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[covered-dish supper] or [potluck supper] A meal to which each guest brings a share of the food. •/Dolly made a chicken casserole for the covered-dish supper./

[cover girl]{n.} A pretty girl or woman whose picture is put on the cover of a magazine. •/Ann is not a cover girl, but she is pretty enough to be./

[cover ground] or [cover the ground] {v. phr.} 1. To go a distance; travel. •/Mr. Rogers likes to travel in planes, because they cover ground so quickly./ 2. {informal} To move over an area at a speed that is pleasing; move quickly over a lot of ground. •/The new infielder really covers the ground at second base./ •/Herby’s new car really covers ground!/ 3. To give or receive the important facts and details about a subject. •/If you’re thinking about a trip to Europe, the airline has a booklet that covers the ground pretty well./ •/The class spent two days studying the Revolutionary War, because they couldn’t cover that much ground in one day./

[cover one’s tracks] or [cover up one’s tracks] {v. phr.} 1. To hide and not leave anything, especially foot marks, to show where you have been, so that no one can follow you. •/The deer covered his tracks by running in a stream./ 2. {informal} To hide or not say where you have been or what you have done; not tell why you do something or what you plan to do. •/The boys covered their tracks when they went swimming by saying that they were going for a walk./ Compare: COVER UP(1).

[cover the waterfront]{v. phr.} To talk or write all about something; talk about something all possible ways. •/The principal pretty well covered the waterfront on student behavior./

[cover up]{v.}, {informal} 1. To hide something wrong or bad from attention. •/The spy covered up his picture-taking by pretending to be just a tourist./ •/A crooked banker tried to cover up his stealing some of the bank’s money by starting a fire to destroy the records./ Compare: COVER ONE’S TRACKS(2). 2. In boxing: To guard your head and body with your gloves, arms, and shoulders. •/Jimmy’s father told him to cover up and protect his chin when he boxed./ 3. To protect someone else from blame or punishment; protect someone with a lie or alibi. — Often used with "for". •/The teacher wanted to know who broke the window and told the boys not to try to cover up for anyone./ •/The burglar’s friend covered up for him by saying that he was at his home when the robbery occurred./

[cover-up]{n.}, {slang} A plan or excuse to escape blame or punishment; lie, alibi. •/When the men robbed the bank, their cover-up was to dress like policemen./ •/Joe’s cover-up to his mother after he had been fighting was that he fell down./

[cow] See: HOLY CATS or HOLY COW, SACRED COW.

[cowboy]{n.}, {slang}, {informal} A person who drives his car carelessly and at too great a speed in order to show off his courage. •/Joe’s going to be arrested some day — he is a cowboy on the highway./

[cow college]{n.}, {slang} 1. An agricultural college; a school where farming is studied. •/A new, bigger kind of apple is being grown at the cow college./ 2. A new or rural college not thought to be as good as older or city colleges. •/John wanted to go to a big college in New York City, not to a cow college./