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[swathe] See: CUT A SWATHE.

[swear by] 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] 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] , 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] 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] , 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] , 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] 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] 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] 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] 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] , 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] , In love with; very fond of. * /John is sweet on Alice./

[sweet talk] 1. , Too much praise; flattery. * /Sometimes a girl's better judgment is overcome by sweet talk./ 2. , To get what you want by great praise; flatter. * /Polly could sweet talk her husband into anything./

[sweet tooth] A great weakness or predilection for sweets. * /Sue has such a sweet tooth that she hardly eats anything else but cake./

[swelled head] , A feeling that you are very important or more important than you really are. * /When John won the race, he got a swelled head./ * /Pretty girls shouldn't get a swelled head about it./ - [swell-headed] * /After he was elected captain of the team, Bob became swell-headed./ Compare: BIG HEAD.

[swell-headed] See: SWELLED HEAD.

[swim] See: IN THE SWIM, SINK OR SWIM.

[swim against the current] or [swim against the stream] To do the opposite of what most people want to do; go against the way things are happening; struggle upstream. * /The boy who tries to succeed today without an education is swimming against the stream./

[swine] See: CAST PEARLS BEFORE SWINE or CAST ONE'S PEARLS BEFORE SWINE.

[swing] See: IN FULL SWING.

[swing one's weight] To use your personal power to get something done * /The President swings his weight to get laws passed./ * /Mr. Thomas swung his weight to get his son a job with the company./

[switch] See: ASLEEP AT THE SWITCH.

[switched on] , 1. In tune with the latest fads, ideas, and fashions. * /I dig Sarah, she is really switched on./ 2. Stimulated; as if under the influence of alcohol or drugs. * /How come you're talking so fast? Are you switched on or something?/

[swoop] See: AT ONE FELL SWOOP.

[sword] See: AT SWORDS' POINTS, PUT TO THE SWORD.

[sword rattling] See: SABER RATTLING.

[sworn enemies] People or groups or nations that have a long-standing dislike for each other. * /The Israelis and the Arabs used to be sworn enemies but hopefully they will sign a lasting peace accord./

[syllable] See: WORDS OF ONE SYLLABLE.

[system] See: PUBLIC-ADDRESS SYSTEM.

T

[T] See: TO A T.

[tab] See: KEEP TAB ON or KEEP TABS ON.

[table] See: AT THE TABLE or AT TABLE, COFFEE TABLE, PUT ONE'S CARDS ON THE TABLE or LAY ONE'S CARDS ON THE TABLE, TURN THE TABLES, WAIT AT TABLE or WAIT ON TABLE.

[tack] See: GET DOWN TO BRASS TACKS, GO SIT ON A TACK, SHARP AS A TACK.

[tackle] See: FLYING TACKLE

[tack on] To append; add. * /We were about to sign the contract when we discovered that the lawyer had tacked on a codicil that was not acceptable to us./

[tag end] or [tail end] , The end, farthest to the rear, last in line, nearest the bottom, or least important. * /John was at the tail end of his class./ * /Mary's part in the play came at the tag end, and she got bored waiting./ * /Bill waited at the crossing for the tag end of a freight to go by./

[tail] See: COW'S TAIL, HEADS I WIN, TAILS YOU LOSE, MAKE HEAD OR TAIL OF, TURN TAIL.

[tail between one's legs] State of feeling beaten, ashamed, or very obedient, as after a scolding or a whipping. * /The army sent the enemy home with their tails between their legs./ * /The boys on the team had boasted they would win the tournament, but they went home with their tails between their legs./ (So called because a beaten dog usually puts his tail down between his legs and slinks away.)

[tail end] See: TAG END.

[taillight] The rear red light of a car. * /My father was fined $15 for driving without a taillight./

[tailor-made] See: MADE-TO-MEASURE.

[tailspin] See: GO INTO A TAILSPIN.

[tail wags the dog] Said of situations in which a minor part is in control of the whole. * /He is just a minor employee at the firm, yet he gives everyone orders, a case of the tail wagging the dog./

[take] See: CAN TAKE IT WITH ONE, GIVE AND TAKE, GIVE ONE AN INCH AND HE WILL TAKE A MILE, GIVE OR TAKE, SIT UP AND TAKE NOTICE.

