Adam Makkai - Словарь американских идиом: 8000 единиц

[save for a rainy day]See: RAINY DAY.

[save one’s breath] {v. phr.} , {informal} To keep silent because talking will not help; not talk because it will do no good. •/ Save your breath; the boss will never give you the day off. /

[save one’s neck]or [save one’s skin] {v. phr.} , {slang} To save from danger or trouble. •/ The fighter planes saved our skins while the army was landing from the ships. / •/ Betty saved Tim’s neck by typing his report for him; without her help he could not have finished on time. /

[save the day] {v. phr.} To bring about victory or success, especially when defeat is likely. •/ The forest fire was nearly out of control when suddenly it rained heavily and saved the day. / •/ The team was behind, but at the last minute Sam saved the day with a touchdown. /

[save up] {v. phr.} To put away for future use; keep as savings; save. •/ John was saving up for a new bicycle. / •/ Mary saved up pieces of cloth to make a quilt. /

[saving grace] {n. phr.} A single good attribute; a redeeming quality. •/ Felicity is not very attractive but her intelligence and wit are her saving grace. /

[savings account] {n.} An account in a bank, where people put money to save it, and the bank uses the money and pays interest every year. •/ If you leave your money in your savings account for six months or a year, the bank will pay interest on it. / Compare: CHECKING ACCOUNT.

[savings bond] {n.} A government certificate given for money and saved for a number of years so that the government will pay back the money with interest. •/ Mary bought a $25 savings bond for $18.75. / •/ John’s father gave him a savings bond for graduation. /

[sawed-off] {adj.} , {informal} Shorter than usual; small of its kind. •/ The riot police carried sawed-off shotguns. / •/ Jimmy was a sawed-off, skinny runt. /

[saw wood]also {southern} [saw gourds] {v. phr.} , {slang} To breathe loudly through the nose while sleeping; snore. •/ John was sawing wood. / •/ In Alabama a boy who snores saws gourds. /

[say]See: DARE SAY, GO WITHOUT SAYING, I’LL SAY, NEVER SAY DIE, NOT TO MENTION or TO SAY NOTHING OF, STRANGE TO SAY, THAT IS or THAT IS TO SAY, YOU DON’T SAY, YOU SAID IT or YOU CAN SAY THAT AGAIN.

[say a mouthful]1. {v. phr.} , {slang} To say something of great importance or meaning; say more by a sentence than the words usually mean. — Usually in past tense. •/ Tom said a mouthful when he guessed that company was coming to visit. A dozen people came. / 2. {v. phr.} , {informal} To vent one’s honest opinion, even in anger. •/ He sure said a mouthful when he told his boss what was wrong with our business. / Contrast: GET AN EARFUL.

[say one’s peace]or [speak one’s piece] {v. phr.} To say openly what you think; say, especially in public, what you usually say or are expected to say. •/ John told the boss that he thought he was wrong and the boss got angry. He said, "You’ve said your little piece, so go on home." / •/ Every politician got up and said his piece about how good the mayor was and then sat down. /

[says who]or [says you] {v. phr.} , {slang} I don’t believe or accept that. — An expression of rebuff often used to make fun of someone or oppose him. •/ "I am the strongest boy on the block." "Says you. /" •/ "That brook is full of trout." "Says who? I never saw anybody catch trout there." / •/ "You can’t take Mary to the party — she’s my girl." "Says who?" /

[say-so] {n.} Approval; permission; word. •/ Father got angry because I took his new car out without his say-so. /

[say the word] {v. phr.} , {informal} To say or show that you want something or agree to something; show a wish, willingness, or readiness; give a sign; say yes; say so. •/ Just say the word and I will lend you the money. / •/ I will do anything you want; just say the word. / •/ If you get tired of those pictures, say the word. /

[say uncle]also [cry uncle] {v. phr.} , {informal} To say that you surrender; admit that you have lost; admit a defeat; give up. •/ Bob fought for five minutes, but he had to say uncle. / •/ The bully twisted Jerry’s arm and said, "Cry uncle." / •/ The other team was beating us, but we wouldn’t say uncle. / Compare: GIVE IN.

[scale]See: TO SCALE.

[scale down] {v.} To make smaller or less; decrease. •/ John scaled down each boy’s share of food after a bear robbed the camp. / •/ Tom built a scaled down model of the plane. / Compare: CUT DOWN.

