Common American Phrases in Everyday Contexts (23 page)

Cheer up
!
Don't worry!; Try to be happy!
T
OM
: Things are really looking bad for me financially. M
ARY
: Cheer up! Things'll work out for the best
.
S
UE
: Cheer up! In no time at all, things will be peachy keen. B
OB
: In no time at all, they'll be a lot worse.

Cheerio
.
Good-bye. (Chiefly British.)
B
OB
: Bye. T
OM
: Cheerio
.
“Cheerio,” said Mary, skipping out of the room like a schoolgirl.

Chow
.
Go to Ciao.

Ciao
.
AND
Chow
.
Good-bye. (Italian. Chow is not the Italian spelling.)
J
OHN
: Ciao. M
ARY
: Ciao, baby
.
“Ciao,” said Mary Francine as she swept from the room.

Clear the way
!
Please get out of the way, because someone or something is coming through and needs room.
The movers were shouting, “Clear the way!” because they needed room to take the piano out of the house
.
T
OM
: Clear the way! Clear the way! M
ARY
: Who does he think he is? B
OB
: I don't know, but I'm getting out of the way.

Close, but no cigar
!
Close, but not close enough to win! (Close in a race, guessing, or predicting, as if a cigar were a prize for winning.)
She ran a good race but finished a little behind the winner
.
Too bad. Close, but no cigar!
Good guess, Chuck. Close, but no cigar!

Close enough for government work
.
Go to (It's) close enough for government work.

Cold enough for you?
Go to (Is it) cold enough for you?

Come again. 1
.
Please come back again sometime.
M
ARY
: I had a lovely time. Thank you for asking me. S
ALLY
: You're quite welcome. Come again
.
“Come again,” said Mrs. Martin as she let Jimmy out the door
.
2
.
(usually
Come again?
) I didn't hear what you said. Please repeat it. (A little dated and folksy.)
S
ALLY
: Do you want some more carrots? M
ARY
: Come again? S
ALLY
: Carrots. Do you want some more carrots?
Uncle Henry turned his good ear toward the clerk and said, “Come again?
”