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[curb service]{n.} Waiting on customers while they sit in their cars. •/Families with small children often look for hamburger stands that offer curb service./

[curiosity killed the cat]{informal} Getting too nosy may lead a person into trouble. — A proverb. •/"Curiosity killed the cat," Fred’s father said, when he found Fred hunting around in closets just before Christmas./

[curl] See: PIN CURL.

[curl one’s hair]{v. phr.}, {slang} To shock; frighten; horrify; amaze. •/Wait till you read what it says about you — this’ll curl your hair./ •/The movie about monsters from another planet curled his hair./

[curl up]{v.} 1a. To become curly or wavy. •/Bacon curls up when it is cooked./ 1b. To roll oneself into a ball. •/Tim curled up in bed and was asleep in five minutes./ 2. See: FOLD UP.

[current] See: SWIM AGAINST THE CURRENT.

[curry favor]{v.} To flatter or serve someone to get his help or friendship. •/Joe tried to curry favor with the new teacher by doing little services that she didn’t really want./ •/Jim tried to curry favor with the new girl by telling her she was the prettiest girl in the class./ Compare: POLISH THE APPLE.

[curve] See: THROW A CURVE.

[cut] See: FISH OR CUT BAIT.

[cut a class]{v. phr.} To be truant; to deliberately miss a class and do something else instead. •/"If you keep cutting classes the way you do, you will almost surely flunk this course," John’s professor said to him./

[cut a figure]{v. phr.} To make a favorable impression; carry off an activity with dignity and grace. •/With his handsome face and sporty figure, Harry cuts quite a figure with all the ladies./

[cut across]{v.} 1. To cross or go through instead of going around; go a short way. •/John didn’t want to walk to the corner and turn, so he cut across the yard to the next street./ 2. To go beyond to include; stretch over to act on; affect. •/The love for reading cuts across all classes of people, rich and poor./

[cut-and-dried]{adj. phr.} Decided or expected beforehand; following the same old line; doing the usual thing. •/The decision of the judge was cut-and-dried./ •/The ways of the king’s court were cut-and-dried./ •/People at the convention heard many cut-and-dried speeches./

[cut and run]{v.}, {informal} To abandon an unfavorable situation. •/When the price of coffee dropped sharply many investors wanted to cut and run./

[cut a swathe]{v. phr.} 1a. To mow a path through a field. •/The farmer cut a swathe through the high grass with his scythe./ 1b. To cut down as if by mowing. •/The machine gun cut a swathe in the lines of enemy soldiers./ 2. {informal} To attract notice; make an impression; seem important. •/The movie star cut a wide swathe when he walked down the street./ •/John tries to show off and cut a big swathe with the girls./ Compare: GO OVER(6), MAKE A HIT.