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[child] See: BURNT CHILD DREADS THE FIRE, WITH CHILD.

[children and fools speak the truth] Children and fools say things without thinking; they say what they think or know when grown-ups might not think it was polite or wise to do so. — A proverb. •/"Uncle Willie is too fat," said little Agnes. "Children and fools speak the truth," said her father./

[children should be seen and not heard] A command issued by adults to children ordering them to be quiet and not to interrupt. — A proverb. •/Your children should not argue so loudly. Haven’t you taught them that children should be seen and not heard?/

[child’s play]{adj.} Easy; requiring no effort. •/Mary’s work as a volunteer social worker is so agreeable to her that she thinks of it as child’s play./

[chill] See: SPINE-CHILLING.

[chime in]{v.} 1. {informal} To join in. •/The whole group chimed in on the chorus./ •/When the argument got hot, John chimed in./ 2. To agree; go well together. — Usually used with "with". •/Dick was happy, and the holiday music chimed in with his feelings./ •/When Father suggested going to the shore for the vacation, the whole family chimed in with the plan./

[chin] See: KEEP ONE’S CHIN UP, STICK ONE’S NECK OUT or STICK ONE’S CHIN OUT, TAKE IT ON THE CHIN, UP TO THE CHIN IN.

[china shop] See: BULL IN A CHINA SHOP.

[China syndrome]{n.}, {informal} From the title of the movie with Jane Fonda and Jack Lemmon. The possibility that an industrial nuclear reactor might explode, literally affecting the other side of the planet (as if by eating a hole through the earth all the way to China.) •/Antinuclear demonstrators are greatly worried about the China syndrome./

[chip] See: CASH IN ONE’S CHIPS at CASH-IN, IN THE CHIPS. LET THE CHIPS FALL WHERE THEY MAY, FISH-AND-CHIPS, WHEN THE CHIPS ARE DOWN.

[chip in] or [kick in] {v.}, {informal} To give together with others, contribute. •/The pupils chipped in a dime apiece for the teacher’s Christmas present./ •/All the neighbors kicked in to help after the fire./ •/Lee chipped in ten points in the basketball game./ •/Joe didn’t say much but chipped in a few words./

[chip off the old block]{n. phr.} A person whose character traits closely resemble those of his parents. •/I hear that Tom plays the violin in the orchestra his father conducts; he sure is a chip off the old block./

[chip on one’s shoulder]{n. phr.}, {informal} A quarrelsome nature; readiness to be angered. •/He went through life with a chip on his shoulder./ •/Jim often gets into fights because he goes around with a chip on his shoulder./