sack out

- to go to bed, to go to sleep

I sacked out as soon as I arrived home last evening.

a sacred cow

- something that is never criticized even if it sometimes deserves to be

The national park system is a sacred cow of the government and is never criticized by anyone.

sadder but wiser

- unhappy about something but having learned something from the experience

The man was sadder but wiser after he learned that his wallet had been stolen.

saddle (someone) with (something)

- to give someone something undesirable or difficult to deal with

I try not to saddle my friend with my financial problems.

safe and sound

- to be safe or healthy

We arrived at our destination safe and sound after a long journey.

a safe bet

- something that is almost one hundred percent certain

It is a safe bet that our boss will not come to work today.

(to be on the) safe side

- to take no chances

It may rain so to be on the safe side I think that I will bring my umbrella.

safety in numbers

- to feel safe by being surrounded by a large number of people

There was safety in numbers when the students went to complain about their new teacher.

sage advice

- very good and wise advice

My friend asked me for my sage advice regarding his problems.

sail into (someone)

- to scold or criticize someone very hard, to attack someone

When I entered the office my supervisor sailed into me for being late.

sail right through (something)

- to finish something quickly and easily

I was able to sail right through the material for my final exam.

sail under false colors

- to pretend to be something that one is not

The politician was sailing under false colors when he appealed to the citizens for votes.

salt away money

- to save money

My friend has salted away much money from her new job.

salt of the earth

- basically and fundamentally good simple people

The members of our club are the salt of the earth and are fun to be with.

same as (someone or something)

- to be identical to someone or something

My sister is the same as the girl who lives down the block.

Same here!

- Me too! I agree!

"Same here," I replied when someone said that they were having problems with their Internet provider.

same old story

- something that occurs in the same way as before

It is the same old story with my friend. He borrows money but he never wants to pay it back.

same to you

- the same comment applies to you

"The same to you," the boy said when his friend said that he was stupid.

sands of time

- the accumulated tiny amounts of time (like the sand in an hourglass)

The sands of time have done much to change the woman's feelings about her sister.

save face

- to preserve one`s good reputation or dignity when something has happened to hurt it

Our boss is responsible for many problems in our company. He wants to quit before he is fired so that he can save face.

save one`s breath

- to remain silent because talking will do no good

You should save your breath and not talk to that woman because she will not believe you anyway.

save one`s neck/skin

- to save oneself from danger or trouble

The man left the scene of the fire quickly in order to save his neck.

save (something) for a rainy day

- to save something (eg. money) for the future

I plan to save some money for a rainy day.

save the day

- to bring about victory or success (when defeat is likely)

The football player saved the day for his team when he played his best game of the season.

save up for (something)

- to save money in order to buy something

My friend is saving up for a new digital camera.

saved by the bell

- to be rescued from a difficult situation by something that brings the situation to a sudden end

I was saved by the bell and do not have to give my presentation until tomorrow.

saving grace

- a redeeming quality - especially a quality that compensates for one's shortcomings

The man's saving grace was his musical ability. His personality was terrible.

Say Idioms

 

say a mouthful

- to say something of great importance/meaning/length

"You certainly said a mouthful," I said when my friend began to tell me about his complaint.

say grace

- to say a prayer of thanks before or after a meal

The bride's father wanted to say grace before the wedding banquet.

say one`s piece

- to say openly what one thinks

I said my piece at the meeting and then quietly left.

say (something) in a roundabout way

- to say something indirectly

I said what I wanted to say in a roundabout way in order to make my point.

say (something) to (someone's) face

- to say something (often unpleasant) directly to someone

My supervisor always complains about me but she never says anything to my face.

say (something) under one's breath

- to say something so softly that almost nobody can hear it

The woman said something under her breath but I could not understand it.

say the word

- to give a sign, to show a wish

"Just say the word and I will come and meet you at the airport."

say uncle

- to surrender, to give in

The little boy was forced to say uncle and do what the older boy wanted.

