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[cows tail]{n.}, {dialect} A person who is behind others. •/John was the cow’s tail at the exam./ •/Fred was always the old cow’s tail for football practice./

[cozy up]{v.}, {slang} To try to be close or friendly; try to be liked. — Usually used with "to". •/John is cozying up to Henry so he can join the club./

[crack] See: HARD NUT TO CRACK or TOUGH NUT TO CRACK.

[crack a book]{v. phr.}, {slang} To open a book in order to study. — Usually used with a negative. •/John did not crack a book until the night before the exam./ •/Many students think they can pass without cracking a book./

[crack a bottle]{v. phr.} To open a new bottle of alcoholic beverage. •/On birthdays it is customary to crack a bottle and offer one’s best wishes./

[crack a joke]{v. phr.}, {informal} To make a joke; tell a joke. •/The men sat around the stove, smoking and cracking jokes./

[crack a smile]{v. phr.}, {informal} To let a smile show on one’s face; permit a smile to appear. •/Bob told the whole silly story without even cracking a smile./ •/Scrooge was a gloomy man, who never cracked a smile./ •/When we gave the shy little boy an ice cream cone, he finally cracked a smile./

[crack down]{v. phr.}, {informal} To enforce laws or rules strictly; require full obedience to a rule. •/After a speeding driver hit a child, the police cracked down./ — Often used with "on". •/Police suddenly cracked down on the selling of liquors to minors./ •/The coach cracked down on the players when he found they had not been obeying the training rules./

[crack of dawn]{n. phr.} The time in the morning when the sun’s rays first appear. •/The rooster crows at the crack of dawn and wakes up everybody on the farm./

[cracked up]{adj. phr.}, {informal} Favorably described or presented; praised. — Usually used in the expression "not what it’s cracked up to be". •/The independent writer’s life isn’t always everything it’s cracked up to be./ •/In bad weather, a sailing cruise isn’t what it’s cracked up to be./

[cracking] See: GET CRACKING — at GET GOING(2).

[crackpot]{n.}, {attrib. adj.}, {informal} 1. {n.} An eccentric person with ideas that don’t make sense to most other people. •/Don’t believe what Uncle Noam tells you — he is a crackpot./ 2. {attrib. adj.} •/That’s a crackpot idea./

[crack the whip]{v. phr.}, {informal} To get obedience or cooperation by threats of punishment. •/If the children won’t behave when I reason with them, I have to crack the whip./

[crack up]{v.} 1. To wreck or be wrecked; smash up. •/The airplane cracked up in landing./ •/He cracked up his car./ 2. {informal} To become mentally ill under physical or mental overwork or worry. •/He had kept too busy for years, and when failures came, he cracked up./ •/It seemed to be family problems that made him crack up./ 3. Burst into laughter or cause to burst into laughter. •/That comedian cracks me up./