Adam Makkai - Словарь американских идиом: 8000 единиц

[sense]See: COME TO ONE’S SENSES, HORSE SENSE, MAKE SENSE, OUT OF ONE’S HEAD or OUT OF ONE’S SENSES.

[separate the men from the boys] {v. phr.} , {informal} To show who has strength, courage and loyalty and find who do not. •/ When the ship hit an iceberg and sank, it separated the men from the boys. / •/ The mile run separates the men from the boys. /

[separate the sheep from the goats]See SEPARATE THE MEN FROM THE BOYS.

[serve]See: FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED.

[serve a sentence] {v. phr.} To be in jail. •/ Charlie served four years of an eight-year sentence, after which he was paroled and released. /

[serve notice] {v. phr.} 1. To notify one’s employer in a formal or legal manner that one is quitting the former’s employment. •/ She gave notice to her boss that she was quitting because of marriage. / 2. To notify an employee or a tenant that one no longer needs their services or wishes to have them as tenants. •/ The new landlady gave notice to several families in our building because they were late in paying their rent. /

[serve one right] {v. phr.} To be what (someone) really deserves as a punishment; be a fair exchange for what (someone) has done or said or failed to do or say. •/ He failed his exam; it served him right because he had not studied. / •/ Bob said it served Sally right when she cut her finger; she had taken his knife without asking him. / Compare: ASK FOR, HAVE IT COMING.

[serve time]See: SERVE A SENTENCE.

[serve up] {v.} To prepare and serve (as a food). •/ Father caught a trout and Mother served it up at dinner. /

[service]See: AT ONE’S SERVICE, CURB SERVICE, LIP SERVICE, OF SERVICE, ROOM SERVICE.

[session]See: BULL SESSION.

[set]See: GET SET.

[set ablaze] {v. phr.} To cause to burn by lighting with a match or other incendiary device. •/ The criminals poured gasoline on the house and set it ablaze with a small lighter. /

[set about] {v.} To begin; start. •/ Benjamin Franklin set about teaming the printer’s trade at an early age. / •/ After breakfast, Mother set about her household duties. /

[set afire]or [set on fire]See: SET ABLAZE.

[set aside] {v.} 1. To separate from the others in a group or collection. •/ She set aside the things in the old trunk which she wanted to keep. / 2. To select or choose from others for some purpose. •/ The governor set aside a day for thanksgiving. / 3. To pay no attention to (something); leave out. •/ The complaint was set aside as of no importance. / 4. {formal} To refuse to accept; annul; cancel as worthless or wrong. •/ The Supreme Court set aside the decision of the lower courts. /

[setback] {n.} A disadvantage; a delay. •/ We suffered a major setback when my wife lost her job. /

[set back] {v.} 1. To cause to put off or get behind schedule; slow up; check. •/ The cold weather set back the planting by two weeks. / 2. {informal} To cause to pay out or to lose (a sum of money); cost. •/ His new car set him back over $3000. /

[set back on one’s heels]or [knock back on one’s heels] {v. phr.} , {informal} To give an unpleasant surprise; upset suddenly; stop or turn back (someone’s) progress. •/ Jack brags too much and it set him back on his heels when the coach told him he wasn’t as good a player as he thought he was. / •/ Jean was doing very well in school until sickness knocked her back on her heels. / Compare: KNOCK FOR A LOOP, THROW FOR A LOSS.

[set down] {v.} 1. To write; record. •/ He set down all his important thoughts in his dairy. / •/ At the beginning of his letter Dan set down the date. / Syn.: PUT DOWN. 2. To stop a bus or other vehicle and let (someone) get off. •/ The bus driver set her down at the corner. / 3. To put into some group; classify; consider. •/ When he heard the man speak, he set him down as a fool. / 4. To explain; think a reason for. •/ The teacher set down the boy’s poor English to his foreign birth. /

[set eyes on]See: LAY EYES ON.

[set fire to] {v. phr.} To cause to burn; start a fire in. •/ The sparks set fire to the oily rags. / Compare: CATCH FIRE.

[set foot] {v. phr.} To step; walk; go. — Used with a negative. •/ She would not let him set foot across her threshold. / •/ She told the boy not to set foot out of the house until he had finished supper. /

[set forth] {v.} , {formal} 1. To explain exactly or clearly. •/ The President set forth his plans in a television talk. / 2. To start to go somewhere; begin a trip. •/ The troop set forth on their ten-mile hike early. / Compare: SET OUT.

[set free] {v. phr.} To liberate. •/ The trapper set all the small animals free before the snowstorm hit. /

[set great store by]See: SET STORE BY.

