Неизвестен Автор - Словарь американских идиом (8000 единиц)

[screw] See: HAVE A SCREW LOOSE, PUT ON THE SCREWS.

[screw around] , , To hang around idly without accomplishing anything, to loaf about, to beat or hack around. * /You guys are no longer welcome here; all you do is screw around all day./

[screws] See: TIGHTEN THE SCREWS.

[screw up] , , , 1. To make a mess of, to make an error which causes confusion. * /The treasurer screwed up the accounts of the Society so badly that he had to be fired./ 2. To cause someone to be neurotic or maladjusted. * /Her divorce screwed her up so badly that she had to go to a shrink./

[screw-up] A mistake; an error; a confusing mess. * /"What a screw-up!" the manager cried, when he realized that the bills were sent to the wrong customers./

[screw up one's courage] or [pluck up one's courage] To force yourself to be brave. * /The small boy screwed up his courage and went upstairs in the dark./ * /When his father came home in a bad mood, it took Pete some time to screw up his courage and ask him for a dollar./ Compare: WHISTLE IN THE DARK.

[scrimmage] See: LINE OF SCRIMMAGE.

[scrounge around] , 1. To search for an object aimlessly without having one clearly in mind. * /I don't know what's the matter with him, he is just scrounging around all day long./ 2. To look around for a way to get a free drink or a free meal. * /Sue and her husband are so broke they never eat properly; they just scrounge around from one place to the next until someone offers them something./

[sea] See: AT SEA, BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA, HIGH SEAS, NOT THE ONLY FISH IN THE SEA, PUT TO SEA.

[sea legs] 1. Adjustment to being in a boat that is rocking on the sea. * /This is my first transatlantic trip so give me a day to get my sea legs before you make me dance./ 2. Adjustment to a new job or situation. * /"I have just been transferred here and I haven't found my sea legs yet," the new colleague joked./

[seam] See: BURST AT THE SEAMS.

[search] See: IN SEARCH OF.

[search me] I don't know; how should I know? - May be considered rude. * /When I asked her what time it was, she said, "Search me, I have no watch."/

[search one's heart] or [search one's soul] , To study your reasons and acts; try to discover if you have been fair and honest. * /The teacher searched his heart trying to decide if he had been unfair in failing Tom./ - [heart-searching] or [soul-searching] or * /After much heart-searching, Jean told Beth she was sorry for the unkind things she had said./ * /The minister preached a soul-searching sermon about the thoughtless ways people hurt each other./

[search out] To search for and discover; find or learn by hunting. * /The police were trying to search out the real murderer./

[search with a fine-tooth comb] See: FINE-TOOTH COMB.

[season] See: HIGH SEASON, IN SEASON, LOW SEASON, OUT OF SEASON.

[seat] See: BACK SEAT DRIVER, FLY BY THE SEAT OF ONE'S PANTS, HOT SEAT, JUDGMENT SEAT, TAKE A BACK SEAT.

[seat belt] A strong strap used to protect a person in a moving car or other vehicle by holding him in his seat. * /When the plane began to land, Billy and his mother fastened their seat belts./ * /Passengers in automobiles should wear seat belts for safety./

[second] See: PLAY SECOND PIDDLE, SPLIT SECOND.

[second best] Something that is lower than or not quite as good as the best. * /Tom liked the deluxe model bicycle; but he could afford only a second best./ * /Joan chose the best and Mary had to take the second best./ * /There were ten boys in the race. Jack won and Fred was a close second best./ Compare: RUNNER UP.

[second best] Second; in second place. * /The team came off second best in the game./

[second-best] Next to best; second in rank. * /Mary wore her second-best dress./ * /Bob was the second-best player on the team./ * /"I am the second-best student in this school because I was second best in the Milwaukee competition."/

[second childhood] Senility; dotage. * /"Grandpa is in his second childhood; we must make allowances for him at the dinner table," my mother said, as Grandpa dropped food all over the place./

[second class] 1. The second best or highest group; the class next after the first. * /Joe was good enough in arithmetic to be put in the second class but was not good enough for the first./ Compare: FIRST CLASS. 2. The place or quarters, especially on a ship, train, or airplane which people travel who pay the next to the highest fare. * /Aunt May bought a ticket to travel in the second class on the boat trip./ Compare: FIRST CLASS, THIRD CLASS. 3. A class of mail that includes magazines and newspapers published at least four times a year and costs less for mailing than first class mail. Compare: FIRST CLASS.

[second-class(1)] 1. Belonging in the class that is next to the highest or next best. * /He was only a second-class math student./ * /His parents traveled as second-class passengers on the boat./ * /The periodical came as second-class mail./ Compare: FIRST-CLASS, THIRD-CLASS. 2. Not so good as others; second-rate. * /They were never given full democratic rights but were always treated as second-class citizens./

[second-class(2)] By second class. * /We went second-class on the train to New York./ * /I mailed the newspaper second-class./

[second cousin] A child of your father's or mother's first cousin. * /Mary and Jane are second cousins./

[second-guess] 1. To criticize another's decision with advantage of hindsight. * /The losing team's coach is always second-guessed./ 2. To guess what someone else intends or would think or do. * /Television planners try to second-guess the public./

