crown
crown (someone or something) with (something)
1. Literally, to adorn one's head with a crown. The headmaster crowned the May Queen with roses during the ceremony.
2. By extension, to top something with something. What do you want the architect to crown the column with?
3. To hit one violently in the head. The clerk crowned the armed robber with a baseball bat.
See also: crown
crown jewel
1. A precious jewel that is part of or featured on a monarch's or sovereign's regalia. Just one crown jewel from the Queen's regalia is worth enough money to buy a small country.
2. An asset or possession prized as being the best of a group of similar things. This vintage 1965 Corvette Stingray is the crown jewel of my car collection. The works of Shakespeare are the crown jewels of English drama.
See also: crown, jewel
crown jewels
1. The precious jewels, and the regalia or which they are featured, of a monarch or sovereign, as worn or used on a state occasion. One of the greatest mysteries of 20th-century Ireland was the case of the Irish Crown Jewels, which were stolen from Dublin Castle in 1907 and never recovered.
2. slang A male's genitals, especially the testicles. When she heard he had an affair, she kicked him right in the crown jewels.
See also: crown, jewel
crown of thorns
Something that causes one pain and suffering. Alludes to the crown of thorns that Jesus was made to wear before his crucifixion. Its usage is similar to the phrase "cross to bear." I can't stand to see how sick she has become. This illness is a real crown of thorns. This class is my crown of thorns. No matter how much I study, I just keep getting awful grades.
See also: crown, of, thorn
Crown Vic
A colloquial name for the Ford Crown Victoria, a model of sedan manufactured by Ford from 1992–2011. Often used in reference to police interceptors that were made from this model of car. My first car in high school was a 1995 Crown Vic. Man, I loved that thing. I'll never forget seeing my brother taken away by the cops in the back of a Crown Vic.
See also: crown, Vic
crowning achievement
The most important, significant, or greatest accomplishment or moment of one's career or life. The author's oeuvre spans five novels, four plays, and six books of poetry, but this, her final novel, is by far her crowning achievement. I may have had success in business and led a somewhat romantic life, but my crowning achievement was by far the day I became a father.
See also: crown
crowning glory
1. Someone or something's greatest achievement. I've had some good ideas in the past, but this invention is definitely my crowning glory.
2. The best or most impressive part of something. The impressionism exhibit is our local art museum's crowning glory.
3. One's hair. It's amazing that she has maintained her crowning glory—her flowing auburn tresses are as beautiful as ever.
See also: crown, glory
heavy hangs the head that wears a/the crown
The person who has the most power or authority suffers the largest amount of stress, anxiety, doubt, and worry. A misquote of the line "Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown," from Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part II. Sometimes I wish I weren't the boss of this company so I could just walk away from all these issues come quitting time. Heavy hangs the head that wears a crown, as they say. A: "Have you ever noticed how new presidents' hair starts going gray after just the first year?" B: "Oh, for sure—heavy hangs the head that wears the crown."
See also: crown, hang, head, heavy, that, wear
heavy lies the crown
Large amounts of power or authority carry with them stress, worry, and self-doubt. Derived from of the line "Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown," from Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part II. Sometimes I wish I weren't the boss of this company so I could just walk away from all these issues come quitting time. Heavy lies the crown, as they say. A: "Have you ever noticed how new presidents' hair starts going gray after just the first year?" B: "Oh, for sure—heavy lies the crown."
See also: crown, heavy, lie
the jewel in (someone's or something's) crown
An asset, possession, or accomplishment prized as being the best thing someone or something possesses or has done. I have a lot of gorgeous cars, but this vintage 1965 Corvette Stingray is the jewel in my crown. The works of Shakespeare are the jewels in the crown of English drama.
See also: crown, jewel
the jewel in the crown
An asset or possession prized as being the best of a group of similar things. This vintage 1965 Corvette Stingray is the jewel in the crown of my car collection. The works of Shakespeare are the jewels in the crown of English drama.
See also: crown, jewel
to crown it all
An expression indicating the final item in a list of particularly positive or negative experiences or situations. What a bad day—I left my phone in the grocery store, my car broke down on the way home, and, to crown it all, my groceries broke through the bag as I was walking to the front door. They really threw me a wonderful party. Costumes, games, and, to crown it all, my favorite kind of pie.
