Adam Makkai - Словарь американских идиом: 8000 единиц

[spick-and-span] {adj.} Sparkling clean; having a brand new look. •/ She is such a good housekeeper that her kitchen is always spick-and-span. /

[spill]See: CRY OVER SPILLED MILK.

[spill the beans] {v. phr.} , {informal} To tell a secret to someone who is not supposed to know about it. •/ John’s friends were going to have a surprise party for him, but Tom spilled the beans. / Compare: GIVE AWAY(3), LET THE CAT OUT OF THE BAG, TELL TALES OUT OF SCHOOL.

[spin a yarn] {v. phr.} To tell a story of adventure with some exaggeration mixed in; embellish and protract such a tale. •/ Uncle Fred, who used be a sailor, knows how to spin a fascinating yarn, but don’t always believe everything he says. /

[spine-chilling] {adj.} Terrifying; causing great fear. •/ Many children find the movie, "Frankenstein," spine-chilling. / •/ A was spine-chilling to learn that a murderer was in our neighborhood. / Compare: HAIR STAND ON END.

[spine-tingling] {adj.} Very exciting; thrilling. •/ Our ride up the mountain in a chair lift was spine-tingling. / •/ The children’s plane ride was a spine-tingling adventure to them. /

[spinoff] {n.} A byproduct of something else. •/ The television soap opera "Knot’s Landing" was considered a spinoff of "Dallas," with many of the same characters featured in both. /

[spin off] {v. phr.} To bring something into existence as a byproduct of something that already exists. •/ When Dr. Catwallender opened his medical practice, he also spun off a small dispensary beside it where patients could get their prescriptions filled. /

[spin one’s wheels] {v. phr.} 1. Said of cars stuck in snow or mud whose wheels are turning without the car moving forward. •/ There was so much snow on the driveway that my car’s wheels were spinning in it and we couldn’t get going. / 2. To exert effort in a job without making any progress. •/ I’ve been working for the firm for two decades, but I feel I am merely spinning my wheels. /

[spin out] {v. phr.} 1. To go out of control. •/ The bus spun out on the icy road and fell into the ditch. / 2. To make something go out of control. •/ Tom stepped on the brakes so fast that he spun his car out of control and went off the road. /

[spirit away] {v. phr.} To hide or smuggle something out; abduct. •/ The famous actress was spirited away by her bodyguards as soon as she emerged from the door. /

[spite]See: CUT OFF ONE’S NOSE TO SPITE ONE’S FACE.

[spit]or [piss into the wedding cake] {v. phr.} , {vulgar} , {avoidable} To spoil someone’s pleasure or celebration by doing or saying something harsh or unseemly in an otherwise happy gathering; bring up depressing or unhappy subjects at a supposedly happy time. •/ Stuart really spit into the wedding cake when he told Burt in a bragging fashion that Lucy, Burl’s bride, used to be his girlfriend. /

[spitting image] {n.} or [spit and image] {informal} An exact likeness; a duplicate. •/ John is the spitting image of his grandfather. / •/ That vase is the spitting image of one I wanted to buy in Boston. / Compare: LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON.

[spit up] {v.} To vomit a little. •/ The baby always spits up when he is burped. / •/ Put a bib on the baby. I don’t want him to spit up on his clean clothes. /

[split end] {n.} An end in football who plays five to ten yards out from the tackle in the line. •/ The split end is one of the quarterback’s most important targets for passes. / Contrast: TIGHT END.

[split hairs] {v. phr.} To find and argue about small and unimportant differences as if the differences are important. •/ John is always splitting hairs; he often starts an argument about something small and unimportant. / •/ Don’t split hairs about whose turn it is to wash the dishes and make the beds; let’s work together and finish sooner. /

[split second] {n.} A very short time; less than a second. •/ The lightning flash lasted a split second, and then disappeared. /

[split the difference] {v. phr.} , {informal} To settle a money disagreement by dividing the difference, each person giving up half. •/ Bob offered $25 for Bill’s bicycle and Bill wanted $35; they split the difference. /

[split ticket] {n.} A vote for candidates from more than one party. •/ Mr. Jones voted a split ticket. / •/ An independent voter likes a split ticket. / Contrast: STRAIGHT TICKET.

[split up] {v. phr.} 1. To separate; get a divorce. •/ After three years of marriage, the unhappy couple finally split up. / 2. To separate something; divide into portions. •/ The brothers split up their father’s fortune among themselves after his death. /

[split-up] {n.} A separation or division into two or many smaller parts. •/ The split-up of our company was due to the founder’s untimely death. /

[spoil for] {v. phr.} To want something very badly; be belligerent or pugnacious about something. •/ After a few drinks it became embarrassingly evident that Hal was spoiling for a fight. / Compare: HANKER AFTER, LUST FOR.