[scandal sheet] {n.} A newspaper that prints much shocking news and scandal. •/ Bob wanted to find out who won the election, but he could find only a scandal sheet. / •/ The scandal sheet carried big headlines about the murder. /

[scarcely any]See: HARDLY ANY.

[scarcely ever]See: HARDLY EVER.

[scaredy-cat]or [scared-cat]See: FRAIDY-CAT.

[scare away]or [off] {v. phr.} To cause to flee; frighten away. •/ Jake is a confirmed bachelor; the best way to scare him off is to start talking about marriage. /

[scare out of one’s wits]or [scare stiff]or [scare the daylights out of] {v. phr.} , {informal} To frighten very much. •/ The owl’s hooting scared him out of his wits. / •/ The child was scared stiff in the dentist’s chair. / •/ Pete’s ghost story scared the daylights out of the smaller boys. /

[scare to death]See: TO DEATH.

[scare up]or [scrape up] {v.} , {informal} To find, collect, or get together with some effort when needed. •/ The boy scared up enough money to go to college. / •/ "Will you stay for supper?" she asked. "I can scare up enough for us all." / •/ He managed to scrape up the money for his speeding fine. /

[scene]See: BEHIND THE SCENES.

[scent]See: THROW OFF THE SCENT.

[schedule]See: ON SCHEDULE.

[scheme]See: COLOR SCHEME.

[school]See: TELL TALES OUT OF SCHOOL.

[school of hard knocks] {n. phr.} Life outside of school or college; life out in the world; the ordinary experience of learning from work and troubles. •/ He never went to high school; he was educated in the school of hard knocks. /

[score]See: SETTLE A SCORE also WIPE OUT AN OLD SCORE, THE SCORE.

[scot-free] {adj. phr.} Without punishment; completely free. •/ In spite of his obvious guilt, the jury acquitted him and he got off scot-free. /

[scotch broth] {n.} A thick barley soup with vegetables and mutton or beef. •/ Mother cooked a hearty scotch broth for dinner. /

[Scott]See: GREAT GODFREY or GREAT SCOTT.

[scout]See: GOOD EGG or GOOD SCOUT.

[scout around] {v. phr.} To search for; look around. •/ When we first came to town, we had to scout around for a suitable apartment. /

[scrape]See: BOW AND SCRAPE.

[scrape the bottom of the barrel] {v. phr.} , {informal} To use or take whatever is left after the most or the best has been taken; accept the leftovers. •/ At first they took out quarters, but they had so little money that they had to scrape the bottom of the barrel and paid with nickels and pennies for their lunch. / •/ The garage owner had to scrape the bottom of the barrel to find a qualified mechanic to work for him. /

[scrape together] {v. phr.} To quickly assemble, usually from scanty ingredients. •/ We were so hungry we had to scrape together some lunch from all kinds of frozen leftovers. /

[scrape up]See: SCARE UP.

[scratch]See: FROM SCRATCH, PUT ONE’S MONEY ON A SCRATCHED HORSE, UP TO PAR or UP TO SCRATCH.

[scratch around for] {v. phr.} To search randomly for something. •/ If you scratch around for a more reliable used car, maybe you’ll feel more confident on the road. /

[scratch one’s back] {v. phr.} , {informal} To do something kind and helpful for someone or to flatter him in the hope that he will do something for you. Usually used in the expression "You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours." •/ Mary asked Jean to introduce her to her brother. Jean said, "You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours." /

[scratch the surface] {v. phr.} To learn or understand very little about something. — Usually used with a limiting adverb (as "only", "hardly"). •/ We thought we understood Africa but when we made a trip there we found we had only scratched the surface. / •/ High school students have only scratched the surface of their subjects, and even after college graduation, they still find there is much more to learn. /

[scream bloody murder] {v. phr.} , {informal} To yell or protest as strongly as one can. •/ When the thief grabbed her purse, the woman screamed bloody murder. / •/ When the city doubled property taxes, home owners screamed bloody murder. /

[screen test] {n.} A short movie made to see if an actor or actress is good enough or the right one to play a part. •/ Ellen acted well on the stage, but she failed her screen test. /

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

[screw around] {v. phr.} , {vulgar} , {avoidable} 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] {v. phr.} , {slang} , {semi-vulgar} , {best avoided} 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] {n.} 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] {v. phr.} 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.