cock of the walk

The leader in a group, especially one who is quite con- ceited about the position. The term comes from animal husbandry, where an enclosure for domestic fowl was called a walk, and in that area they would fight for supremacy until only one remained—the supreme leader, or cock of the walk. The strutting pride of roosters had been transferred to bossy, conceited human beings for much longer, but the precise term cock of the walk in this sense dates only from the early nineteenth century.

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cock and bull story

A far-fetched tale, intended to deceive. This term dates from approximately 1600, but its origin is obscure. Some say it refers to the name of an English coaching inn, a wayside stop for travelers where such tales were often spun. Others believe it alludes to a fable or folktale about a cock and a bull. By the eighteenth century the term meant a tall tale.

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cobbler, stick to your last

Do not advise about or interfere with matters of which you know little or nothing. This turn of phrase comes from an anec- dote about a painter of ancient Greece named Apelles. One day a shoemaker saw a painting of his and pointed out that the shoe in the picture was not accurately portrayed. The painter corrected that part of the picture. Then the next day the shoemaker pointed out a mistake in the painting of a leg. But the painter replied, “Shoemaker, do not go above your last.” The story was repeated in various accounts and made its way into John Taverner’s transla- tion of Erasmus as “Let not the shoemaker go beyonde his shoe.” Although the cobbler’s day appears to be nearly over, at least in America, the cliché survives.

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coast is clear, the

The authorities aren’t looking; one can proceed with- out fear of getting caught. Several writers hold that this term comes from the days of piracy and smuggling, when it declared the absence of coast guards. However, one of the earliest references dates from 1530, appearing in J. Palsgrave’s book about the French language: “The kynge intendeth to go to Calays, but we must first clere the costes.” By the late sixteenth century the term was also being used figuratively. Eric Partridge regarded it as a cliché from the eighteenth century on.

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coals to Newcastle, to carry/bring

To do something that is unneces- sary or superfluous. The Newcastle referred to is the city of Newcastle- upon-Tyne, a seaport in northeastern England that was given a charter to mine coal by Henry III in 1239 and became a major coal center. By the sev- enteenth century this metaphor for bringing an unneeded thing was cur- rent, and it remained so in all English-speaking countries. There were (and are) equivalents in numerous languages. In French it is to carry water to a river.

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coals of fire

See HEAP COALS OF FIRE.

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bold-faced lie

See BAREFACED LIE.

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