Commonly-Used Idioms, Sayings and phrasal verbs - "S" Idioms ppsx

Commonly-Used Idioms, Sayings and
phrasal verbs - "S" Idioms


746

S
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 or laughed at even if it sometimes deserves to be
The medical insurance 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 the problems that I am having at work.

safe and sound

- to be safe/whole/healthy
We arrived at our destination safe and sound after a long journey.

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.





747

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 to the principal
about their new teacher.

sage advice

- very good and wise advice

I waited for my friend to ask 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.







748

salt of the earth

- basic and fundamentally good people
The members of our club are all the salt of the earth and are fun to spend time with.

same as (someone or something)

- to be identical to someone or something
My sister is exactly 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 or has occurred in the same way before
It is always 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 attitude toward her sister.







749

save face

- to preserve one`s good reputation or dignity when something has happened to hurt it
Our boss was very embarrassed when our company lost a lot of money. However, he
was able to save face when he showed that the problems were outside of his control.

save one`s breath

- to remain silent because talking will do no good
You may as well save your breath and not talk to her as 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 as soon as possible in order to save his neck.

save (something) for a rainy day

- to reserve something/money for the future
I always try to save some money for a rainy day when I get paid.

save the day

- to bring about victory or success (when defeat is likely)
The 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's brother is saving up for a new digital camera.







750

saved by the bell

- to be rescued from a difficult situation just in time 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

- something that saves someone or something that would otherwise be a total disaster

The man's saving grace was his mathematical ability. His other personality traits were
very strange.


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 was asked 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 left quietly by the back door.







751

say (something) in a roundabout way

- to say something indirectly
I had to say 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 is afraid to say 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 agree to do what the older boy wanted.


.

scale (something) down

- to make something smaller by a certain amount or proportion
The government decided to scale down their plans for the sports stadium.


752

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 able to scare his little brother stiff when he decided to hide in the
closet and scare him.

scare the (living) daylights out of (someone)

- to frighten someone very much
Falling off the bicycle scared the daylights out of the little girl.

scare up (someone or something)

- to find someone or something, to gather something with some effort
We were able to scare up a couple of 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.


753

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.

scout around for (someone or something)

- to search here and there and all over 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 if they must give that woman a job.

scrape (something) together

- to gather small amounts of money or something (usually with some difficulty) for
some purpose
We managed to scrape together enough money to go on a holiday even though
business is very bad at the moment.

scrape (something) up

- to find or gather something with some effort
My friend scraped up some money and came to visit me during the summer.






754

scratch around for (something)

- look here and there for something
The woman was scratching around for some money to buy some food.

scratch (someone`s) back

- to do something nice 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

- to only begin to do or learn something
My friend is interested in classical music but she has only begun 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 at work.

screw around

- to loaf about, to pass time without doing anything
I screwed around all morning and did not get anything done.

screw up

- to make a mess of something, to cause trouble for someone or something
My travel agent screwed up my travel schedule and I had to stay at the airport

overnight.






755

screw up one's courage

- to build up one's courage for something
I screwed up my courage and went in to ask my supervisor to transfer me to a
different department.

scrimp and save

- to be very thrifty, to save up for something
I have been scrimping and saving in order to buy a new laptop computer.

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 the
neighborhood 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 on

the job.

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 the front of his
car.





756

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 my friend's death in the
car crash.

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 and they need more practice to
improve.

a second thought

- a thought that one has after thinking about something again
"On second thought maybe you should bring an extra coat."





757

second to none

- to be better than everything
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 on 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 go out and
meet new people.

see Idioms


see a man about a dog

- to leave for some unmentioned 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.


758

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
We do not always see eye to eye on things but generally I have a good relationship
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 very angry
My friend saw red last night when I told him about the broken dishes.

see (someone or something) as (something)

- to consider someone as something
My friend sees me as an expert in financial matters although I am not.


759

see (someone) home

- to accompany someone home
I saw my cousin home after her visit last evening.

see (someone) off

- to go with someone to their point of departure
I went to the airport to see my mother off.

see (someone) out

- to go with someone out of a room/house
I went to the front door to see our guests out to their cars.

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

- 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 see the building project through until it is finished.

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.


760

see the color of (someone's) money

- to verify that someone has (enough) money
I did not give anybody a ticket for the dinner until I saw the color of their 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 who was visiting me.

see the light

- to realize your mistake, to suddenly see how to proceed with something
I finally saw the light and began to work at the same pace 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 finally 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.

761

see the sights

- to see the important things in a place
We stopped downtown during our holiday so that we could see the sights.

see the world/things through rose-colored glasses

- to see only the good things about something, to be too optimistic
She is unrealistic and tends to see the world through rose-colored glasses.

see things

- to imagine sights that are not real, to think that one sees something that is not there
He is always daydreaming and imagining that he is seeing things.

see through (someone or something)

- to understand someone`s true character or motivation, to understand the real reason
for something
I could easily 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 the rental car and my friend will see to the airplane tickets.








762

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 what to do about my job.


.



seeing is believing

- one must believe something that one sees
Seeing is believing and I did not believe the price of the car until I actually saw it.

seize an opportunity

- to take advantage of an opportunity
I seized the opportunity to take the extra class as soon as I heard about it.

seize upon (something)

- to take hold of something and make an issue of it
The opposition politician seized upon the mistake of the other 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.



763

sell out (someone or something)

- to be disloyal, to betray someone or something
The man does not want to sell out his moral values when he begins work for the new
company.

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 a plan or idea

- to convince someone of something
I could not sell my friend on my suggestion that we buy a new computer together.

sell (someone) short

- to underestimate oneself or someone else
My friend is selling himself short when he thinks that he will not be good at any other
job.

sell (something) out

- to sell all of something
They sold the concert out in every city that it went to.

sell (something) for a song

- to sell something very cheaply
They sold the furniture for a song.






764

sell (something) off

- 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
We decided to sell the stereo system on credit.


.




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

- to participate in saying good-bye to someone who is leaving
We went to the airport in order to send off the company president.



765

send (someone) packing

- to tell someone to leave, to dismiss someone
The company sent the man packing because of his bad attitude to his job.

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 during
the game.

send (someone) up

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














766

.



separate but equal

- to be segregated but of equal value or quality
The teaching staff and adminstration were separate but equal regarding decisions that
were made at the school.

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 the 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.

767

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

set about to (do something or go somewhere)

- to begin/start something, to prepare to go somewhere
We set about to prepare the office for the move to a bigger building.

set back (someone or something)

- to cause someone or something to get behind schedule, to slow down someone or
something
The flood set back the efforts of the farmers to plant their crops.




768

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 put something to flames
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 for awhile.
A mild depression has set in for my neighbor


769

set in one's ways

- to lead a fixed lifestyle
My grandfather is set in his ways and he does not like to change his habits at all.

set one`s heart on (something)

- to want something very much
I set my heart on a nice holiday this winter but I will not be able to go because I have
no money.

set one`s mind at rest

- to free oneself from worry
I told my father the reason that we can`t 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 on a small sailboat.