The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms

by Christine Ammer

  come forward Present oneself, offer one’s services, as in The boss asked for more help, but no one was inclined to come forward. [Early 1800s]

  come from 1. See COME OUT OF. 2. Arrive from someone or somewhere, as in This package just came from Alice, or Where did these chairs come from? [c. 1300] Also see WHERE ONE IS COMING FROM.

  come from behind Also, come up from behind. Advance from the rear or from a losing position, as in You can expect the Mets to come from behind before the season is over, or The polls say our candidate is coming up from behind. This idiom, which originated in horse racing, was first transferred to scores in various sports and later to more general use.

  come full circle → See FULL CIRCLE.

  come hell or high water → See HELL OR HIGH WATER

  come home to roost → See CHICKENS COME HOME TO ROOST.

  come in 1. Arrive, become available for use or begin to produce, as in Has the new fall line come in yet? or The latest reports are coming in now, or This well has just begun to come in. [Late 1800s] 2. Also, come in on. Join an enterprise, as in Do you want to come in on our venture? [Mid-1800s] 3. Be one of those who finish a contest or race, as in My horse came in last. [Late 1800s] 4. Perform or function, as in This mixer comes in very handy, or Where does my department come in? [Late 1800s] Also see COME IN HANDY. 5. Enter into an account, issue, or list, as in Where does this question come in? or Please explain where in this long process I come in. This usage dates from Shakespeare’s time and appears in The Tempest (2:1): “Widow? A pox on that! How came that widow in?” Also see subsequent entries beginning with COME IN; COME INTO; THIS IS WHERE I CAME IN.

  come in for Receive, be subjected to, as in His last book came in for some heavy criticism. [Mid-1800s]

  come in from the cold Also, come in out of the cold. Return to shelter and safety, be welcomed into a group. For example, Bill was fed up with traveling on his own for the company and hoped they’d let him come in from the cold, or After years of not being invited to join, Steve was finally asked to come in out of the cold. This phrase, generally used figuratively, gained currency in the 1960s with John LeCarré’s best-selling spy novel, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, about a long-time British spy in the cold war who longed to abandon the dirty tricks of his profession. Also see COME IN OUT OF THE RAIN.

  come in handy Be useful or convenient, as in This check will really come in handy. [Mid-1800s] Also see COME IN, def. 4.

  come in out of the rain, know enough to Show common sense. Alluding to having enough sense to seek shelter, this hyperbolic phrase is often used in the negative, as in Peter doesn’t know enough to come in out of the rain. [Late 1800s]

  come into 1. Inherit, acquire, as in She expected to come into a fortune when she turned twenty-one. [Early 1700s] 2. Accede to power or office, as in He came into office in 1820 and served three terms. [Early 1800s] 3. come into one’s own. Get rightful possession of something; achieve rightful recognition. For example, The serial composers have finally come into their own. [Early 1900s]

  come of → See COME OUT OF.

  come of age → See OF AGE.

  come off 1. Happen, occur, as in The trip came off on schedule. [Early 1800s] 2. Acquit oneself, reach the end. This usage always includes a modifier, as in Whenever challenged he comes off badly, or This model is doomed to come off second-best. [Mid-1600s] 3. Succeed, as in Our dinner party really came off. [Mid-1800s] 4. See COME OFF IT.

  come off it Stop acting or speaking foolishly or pretentiously, as in Oh come off it! you’re no smarter than they are. This term, often used as an imperative, dates from the late 1800s, when it was usually put simply as come off.

  come on 1. Move forward, progress, develop. For example, We stopped as soon as darkness began to come on. [Early 1600s] 2. Hurry up, as in Come on now, it’s getting late. This imperative to urge someone forward has been so used since about 1450. 3. Also, come upon. Meet or find unexpectedly, as in We came on him while walking down the street, or I came upon an old friend in the bookstore today. [Second half of 1700s] 4. Make a stage entrance, as in After the next cue she comes on from the right. [Early 1800s] 5. Please oblige me, as in Come on, that’s no excuse for leaving, or Come on, you’ll really like this restaurant. [Colloquial; first half of 1900s] 6. Convey a specific personal image, as in He comes on like a go-getter but he’s really rather timid. [Slang; c. 1940] 7. Also, come on strong. Behave or speak in an aggressive way, as in Take it easy; you’re coming on awfully strong. [c. 1940] 8. Also, come on to. Make sexual advances, as in She reported her boss for coming on to her. This usage probably was derived from the earlier use of the noun come-on for a sexual advance. [Slang; 1950s]

