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crop

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neck and crop

Totally and completely, often abruptly. I can't believe you're just going to stop financially supporting me neck and crop! How am I supposed to buy groceries this week? Even though they got an early lead, we came back and beat them neck and crop!

See also: and, crop, neck

cream of the crop

Fig. the best of all. This particular car is the cream of the crop. These three students are very bright. They are the cream of the crop in their class.

See also: cream, crop, of

crop out

to appear on the surface; [for something] to reveal itself in the open; to begin to show above the surface. A layer of rock cropped out at the edges of the desert.

See also: crop, out

crop someone or something out

[for a photographer] to cut or trim out someone or something from a photograph. The photographer cropped Mr. Jones out of the picture. See if you can crop out the ugly fence at the side of the house.

See also: crop, out

crop up

to appear without warning; to happen suddenly; [for something] to begin to reveal itself in the open. Some new problems cropped up at the last minute.

See also: crop, up

Good seed makes a good crop.

Prov. Starting with good materials will help you get good results. Jill: Elsie and Jim are going to have a baby. Jane: I'm sure it will be a good child, since they're both such good people. Good seed makes a good crop. I am sure Robert's business will flourish. He's capable and honest, and good seed makes a good crop.

See also: crop, good, make, seed

the cream of the crop

the best of a particular group This editorial staff isn't the cream of the crop, but it's not as bad as you say.

Opposite of: bottom of the barrel

Etymology: based on the idea that cream is the best part of milk

See also: cream, crop, of

crop up

to appear by chance Officials fear that the virus could crop up in the United States. Interest in international issues has cropped up on many university campuses.

Related vocabulary: come up

See also: crop, up

the cream of the crop

the best of a particular group These artists are the best of this year's graduates - the cream of the crop.

See also: cream, crop, of

cream of the crop, the

The best or choicest of anything, as in The apples from this orchard are definitely the cream of the crop. The noun cream has been used to mean "the best" since the 16th century. The French equivalent of the present term, la crème de la crème ("the cream of the cream") was familiar in English by 1800.

See also: cream, of

crop out

Rise to the surface, become visible or evident, as in These superstitions crop out time and again. This term originated in mining, where a stratum or vein of ore is said to crop out when it comes to the surface. [Mid-1800s]

See also: crop, out

crop up

Appear unexpectedly or occasionally, as in One theory that crops up periodically is the influence of sunspots on stock prices, or We hope new talent will crop up in the next freshman class. [Mid-1800s]

See also: crop, up

crop up

v.

To happen or appear, often unexpectedly: Errors have cropped up in the report despite all our proofreading.

See also: crop, up