Словарь американских идиом: 8000 единиц

Makkai Adam

[stop up]{v. phr.} To block; close. •/If you want to get rid of the leak, you must stop up the two holes you have in the ceiling./

[store] See: DIME STORE, IN STORE, SET STORE BY, VARIETY STORE.

[storm] See: TAKE BY STORM.

[story] See: OLD STORY, SOB STORY, UPPER STORY.

[stow away]{v.} 1. {informal} To pack or store away. •/After New Year’s Day the Christmas decorations were stowed away until another season./ 2. To hide on a ship or another kind of transportation to get a free ride. •/John ran away from home and stowed away on a freighter going to Jamaica./

[straight] See: GO STRAIGHT, SHOOT STRAIGHT.

[straighten out]{v.} To correct a mistake; make you realize you are wrong. •/The teacher saw Jim’s awkward sentence on the board and asked for volunteers to straighten it out./ •/Sometimes only a good spanking will straighten out a naughty child./ Syn.: SQUARE AWAY(2).

[straighten up]{v.} To put in order; make neat. •/Vic had to straighten up his room before he could go swimming./ •/Mrs. Johnson straightened up the house before company came./ Compare: PICK UP(6b), SQUARE AWAY.

[straight face]{n.} A face that is not laughing or smiling. •/Mary told all the funny stories she knew to try to make Joan laugh, but Joan kept a straight face./ •/It is hard to tell when Jim is teasing you. He can tell a fib with a straight face./ •/When Bob fell into the water, he looked funny and I could hardly keep a straight face./

[straight from the horse’s mouth]{slang} Directly from the person or place where it began; from a reliable source or a person that cannot be doubted. •/They are going to be married. I got the news straight from the horse’s mouth — their minister./ •/John found out about the painting straight from the horse’s mouth, from the painter himself./

[straight from the shoulder]{adv. phr.}, {informal} In an open and honest way of speaking; without holding back anything because of fear or politeness or respect for someone’s feelings; frankly. •/John asked what he had done wrong. Bob told him straight from the shoulder./ •/The candidate for Congress spoke out against his opponent’s dishonesty straight from the shoulder./ Contrast: PULL ONE’S PUNCHES.

[straightlaced]{adj.} Of very strict morals and manners. •/She is so straightlaced that she won’t even go out with a man unless she senses that he is serious about her./

[straight off]{adv. phr.} At once; immediately. •/After school is over, you come home straight off, and don’t waste time./ •/He asked his father for the car, but his father said straight off that he couldn’t have it./

[straight out] See: RIGHT OUT.

[straight shooters] See: SHOOT STRAIGHT.

[straight ticket]{n.} A vote for all the candidates of a single party. •/Uncle Fred was a loyal member of his party. He always voted the straight ticket./ Contrast: SPLIT TICKET.

[strain a point] See: STRETCH A POINT.

[strange to say]{adv. phr.} Not what you might think; surprisingly. — Used for emphasis. •/Strange to say, Jerry doesn’t like candy./ •/Strange to say, the Indians didn’t kill Daniel Boone./

[strapped for]{adj.} Broke; out of funds. •/My brother is so extravagant that he is always strapped for cash./

[straw] See: GIVE A HANG, GRASP AT A STRAW, GRASP AT STRAWS, LAST STRAW or STRAW THAT BREAKS THE CAMEL’S BACK, MAKE BRICKS WITHOUT STRAW.

[straw boss]{n.} 1. The boss of a few workers who is himself under another boss or foreman. •/The straw boss told Jim he would have to see the foreman about a job./ 2, A man who works himself and also bosses a few other workers. •/Smith worked better than the other men, so the foreman made him straw boss, too./

[straw in the wind]{n. phr.} A small sign of what may happen. •/The doctor’s worried face was a straw in the wind./ •/The quickly-called meeting of the President and his cabinet was a straw in the wind./

[straw poll]{n. phr.} An informal survey taken in order to get an opinion. •/The results of our straw poll show that most faculty members prefer to teach between 9 and 11 A.M./

[straw that breaks the camel’s back] See: LAST STRAW.

[straw vote] See: STRAW POLL.

[streak] See: WINNING STREAK.

[streak of luck] See: RUN OF LUCK.

[stream] See: CHANGE HORSES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREAM, SWIM AGAINST THE CURRENT or SWIM AGAINST THE STREAM.

[street] See: BACK STREET, CROSS STREET, MAN IN THE STREET, ON EASY STREET, SIDE STREET, STOP STREET, THROUGH STREET.

[strength] See: ON THE STRENGTH OF.

[stretch a point] or [strain a point]{v. phr.} To permit something different or more than usual; not tell the exact truth or make an exception. •/Mother stretched a point because it was Christmas time and let the children stay up later than usual./ •/It’s straining a point to call Joe a hero just because he saved the kitten from drowning in the bathtub./