See also: all, crown
uneasy is the head that wears a/the crown
proverb The person who has the most power or authority suffers the largest amount of stress, anxiety, doubt, and worry. A misquote of the line "Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown," from Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part II. Sometimes I wish I weren't the boss of this company so I could just walk away from all these issues come quitting time. Uneasy is the head that wears a crown, as they say. A: "Have you ever noticed how new presidents' hair starts going gray after just the first year?" B: "Oh, for sure—uneasy is the head that wears the crown."
See also: crown, head, that, uneasy, wear
uneasy lies the head that wears a/the crown
The person who has the most power or authority suffers the largest amount of stress, anxiety, doubt, and worry. Originally from Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part II. Sometimes I wish I weren't the boss of this company so I could just walk away from all these issues come quitting time. Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown, as they say. A: "Have you ever noticed how new presidents' hair starts going gray after just the first year?" B: "Oh, for sure—uneasy lies the head that wears the crown."
See also: crown, head, lie, that, uneasy, wear
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
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.
See also: crown
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.
See also: crown
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: crown, head, lie, that, uneasy, wear
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
crown jewels
1. A prized possession or asset, as in The Iliad and Odyssey are the crown jewels of ancient literature, or The software products are the company's crown jewels. This usage transfers the value of royal jewels to some other object. [Late 1800s]
2. Also, family jewels. The male genitals, especially the testicles. For example, She gave the would-be mugger a hard kick in the family jewels. A slang euphemism, the term dates from the 1970s, and the variant from the early 1900s.
See also: crown, jewel
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
the jewel in someone's/something's crown
orthe jewel in the crown of someone/something
COMMON If something or someone is the jewel in someone's or something's crown or the jewel in the crown of someone or something, it is the best thing they have, or their greatest achievement. He has written a number of excellent books but this novel is surely the jewel in his crown. The jewel in the architectural crown of North Yorkshire is almost certainly Castle Howard. Note: This expression was known in Victorian times, but is probably most well known as the title of a novel by Paul Scott, published in 1966, that formed part of a series set in the Raj, or Victorian India. In this title, India is seen as the `jewel', and the `crown' is the British Empire.
See also: crown, jewel
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.
crowning glory
1 the best and most notable aspect of something. 2 a person's hair. informalSee also: crown, glory
the jewel in the (or someone's) crown
the most attractive or successful part of something.In the early 20th century, this was used as a term for the British imperial colonies as a whole. The Jewel in the Crown was subsequently used by Paul Scott as the title of the first novel of his Raj Quartet, which is set in the last days of British rule in India.
See also: crown, jewel
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
the jewel in the ˈcrown
the most attractive or valuable part of something: The research facility is considered the jewel in the crown of the nation’s technology industry.See also: crown, jewel
to ˌtop/ˌcap/ˌcrown it ˈall
(spoken) used to introduce the final piece of information that is worse than the other bad things you have already mentioned: We went to a horrible restaurant. The food was awful, the music was far too loud, and to top it all, the waiter was rude to us.See also: all, cap, crown, top
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
crown
tv. to hit someone on the head. The clerk crowned the robber with a champagne bottle.
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions
crown of glory
A triumphant victory; a splendid achievement. The term appears in the King James Version of the Bible, in 1 Peter (5:4), which says that good behavior will be rewarded, when the Shepherd shall appear, with “a crown of glory that fadeth not away.” A hymn (1820) by Thomas Kelly repeats this thought and also relates it to Jesus’ crown of thorns: “The Head that once was crowned with thorns is crowned with glory now.” On the other hand, in ancient Greek and Roman times, a victorious military hero was rewarded with a crown of laurels, so the term may allude to temporal rather than spiritual reward.
See also: crown, glory, of
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
- crown (someone or something) with (something)
- crown with
- top (something) with (something)
- top with
- have (someone) at (one's) mercy
- have somebody at your mercy
- clean (one's) act up
- clean act up
- clean up act
- clean up your act