  come one’s way Present itself, happen to one, as in I sure hope another opportunity like that will come her way. [First half of 1900s]

  come on in Please enter, as in Come on in, the door’s open. This phrase is simply a friendly request to enter one’s house or some other place. The related come on in, the water’s fine originated as an encouragement (or, sometimes, a command) to a reluctant or fearful swimmer but has been extended to other activities, as in Come on in, the water’s fine—this is a great office to work in!

  come on strong → See COME ON, def. 7.

  come on to → See COME ON, def. 8.

  come out 1. Become known, be discovered, as in The whole story came out at the trial. [c. 1200] 2. Be issued or brought out, as in My new book is coming out this month. [Late 1500s] 3. Make a formal debut in society or on the stage, as in In New York, debutantes come out in winter. [Late 1700s] 4. End up, result, as in Everything came out wrong. [Mid-1800s] Also see COME OUT AHEAD. 5. come out for or against. Declare oneself publicly in favor of or opposed to someone or something, as in The governor came out for a tax cut, or Many senators came out against the bill. [Late 1800s] 6. Also, come out of the closet. Reveal that one is homosexual, as in The military formerly discharged soldiers who came out of the closet while enlisted. [Mid-1900s] Also see the subsequent entries beginning with COME OUT.

  come out ahead Succeed, make a profit. For example, By the end of the year we expect to come out ahead. Also see AHEAD OF THE GAME.

  come out for → See COME OUT, def. 5.

  come out in the wash, it will A problem will be solved or difficulties will disappear. For example, Don’t worry about the fight you got into—it’ll all come out in the wash. Cervantes had this metaphoric use of laundry for cleaning up a mess or difficulty in Don Quixote (Todo saldrá en la colada) and it has been repeated ever since. [Early 1600s]

  come out of Also, come from or come of. Issue, proceed, or result from, as in What good can come out of all this wrangling? or Where are these questions coming from? or What do you think will come of this change? The first term dates from the early 1600s, the second from the early 1200s, and the third from the late 1500s. Also see WHERE ONE IS COMING FROM.

  come out of nowhere → See OUT OF NOWHERE.

  come out of the closet → See COME OUT, def. 6.

  come out with Also, come right out with. 1. Put into words; speak frankly. For example, He always comes right out with the truth, or She can always come out with a pun. The first term dates from the mid-1400s, the variant from the second half of the 1800s. 2. Make public, publish, as in I don’t know why they’re coming out with yet another biography of Truman. [Late 1500s]

  come over 1. Change sides or positions, as in He’s decided to come over to their side. [Second half of 1500s] 2. Happen to or affect, as in Why are you leaving? What’s come over you? or A sudden fit of impatience came over her. [First half of 1900s] 3. Pay a casual visit, as in I want to show you my garden, so please come over soon. This usage employs come over in the sense of “crossing an intervening space” (from somewhere to one’s home). [c. 1600]

  come round → See COME AROUND.

  come through 1. Also, come through with. Do what is required or anticipated; succeed. For example, My parents really came through for me when I needed help, or He came through w
ith flying colors. [Late 1800s] 2. Become manifested or be communicated, as in He tried to keep a straight face but his true feelings came through nevertheless. [Mid-1900s] 3. Be approved, as in If the second mortgage comes through, we can afford to redecorate.

  come to 1. Recover consciousness, as in She fainted but quickly came to. [Second half of 1500s] 2. Eventually begin to, as in I came to see that Tom had been right all along. [c. 1700] 3. See AMOUNT TO, def. 2. 4. See WHEN IT COMES TO. 5. Stop a sailboat or other vessel by bringing the bow into the wind or dropping anchor, as in “The gale having gone over, we came to” (Richard Dana, Two Years Before the Mast, 1840). [Early 1700s] Also see the subsequent entries beginning with COME TO.

