Словарь американских идиом (8000 единиц)
Шрифт:
[sure-enough] <adj.> Real; genuine. * /Rick found a sure-enough nickel./ * /Martha's uncle gave her a sure-enough pearl on a little gold chain./ * /Jane's uncle is a sure-enough cowboy./
[surefire] <adj.> Without fail; effective; bringing actual results. * /During a campaign the only surefire way to get the sympathy of the voters is to mingle with them in person./
[sure thing] 1. <n.>, <informal> Something sure to happen; something about which there is no doubt. * /It's no fun betting on a sure thing./ 2. <adv.> Of course; certainly * /Sure thing, I'll be glad to do it for you./ Compare: FOR SURE(2), SURE ENOUGH.
[surface] See: SCRATCH THE SURFACE.
[surprise] See: TAKE BY SURPRISE.
[survival of the fittest] <n. phr.> The staying alive or in action of the best prepared; often: idea that those living things best able to adjust to life survive and those unable to adjust die out. * /Life in the old West was often a case of survival of the fittest./ * /With changes in the world's climate, dinosaurs died but many smaller animals lived on. It was survival of the fittest./ * /On the 50-mile hike it was survival of the fittest; only 12 out of 25 Scouts finished./
[suspicion] See: ABOVE SUSPICION.
[swallow] See: LOOK LIKE THE CAT THAT ATE THE CANARY.
[swallow hook, line, and sinker] See: HOOK, LINE, AND SINKER.
[swallow one's pride] <v. phr.> To bring your pride under control; humble yourself. * /After Bill lost the race, he swallowed his pride and shook hands with the winner./ Compare: EAT ONE'S WORDS,
[swallow one's words] 1. To speak unclearly; fail to put enough breath into your words. * /Phyllis was hard to understand because she swallowed her words./ 2. See: EAT ONE'S WORDS.
[swallow up] <v. phr.> To do away with; absorb; engulf. * /My expenses are so great that they swallow up my modest salary./
[swan song] <n. phr.>, <literary> A farewell or last appearance. * /The famous soprano gave her swan song in La Traviata before she retired./
[SWAT team] <n.>, <informal> Police unit trained for especially hazardous or sensitive law-enforcement assignments; short for Special Weapons and Tactics. * /Joe made the SWAT team of the NYPD due to his athletic skills./
[swathe] See: CUT A SWATHE.
[swear by] <v.> 1. To use as the support or authority that what you are saying is truthful; take an oath upon. * /A witness swears by the Bible that he will tell the truth./ * /In ancient Greece a doctor swore by Apollo, the god of healing, that he would be a good doctor./ * /John swore by his honor he would return the bike./ 2. To have complete confidence in; be sure of; trust completely. * /When John has to go somewhere fast, he swears by his bike to get there./ * /We can be sure that Fred will come on time, since his friend Tom swears by him./
[swear in] or [swear into] <v.> To have a person swear or promise to do his duty as a member or an officer of an organization, government department, or similar group.
– "Swear into" is used when the name of the group is given. * /Mary and Ann will be sworn into the club tonight./ * /Fred was sworn in as class president./ * /Many new men were sworn into the army last month./ * /At the inauguration, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court swore in the new President./
[swear off] <v.>, <informal> To give up something you like or you have got in the habit of using by making a promise. * /Mary swore off candy until she lost ten pounds./ * /John has sworn off dessert for Lent./
[swear out] <v.> To get (a written order to do something) by swearing that a person has broken the law. * /The policeman swore out a warrant for the suspect's arrest./ * /The detectives swore out a search warrant./
[sweat] See: BY THE SWEAT OF ONE'S BROW.
[sweat blood] <v. phr.>, <slang> 1. To be very much worried. * /The engine of the airplane stopped, and the pilot sweated blood as he glided to a safe landing./ 2. To work very hard. * /Jim sweated blood to finish his composition on time./
[sweat out] <v.>, <informal> To wait anxiously; worry while waiting. * /Karl was sweating out the results of the college exams./ * /The search plane signaled that help was on the way. The men in the lifeboat just had to sweat it out./
[Sweeney] See: TELL IT TO THE MARINES or TELL IT TO SWEENEY.
[sweep] See: NEW BROOM SWEEPS CLEAN.
[sweep off one's feet] <v. phr.> To make (someone) have feelings (as love or happiness) too strong to control; overcome with strong feeling; win sudden and complete acceptance by (someone) through the feelings. * /The handsome football captain swept Joan off her feet when he said so many things to her at the dance./ * /Joan was swept off her feet when the football captain started flirting with her./ * /Mary is swept off her feet whenever she hears a band start playing./ * /John was swept off his feet when he won the contest./ Compare: BOWL OVER (2), CARRY AWAY.
[sweep out of] <v. phr.> To leave in an impressive, majestic manner. * /Offended by Tim's remark, Mary swept out of the room with her head high in the air./
[sweep the city] or [country] or [nation] or [world] <v. phr.> To gain great attention or popularity throughout the city, country, etc. * /Pavarotti's unmatched tenor voice swept the world in an unprecedented manner./
[sweep under the rug] <v. phr.> To hide or dismiss casually (something one is ashamed of or does not know what to do about). * /In many places, drug abuse by school children is swept under the rug./
[sweet] See: SHORT AND SWEET.
[sweetie pie] <n.>, <informal> A person who is loved; darling; sweetheart. * /Arnold blushed with pleasure when Annie called him her sweetie pie./ * /Nancy is Bill's sweetie pie./
[sweet on] <adj. phr.>, <informal> In love with; very fond of. * /John is sweet on Alice./
[sweet talk] 1. <n.>, <informal> Too much praise; flattery. * /Sometimes a girl's better judgment is overcome by sweet talk./ 2. <v.>, <informal> To get what you want by great praise; flatter. * /Polly could sweet talk her husband into anything./