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scale (something) down

- to make something smaller

The government decided to scale down the plans for the sports stadium.

scare (someone) out of his or her wits

- to frighten someone very much

The dog scared the little boy out of his wits.

scare (someone) silly

- to frighten someone very much

The mouse scared the girl silly.

scare (someone) stiff

- to scare someone severely

The little boy was scared stiff after he watched the horror movie.

scare the (living) daylights out of (someone)

- to frighten someone very much

Falling off the bicycle scared the daylights out of the little girl.
The movie scared the living daylights out of me.

scare the pants off (someone)

- to frighten someone very badly

The big dog scared the pants off the little boy.

scare up (somebody or something) or scare (somebody or something) up

- to find someone or something, to gather something with some effort

We were able to scare up some sleeping bags so that we could go camping.

scared silly/stiff

- to be frightened very much

I was scared stiff during the horror movie.

scatter (something) around

- to carelessly put something in different places

My papers are always scattered around my house and I am never able to find them.

school of hard knocks

- the ordinary experiences of life

The man learned about life in the school of hard knocks.

school of thought

- a particular philosophy

There are many schools of thought about how the government should proceed with its new transportation plan.

score points with (someone)

- to gain the favor of someone

The salesman always worked extra hours in order to score points with his boss.

scout around for (someone or something)

- to search or look for someone or something

The company is scouting around for a new warehouse for their products.

scrape the bottom of the barrel

- to take whatever is left after the best has been taken

The company is scraping the bottom of the barrel to look for new employees.

scrape (something) together or scrape together (something)

- to gather small amounts of money or something (usually with some difficulty) for some purpose

We were able to scrape together enough money to go on a holiday.

scrape (something) up or scrape up (something)

- to find or gather something with some effort

My friend scraped up some money and came to visit me during the summer.

scratch around for (something)

- to look for something

The woman was scratching around for some money to buy some food.

scratch (someone`s) back

- to do something for someone in the hope that they will do something for you

"You scratch my back and I`ll scratch yours," the customer said when we talked about the new sales contract.

scratch the surface (of something)

- to only begin to do or learn something

My friend likes to listen to classical music but she is only beginning to scratch the surface of what is available.

scream bloody murder

- to complain bitterly about something

The woman screamed bloody murder when someone took her parking place.

screw around

- to loaf about, to pass time without doing anything

I screwed around all morning and did not get anything done.

screw up (someone or something) or screw (someone or something) up

- to cause trouble for someone or something, to make a mess of something

My travel agent screwed up my travel schedule and I missed my flight.

screw up one's courage

- to build up one's courage for something

I screwed up my courage and asked my supervisor to transfer me to a different department.

scrimp and save

- to be very thrifty, to save money for something

I have been scrimping and saving in order to buy a new computer.

scroll up/down

- to move up or down through the text on a computer screen

I scrolled down to read the rest of the online story.

scrounge around for (something)

- to look/search in many places for something

We did not have enough wood for the fence so we had to scrounge around to find some more.

seamy side of life

- the most unpleasant or roughest aspect of life

The policeman learned much about the seamy side of life during his many years of work.

search high and low for (someone or something)

- to look carefully everywhere for someone or something

I have been searching high and low for my address book.

Search me!

- I don`t know., How should I know?

"Search me," my friend said when I asked him what had happened to his car.

search one`s soul

- to study and think about one`s reasons and actions to see if one has been fair and honest

I have been searching my soul to see if I could have prevented the car crash.

second a motion

- to formally agree with a proposal in a meeting

I seconded the motion to start one hour early every morning during the summer.

second-guess (someone)

- to try to guess what someone else intends to do or would have done in a situation

You should never try to second-guess the actions of the firefighters in a dangerous situation.

second hand

- not new, used by someone else

We went to a second-hand bookstore to look for the books.

second nature to (someone)

- to be easy and natural for someone

Playing a musical instrument is second nature to my friend.

second-rate

- to be not of the best quality

The performance of the school choir was second-rate.

a second thought

- a thought that one has after thinking about something again

I gave it a second thought and decided not to quit the class.

second to none

- to be better than everything else

The performance by the opera singer was second to none.

second wind

- energy that is regained after being tired

After we got our second wind we continued our hike up the mountain.

security against (something)

- something that keeps something safe, protection against something

The money in the bank is my security against losing my job in the future.

security blanket

- something that one holds onto for reassurance or comfort (like a child and a blanket)

The boy uses his computer as a security blanket so that he does not have to meet new people.

