chat someone up • talk someone up chat someone up—(UK coll., of men) try to make friends with a woman by talking to her: I did my clumsy best to chat her up and talked to her about my interest in archaeology. talk someone up—(chiefly U.S.) praise smb.; speak in support of a person: The coaches have been talking him up since early in the preseason. Note: The expression is not antonymous in meaning to the phrase talk someone down1. silence smb. by speaking more loudly or aggressively; win out over a person in an argument, etc.: Eventually, however, Mr. Brown talked down all the other members of the committee. 2. convince a person to lower the price: This is my final offer…. Now, don’t try to talk me down . 3. provide a pilot with directions by radio which enable him to land: They get us on the radar screen and talk us down on to the runway. See also: talk down to someone / talk up to someone. check on something • check something check on something—examine or assess smth. (such as a per- son’s health, etc.): We checked on the possibility of shipping some of our newly acquired paintings back to the States. check something—1. examine smth. to learn whether it is correct: The child should be taught how to check his spelling against that of the dictionary. 2. = check on something: We’ve added a test to check the possibility of hearing damage caused by extended listening at high level. 3. cause an emotion, feel- ing, etc. to stop: The changes that Mark Twain made indicate that he checked his impulse to write an even darker, more confrontational work. check someone up • check up on someone check someone up—1. (also: give someone a check-up) give smb. a medical examination: The doctor checked me up and I was told I was in bad shape. 2. establish the truth about smb.; investigate a person: The cop doesn’t even take the trou- ble to check me up , he knows me damn well. check up on someone— = check someone 2: The police checked up on him, and he had an alibi. Several people testified that they saw him at a bar in Rochester. cheese it • say cheese cheese it(sl., often imper.) 1. stop doing smth.; leave off: I say, cheese it ! If you bang about much more you’ll have the ceiling down. 2. run away quickly: When a police car came into the neighborhood, we acted as if they were after us, and the cry went out “Cheese it , the cops!” say cheese—said to make smb. smile when taking his pho- tograph: They are almost certainly just saying cheese to hold their smiles… chess player • chessman chess player—a person who plays chess: A champion chess player will often lose a match game to a far inferior opponent. chessman—one of the pieces with which chess is played: Chessmen of fanciful shapes and forms are often made as cu- riosities. chew the cud • chew the fat chew the cud —think about smth. slowly and carefully: Near the Acropolis is the Archaia Agora, ruins that were once the square where philosophers chewed the cud . chew the fat—(coll.) 1. chat at length in a relaxed manner: Blount’s great talent is that he’s comfortable chewing the fat with just about anybody. 2. discuss a matter, especially com- plainingly: If anyone starts fault-finding or “chewing the fat he is immediately “ticked off.” Note: Neither expression correlates in meaning with the phrase chew the cheese—(sl.) vomit: The cat’s chewing the cheese on the living room carpet again. chicken feed • feed the chicken chicken feed —(coll.) anything of little importance, especially a trifling sum of money: That meant only chicken feed for the proprietary companies and big producers. Cf.: chicken feeder — (sl.) a poor tipper: The only people I waited on in the restaurant were chicken feeders . Note: The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase bird food—(sl.) health food such as nuts, seeds, etc. (also: rabbit food): “Instead of a beef hamburger, try a garden-burger. It’s got nuts and oats and is healthier for you.” “I don’t like bird food .” feed the chicken —(sl.) said of a gesture of greeting in which one person slaps an upraised palm against that of another per- son: “Hey, great job, feed the chicken !” “Thanks.” Note: The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase feed the chicks—(RAF) carry out air-to-air refueling, by a large tanker aircraft, of the smaller, fighter aircraft. chicken soup • duck soup chicken soup —1. a book featuring a collection of short, mo- tivating essays: Compiled of new and previously published stories, this Chicken Soup collection brings inspiration for the holidays. 2. smth. that provides a mysterious but effective way to solve the problem: “Hey, my Mac [computer] is messed up. It won’t work.” “Try re-building your desktop, it’s chicken soup .” duck soup —(coll.) a task or assignment that does not require much effort: One very helpful person was Caroline, a techni- cian for whom the whole computer operation was duck soup . child of man • man-child child of man—(liter.) a human being: The elephant lays down his life to save the child of man , and, consequently, in- nocence and honesty triumphs over selfishness. man-child —(pl. men-children) a male child; a boy: Three years later another little girl was born, and lastly a handsome little man child was born to this family in 1863. child of nature • natural child child of nature —(euph.) a person in an uncivilized or un- cultivated state: She felt that he wanted her to be a child of nature . That suited her very well. natural child —1. a child actually begotten by one in contrast to adopted: With little prospect of natural children , we applied for adoption all the sooner. 2. a child born out of wedlock: Full equality has been introduced between legitimate and nat - ural children , between married and unmarried couples. childish behavior • childlike behavior childish behavior—(used showing disapproval) behavior char- acterized by lack of emotional restraint or similar adult qual- ities: The strategy requires that you not react to her childish behavior . Until she calms down, you don’t respond at all. childlike behavior—the kind of behavior more appropriate for a child than an adult: Shana … newly dependent on her mother, reverted to childlike behavior by allowing herself to be taken care of. child’s game • child’s play child’s game—said of a person’s behavior more appropriate for a child: He knew it was just a child’s game —to stare at someone and not look away first. Note: The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase easy game—(also: fair game) a suitable object for ridicule; a person easily persuaded or taken advantage of: So I disguised myself and came back and studied you. You were easy game . chat someone up – 70 –