Словарь американских идиом (8000 единиц)
Шрифт:
[spell trouble] <v. phr.> To signify major difficulties ahead. * /The note we just received from the Chancellor seems to spell trouble./
[spending money] or [pocket money] <n.> Money that is given to a person to spend. * /When the seniors went to New York City on a trip, each was given $10 in spending money./ * /Father gave John a nickel in pocket money when he went to the store with Mother./
[spend the night] <v. phr.> To sleep somewhere. * /It was so late after the party that we decided to spend the night at our friends' house./
[spick-and-span] <adj.> Sparkling clean; having a brand new look. * /She is such a good housekeeper that her kitchen is always spick-and-span./
[spill] See: CRY OVER SPILLED MILK.
[spill the beans] <v. phr.>, <informal> To tell a secret to someone who is not supposed to know about it. * /John's friends were going to have a surprise party for him, but Tom spilled the beans./ Compare: GIVE AWAY(3), LET THE CAT OUT OF THE BAG, TELL TALES OUT OF SCHOOL.
[spin a yarn] <v. phr.> To tell a story of adventure with some exaggeration mixed in; embellish and protract such a tale. * /Uncle Fred, who used be a sailor, knows how to spin a fascinating yarn, but don't always believe everything he says./
[spine-chilling] <adj.> Terrifying; causing great fear. * /Many children find the movie, "Frankenstein," spine-chilling./ * /A was spine-chilling to learn that a murderer was in our neighborhood./ Compare: HAIR STAND ON END.
[spine-tingling] <adj.> Very exciting; thrilling. * /Our ride up the mountain in a chair lift was spine-tingling./ * /The children's plane ride was a spine-tingling adventure to them./
[spinoff] <n.> A byproduct of something else. * /The television soap opera "Knot's Landing" was considered a spinoff of "Dallas," with many of the same characters featured in both./
[spin off] <v. phr.> To bring something into existence as a byproduct of something that already exists. * /When Dr. Catwallender opened his medical practice, he also spun off a small dispensary beside it where patients could get their prescriptions filled./
[spin one's wheels] <v. phr.> 1. Said of cars stuck in snow or mud whose wheels are turning without the car moving forward. * /There was so much snow on the driveway that my car's wheels were spinning in it and we couldn't get going./ 2. To exert effort in a job without making any progress. * /I've been working for the firm for two decades, but I feel I am merely spinning my wheels./
[spin out] <v. phr.> 1. To go out of control. * /The bus spun out on the icy road and fell into the ditch./ 2. To make something go out of control. * /Tom stepped on the brakes so fast that he spun his car out of control and went off the road./
[spirit away] <v. phr.> To hide or smuggle something out; abduct. * /The famous actress was spirited away by her bodyguards as soon as she emerged from the door./
[spite] See: CUT OFF ONE'S NOSE TO SPITE ONE'S FACE.
[spit] or [piss into the wedding cake] <v. phr.>, <vulgar>, <avoidable> To spoil someone's pleasure or celebration by doing or saying something harsh or unseemly in an otherwise happy gathering; bring up depressing or unhappy subjects at a supposedly happy time. * /Stuart really spit into the wedding cake when he told Burt in a bragging fashion that Lucy, Burl's bride, used to be his girlfriend./
[spitting image] <n.> or [spit and image] <informal> An exact likeness; a duplicate. * /John is the spitting image of his grandfather./ * /That vase is the spitting image of one I wanted to buy in Boston./ Compare: LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON.
[spit up] <v.> To vomit a little. * /The baby always spits up when he is burped./ * /Put a bib on the baby. I don't want him to spit up on his clean clothes./
[split end] <n.> An end in football who plays five to ten yards out from the tackle in the line. * /The split end is one of the quarterback's most important targets for passes./ Contrast: TIGHT END.
[split hairs] <v. phr.> To find and argue about small and unimportant differences as if the differences are important. * /John is always splitting hairs; he often starts an argument about something small and unimportant./ * /Don't split hairs about whose turn it is to wash the dishes and make the beds; let's work together and finish sooner./
[split second] <n.> A very short time; less than a second. * /The lightning flash lasted a split second, and then disappeared./
[split the difference] <v. phr.>, <informal> To settle a money disagreement by dividing the difference, each person giving up half. * /Bob offered $25 for Bill's bicycle and Bill wanted $35; they split the difference./
[split ticket] <n.> A vote for candidates from more than one party. * /Mr. Jones voted a split ticket./ * /An independent voter likes a split ticket./ Contrast: STRAIGHT TICKET.
[split up] <v. phr.> 1. To separate; get a divorce. * /After three years of marriage, the unhappy couple finally split up./ 2. To separate something; divide into portions. * /The brothers split up their father's fortune among themselves after his death./
[split-up] <n.> A separation or division into two or many smaller parts. * /The split-up of our company was due to the founder's untimely death./
[spoil for] <v. phr.> To want something very badly; be belligerent or pugnacious about something. * /After a few drinks it became embarrassingly evident that Hal was spoiling for a fight./ Compare: HANKER AFTER, LUST FOR.
[spoken for] <adj.> Occupied; reserved; taken; already engaged or married. * /"Sorry, my boy," Mr. Jones said condescendingly, "but my daughter is already spoken for. She will marry Fred Wilcox next month."/
[sponge] See: THROW IN THE SPONGE.
[sponge bath] <n.> A bath with a cloth or sponge and a little water. * /During the drought the family had only sponge baths./ * /The family took sponge baths because they had no bathtub./
[sponge on] or [off] <v. phr.> To exploit parasitically; depend upon for support. * /He is already forty years old, but he refuses to go to work and sponges off his retired parents./
[spoon] See: BORN WITH A SILVER SPOON IN ONE'S MOUTH.