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

[cat got one’s tongue] You are not able or willing to talk because of shyness. Usually used about children or as a question to children. •/Tommy’s father asked Tommy if the cat had got his tongue./ •/The little girl had a poem 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 seems to escape being killed many times. •/We thought our cat would be killed when he fell from the roof of the house. He was not, but he used up one of his nine lives./

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

[cat’s meow] or [cat’s pajamas] {n.}, {slang} Something very wonderful, 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 of something when you need it. •/Mrs. Ford was caught short when the newspaper boy came for his money a day early./ •/The man was caught short of clothes when he had to go on a trip./

[cause eyebrows to raise]{v. phr.} To do something that causes consternation; to shock others. •/When Algernon entered Orchestra Hall barefoot 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 and crushed 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 begged their father to take them to the circus until he caved in./ •/After the atomic bomb, Japan caved in and the war ceased./

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

[cease-fire]{n.} A period of negotiated nonaggression, when the warring parties involved promise not to attack. •/Unfortunately, the cease-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 a company, 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 who were chained together. •/Chain gangs are no longer an acceptable way of punishment, according to modem criminologists./

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

[chain-smoke]{v.} To smoke cigarettes or cigars one after another without 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 dangerous to health./

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

[chained to the oars]{adj. phr.} The condition of being forced to do strenuous and unwelcome labor against one’s wishes for an extended period of time. •/Teachers in large public schools frequently complain that they feel as 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 another victory./ •/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 being held back; want to start. •/The horses were champing at the bit, anxious to start racing./ •/As punishment John was kept after school for two hours. He was 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 is uncertain. •/"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; find or meet by accident. •/On our vacation we chanced upon an interesting antique store./ •/Mary dropped her ring in the yard, and Mother chanced on it as she was raking./ Syn.: HAPPEN ON. Compare: RUN INTO.

[change] See: RING THE CHANGES.

[change color]{v. phr.} 1. To become pale. •/The sight was so horrible that Mary changed color from fear./ •/Bill lost so much blood from the cut that he changed color./ 2. To become pink or red in the face; become flushed; 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. •/Ever since our apartment building changed hands, things are working a lot better./

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

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

[change of heart]{n. phr.} A change in the way one feels or thinks about a given task, idea or problem to be solved. •/Joan had a change of heart and suddenly broke off her engagement to Tim./ •/Fred got admitted to medical school, but he had a change of heart and decided to go into the Foreign Service 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 of pace./ •/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 a given issue. •/I used to hate Chicago, but as the years passed I gradually changed my mind and now I actually love living here./