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[chips] See: WHEN THE CHIPS ARE DOWN.

[chisel] or [muscle in on] {v. phr.} To illegitimately and forcefully intrude into someone’s traditional sales or professional arena of operation. •/Tim has a good sales territory, but he is always afraid that someone might chisel in on it./ •/Las Vegas casino owners are concerned that the Mafia might muscle in on their territory./

[choice] See: BY CHOICE, FIELDER’S CHOICE.

[choke off]{v.} To put a sudden end to; stop abruptly or forcefully. •/It was almost time for the meeting to end, and the presiding officer had to move to choke off debate./ •/The war choked off diamond shipments from overseas./

[choke up]{v.} 1a. To come near losing calmness or self-control from strong feeling; be upset by your feelings. •/When one speaker after another praised John, he choked up and couldn’t thank them./ •/When Father tried to tell me how glad he was to see me safe after the accident, he choked up and was unable to speak./ 1b. {informal} To be unable to do well because of excitement or nervousness. •/Bill was a good batter, but in the championship game he choked up and did poorly./ 2. To fill up; become clogged or blocked; become hard to pass through. •/The channel had choked up with sand so that boats couldn’t use it./

[choose] See: PICK AND CHOOSE.

[chooser] See: BEGGARS CAN’T BE CHOOSERS.

[choose up sides]{v. phr.} To form two teams with two captains taking turns choosing players. •/The boys chose up sides for a game of softball./ •/Tom and Joe were the captains. They chose up sides./

[chop] See: LICK ONE’S CHOPS.

[chow line]{n.}, {slang} A line of people waiting for food. •/The chow line was already long when John got to the dining hall./ •/The soldiers picked up trays and got into the chow line./

[Christmas] See: FATHER CHRISTMAS.

[Christmas card]{n.}, {slang}, {citizen’s band radio jargon} A speeding ticket. •/Smokey just gave a Christmas card to the eighteen wheeler we passed./

[Christmas club]{n.} A plan for putting money in the bank to be saved for Christmas shopping. •/John deposits $10 each week in the Christmas club./ •/The woman will get her Christmas club money on December 10./

[chum around with]{v. phr.} 1. To be close friends with someone. •/They have been chumming around with one another for quite some time./ 2. To travel around with someone. •/Jack is planning to chum around with Tim in Europe this summer./

[cigar-store Indian]{n. phr.} A wooden statue of an Indian which in the past was placed in front of a cigar store. •/A cigar store Indian used to mean a cigar store in the same way a barber pole still means a barber shop./

[circle] See: COME FULL CIRCLE, IN A CIRCLE or IN CIRCLES, RUN CIRCLES AROUND also RUN RINGS AROUND.

[circulation] See: IN CIRCULATION, OUT OF CIRCULATION.

[circumstance] See: UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES also IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES.

[circumstances alter cases]{formal} The way things are, or happen, may change the way you are expected to act. •/John’s father told him never to touch his gun, but one day when Father was away, John used it to shoot a poisonous snake that came into the yard. Circumstances alter cases./