  come to a halt Also, come to a standstill. Stop, ­either permanently or temporarily. For example, The sergeant ordered the men to come to a halt, or With the strike, construction came to a standstill. Both terms employ come to in the sense of “arrive at” or “reach,” a usage dating from the 10th century. Also see COME TO, def. 2.

  come to a head → See BRING TO A HEAD.

  come to an end 1. Conclude, terminate, as in the familiar proverb, All things come to an end, stated by Geoffrey Chaucer in Troilus and Cressida (c. 1374). 2. come to a bad end; come to no good. Have a bad outcome or die in an unpleasant way. For example, I always suspected this venture would come to no good, or Her parents feared he would come to a bad end. 3. come to or meet an untimely end. Die at a young age, terminate much sooner than desired or expected. For example, The blow was fatal, causing the young boxer to meet an untimely end, or Our partnership came to an untimely end when I became too ill to work. Also see DEAD END.

  come to blows Begin to fight. For example, It hardly seems worth coming to blows over a dollar! Thomas Hobbes had it in Leviathan (1651): “Their controversie must either come to blowes, or be undecided.” This term is also put as fall to blows, especially in Britain. [Late 1500s]

  come to grief Meet with disaster or failure. For example, The icy runway caused at least one light plane to come to grief. [Mid-1800s]

  come to grips with Confront squarely, deal decisively with, as in Her stories help the children come to grips with upsetting events. This term, sometimes put as get to grips with, employs grip in the sense of a “tight hold.” [Mid-1900s]

  come to life → See COME ALIVE.

  come to light Be clearly revealed or exposed, as in New facts about evolution have come to light with the latest fossil discoveries in Africa. Miles Coverdale had this idiom in his translation of the Bible (Ezekiel 16:57): “And before thy wickednesse came to light.” [First half of 1500s]

  come to mind Be recollected, occur to one, as in A new idea just came to mind. This phrase replaced the earlier come in mind, which dates from the late 1300s. Also see BRING TO MIND; CALL TO MIND; ENTER ONE’S MIND.

  come to no good → See COME TO AN END, def. 2.

  come to nothing Also, come to naught. Fail, as in All his efforts have come to nothing, or The last round of peace talks came to naught. The first term dates from the mid-1500s, the variant from the early 1600s.

  come to one’s senses Return to thinking or behaving sensibly and reasonably; recover consciousness. For example, I wish he’d come to his senses and stop playing around. This term employs senses in the sense of “normal or sane mental faculties,” and in the earliest recorded use (1637) it meant “recover from a swoon.” Its broader present-day meaning dates from the mid-1800s. The related bring someone to his or her senses was used by John Gay in his Beggars’ Opera (1727). Also see TAKE LEAVE OF (ONE’S SENSES).

  come to pass → See COME ABOUT.

  come to terms 1. Reach an agreement, as in The landlord and his tenants soon came to terms regarding repairs. [Early 1700s] 2. come to terms with. Reconcile oneself to, as in He’d been trying to come to terms with his early life. [Mid-1800s]

  come to that → See WHEN IT COMES TO.

  come to the point → See TO THE POINT.

  come to the same thing → See AMOUNT TO THE SAME THING.

  come to think of it I have just remembered. For example, Come to think of it, I’ve got to send in my order now, or I was going to lend him a saw, but come to think of it, he already has one. [First half of 1800s]

  come true Happen as predicted, be realized or fulfilled, as in Her marriage is my fondest dream come true. [Early 1800s]

  come under 1. Fit into a category or classification, as in This document comes under the heading “classified.” [Mid-1600s] 2. Be the responsibility or province of, as in My department comes under your jurisdiction. [Early 1700s]

  come unglued Also, come unstuck. → See COME APART AT THE SEAMS.

  come up 1. Arise, present itself, as in This question never came up. [Mid-1800s] 2. Rise (from a lower place to a higher one) as in We’ll leave as soon as the sun comes up. [9th century] 3. Also, come up to. Approach, come near, as in He came up and said hello, or The dog came right up to Nora. [Early 1700s] 4. Also, come up to. Rise in status or value, be equal to, as in His paintings will never come up to his teacher’s, or This officer came up through the ranks. [c. 1600] A variant is come up or rise in the world, used for someone who has risen in rank, wealth, or status; for example, He has really come up in the world — he now owns a yacht, or I could see at once that she was a woman who would rise in the world. Also see the subsequent idioms beginning with COME UP.