[set in] {v.} To begin; start; develop. •/ Before the boat could reach shore, a storm had set in. / •/ He did not keep the cut clean and infection set in. / •/ The wind set in from the east. /

[set in one’s ways] {adj. phr.} Stubborn; opinionated; unchangeable. •/ My grandfather is so old and set in his ways that he’ll eat nothing new. /

[set loose]See: LET LOOSE(1a).

[set off] {v.} 1. To decorate through contrast; balance by difference. •/ The bright colors of the birds were set off by the white snow. / •/ A small gold pin set off her plain dark dress. / 2. To balance; make somewhat equal. •/ Her great wealth, as he thought, set off her plain face. / 3a. To begin to go. •/ They set off for the West in a covered wagon. / Compare: SET OUT. 3b. To cause to begin. •/ A letter from home set off an attack of homesickness. / •/ An atomic explosion is created by setting off a chain reaction in the atom. / Compare: TOUCH OFF. 3c. To cause to explode. •/ On July 4 we set off firecrackers in many places. /

[set of new threads] {n. phr.} New men’s suit. •/ "Nice set of new threads'" Ed said, when he saw Dave in his new tailor-made outfit. /

[set on]also [set upon] {v.} 1. To begin suddenly to fight against; attack fiercely. •/ Tom was walking through the park when a gang of boys set on him. / 2. To cause to attack. •/ Some boys went to steal melons but the farmer set his dog on them. /

[set one’s cap for] {v. phr.} , {informal} To attempt to win the love of or to marry. •/ Usually used of a girl or woman. / •/ The young girl set her cap for the new town doctor, who was a bachelor. /

[set one’s face against] {v. phr.} , {literary} To be very much against; strongly disapprove. •/ The banker’s daughter wanted to marry a poor boy, but her father set his face against it. /

[set one’s hand to]See: PUT ONE’S HAND TO.

[set one’s hand to the plow]See: PUT ONE’S HAND TO THE PLOW.

[set one’s heart on] {v. phr.} To want very much. •/ He set his heart on that bike. / also: To be very desirous of; hope very much to succeed in. — Used with a verbal noun. •/ He set his heart on winning the race. /

[set one’s house in order]See: PUT ONE’S HOUSE IN ORDER.

[set one’s mind at rest] {v. phr.} To relieve someone’s anxieties; reassure someone. •/ "Lef me set your mind at rest about the operation," Dr. Vanek said. "You’ll be back on your feet in a week." /

[set one’s mind on] {v. phr.} To be determined to; decide to. •/ He has set his mind on buying an old chateau in France. /

[set one’s sights] {v. phr.} 1. To want to reach; aim for. •/ John has set his sights higher than the job he has now. / 2. To wish to get or win. •/ Owen set his sights on the championship. /

[set one’s teeth on edge] {v. phr.} 1. To have a sharp sour taste that makes you rub your teeth together. •/ The lemon juice set my teeth on edge. / 2. To make one feel nervous or annoyed. •/ She looks so mean that her face sets my teeth on edge. /

[set on foot]See: ON FOOT.

[set out] {v.} 1. To leave on a journey or voyage. •/ The Pilgrims set out for the New World. / Compare: SET FORTH(2), SET OFF(4), START OUT. 2. To decide and begin to try; attempt. •/ George set out to improve his pitching. / 3. To plant in the ground. •/ The gardener set out some tomato seedlings. /

[set right] {v. phr.} To discipline; correct; indicate the correct procedure. •/ "Your bookkeeping is all messed up," the accountant said. "Let me set it right for you, once and for all." /

[set sail] {v. phr.} To begin a sea voyage; start sailing. •/ The ship set sail for Europe. /

[set store by] {v. phr.} , {informal} To like or value; want to keep. Used with a qualifying word between "set" and "store". •/ George sets great store by that old tennis racket. / •/ Pat doesn’t set much store by Mike’s advice. /

[set the ball rolling]See: GET THE BALL ROLLING.

[set the pace] {v. phr.} To decide on a rate of speed of travel or rules that are followed by others. •/ The scoutmaster set the pace so that the shorter boys would not get tired trying to keep up. / •/ Louise set the pace in selling tickets for the school play. / —  [pace-setter] {n.} •/ John is the pace-setter of the class. / —  [pace-setting] {adj.} •/ Bob’s time in the cross-country race was pace-setting. / •/ The country is growing at a pace-setting rate. /

[set the stage for] {v. phr.} To prepare the way or situation for (an event); to make a situation ready for something to happen. •/ The country’s economic problems set the stage for a depression. /

[set the world on fire] {v. phr.} , {informal} To do something outstanding; act in a way that attracts much attention or makes you famous. •/ John works hard, but he will never set the world on fire. / •/ Mary could set the world on fire with her piano playing. /

[setting-up] {adj.} Done early in the morning to make you fresh and feel strong for the day. •/ Tom jumped out of bed and did his setting-up exercises. / Compare: DAILY DOZEN.