See Idioms

 

see a man about a dog

- to leave for some unspecified purpose (often to go to the restroom)

I drank several cups of coffee and I soon had to stop my car to see a man about a dog.

see about (something)

- to check into something

I am going to see about getting the book before next week.

see double

- to see two of everything instead of one

I began to see double after I hit my head on the edge of the fence.

see eye to eye (with someone)

- to agree with someone

I do not always see eye to eye with my friend.

see fit to (do something)

- to decide to do something

I hope that my company sees fit to spend more time training its employees.

see no objection to (something)

- to not have any objection to something

I see no objection to my friend coming to the meeting with me.

see one`s way clear to (do something)

- to feel able to do something

"When you see your way clear to begin the job could you please come and tell me."

see red

- to become angry

My friend saw red last night when I told him about the broken DVD player.

see service

- to do military duty in an actual war

The man saw service in the war.

see (someone or something) as (something)

- to consider someone to be something

My friend sees me as an expert in financial matters although I am not.

see (someone) home

- to accompany someone home

I saw my cousin home after her visit last evening.

see (someone) off or see off (someone)

- to go with someone to their point of departure

I went to the airport to see my mother off.

see (someone) out or see out (someone)

- to go with someone out of a room or house

I went to the door to see our guests out.

see (someone) to (somewhere)

- to escort someone to a place safely

I saw my friend to the door when he decided to go home.

see (something) out or see out (something)

- to finish something, to not quit doing something

I decided to stay with my company in order to see out the restructuring process.

see (something) through

- to do something until it is completed

I want to stay and see the building project through.

see stars

- to think that one is seeing stars as a result of being hit on the head

When I was hit by the opposing player I fell to the ground and began to see stars.

see the color of (someone's) money

- to verify that someone has (enough) money

I did not give my friend a ticket for the game until I saw the color of his money.

see the handwriting on the wall

- to know that something is certain to happen

We saw the handwriting on the wall and we knew that our company was going to go bankrupt.

see the last of (someone or something)

- to see someone or something for the last time

I was very happy to see the last of my friend.

see the light

- to realize that one has been wrong

I finally saw the light and began to work in the same manner as everyone else.

see the light at the end of the tunnel

- to foresee an end to something such as a problem or a task

I could see the light at the end of the tunnel and I knew that I would finish the work soon.

see the light of day

- to be born, to begin

I do not believe that his plans to build a new house will ever see the light of day.

see the sights

- to see the important things in a place

We stopped for three days in the city so that we could see the sights.

see the world through rose-colored glasses

- to see only the good things about something, to be too optimistic

She is unrealistic and always sees the world through rose-colored glasses.

see things

- to imagine that one sees something that is not there

The boy is always daydreaming and imagines that he is seeing things.

see things/everything through rose-colored glasses

- to see only the good things about something, to be too optimistic

The girl is very nice although she always sees everything through rose-colored glasses.

see through (someone or something)

- to understand someone`s true character or motivation, to understand the real reason for something

I could see through the supervisor's attempt to fire the woman from her job.

see to it (that something is done)

- to take the responsibility to do something, to make sure that something is done

"Will you please see to it that the garbage is taken out in the morning."

see to (someone or something)

- to take care of someone or something

I will see to renting a car tomorrow.

see which way the wind is blowing

- to determine what is the most suitable thing to do

I want to see which way the wind is blowing before I decide to quit my job.

.

 

seeing is believing

- one must believe something that one sees

Seeing is believing and I did not believe the size of the house until I actually saw it.

seize an opportunity

- to take advantage of an opportunity

I seized the opportunity to take the extra class when I heard about it.

seize upon (something)

- to take hold of something and make an issue of it

The media seized upon the mistake of the politician.

Sell Idioms

 

sell like hotcakes

- to sell quickly, to sell rapidly

The tickets for the concert were selling like hotcakes when I called this morning.

sell out (someone or something) or sell (someone or something) out

- to be disloyal, to betray someone or something

The man does not want to sell out his moral values.

sell (someone) a bill of goods

- to deceive someone, to get someone to believe something that is not true

I believe that the salesman sold me a bill of goods and the product does not have much value.

sell (someone) on (something - a plan or idea)

- to convince someone that something is good or beneficial

I could not sell my friend on the idea to buy a new computer.

sell (someone) short

- to underestimate someone

My friend is selling himself short when he thinks that he will not be able to find a good job.

sell (something) out or sell out (something)

- to sell all of something

They sold out the concert in every city that it went to.

sell (something) for a song

- to sell something very cheaply

They sold the furniture for a song.

sell (something) off or sell off (something)

- to sell much or all of something

The computer company decided to sell off some of their real estate business.

sell (something) on credit

- to sell something now and let the purchaser pay for it later

The store sold the stereo system on credit.

seller's market

- a situation where there are more buyers of a product/service than sellers so the sellers have an advantage

It was a seller's market for houses and the houses were increasing in value.

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Send Idioms

 

send away for (something)

- to write a letter asking for something

I sent away for some information but it has not arrived yet.

send (someone) about his or her business

- to send someone away (in an unfriendly manner)

I sent the man about his business when he interrupted my work last evening.

send (someone) off or send off (someone)

- to participate in saying good-bye to someone who is leaving

We went to the airport to send off the company president.

send (someone) packing

- to tell someone to leave, to dismiss someone

The company sent the man packing because of his bad work performance.

send (someone) to the showers

- to send a player out of the game and off the field/court etc.

