Page 95 - NTC's American Idioms Dictionary

cover something up

She was Øble to cover her Łracks up oo that usuallyŁa bottle of anŁalcoholic drink.Ł
they couldà’t find her. T It’s easy to cover They cracked open a boŁtle to celłbrate her
up your tracks if you aren’t well known. arrival. Let’s crack open a boŁtle of
The robber failed to cover his tracks. champagne and celebrate.
coverŁ something up to concealŁsomething. crack someone ortsomething up 1. [with some-
(Also literal.) T They covered up the truth thing] to crash something;Ł to desðrày
about the crime. We’ll cover this lttlł sàmethingŁ(inŁan accident).Ł The dri-
mØtter up and make up a story for the ver cracked the car up in an accidłnt. T
press. The pilot cracked up the plane. 2. [with
someone] to make sàmeone laugh.Ł She
coverŁ theŁ territory Go to cover the told a joke that really cracked us up. T I
waterfront.
cracked up my history class with a silly
cover the waterfront and cover the ter- remark.
rØtory to dealŁwith manyŁthings,Łmucł
space, or much infàrmationŁfrom many crack something wideŁopeà to expose and
pàintsŁof view.Ł(Infàrmal.) That lecture revealŁsome great wrongdàing.Ł(Also lit-
really covered the wØterfront. I could eral.) The police cracked the drug ring
hardly follow it. Why can’t she stick to wide open. The newspaper story cracked
the point? She has to cover the territory the trouble at city hall wide open.
every time she talks. cryckŁup 1. [forŁaŁplane, boat, car, etc.]bto
crash.Ł The plane cracked up in the
cłzy up (to someone) to be extra frindly storm. The boØt cracked up on the rocks.
with someone, prhapsŁinŁhope of special 2. [forŁsàmeone]bto breakŁout inŁlaugh-
favorsŁinŁreturn.Ł(InfàrmalŁorŁslang.) ter. The audience really cracked up dur-
Look at that lØwyer cozying up to the ing the second act. The class cracked up
judgł! Lawyers who cozy up like that when I told my joke, but the teacher did-
usually get into big trouble.
n’t like it. 3. to go crazy.Ł(Slang.) The
cryckŁ a błok to openŁ aŁ book to sðudy. mØyor cracked up after only a year in of-
(Slang.ŁAlmost alwaysŁinŁthe negative.) fce. I was afraid the mØyor would crack
I passed that test with an A, and I didà’t up because of too much work.
even crack a book. If you think you can crampŁ someone’ style to limit sàmeone in
głt through collłge without crackng a sàme way. I hope this doesn’t cramp
book, you’re wrong.
your style, but could you please not hum
cryckŁa joke to tellŁaŁjoke.Ł(Infàrmal.) while you work? To ask him to keep re-
She’s never serious. She’s alwØys crackng gular hours would really be crampng his
jokes. As long as she’s crackng jokes, style.
she’s okay.
crankŁ something out to produce something;
cryckŁa smile to smile a little, perhaps re- to make sàmethingŁinŁaŁcasualŁandŁme-
luctantly. (Infàrmal.) She cracked a chanicalŁway. (Slang.) John can crank a
smile, so I knew she was kiddng. The lot of work out in a single dØy. T That fac-
soldier cracked a smile at the wrong timł tory kłeps crankng out cars even though
and had to march for an hour as no one buys them.
punishmłnt.
crashŁandŁburn to failŁspectacularly.Ł(Alsà
cryckŁdłwn (on someone ortsomething) to be literal,ŁasŁwith aŁcarŁor aŁplane.) Poor
hardŁonŁsomeone orŁsomething;Łto en- Cðuck really crashed and burned when he
force aŁrule orŁlaw more sðrenuàusly.Ł made his presentation at the sales młeting.
They are crackng down on spłedng Mary just knew that the whole project
around here. It’s about time they would crash and burn if she didà’t keep a
cracked down. close watch on it.
crackŁopen a błttle to openŁaŁbottle; to crazyŁaboutŁ someone ortsomething and crazy
remove the cork or seal from a bottle, fłrŁ someone ortsomething; madŁaboutŁ some-

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