1 a tissue of lies British English a story or account that is completely untrue.2click your tongue to make a sharp noise with your tongue to show that you are annoyed or disappointed:She clicked her tongue and shook her head.3sharp tongue if you have a sharp tongue, you often talk in a way that shows you are angry:Gina’s sharp tongue will get her into trouble one day.4silver tongue literary if you have a silver tongue, you can talk in a way that makes people like you or persuades them that you are right5sharp-tongued/silver-tongued etc able to talk in a very angry or pleasant way:a sharp-tongued young teacher6with (your) tongue in (your) cheek if you say something with your tongue in your cheek, you say it as a joke, not seriously →TONGUE-IN-CHEEK7slip of the tongue a small mistake in something you say:Did I say $100? It must have been a slip of the tongue.8bite your tongue to stop yourself saying something because you know it would not be sensible to say it:I wanted to argue, but I had to bite my tongue.9Cat got your tongue? (also Lost your tongue?) spoken used to ask someone why they are not talking10get your tongue around something informal to be able to say a difficult word or phrase:I couldn’t get my tongue around the names of the villages we’d visited.11trip/roll off the tongue informal if a name or phrase trips or rolls off your tongue, it is easy or pleasant to say:Their names trip off the tongue very easily.12loosen sb’s tongue informal if something such as alcohol loosens your tongue, it makes you talk a lot:The wine had certainly loosened her tongue.13find your tongue informal to say something after you have been silent for a time because you were afraid or shy:Polly found her tongue at last and told them about the attack.14set tongues wagging to do something that people will talk about in an unkind way:Angela’s divorce will certainly set tongues wagging.15keep a civil tongue in your head old-fashioned spoken used to tell someone that they should talk politely to people16speak with forked tongue to say things that are not true –used humorously17speak in tongues to talk using strange words as part of a religious experience18 literary a language:Anton lapsed into his own tongue when he was excited.mother/native tongue (=the language you learn as a child)She felt more comfortable talking in her native tongue.19 [uncountable] the tongue of a cow or sheep, cooked and eaten cold20 [countable] something that has a long thin shape tongue of Huge tongues of fire were licking the side of the building.log in/on phrasal verb to do the necessary actions on a computer system that will allow you to begin using itlog off/out phrasal verb to stop using a computer system by giving it particular instructionshack (away) at somethingShe hacked away at the ice, trying to make a hole.hack something off/down etcWhole forests have been hacked down.hack your way through/into somethingHe hacked his way through the undergrowth.Both men had been hacked to death (=killed using large knives).4a dirty/rotten/mean trick an unkind or unfair thing to do:He didn’t turn up? What a dirty trick!5do the trick spoken if something does the trick, it solves a problem or provides what is needed to get a good result:A bit more flour should do the trick.6 a skilful set of actions that seem like magic, done to entertain people:My uncle was always showing me card tricks when I was a kid.a magic trick 7 a way of doing something that works very well but may not be easy to notice:The trick is to bend your knees as you catch the ball.a salesman who knew all the tricks of the trade(=clever methods used in a particular job)8use/try every trick in the book to use every method that you know, even dishonest ones, to achieve what you want9teach/show somebody a trick or two informal used to say that someone knows more than someone else or can do something better than them: Experienced teachers can show new teachers a trick or two.10somebody is up to their (old) tricks informal to be doing the same dishonest things that you have often done before11 the cards played or won in one part of a game of cards:He won the first three tricks easily.12 have a trick of doing something British English to have a habit of using a particular expression or of moving your face or body in a particular way:She had this trick of raising her eyebrows at the end of a question.13never miss a trick spoken to always know exactly what is happening even if it does not concern you:Dave’s found out. He never misses a trick, does he?.14how’s tricks? old-fashioned spoken used to greet someone in a friendly way:Hello, Bill! How’s tricks?15 American English old-fashioned informal someone who paysa PROSTITUTE to have sex turn a trick (=to have sex with someone formoney)→CONFIDENCE TRICK, →dirty trick AT DIRTY1(6), →you can’t teach an old dog new tricks A T TEACH(7), →HAT TRICK1to deceive someone in order to get something from them or to make them do something:She knew she’d been tricked, but it was too late.trick somebody into doing somethingHe claimed he was tricked into carrying drugs.trick somebody out of somethingThe corporation was tricked out of $20 million.trick your way into/past/onto etc somethingHe tricked his way into her home by pretending to be a policeman.2be tricked out with/in something British English literary to be decorated with something:a hat tricked out with ribbons10crack it British English informal to manage to do something successfully:I think we’ve cracked it!He seems to have got it cracked.11crack a joke to tell a joke:He kept cracking jokes about my appearance. 