The coach decided to send the player to the showers after his poor performance in the game.

send (someone) up or send up (someone)

- to sentence someone to prison

The judge sent the man up for seven years for robbing a bank.

send (something) C.O.D.

- to send merchandise to someone who will pay for it when it is delivered

The company sent the computer printer C.O.D.

send up a trial balloon

- to suggest something and see how people react to it

The company sent up a trial balloon to see how people would react to their new product.

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separate but equal

- to be segregated but of equal value or quality

The teaching staff and the administration were separate but equal regarding school decisions.

separate the men from the boys

- to separate competent people from less competent people

Some people say that joining the military is a good way to separate the men from the boys.

serve as a guinea pig

- to allow some kind of test to be performed on someone

The students served as a guinea pig for the school board's plan to change the school curriculum.

serve notice on (someone)

- to announce something to someone

We served notice on the apartment manager that we would leave our apartment at the end of the month.

serve (someone`s) purpose

- to be useful to someone for a certain need

The small screwdriver should serve my purpose until I find the correct size.

serve (someone) right

- to get the punishment or results that one deserves

My friend never studies at all so it serves him right to fail his exam.

serve time

- to spend time in jail

The man served time when he was young but now he is a good citizen.

Set Idioms

set a precedent

- to establish a pattern, to set a policy that must be followed in future cases

The legal case set a precedent that will be followed for many years in the future.

set a trap

- to prepare a trap to catch an animal or a person who is doing something wrong or illegal

The conservation officers set a trap to try and catch the bear.

set about to (do something or go somewhere)

- to begin or start something, to prepare to go somewhere

We set about to prepare for our move to a bigger building.

set back (someone or something) or set (someone or something) back

- to cause someone or something to get behind schedule, to slow down someone or something

The heavy rain set back the efforts of the farmers to plant their crops.

set eyes on (someone or something)

- to see someone or something for the first time

I do not know if my friend is here or not. I have not set eyes on her since yesterday.

set fire to (something)

- to make something burn

The workers set fire to the building by accident.

set foot (somewhere)

- to step or go somewhere

I have never set foot in that restaurant and I never will in the future.

set forth (something)

- to explain something exactly or clearly

The manager carefully set forth the terms of the rental contract.

set forth (somewhere)

- to start to go somewhere, to begin a trip

We set forth on our holiday at 7:00 this morning.

set great store on (someone or something)

- to like or value someone or something

Our company sets great store on their ability to attract good people.

set in

- to begin and probably continue (used for a weather or mental condition)

The rain has set in and it looks like it will not stop.
A mild depression has set in for my neighbor

set in one's ways

- to be inflexible

My grandfather is set in his ways and he will not change his habits.

set one`s heart on (something)

- to want something very much

I set my heart on a nice holiday this winter although I have no money.

set one`s mind at rest

- to free oneself from worry, to stop worrying

I told my father the reason that we cannot come in order to set his mind at rest.

set one's sights on (something)

- to select something as one's goal

The local politician has set his sights on being elected to a higher office.

set out (somewhere)

- to leave on a journey

Marco Polo set out for China many years ago.

set out to (do something)

- to decide and begin to try to do something, to attempt to do something

My friend set out to learn Spanish when he went to Mexico.

set sail

- to start sailing, to begin a sea voyage

The three women set sail for Hawaii in a small sailboat.

set (someone) back or set back (someone)

- to cost someone

"How much did your new suit set you back?"

set (someone) back on his or her heels

- to surprise/shock/overwhelm someone

The announcement by the principal set the teachers back on their heels.

set (someone or something) free

- to release someone or something

The conservation officers went to the mountains and set the bear free.

set (someone or something) loose

- to set someone or something free, to release someone or something that you are holding

The wildlife department decided to set the bear loose.

set (someone or something) straight

- to explain something to someone

The police officer set the woman straight about the driving laws.

set (someone's) teeth on edge

- to irritate someone

The constant noise from the stereo next door set my teeth on edge.

set (someone) up in business or set up (someone) in business

- to help establish someone in business

My father helped to set my sister's husband up in business.

set (something) aside for (someone or something)

- to save or reserve something for a special purpose

We set some money aside for our next holiday.

set (something) off or set off (something)

- to decorate something through contrast, to balance something by difference

We painted the door red in order to set off the light colors of the walls.