[spoken for] {adj.} Occupied; reserved; taken; already engaged or married. •/ "Sorry, my boy," Mr. Jones said condescendingly, "but my daughter is already spoken for. She will marry Fred Wilcox next month." /

[sponge]See: THROW IN THE SPONGE.

[sponge bath] {n.} A bath with a cloth or sponge and a little water. •/ During the drought the family had only sponge baths. / •/ The family took sponge baths because they had no bathtub. /

[sponge on]or [off] {v. phr.} To exploit parasitically; depend upon for support. •/ He is already forty years old, but he refuses to go to work and sponges off his retired parents. /

[spoon]See: BORN WITH A SILVER SPOON IN ONE’S MOUTH.

[spoon-feed] {v.} 1. To feed with a spoon. •/ Mothers spoon-feed their babies. / 2a. To make something too easy for (a person). •/ Bill’s mother spoon-fed him and never let him think for himself. / •/ Alice depended on her mother for all decisions because she had been spoon-fed. / 2b. To make (something) too easy for someone. •/ Some students want the teacher to spoon-feed the lessons. /

[sporting blood] {n.} Willingness to take risks; spirit of adventure. •/ The cowboy’s sporting blood tempted him to try to ride the wild horse. / •/ The boy’s sporting blood caused him to run away with a circus. /

[spot]See: HIT THE HIGH SPOTS, HIT THE SPOT, JOHNNY-ON-THE-SPOT, ON THE SPOT or UPON THE SPOT also IN A SPOT, SORE SPOT.

[spot check] {n. phr.} A sample check or investigation. •/ Internal Revenue Service employees often conduct a spot check of individual returns when the figures don’t add up. /

[spotlight]See: STEAL THE SPOTLIGHT.

[spread it on thick]See: LAY IT ON or LAY IT ON THICK.

[spread like wildfire] {v. phr.} To spread uncontrollably and rapidly. •/ Bad news has a tendency to spread like wildfire. /

[spread oneself too thin] {v. phr.} To try to do too many things at one time. •/ As the owner, chef, waiter, and dishwasher of his restaurant, Pierre was spreading himself too thin. /

[spring a leak] {v. phr.} 1. To develop a hole (said of boats) through which water can enter, threatening the boat to sink. •/ When our small boat sprang a leak, we rapidly returned to shore to fix it. / 2. To be threatened by some oncoming danger. •/ Our firm sprang a leak when the vice president suddenly died of a heart attack. /

[spring chicken] {n.} , {slang} A young person. — Usually used with "no". •/ Mr. Brown is no spring chicken, but he can still play tennis well. / •/ The coach is no spring chicken, but he can show the players what to do. /

[spring on one] {v. phr.} To approach someone unexpectedly with an unpleasant idea or project. •/ Our firm was merely six weeks old when they sprang the news on me that I had to go to Algiers to open a new branch there. /

[spring up] {v. phr.} To arise suddenly. •/ Small purple flowers were springing up all over our backyard. /

[sprout wings] {v. phr.} 1. To enter the stage after a period of development when wings appear (said of larvae that turn into butterflies). •/ The dragonflies suddenly sprouted wings and are flying all about in the park. / 2. To become good and virtuous (as if airborne). •/ Joe has helped many colleagues in need; he seems to have sprouted wings. /

[spruce up] {v.} , {informal} To make clean or neat. •/ Mary spruced up the house before her company came. / •/ John spruced himself up before he went out on his date. /

[spur]See: ON THE SPUR OF THE MOMENT, WIN ONE’S SPURS.

[squad]See: FIRING SQUAD.

[square]See: FAIR AND SQUARE, SHOOT STRAIGHT or SHOOT SQUARE.

[square away] {v. phr.} 1. To arrange the sails of a ship so that the wind blows from behind. •/ The captain ordered the crew to square away and sail before the wind. / 2. {informal} To put right for use or action. — Often used in the passive or participle. •/ The living room was squared away for the guests. / •/ Harry got into trouble, but his scoutmaster talked with him and got him squared away. / Syn.: STRAIGHTEN OUT. 3. {informal} To stand ready to fight; put up your fists. •/ Jack and Lee squared away. / Syn.: SQUARE OFF.

[squared away] {adj. phr.} Looked after properly; tucked away; arranged. •/ My first two daughters are happily married, but my third one, Jennifer, isn’t squared away yet. /

[square deal] {n. phr.} 1. Equitable or fair treatment. •/ We are proud to say that at this firm every employee gets a square deal. / Contrast NEW DEAL, RAW DEAL.

[square meal] {n. phr.} A full, nourishing well-balanced meal. •/ The refugees looked as if they hadn’t had a square meal in months. /

[square off] {v. phr.} , {informal} To stand ready for fighting with the fists. •/ The two boxers squared off when the bell rang. /

[square oneself with] {v. phr.} To apologize; re-establish friendship with; make amends. •/ "Mr. Alien is very angry with you for leaving the firm," Bob said. "It will take more than a few words and a drink to square yourself with him." /