carry (redirected from carry away)

be carried out feet first

if someone will not leave a place until they are carried out feet first, they will not leave until they are dead. James would never leave his home to go to a retirement village - he'd be carried out feet first!

See also: feet, first

carry a torch for someone (old-fashioned)

to secretly love someone who does not love you. Graeme's been carrying a torch for Linda for years.

See also: torch

carry the ball (American)

to take control of an activity and do what is needed to get a piece of work done. The people who carried the ball for his campaign were mainly volunteers.

See also: ball

carry the can (British & Australian)

to take the blame or responsibility for something that is wrong or has not succeeded. She suspected that she'd be left to carry the can for her boss's mistakes. (often + for)

See also: can

carry the day

1. to win a war or a fight. At the beginning of the American Civil War, many southerners believed their soldiers and statesmen would carry the day.

2. if you carry the day, you persuade people to support your ideas or opinions, or if a particular idea carries the day, it is accepted by a group of people. The Republicans carried the day in the dispute over the new jet fighter. Her argument in favour of pay increases eventually carried the day.

See also: day

carry weight

if what you do or say carries weight with someone, it seems important to them and will influence what they do or think. Her opinion carries a lot of weight with the boss. (often + with)

See also: weight

carry/take coals to Newcastle (British)

to take something to a place or a person that has a lot of that thing already. Exporting pine to Scandinavia is a bit like carrying coals to Newcastle.

See also: coal, take

a cross (someone has) to bear (British & Australian, American & Australian)

an unpleasant situation or responsibility that you must accept because you cannot change it. Someone has to look after mother and because I live the closest it's a cross I have to bear.

See also: bear, cross

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carried away

made very emotional or enthusiastic. I got carried away and bought four new shirts. Not everyone was carried away by the news that the team had won.

See also: away

carry a tune

to be able to sing accurately. For such a complicated song they should at least find someone who can carry a tune.

See also: tune

carry off something

to succeed in doing something. A shaggy dog named Bugsy carries off some of the most amusing moments in the play. She said she never lies because she doesn't have a good enough memory to carry it off.

carry on

1. to continue to do or be involved in something. Dianne is carrying on the family tradition by becoming a lawyer. It's hard to carry on a business and take care of a small child at the same time.

2. to behave in a manner that is not controlled. The kids have been carrying on all day.

3. to continue behaving in a particular way. You've got to carry on as though nothing happened.

4. to continuously complain about something. My grandmother carried on about the bad language she hears on TV.

carry out something

to do a job or complete an activity. Astronauts planned a spacewalk to carry out major repairs on the space station. The agency doesn't have the funds or the know-how to carry out its duties.

carry over something

to allow something you deal with to continue existing. I try not to let my problems at work carry over into my private life. She couldn't pay the full amount she owed, so she carried over part of it to the next month.

See also: over

carry the ball

to do the work necessary to achieve something. The people who carried the ball for her campaign were mainly volunteers.

See also: ball

carry the day

to win or succeed. Senators in favor of cutting taxes carried the day.

See also: day

carry someone through (something)

to help someone continue to exist in a difficult situation. People stocked up on food, fuel, and candles to carry them through the storm. She puts her trust in God and believes He will carry her through.

See also: through

carry through something

to complete something successfully. We'll need a qualified and experienced planner to carry through the study.

Usage notes: often used in the form carry through with something or carry through on something: I think they lack the will to carry through with their attack. She felt no need to carry through on what she signed up for.

See also: through

carry weight

to be important and have influence. Her opinion carries a lot of weight with the boss. A partnership without a written agreement carries no legal weight.

Usage notes: usually used with some, little, and other modifiers, as in the examples

See also: weight