set (something) off or set off (something)

- to cause something to explode

The fire set off a large explosion on the ship.

set (something) right

- to correct something, to make something more fair

The man made an effort to set things right between himself and his brother.

set (something) to music

- to write a piece of music that is related to some written material

The composer has worked hard to set many great stories to music.

set the pace

- to decide on a rate of speed to do something that others will follow

The manager of the factory sets the pace for his employees.

set the stage for (something)

- to prepare for something

The win by our team set the stage for the final championship game next month.

set the table

- to place plates/glasses/napkins on the table before a meal

I set the table while my mother was cooking dinner.

set the world on fire

- to do something outstanding, to do something that makes one famous

The author has not been able to set the world on fire with his writing but he is trying very hard.

set tongues wagging

- to make people start gossiping

The actions of the supervisor set tongues wagging in our office.

set type

- to arrange type for printing

The small printing company worked all night to set type for the local paper.

set up (someone) or set (someone) up

- to put someone in a position to be manipulated or cheated

I do not believe that I lost the money honestly. I believe that someone set me up.

set up (something) or set (something) up

- to establish something, to provide the money for something

The newspaper company provided the money to set up the travel magazine.
The company set up a new department to test new products.

set up (something) or set (something) up

- to make something ready to use by putting the parts together

After we set up the gas barbecue we were able to cook dinner.

set up shop (somewhere)

- to open a business

The fire alarm company decided to set up shop in our city.

set upon (someone or something)

- to attack someone or something violently

The three young boys set upon the man on the city bus.

.

 

Settle Idioms

settle a score with (someone)

- to retaliate against someone for a past wrong

My boss is trying to settle a score with someone for something that happened several years ago.

settle down

- to calm down

The baby finally settled down and began to sleep.

settle down

- to begin to live a quiet and stable life, to have a regular place to live and a regular job

My friend settled down and started a family after he finished university.

settle for (something)

- to be satisfied with less than you want, to agree to accept something as a second choice

I settled for less than I wanted but I am happy with my new contract at work.

settle on (something)

- to decide on something

We settled on the fish dinner at the restaurant.

settle (one's) affairs

- to deal with one's business matters, to manage one's affairs

It was very difficult for my friend to settle his affairs after his illness.

settle (something) out of court

- to settle a disagreement without having to go through a court of justice

The company was able to settle their lawsuit out of court.

settle up with (someone)

- to pay someone what one owes them

I settled up with my friend before he left to work overseas.

.

 

setup

- an arrangement, the details of a situation

My uncle has a very nice setup at his office.

seventh heaven

- a state of intense delight

The singer has been in seventh heaven since she won the music award.

sever ties with (someone)

- to end a relationship or agreement with someone or something

Our company decided to sever ties with the small advertising company.

sew (something) up or sew up (something)

- to complete or secure something

The candidate for the nomination sewed up his victory last week.

shack up with (someone)

- to live with someone without marrying him or her

When my sister was younger she shacked up with her boyfriend for two years.

shades of (someone or something)

- a reminder of someone or something

The festival contained shades of the large festivals of many years ago.

shadow of oneself/itself

- someone or something that is not as strong or healthy as before

The professional boxer was a shadow of his former self.

Shake Idioms

shake a leg

- to go fast, to hurry

"Please try and shake a leg. We are already late for the concert."

shake (hands) on (something)

- to shake the hand of someone as a sign of agreement about something

I shook hands on the agreement with my boss.

shake hands with (someone)

- to shake the hand of someone to greet them

I shook hands with my neighbor when I first met him.

shake in one's boots

- to be afraid, to shake from fear

The little boy was shaking in his boots when the large dog approached him.

shake off an illness or shake an illness off

- to become well or healthy again

My friend is unable to shake off her illness and cannot come to the party.

shake off (someone or something) or shake (someone or something) off

- to get rid of someone or something that is bothering you

I was able to shake off my cold after a weekend of resting in bed.

shake (someone) down or shake down (someone)

- to get money by threatening someone

The gangsters shook the shop owner down to get some money.

shake up (someone) or shake (someone) up

- to shock or upset someone

The change in policies shook up many people in the company.

shake up (something)

- to reorganize something

The president decided to shake up the company in order to bring new energy into the organization.

.

