English Idioms — Choose the closest meaning in context. Sentence: You have to be a cool customer and be patient if you want to get the best buys.

Introduction / Context:
The expression “a cool customer” is a common idiom in business, retail, and negotiation contexts. It describes a person who remains calm, composed, and unflustered, especially under pressure. The sentence links this demeanor with getting “the best buys,” which hints at bargaining situations where patience and emotional control lead to better deals.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Target phrase: “a cool customer.”
• Context: shopping or negotiating for the best prices (“best buys”).
• We need the closest meaning of the idiom as used here.
• Options include calmness, general prudence, silence, and choosiness.

Concept / Approach:
“Cool” in idioms often signals composure rather than temperature. A “cool customer” is someone who does not get excited or rattled and therefore can think clearly and act patiently. This is different from being silent (uncommunicative) or merely selective (choosy). While “have a cool head” is related, the best full paraphrase that captures both the trait and its behavioral effect is “Be calm and not be excitable.”

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
Replace in sentence: “You have to be calm and not be excitable and be patient if you want to get the best buys.” The logic holds: emotional steadiness enables rational choices and effective bargaining.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Have a cool head: Close in sense but less explicit about demeanor during buying; acceptable, yet option A is clearer and fuller.
• Be uncommunicative: Says nothing about composure or patience.
• Be choosy: Selective taste does not equal calm under pressure.

Common Pitfalls:
Confusing “cool” with social aloofness or silence. The idiomatic focus is emotional stability that resists pressure tactics and impulse buying. Calm buyers compare prices, wait for better offers, and say no without drama, translating directly into smarter purchasing decisions.

Final Answer:
Be calm and not be excitable