12crack a smile to smile, usually only slightly or unwillingly:Even Mr Motts managed to crack a smile at that joke.13crack open a bottle British English informal to open a bottle of alcohol for drinking:We cracked open a few bottles.14get cracking informal to start doing something or going somewhere quickly:I think we need to get cracking if we’re going to catch this train.15crack the whip informal to make people work very hard16something is not all/everything it’s cracked up to be informal used to say that something is not as good as people say it is:I thought the film was OK, but it’s not all it’s cracked up to be.crack down phrasal verb to become more strict in dealing with a problem and punishing the people involvedcrack down onThe government is determined to crack down on terrorism. The police are cracking down hard on violent crime.→CRACKDOWNcrack into something phrasal verb to secretly enter someone else’s computer system, especially in order to damage the system or steal the information stored on it→ hack:A teenager was accused of cracking into the company’s network.crack on phrasal verb British English informal to continue working hard at something in order to finish itcrack on withI need to crack on with my project work this weekend.crack up phrasal verb informal1crack (somebody) up to laugh a lot at something, or to make someone laugh a lot:Everyone in the class just cracked up. She’s so funny. She cracks me up.2to become unable to think or behave sensibly because you have too many problems or too much work:I was beginning to think I was cracking up!crack in He could see them through a crack in the door.She opened the door a crack and peeped into the room.2 [countable] a thin line on the surface of something when it is broken but has not actually come apart crack inThere were several small cracks in the glass.3 [countable] a weakness or fault in an idea, system, or organization crack inThe cracks in their relationship were starting to show.The first cracks are beginning to appear in the economic policy.4 [countable] a sudden loud sound like the sound of a stick being broken loud/sharp crackThere was a sharp crack as the branch broke off.crack of We could hear the crack of gunfire in the distance.a crack of thunder5 [countable] informal a clever joke or rude remark crack aboutI didn’t like his crack about her being overweight.He’s always making cracks about how stupid I am.6 [countable] informal an attempt to do something SYN shot crack atI’d like a crack at climbing that mountain.The competition’s open to anyone –why don’t you have a crack?7 [uncountable] an illegal drug that some people take for pleasure: crack addicts8 [countable] informal the space between someone’s BUTTOCK s9a crack on the head a hard hit on the head:You’ve had a nasty crack on the head and you need to rest.10a crack in sb’s voice a change in someone’s voice because they are feeling very upset:He noticed the crack in her voice as she tried to continue.11the crack of dawn very early in the morning at the crack of dawnWe were up at the crack of dawn.12 [countable] a piece of information or computer CODE that lets you illegally change free software which may lack certain features of the full VERSION, so that the free software works in the same way as the full version13a fair crack of the whip British English informal the same chance as other people to do something:They feel they haven’t been given a fair crack of thea constant/permanent reminder (=that makes you think about something all the time)Peter's letters to me are a constant reminder of the happiness we shared.a timely reminder (=a useful reminder of something important)This is a timely reminder to people that they should be careful with strangers.a salutary reminder (=one that teaches you something)The earthquake in China is a salutary reminder of how fragile human existence can be.a painful/uncomfortable reminderThis violence is a painful reminder that peace is still a long way away.a stark/sharp reminder (=strong or unpleasant)This incident is a stark reminder of the dangers police officers face every day.a vivid reminder (=strong)Their performance was a vivid reminder of just why this band has remained so successful.a powerful/potent reminderThe soldiers' deaths are a powerful reminder of the price we pay for freedom.a poignant reminder (=making you feel sad)I see Kathy's death as a poignant reminder that we sometimes really are powerless.a grim/sobering/chilling reminder (=making you feel serious and worried or frightened)They passed the armed guard, a grim reminder of the ever-present threat of terrorism.a gentle reminder It was meant to be a gentle reminder rather than a criticism.4fall into/avoid the trap of doing something to do something that seems good at the time but is not sensible or wise, or to avoid doing this:Don’t fall into the trap of investing all your money in one place.5keep your trap shut spoken a rude way of telling someone to not say anything about things that are secret:Just keep your trap shut.6shut your trap! spoken a rude way of telling someone to stop talking。