 

shaken up

- to be bothered or disturbed

I was shaken up after I heard about the fire at our apartment building.

shape up

- to improve one's behavior or performance or physical shape

The man has begun to shape up and is doing his job much better.

shape up or ship out

- to either improve one's performance or leave

The new employee was told to shape up or ship out when his performance was not equal to the other members of the staff.

share and share alike

- to have or get equal shares of something

We share and share alike when we are on a camping trip.

share (someone's) pain

- to understand and sympathize with someone's pain or discomfort

I tried hard to share my friend's pain after his father died.

share (someone's) sorrow

- to grieve as someone else grieves

The neighbors shared the man's sorrow after he lost his house in a fire.

shed crocodile tears

- to pretend that one is crying

The man pretended to apologize for his actions but he was only shedding crocodile tears.

shed light on (something)

- to make something clearer or easier to understand

The speech helped to shed light on the political scandal.

shell out money

- to pay money

I shelled out much money for the new stereo.

shine up to (someone)

- to try to please someone, to try to make friends with someone

The man is always shining up to his boss in the hopes of getting an increase in salary.

shipping and handling

- the costs of handling a product and transporting it

The cost of shipping and handling for some goods that are bought over the Internet are very high.

ships that pass in the night

- people who meet briefly by chance but are unlikely to meet again

We were like two ships that pass in the night and I do not think that I will ever see that person again.

shirk one's duty

- to neglect one's job or task

The guard was shirking his duty when he spent much of the evening playing cards.

the shoe is on the other foot

- the opposite is true, someone's place or situation is changed into someone else's place or situation

My friend always has problems at school but now the shoe is on the other foot and I am the one who is having problems.

a shoo-in

- someone or something that is expected to win, a sure winner

The university president is a shoo-in to win another term in office.

shook up

- to be upset, to be worried

Our secretary was shook up after the accident and has not been back to work since.

Shoot Idioms

shoot for (something)

- to attempt to do something, to aim toward a goal

I was shooting for the local spelling championship before I could advance to a higher level.

shoot from the hip

- to speak directly and frankly, to fire a gun that is at one's side

The man often shoots from the hip and gets into trouble over what he says.

shoot one's mouth off

- to boast or talk too much

The boy was shooting his mouth off about his sports ability.

shoot one`s wad

- to spend all of one`s money, to say everything that is on one`s mind

My friend shot his wad at a casino during his vacation.

shoot oneself in the foot

- to make a mistake or a stupid decision that makes a situation worse

The man shot himself in the foot when he refused to work extra to help his boss with the new project.

shoot out (something)

- to stick or throw something outward

The man shot out his foot from under the table and made his friend fall down.

shoot straight

- to act fairly, to deal honestly with others

The salesman always shoots straight when he is dealing with his customers.

shoot the breeze/bull

- to talk idly

I met my friend at the supermarket and we decided to shoot the breeze for a few minutes.

shoot the works

- to spare no expense or effort to do something

They are planning to shoot the works with the victory celebration for the Olympic athletes.

shoot up

- to grow quickly

The boy seemed to shoot up quickly during the summer.

shoot up

- to rise suddenly

The flames shot up over the top of the building.

shoot up (drugs)

- to take drugs by injecting them

We saw someone shooting up heroin in the alley.

shoot up (someone or something)

- to shoot at someone or something recklessly

In many western movies the outlaws come into town and shoot up everything.

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shop around for (something)

- to go to various stores to look for something

We shopped around for a month before we bought a new stereo system.

shore (something) up or shore up (something)

- to add support to something which is weak

It was necessary to shore up the house after the mud slide.

short and sweet

- brief and pleasant

My visit with my parents was short and sweet.

the short end (of the stick)

- unfair or unequal treatment

The man always gets the short end of the stick when he is at work.

short for (something)

- something that is a shortened form of a word or phrase

The woman's nickname is short for her full name.

short of (something)

- to not have enough of something

We are short of sugar so I will buy some when I am at the store.

short on (something)

- to be lacking in something

The man is short on patience and is often angry.

short shrift

- rude treatment

The woman received short shrift from her supervisor when she asked for a holiday.

a shot in the arm

- something inspiring or encouraging, a boost of energy

My job search got a shot in the arm when the company president called me for an interview.

a shot in the dark

- an attempt at something without much hope or chance of succeeding

The attempt to find the small boy was a shot in the dark.

shot through with (something)

- containing something

The drink was shot through with some chemicals which I did not know.

shotgun wedding

- a forced wedding

The young couple were forced into a shotgun wedding by the girl's father.

shoulder to shoulder

- side by side, with a shared purpose

The firefighters worked shoulder to shoulder to help prevent the house from burning.

shove off

- to start, to leave

"I think that it is time for us to shove off. It is almost midnight."

shove one's way (somewhere)

- to make a path through a crowd by pushing

We shoved our way into the department store for the big sale.

shove (something) down (someone`s) throat

- to force someone to do or agree to something that they do not like or do not want to do

I do not like my supervisor because he is always trying to shove his ideas down my throat.

