Adam Makkai - Словарь американских идиом: 8000 единиц

[see into] {v.} To know or understand the real nature or meaning of. •/ Suddenly the teacher saw into Linda’s strange actions. /

[see off] {v.} 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] {v. phr.} 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] {v. phr.} 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] {v.} 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] {v. phr.} 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] {v. phr.} , {informal} To become very angry. •/ Whenever anyone teased John about his weight, he saw red. /

[see service] {v. phr.} 1. To be used over a considerable period of time. •/ This old camera of mine has already seen six years of service. / 2. To serve in a military sense. •/ Colonel Hutchins has seen service in World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and the Persian Gulf. /

[see stars] {v. phr.} , {informal} To imagine you are seeing stars as a result of being hit on the head. •/ When Ted was hit on the head by the ball, he saw stars. / •/ The boxer’s head hit the floor, making him see stars. /

[see the beat]See: HEAR THE BEAT.

[see the color of one’s money] {v. phr.} , {informal} To know that you have money to spend. •/ The realtor would not show us a house until he saw the color of our money. / •/ Before I show you the diamond, let me see the color of your money. /

[see the last of] {v. phr.} To say good-bye to someone or something; get rid of something. •/ We were glad to see the last of the winter. /

[see the light] {v. phr.} , {informal} To understand or agree, often suddenly; accept another’s explanation or decision. •/ I did not approve of his action, but he explained his reason and then I saw the light. / •/ Bill wanted Harry to help him, but Harry wasn’t in the mood until Bill offered to pay him. Then Harry saw the light. / •/ Mary thought it was fun to date older boys but when they started drinking, she saw the light. /

[see the light at the end of the tunnel] {v. phr.} , {informal} To anticipate the happy resolution of a prolonged period of problems. •/ We’ve been paying on our house mortgage for many years, but at long last we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. /

[see the light of day] {v. phr.} To be born or begun. •/ The children visited the old house where their great-grandfather first saw the light of day. / •/ The party was a failure, and Mathilda wished her plan had never seen the light of day. /

[see the sights]See: SIGHTSEE.

[see things] {v. phr.} , {informal} To imagine sights which are not real; think you see what is not there. •/ I had not seen him for twenty years and when we met on the street I thought I was seeing things. / •/ She woke her husband to tell him she had seen a face at the window, but he told her she was seeing things. /

[see through] {v.} 1. To understand the real meaning of or reason for; realize the falseness of. •/ Mother saw through Johnny’s excuses not to go to bed on Christmas Eve. She knew he wanted to stay up to see Santa Claus. / •/ The teacher saw through the boy’s story of having to help at home. / 2. To do (something) until finished; stay with until the end. •/ Once Charles started a job, he saw it through till it was finished. / 3. To help and encourage (a person) through trouble or difficulty. •/ Mrs. Miller saw Jane through her sickness. / •/ When Mr. and Mrs. Brown lost their little girl, their friends saw them through with help and sympathy. / •/ His business was about to fail, but his banker saw him through. / 4. To be enough for; last. •/ This money will see us through the week. / •/ Here is a long report to type. Do you have enough paper to see you through? / Compare: TIDE OVER.

[see to]also [look to] {v.} To attend to; take care of; do whatever needs to be done about. •/ While Donna bought the theatre tickets, I saw to the parking of the car. / Compare: SEE ABOUT.

[see to it] {v. phr.} To take care; take the responsibility; make sure. — Usually used with a noun clause. •/ We saw to it that the child was fed and bathed. /

[see with rose-colored glasses]See: LOOK AT THE WORLD THROUGH ROSE-COLORED GLASSES.

