Словарь американских идиом (8000 единиц)

[sea legs] <n. phr.> 1. Adjustment to being in a boat that is rocking on the sea. * /This is my first transatlantic trip so give me a day to get my sea legs before you make me dance./ 2. Adjustment to a new job or situation. * /"I have just been transferred here and I haven't found my sea legs yet," the new colleague joked./

[seam] See: BURST AT THE SEAMS.

[search] See: IN SEARCH OF.

[search me] <informal> I don't know; how should I know?
– May be considered rude. * /When I asked her what time it was, she said, "Search me, I have no watch."/

[search one's heart] or [search one's soul] <v. phr.>, <formal> To study your reasons and acts; try to discover if you have been fair and honest. * /The teacher searched his heart trying to decide if he had been unfair in failing Tom./ - [heart-searching] or [soul-searching] <n.> or <adj.> * /After much heart-searching, Jean told Beth she was sorry for the unkind things she had said./ * /The minister preached a soul-searching sermon about the thoughtless ways people hurt each other./

[search out] <v.> To search for and discover; find or learn by hunting. * /The police were trying to search out the real murderer./

[search with a fine-tooth comb] See: FINE-TOOTH COMB.

[season] See: HIGH SEASON, IN SEASON, LOW SEASON, OUT OF SEASON.

[seat] See: BACK SEAT DRIVER, FLY BY THE SEAT OF ONE'S PANTS, HOT SEAT, JUDGMENT SEAT, TAKE A BACK SEAT.

[seat belt] <n.> A strong strap used to protect a person in a moving car or other vehicle by holding him in his seat. * /When the plane began to land, Billy and his mother fastened their seat belts./ * /Passengers in automobiles should wear seat belts for safety./

[second] See: PLAY SECOND PIDDLE, SPLIT SECOND.

[second best] <n.> Something that is lower than or not quite as good as the best. * /Tom liked the deluxe model bicycle; but he could afford only a second best./ * /Joan chose the best and Mary had to take the second best./ * /There were ten boys in the race. Jack won and Fred was a close second best./ Compare: RUNNER UP.

[second best] <adv.> Second; in second place. * /The team came off second best in the game./

[second-best] <adj.> Next to best; second in rank. * /Mary wore her second-best dress./ * /Bob was the second-best player on the team./ * /"I am the second-best student in this school because I was second best in the Milwaukee competition."/

[second childhood] <n. phr.> Senility; dotage. * /"Grandpa is in his second childhood; we must make allowances for him at the dinner table," my mother said, as Grandpa dropped food all over the place./

[second class] <n.> 1. The second best or highest group; the class next after the first. * /Joe was good enough in arithmetic to be put in the second class but was not good enough for the first./ Compare: FIRST CLASS. 2. The place or quarters, especially on a ship, train, or airplane which people travel who pay the next to the highest fare. * /Aunt May bought a ticket to travel in the second class on the boat trip./ Compare: FIRST CLASS, THIRD CLASS. 3. A class of mail that includes magazines and newspapers published at least four times a year and costs less for mailing than first class mail. Compare: FIRST CLASS.

[second-class(1)] <adj.> 1. Belonging in the class that is next to the highest or next best. * /He was only a second-class math student./ * /His parents traveled as second-class passengers on the boat./ * /The periodical came as second-class mail./ Compare: FIRST-CLASS, THIRD-CLASS. 2. Not so good as others; second-rate. * /They were never given full democratic rights but were always treated as second-class citizens./

[second-class(2)] <adv.> By second class. * /We went second-class on the train to New York./ * /I mailed the newspaper second-class./

[second cousin] <n.> A child of your father's or mother's first cousin. * /Mary and Jane are second cousins./

[second-guess] <v. phr.> 1. To criticize another's decision with advantage of hindsight. * /The losing team's coach is always second-guessed./ 2. To guess what someone else intends or would think or do. * /Television planners try to second-guess the public./

[secondhand] <adj.> Used; not new; preowned. * /Sometimes a secondhand car is just as reliable as a brand new one./

[second nature] <n.> Something done without any special effort, as if by natural instinct. * /Cutting tall trees has become second nature to the experienced lumberjack./

[second-rate] <adj.> Of mediocre or inferior quality. * /The movie received a bad review; it was second-rate at best./

[second-run] <adj.> Of a movie: Shown in many movie theaters before, and allowed to be shown later in other movie theaters. * /Tickets to second-run movies cost much less./

[second sight] <n. phr.> Intuition; prescience; clairvoyance. * /Some police departments employ psychics to find missing persons or objects as they are said to have second sight./

[second thought] <n.> A change of ideas or opinions resulting from more thought or study. * /Your second thoughts are very often wiser than your first ideas./ * /We decided to climb the mountain, but on second thought realized that it was too dangerous./ Compare: THINK BETTER OF.

[second to none] <adj. phr.> Excellent; first rate; peerless. * /Our new State University campus is second to none. There is no need to pay all that high tuition at a private college./

[second wind] also [second breath] <n.> 1. The easier breathing that follows difficult breathing when one makes a severe physical effort, as in running or swimming./ * /After the first quarter mile, a mile runner usually gets his second wind and can breathe better./ * /We climbed with labored breathing for half an hour, but then got our second wind and went up more easily./ 2. <informal> The refreshed feeling you get after first becoming tired while doing something and then becoming used to it. * /Tom became very tired of working at his algebra, but after a while he got his second wind and began to enjoy it./

[secret] See: IN SECRET, OPEN SECRET.

[section gang] or [section crew] <n.> A group of railroad workers who watch and repair a number of miles of track. * /The section crew was called out to fix the broken bridge./

[section hand] <n.> A worker who repairs railway track; one of the men in a section gang. * /The section hands moved off the track while the train went by./

[security blanket] <n.>, <slang>, <colloquial> An idea, person, or object that one holds on to for psychological reassurance or comfort as infants usually hang on to the edge of a pillow, a towel, or a blanket. * /Sue has gone to Aunt Mathilda for a chat; she is her security blanket./