Show Idioms

show-and-tell

- to present something interesting to a class (in elementary school)

The little boy took a starfish from the ocean to his school for show-and-tell.

show good faith

- to demonstrate good intentions or good will

The man did not show good faith when he asked for extra money after he left his company.

a show of hands

- a display of raised hands in a group to vote on something

The teacher asked for a show of hands to see who wanted to do a presentation.

show off

- to try to attract attention, to display something

My friend likes to show off his new clothes.

show-off

- a person who brags a lot

The girl is a show-off and is always trying to impress other people.

show one`s cards/hand

- to disclose one`s plans

The buyer will not show us his cards so we do not know what he wants.

show one`s (true) colors

- to show what one is really like or is thinking

My friend is showing his true colors when he refuses to help me when I need help.

show signs of (something)

- to show hints or indications of something

The man showed no signs of life after the accident.

show (someone) the door

- to ask someone to go away

When the man started yelling in the restaurant the manager quickly showed him the door.

show (someone) the ropes

- to tell or show someone how to do something

The experienced carpenter made a great effort to show the new trainee the ropes.

show (someone) to his or her seat

- to direct someone to a place to sit

The usher showed the man to his seat.

show (someone) up or show up (someone)

- to do better than another person while others can see you

The girl always shows her friend up by doing all of her schoolwork quickly.

show (something) to good advantage

- to make something look good, to make something stand out

The new paint helped to show the house to good advantage.

show up

- to appear, to arrive, to be present

"What time did your friend show up for the party?"

show up

- to become easy to see

After we cleaned the vase the design began to show up.

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shrug (something) off or shrug off (something)

- to not be bothered or hurt by something, to disregard something

The girl says mean things but we always shrug off her comments.

Shut Idioms

shut off

- to be apart, to be separated from someone or something

The small town is shut off from the other small towns in the valley.

shut out (a team)

- to prevent the opposition team from scoring during a game

Our national soccer team shut out the other team last night.

shut (something) off or shut off (something)

- to make something like water or electricity stop

We always shut off the gas when we leave the house.

shut (something) up or shut up (something)

- to close the doors and windows of a building for a period of time

We decided to shut up our cottage for the winter.

shut the door on (someone)

- to close the door to keep someone out

The teacher always shuts the door on students who come late for her class.

shut the door on (something)

- to terminate/exclude/obstruct something

The bad behavior of the employees shut the door on any future parties at the company.

shut up

- to stop talking

"Please shut up and let someone else speak."

shut up (someone or something) or shut (someone or something) up

- to confine someone or something

We always shut up our dog in the house when the postal worker comes.

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shuttle from place to place

- to move from place to place

The athletes shuttled from place to place during the sports event.
The volunteer drivers shuttled the athletes from place to place during the sports event.

shy away from (someone or something)

- to avoid someone or something

Recently my doctor has shied away from giving me advice about my eating habits.

sick and tired of (someone or something)

- to dislike someone or something, to be annoyed with someone or something

I am sick and tired of my friend's complaining.

sick in bed

- to remain in bed while you are sick

My father was sick in bed for three days last week.

sick of (someone or something)

- to be bored with someone or something, to dislike someone or something

I think that the clerk is sick of working late every day.

side against (someone)

- to choose sides against someone

My friend always sides against me when I am involved in an argument with someone.

side with (someone)

- to favor or support someone's position in a dispute

The mother always sides with her daughter when the daughter has an argument.

a sight for sore eyes

- a welcome sight

The man was a sight for sore eyes when he returned to work after a long holiday.

sight unseen

- before seeing a thing or a person

My friend bought the car sight unseen and now he is having trouble with it.

sign on the dotted line

- to place one's signature on a contract or other important paper

The sales manager gave me the contract and asked me to sign on the dotted line.

sign on with (someone)

- to sign an agreement to work with or for someone

My cousin has signed on with one of the largest companies in the world.

sign one's own death warrant

- to do something knowingly that will probably result in severe trouble

Our secretary signed her own death warrant when she came to work late three times last week.

sign (something) over

- to give something legally to someone by signing one`s name

The man signed over his car to his son on his 21st birthday.

sign up for (something)

- to promise to do something by signing one`s name, to join something

My friend recently decided to sign up for tennis lessons.

signal to (someone) to do (something)

