./

[chained to the oars]{adj. phr.} The condition of being forced to dostrenuous and unwelcome labor against one’s wishes for an extended period oftime. •/Teachers in large public schools frequently complain that they feelas if they had been chained to the oars./

[chair] See: MUSICAL CHAIRS.

[chalk] See: WALK THE CHALK.

[chalk up]{v.}, {informal} 1. To write down as part of a score;record. •/The scorekeeper chalked up one more point for the home team./ 2.To make (a score or part of a score); score. •/The team chalked up anothervictory./ •/Bob chalked up a home run and two base hits in the game./•/Mary chalked up good grades this term./

[champ at the bit]{v. phr.} To be eager to begin; be tired of beingheld back; want to start. •/The horses were champing at the bit, anxious tostart racing./ •/As punishment John was kept after school for two hours. Hewas champing at the bit to go out./

[chance] See: BY CHANCE, FAT CHANCE, STAND A CHANCE, TAKE A CHANCE.

[chance it]{v. phr.} To be willing to risk an action whose outcome isuncertain. •/"Should we take the boat out in such stormy weather?" Jim asked."We can chance it," Tony replied. "We have enough experience."/

[chance on] also [chance upon] {v.} To happen to find or meet; findor meet by accident. •/On our vacation we chanced upon an interesting antiquestore./ •/Mary dropped her ring in the yard, and Mother chanced on it asshe was raking./ Syn.: HAPPEN ON. Compare: RUN INTO.

[change] See: RING THE CHANGES.

[change color]{v. phr.} 1. To become pale. •/The sight was sohorrible that Mary changed color from fear./ •/Bill lost so much blood fromthe cut that he changed color./ 2. To become pink or red in the face; becomeflushed; blush. •/Mary changed color when the teacher praised her drawing./•/Tom got angry at the remark and changed color./

[change hands]{v. phr.} To change or transfer ownership. •/Eversince our apartment building changed hands, things are working a lot better./

[change horses in the middle of a stream] or [change horses inmidstream] {v. phr.} To make new plans or choose a new leader in themiddle of an important activity. •/When a new President is to be electedduring a war, the people may decide not to change horses in the middle of astream./

[change off]{v.}, {informal} To take turns doing something;alternate. •/John and Bill changed off at riding the bicycle./ •/Bobpainted one patch of wall and then he changed off with Tom./

[change of heart]{n. phr.} A change in the way one feels or thinksabout a given task, idea or problem to be solved. •/Joan had a change ofheart and suddenly broke off her engagement to Tim./ •/Fred got admitted tomedical school, but he had a change of heart and decided to go into the ForeignService instead./

[change of life]{n. phr.} The menopause (primarily in women).•/Women usually undergo a change of life in their forties or fifties./

[change of pace]{n. phr.} A quick change in what you are doing.•/John studied for three hours and then read a comic book for a change ofpace./ •/The doctor told the man he needed a change of pace./

[change one’s mind]{v. phr.} To alter one’s opinion or judgment on agiven issue. •/I used to hate Chicago, but as the years passed I graduallychanged my mind and now I actually love living here./