[secondhand] Used; not new; preowned. * /Sometimes a secondhand car is just as reliable as a brand new one./

[second nature] Something done without any special effort, as if by natural instinct. * /Cutting tall trees has become second nature to the experienced lumberjack./

[second-rate] Of mediocre or inferior quality. * /The movie received a bad review; it was second-rate at best./

[second-run] Of a movie: Shown in many movie theaters before, and allowed to be shown later in other movie theaters. * /Tickets to second-run movies cost much less./

[second sight] Intuition; prescience; clairvoyance. * /Some police departments employ psychics to find missing persons or objects as they are said to have second sight./

[second thought] A change of ideas or opinions resulting from more thought or study. * /Your second thoughts are very often wiser than your first ideas./ * /We decided to climb the mountain, but on second thought realized that it was too dangerous./ Compare: THINK BETTER OF.

[second to none] Excellent; first rate; peerless. * /Our new State University campus is second to none. There is no need to pay all that high tuition at a private college./

[second wind] also [second breath] 1. The easier breathing that follows difficult breathing when one makes a severe physical effort, as in running or swimming./ * /After the first quarter mile, a mile runner usually gets his second wind and can breathe better./ * /We climbed with labored breathing for half an hour, but then got our second wind and went up more easily./ 2. The refreshed feeling you get after first becoming tired while doing something and then becoming used to it. * /Tom became very tired of working at his algebra, but after a while he got his second wind and began to enjoy it./

[secret] See: IN SECRET, OPEN SECRET.

[section gang] or [section crew] A group of railroad workers who watch and repair a number of miles of track. * /The section crew was called out to fix the broken bridge./

[section hand] A worker who repairs railway track; one of the men in a section gang. * /The section hands moved off the track while the train went by./

[security blanket] , , An idea, person, or object that one holds on to for psychological reassurance or comfort as infants usually hang on to the edge of a pillow, a towel, or a blanket. * /Sue has gone to Aunt Mathilda for a chat; she is her security blanket./

[see] See: CAN'T SEE THE WOODS FOR THE TREES, LET ME SEE or LET'S SEE.

[see a lot of] To go out regularly with someone; have an affair with someone. * /They have been seeing a lot of each other lately./

[see about] 1. To find out about; attend to. * /If you are too busy, I'll see about the train tickets./ 2. To consider; study. * /I cannot take time now but I'll see about your plan when I have time./ Compare: SEE TO, LOOK INTO, THINK OVER.

[see after] See: LOOK AFTER.

[see better days] 1. To enjoy a better or happier life. * /Mr. Smith is poor now, but he will see better days./ 2. To become old, damaged, or useless. Used in the perfect tense. * /Mv blue coat is ten years old. It has seen better days./ * /Our car wasn't old, but it had seen better days./

[see beyond one's nose] or [see beyond the end of one's nose] To make wise judgments about questions of importance to yourself and others; act with farseeing understanding. Used in negative, conditional, and interrogative sentences. * /He couldn't save money or make plans for the future; he just never saw beyond the end of his nose./ * /People who always complain about school taxes would stop it if they could see beyond their noses and understand the importance of first-class schools./

[seed] See: GO TO SEED or RUN TO SEED.

[see daylight] , To know that an end or success is near. * /We thought we would never finish building the house, but now we can see daylight./ * /Sarah thought it would take forever to read the book for her report, but finally she saw daylight./

[see eye to eye] To agree fully; hold exactly the same opinion. * /Though we did not usually agree, we saw eye to eye in the matter of reducing taxes./ * /Jim did not see eye to eye with Sally on where they would go for their vacation./

[see fit] or [think fit] To decide that an action is necessary, wise, or advisable; choose. * /Jim asked "Dad, what time should I come home after the dance?" His father answered, "You way do as you see fit."/ - Often used with an infinitive. * /After much thought, we did not see fit to join the Smiths on their Caribbean cruise./ * /The boys were angry because Ed thought fit to report the fight to the principal./

[see how the land lies] , To reconnoiter; investigate. * /Before going there in person to ask for a job, you had better see how the land lies and who does what./ Compare: CASE THE JOINT.

[seeing is believing] Seeing something is good proof. * /Bill told Joe he had passed his test, but Joe said, "Seeing is believing."/

[see into] To know or understand the real nature or meaning of. * /Suddenly the teacher saw into Linda's strange actions./

[see off] To go to say or wave goodbye to. * /His brother went to the train with him to see him off./ * /When Marsha flew to Paris, Flo saw her off at the airport./

[see one home] To walk a person home. * /"Let me see you home, dear," Nick said to Jenny at the end of the party./

[see one's way clear] To know no reason for not doing something; feel that you are free. * /John finally saw his way clear to help his friends./ * /Mary had to do her homework and help her mother before she could see her way clear to go to the movies with Jane./

[see out] 1. To go with to an outer door. * /A polite man sees his company out after a party./ 2. To stay with and finish; not quit. * /Pete's assignment was hard but he saw it out to the end./

[see reason] To think or act sensibly, especially after realizing what the facts are on a certain matter and accepting advice about it. * /He finally saw reason and reshaped his sales strategy by lowering the prices as his older brother had suggested./

[see red] , To become very angry. * /Whenever anyone teased John about his weight, he saw red. /