- to give someone an instruction by using a signal

I signaled to our coach to take me out of the game.

signed, sealed and delivered

- formally and officially signed

The contract to buy the house was signed, sealed and delivered when I delivered it to the real estate agent.

the silence is deafening

- the silence is so great that one becomes uncomfortable, the silence is so great that it suggests the disapproval of something

The silence was deafening at the meeting when nobody stood up to challenge the speaker for his extreme remarks.

silly season

- the time of the year (late summer) when there is no important news and news reporters focus on unimportant things

It was the end of summer and it was now the silly season for the news media.

simmer down

- to become calm or quiet

He was very angry after the meeting but now he has begun to simmer down.

since time immemorial

- since a very long time ago

Since time immemorial people have been coming to the hot springs to bathe in the water.

sing (someone's) praises

- to praise someone highly and enthusiastically

My supervisor always sings my praises when he introduces me to someone.

sing a different tune

- to contradict one's previous ideas, to change one's attitude

Usually the man does not care if he disturbs his neighbors at midnight but now that he must get up early in the morning he is singing a different tune.

sink in

- to penetrate, to become understood

It will take time for the comments of our boss to sink in.

sink into despair

- to grieve or to become depressed

The woman sank into despair when she learned that she had lost her job.

sink one`s teeth into (something)

- to begin to work seriously on a project or problem

The problem is difficult and is very hard to sink your teeth into.

sink or swim

- to fail or succeed by one's own efforts

My cousin will have to sink or swim when he begins his new job.

Sit Idioms

sit around (somewhere)

- to sit somewhere and relax and do nothing

I spent the morning sitting around my apartment.

sit at (someone's) feet

- to admire someone greatly, to be taught by someone

I would love to sit at the feet of the famous painter.

sit back

- to be located a distance away from a street

The large mansion sits back three hundred meters from the street.

sit back

- to relax or rest, to take a break

We decided to sit back for the day and not do anything.

sit back and let (something) happen

- to relax and not interfere in something

I did not want to sit back and let things happen so I began to make some phone calls about my situation.

sit bolt upright

- to sit up straight

I sat bolt upright when I heard the news about my cousin.

sit idly by

- to sit and watch something while others work, to ignore a situation that calls for help

The man sat idly by while the others worked hard.

a sit-in

- a political demonstration where students or workers refuse to leave their classroom or job site

The students had a sit-in to demand lower tuition fees.

sit in for (someone)

- to take someone else's place in some activity

I asked my friend to sit in for me at my volunteer job at the community center.

sit in on (something)

- to attend or participate in a meeting or similar gathering

Our boss sat in on our meeting so that he could learn what was happening.

sit on (something)

- to be a member of a jury or board

The former politician sits on the board of many corporations.

sit on its hands

- an audience refuses to applaud

The audience sat on its hands after the terrible performance by the singer.

sit on one's hands

- to do nothing, to fail to help

The manager sat on her hands and refused to do anything about the complaints that she had received.

sit on (something)

- to hold someone or something back, to delay something

I am going to sit on my job application until I am sure that I want to apply for the new job.

sit on the fence

- to not support any side in a dispute, to not decide something, to not support something

Most of the politicians are sitting on the fence about the new subway proposal.

sit right

- to be unacceptable (usually used in the negative or as a question)

The idea seemed good at first but now it does not sit right with the other members of the staff.

sit (something) out or sit out (something)

- to not participate in something, to wait until something is over

I am planning to sit the meeting out as I am very tired today.

sit through (something)

- to witness or endure all of something

I had to sit through a very boring lecture yesterday.

sit tight

- to wait patiently for something

"Please sit tight for a few minutes while I go and get a police officer."

sit up and take notice

- to become alert and pay attention

The loud bang made everybody sit up and take notice.

sit up with (someone)

- to stay with someone (a sick person) during the night

My mother had to sit up all night because my younger sister was very sick.

sit well with (someone)

- to please someone

My decision to leave early for the weekend did not sit well with the other members of the staff.

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a sitting duck

- a non-moving target that is easily hit by a hunter

The hunter shot the sitting duck easily.

a sitting duck

- an unsuspecting person who is easily fooled - as if he or she were waiting to be attacked

The woman was a sitting duck for the thief when she sat on the bench next to her purse.

sitting on top of the world

- feeling very good or happy

I was sitting on top of the world after I heard from my friend.

sitting pretty

- to be in a favorable situation

My uncle is sitting pretty with his new job and high salary.

a sitting target

- someone who is in a position that can be easily attacked

The manager was a sitting target for criticism by the staff.

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