[seed money] {n. phr.} A small grant or donation for others to be able to start a new venture. •/ All you need is some seed money and you can set up your own desk-top publishing firm. /

[seize on] {v.} To make use of (a happening or idea.) •/ Bob seized on the rain as an excuse for missing school. /

[seize on]or [upon] {v. phr.} To latch onto. •/ Whenever Herb is in a romantic mood, Irene seizes on it and starts talking about marriage, which is not what Herb had in mind. /

[seize the opportunity] {v. phr.} To exploit a chance. •/ His wealthy uncle offered to send him to Harvard and he wisely seized the opportunity. /

[self-conscious] {adj.} Embarrassed; shy. •/ Edith has a freckled face and sometimes she is very self-conscious about it. /

[self-made] {adj.} Having achieved wealth, fame, and success on one’s own without outside help. •/ John D. Rockefeller is one of the most famous self-made men in America. /

[self-possessed] {adj.} Confident; sure of one self. •/ Before he made his first million, he used to be shy, but afterwards he became very self-possessed. /

[self-seeking] {adj.} Given to egotism and self-aggrandizement. •/ Al is the most self-seeking person I’ve ever met, he is not fun to be around. /

[sell down the river] {v. phr.} To give harmful information about someone or something to one’s enemies; betray. •/ The traitor sold his country down the river to the enemy army. / •/ The criminal told the hiding place of his companions and sold them down the river. / Compare: SELL OUT(2).

[sell off] {v. phr.} To liquidate one’s holdings of certain set items. •/ The retired professor had to sell off his rare butterfly collection to meet his health expenses. /

[sell one a bill of goods] {v. phr.} To persuade another to acquire something useless; defraud. •/ We were sure sold a bill of goods when Alfred persuaded us to buy his custom-built car for which replacement parts weren’t available anywhere. /

[sell one on] {v. phr.} To persuade someone to do something. •/ We were able to sell our wealthy uncle on the idea of having a joint family vacation in Hawaii. /

[sellout] {n.} 1. A betrayal or act of treason. •/ The spy’s behavior during the Cold War was a classical sellout. /

[sell out] {v.} 1a. To sell all of a certain thing which a store has in stock. •/ In the store’s January white sale the sheets and pillowcases were sold out in two days. / 1b. To sell all the stock and close the store; go out of business. •/ The local hardware store sold out last month and was replaced by a cafe. / 2. {informal} To be unfaithful to your country for money or other reward; be disloyal; sell a secret; accept a bribe./ •/ In the Revolutionary War, Benedict Arnold sold out to the British. / •/ The dishonest wrestler sold out to his opponent for a hundred dollars. /

[sell short] {v.} To think (a person or thing) less good or valuable than is true; underestimate. •/ Don’t sell the team short; the players are better than you think. / •/ Some teachers sold John short. /

[sell snow to the Eskimos] {v. phr.} To sell something to people who already have a large quantity of the same or similar goods. •/ My Alaskan friend said, "One of the hottest businesses in Alaska is refrigeration. You could say that I, as a refrigerator expert, am selling snow to the Eskimos." / See: CARRY COALS TO NEWCASTLE.

[send C.O.D.]See: C.O.D.

[send off] {v. phr.} To say good-bye to someone ceremoniously. •/ They sent us off to the Mainland from our first visit to Hawaii with an elaborate champagne party at the pier. /

[send-off] {n. phr.} A demonstration of affection or respect at someone’s departure, as a retirement ceremony. •/ When our colleague retired after 35 years of teaching, we all got together at the Faculty Club and gave him a terrific send-off. /

[send one about one’s business] {v. phr.} To dismiss someone summarily; tell one off. •/ When Mrs. Atwater discovered that her daughter’s French tutor was an ordinary fortune hunter, she sent him about his business. / Compare: SEND ONE PACKING.

[send one packing] {v. phr.} To fire someone summarily. •/ When the boss caught Smith stealing from the cash register, he sent him packing. / Compare: SEND ONE ABOUT ONE’S BUSINESS.

[send to the minors] {v. phr.} To dismiss someone; tell them off; terminate a relationship. — A baseball term. •/ "What did you do to your girlfriend?" Ernie asked Bert, when Bert started dating Jane. "I sent her to the minors," Bert answered with a sneer. /

[send up] {v. phr.} , {colloquial} To sentence (someone) to prison. •/ Did you know that Milton Shaeffer was sent up for fifteen years? /

[send word] {v. phr.} To send notification to; advise. •/ When his father fell seriously ill, we sent word to Mike to come home as quickly as possible. /

[senior citizen] {n.} An older person, often one who has retired from active work or employment. •/ Mrs. North, the history teacher, is a senior citizen. /