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coast is clear, the
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Idioms and Phrases
No observers or authorities are present; one can proceed safely. For example, Let's make sure the coast is clear before we set up this surprise party . This expression may have originated among pirates and smugglers who were referring to the absence of coast guards, or with regard to a coastal military invasion, but no citations bear out these theories. By the late 1500s the term was used purely figuratively.Advertisement
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[gal-uh-maw-free ]
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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