jumping over a stile one by one: Did you know that if you count sheep , it is watching the sheep jump that sends you off? count someone off • count someone out count someone off—count or enumerate people: At the be- ginning of each class, I count off the students to see if the number present agrees with the attendance lists. count someone out—1. count people as they leave: The sec- retary counted the members out as they passed his desk. 2. not to include a person: If you are going for a walk in the rain, you can count me out . Cf.: count someone in — add or in- clude a person into one’s plans, etc.: Count me in for the party, and my husband will be coming along! 3. prevent smb. from being elected by counting the votes incorrectly: He wasn’t voted out, he was counted out . count the cost • count the pennies count the cost—estimate the advantages and disadvantages of an undertaking: Riding out, they didn’t count the cost ; they had one end in view—to serve their king. count the pennies —(also: count pennies) calculate costs care- fully; be economical: That [dinner] was very expensive too. I wasn’t in the mood to count the pennies . country house • town house country house —(also: country-seat) a mansion in the country; the residence of a country nobleman: The floor was carpeted and the impression was one of a small library in a rather run- down country house . Note: The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase house in the country—a house situated in the country- side: They decided to take their savings and buy a house in the country so they could have a small garden. town house—(also: terraced house) one of a row of usually similar houses sharing side walls: Many of us have made the life changing decision to live in Cyprus—in a town house or in one of the studio apartments. couple of something • pair of something couple of something —1. is used of a small approximate num- ber of smth.: Sometimes he would go to one of the call-houses and spend a couple of hours with one of the women. 2. is used to indicate two items that do not belong together as a set: They had ensconced themselves comfortably in a couple of chairs in the billiard room. pair of something —is usually applied to items that occur in groups of two: The constable took out a pair of bicycle clips, which he adjusted round his ankles. court shoes (UK) • court shoes (U.S.) court shoes (UK)—women’s shoes with a heel, used as a com- ponent of formal wear at evening parties, etc.: The Countess of Wessex, wearing unusual Tyrolean-style headwear, wobbled visibly too in her court shoes . court shoes (U.S.)—athletic shoes used for sports played on an indoor court: My father is an avid tennis player who has worn his court shoes to death. cover for someone • cover up for someone cover for someone—1. carry out the duties of a fellow em- ployee, absent through sickness, etc.: You’ll need to apply for the sabbatical and train those who will cover for you while you’re gone. 2. conceal smb.’s wrongdoing; provide an excuse for a person: She said that Zaikas had covered for Isaac, who was a party to the state-hospital scandal. Note: The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase get someone covered—provide a person with medical in- surance: Since he has never had an injury history it was pretty easy to get him covered . cover up for someone— = cover for someone 2: I shall really have to teach Neil how to lie effectively if I’m going to expect him to cover up for me. cover ground • cover the field cover ground—1. (also: cover the ground) deal with an assign- ment, etc. (especially efficiently or rapidly): If you want to cover ground fast, pool your resources. 2. (of a book, etc.) treat a subject: The book could have been greater in scope had the author shown the ambition to cover ground rarely covered in military history. cover the field—(also: cover the territory) be comprehensive: The strength of Lister’s book is that it really covers the field , from methodology to practical examples. cover letter • letter under cover cover letter—(also: covering letter) a letter sent with an en- closure to provide additional information: It’s always impor- tant to match your qualifications to the job in the cover let - ter . letter under cover—(dated or formal) a letter in an envelope: Seeing my name in the newspapers, he had sent a letter under cover to the Admiral, expressing his desire to see me. cover note • covering note cover note—(UK) a temporary certificate of insurance (be- tween the acceptance and issue of a policy): The insurance expired four days ago, and since I was away there isn’t even a cover note . covering note—(also: covering letter) a letter sent with an en- closure to provide additional information: This fact should be made clear in the covering note that goes with the sample. cover the ground • cover the territory cover the ground—1. (also: cover ground) deal with an assign- ment, etc. (especially efficiently or rapidly): His supporters just couldn’t cover the ground fast enough to capitalize on the sudden shift in public sentiment. 2. (of a book, etc.) treat a subject: The author’s statements, as to testing the cement be- fore it was accepted, are very instructive and seem to cover the ground most thoroughly. cover the territory—(also: cover the field) be comprehensive: The book really covers the territory in terms of outlining the medical treatment options, their pluses and minuses. cow in milk • milch cow cow in milk —a cow yielding milk: Their goal now is to de- crease the number of cows in milk and maintain production and profit where it is. milch cow—1. = cow in milk: The farm needs the replace- ment of milch cows as the original stocks have become less productive. 2. a person who is easily tricked out of his money; a source of easy income: The industry is a milch cow for state and national political campaigns. cow man • cowboy cow man—a man who raises or tends cattle: In Florida he was a “cow hunter” (later also called a “cow puncher”), and the stockowner or dealer was a “cow man ” or “cattleman.” cowboy—1. a man hired to round up and tend cattle, espe- cially in the western United States: Cowboys traditionally work on horseback, but now also use motor vehicles. 2. a man who performs in shows such as rodeos: Visit this site for a two-minute clip of the Blanco County Rodeo; hear how a real cowboy describes the experience of riding a bull. crack a bottle • hit the bottle crack a bottle —(coll.) have a drink, especially to celebrate a special occasion: That’s wonderful news! I can’t think of any better reason for cracking a bottle . count someone off – 88 –