crown (redirected from crowning)

crown someone with something 

1. Lit. to place a crown on someone's head. They crowned the prince with the heavily jeweled royal crown.

2. Fig. to strike someone on the head with something. She crowned him with a skillet. The carpenter crowned himself with a board he knocked loose.

crown something with something

Fig. to place something on the very top of something. (As if crowning royalty.) The chef crowned the cake with golden icing.

Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.

Prov. A person who has a lot of power and prestige also has a lot of responsibilities, and therefore worries more than other people. (From Shakespeare's play, Henry IV, Part II.) Susan began to have trouble sleeping shortly after she was promoted to head of her department. "Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown," her friends teased.

See also: head, lie, wear

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the jewel in the crown

the best or most valuable thing in a group of things (often + of ) The island of Tresco, with its beautiful tropical gardens, is the jewel in the crown of the Scilly Isles.

to cap it all

if you have been describing bad things which happened and then say that to cap it all something else happened, you mean that the final thing was even worse He spilled red wine on the carpet, insulted my mother, and, to cap it all, he broke my favourite vase.

See to cap it all, If the cap fits, come cap in hand

See also: cap

to cap/crown/top it all

something that you say when you want to tell someone the worst event in a series of bad events that has happened to you He spilled red wine on the carpet, insulted my mother, and to cap it all, broke my favourite vase.

See be all sweetness and light, for all cares, for all knows, That's all she wrote!, be all in a day's work, I've never [felt etc.] in all my days!, be all ears, if all else fails, all eyes are on, be all eyes, be all fur coat and no knickers, It's all go, All in good time, It's all Greek to me, be all heart, at all hours, at all hours, to all intents and purposes, and all that jazz, be all in the/ mind, in all modesty, be all moonlight and roses, be all mouth, in all but name, That's all need!, be all smiles, all systems go, be all talk, would for all the tea in China, be all things to all men, be all fingers and thumbs, go all the way, be all wet, All work and no play

See also: cap

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the jewel in the crown

the best or most valuable thing in a group This college is the jewel in the crown of the city's university.