[take aback] See: TAKEN BACK.

[take a back seat] , To accept a poorer or lower position; be second to something or someone else. * /During the war all manufacturing had to take a back seat to military needs./ * /She does not have to take a back seat to any singer alive./ Compare: PLAY SECOND FIDDLE.

[take a bath] , To come to financial ruin. * /Boy, did we ever take a bath on that merger with Brown & Brown, Inc./

[take a bow] To stand up or come on a stage to be clapped for or praised for success. * /The audience shouted for the author of the play to take a bow./ * /The basketball team should take a bow for fine work this season./

[take a break] To have a brief rest period during the course of one's work. * /"You've worked hard. It's time to take a break," the boss said./

[take a chance] To accept the risk of failure or loss. * /We will take a chance on the weather and have the party outdoors./

[take a crack at] To try doing something. * /It was a difficult challenge to reorganize our antiquated campus, but the resident architect decided to take a crack at it./

[take a dig at] To attack verbally; offend; denigrate. * /If you keep taking digs at me all the time, our relationship will be a short one./

[take a dim view of] 1. To have doubts about; feel unsure or anxious about. * /Tom took a dim view of his chances of passing the exam./ * /Betty hoped to go on a picnic, but she took a dim view of the weather./ 2. To be against; disapprove. * /John's father took a dim view of his wanting to borrow the car./ * /The teacher took a dim view of the class's behavior./

[take a dislike to] Contrast: TAKE A FANCY TO.

[take a drop] 1. To indulge in alcoholic drinks. * /Aunt Liz doesn't really drink; she just takes a drop every now and then./ 2. To lose value; decrease in price. * /Stocks took a big drop yesterday due to the international crisis./

[take advantage of] 1. To make good use of. * /The cat took advantage of the high grass to creep up on the bird./ * /Jean took advantage of the lunch hour to finish her homework./ 2. To treat (someone) unfairly for your own gain or help; make unfair use of. * /He took advantage of his friend's kindness./ * /The little children did not know how much to pay for the candy, and Ralph took advantage of them./ Syn.: IMPOSE ON.

[take after] To be like because of family relationship; to have the same looks or ways as (a parent or ancestor). * /He takes after his father in mathematical ability./ * /She takes after her father's side of the family in looks./ Compare: LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON; RUN IN THE FAMILY.

[take a fancy to] To become fond of; cultivate a predilection for. * /Aunt Hermione has taken a fancy to antique furniture./

[take a flop] To fall heavily. * /I took a nasty flop on the ice-covered sidewalk./

[take aim] To get ready to hit, throw at, or shoot at by sighting carefully. * /When the captain orders "Take aim," raise your gun to your shoulder and sight along the barrel at the target./ * /Before the hunter could take aim, the deer jumped out of sight./

[take a hand in] To assist in the direction of; participate. * /The University Faculty Club decided to take a hand in helping the recent refugees./

[take a hard line with] See: HARD LINE, HARD-LINER.

[take a hike] See: GO FLY A KITE.

[take a hint] To understand an allusion or a suggestion and behave accordingly. * /"I don't like people who smoke," she said. "Can't you take a hint and either quit smoking or seeing me?"/

[take a joke] Accept in good spirit some derision directed at oneself. * /My brother has a good sense of humor when teasing others, but he cannot take a joke on himself./

[take a liking to] See: TAKE A FANCY TO.

[take a load off one's feet] To alleviate one's fatigue

by sitting down during some taxing work. * /"You've been standing there for hours, Jake," John said. "Why don't you take a load off your feet?"/

[take a long breath] See: DRAW A LONG BREATH.

[take amiss] or [the wrong way] To become offended due to a misunderstanding. * /"I hope you won't take it amiss," the boss said to Jane, "that I find you irresistibly attractive."/

[take a new turn] To start a new course; decide upon a new direction. * /The company took a new turn under Jack's directorship./

[take a nose dive] To plummet; fall sharply. * /The stock market took a nose dive after the news of the President's heart attack./

[take a notion] See: TAKE INTO ONE'S HEAD.