English idiom

cool as a cucumber

Register · Informal CEFR B2

Post

Figurative meaning

very calm and composed, especially under pressure

Why this phrase?

A cucumber is proverbially cool to the touch; the phrase extends the vegetable's temperature to a person's nerves.

Example

“While everyone panicked, she stayed as cool as a cucumber.”

Dictionary details

Tags

Expressions connected by reviewed component words or topic tags.

pull yourself together

To regain control of your emotions and calm down.

back against the wall

in a desperate situation with few options left

on the spot

immediately and at the place where something happens

cross that bridge when you come to it

To deal with a problem only when it actually arises, not before.

crunch time

the final, high-pressure period before a deadline

get one's thoughts together

to calm down and organize your thinking before acting or speaking

Source methodology

Meanings, register, CEFR, and examples come from the reviewed dictionary record. Expression notes may describe a reviewed present-day word picture or a background note; they are not presented as verified etymology.

External links

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