  come up against Encounter, especially an obstacle or problem. For example, I’ve never come up against anything I can’t handle, or Dealing with Malcolm is like coming up against a brick wall.

  come up in the world → See COME UP, def. 4.

  come upon → See COME ACROSS, def. 1; COME ON, def. 3.

  come up roses 1. Turn out extremely well, as in I had my doubts about this project, but now it’s coming up roses. [Slang; c. 1960] 2. come up smelling like roses. Emerge untarnished from a difficult situation, have no stain on one’s character, as in He was suspended for a month but still came up smelling like roses. Eric Partridge believed this usage originally was fall into shit and come up smelling like roses, but the vulgar initial phrase is now generally omitted. [Slang; first half of 1900s]

  come up to → See COME UP, def. 3 and 4.

  come up with Produce, supply; also, discover. For example, Henry always comes up with the wrong answer, or We’re hoping they come up with a cure in time to help Aunt Alice. [First half of 1900s]

  come what may No matter what happens, as in Come what may, I’ll be home in time for dinner. This phrase, in slightly different form, come what will, dates from the 16th century and has almost exact equivalents in French, Italian, and German.

  come with the territory Accompany specific circumstances, as in You may not like the new coach, but he comes with the territory, or As the editor, you may not like listening to complaints, but it comes with the territory. This term uses territory in the sense of “sales district,” and the phrase originally meant that traveling sales personnel had to accept whatever problems or perquisites they found in their assigned region. Today it is applied in many other contexts. [Second half of 1900s]

  comfort → In addition to the idioms beginning with COMFORT, also see COLD COMFORT; CREATURE COMFORT; TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT.

  comfortable as an old shoe, as Familiar and very much at ease, as in Kathy’s really enjoying her third summer at the same camp – for her it’s comfortable as an old shoe. This simile was once put as easy as an old shoe, first recorded in J. T. Brockett’s North Country Glossary (1825). It was most often applied to friends, as in the proverb Old shoes are easy, old friends are best, but today it is used more broadly for easy familiarity in any situation.

  comfort food Food that makes you feel good, that is somehow soothing. Often it is associated with one’s childhood, or with the cooking done at one’s home. For example, She’s not a gourmet cook but her rice pudding and meatloaf are real comfort food. [Colloquial, 1960s]

  comfort zone 1. A temperature range where one feels neither too hot nor too cold. [
1920s] 2. An area or circumstance in which a person feels at ease, especially a job that is not too difficult and yields only acceptable satisfaction but that one is not willing to change. For example, Bill, a successful attorney, amazed his colleagues when he decided to quit and write a novel, leaving his comfort zone. [1970s]

  coming → In addition to the idioms beginning with COMING, also see GET WHAT’S COMING TO ONE; HAVE ANOTHER GUESS COMING; HAVE IT COMING; WHERE ONE IS COMING FROM. Also see under COME.

  coming and going, have someone Catch someone both ways, give someone no way out. For example, If Jane accepted the transfer she would have to move, but if she turned it down she would have to travel more—they had her coming and going. Also see COMING OR GOING.

  coming or going, not know if one is Be in a state of mental confusion, as in He has so much to do that he doesn’t know if he’s coming or going. This idiom was first recorded in 1924.

  coming out of one’s ears Overabundant, more than can be managed, as in We miscalculated—new orders are coming out of our ears. [Slang; mid-1900s] Also see EMBARRASSMENT OF RICHES.

  comings and goings Movements, activities, as in He’s in and out of the office; I can’t keep up with his comings and goings, or In her job on the school board, Mrs. Smith keeps track of all the comings and goings in town.

  command → In addition to the idiom beginning with COMMAND, also see HAVE A GOOD COMMAND OF.

  command performance An occasion that one is obliged to attend, as in My boss’s invitations to dinner are always a command performance. This term originally (late 1800s) denoted a theatrical or musical performance presented at the behest of a sovereign or head of state. By the 1930s it was also used figuratively for any more or less obligatory occasion or performance.

  commission → See IN COMMISSION; ON COMMISSION; OUT OF COMMISSION.