Словарь американских идиом (8000 единиц)

[slow tune] See: STANDARD TIME.

[slow up] <v.> 1. To go more slowly. * /The truck slowed up as it approached the toll gate./ * /Construction on the road slows up traffic./ 2. To become less busy. * /Business slows up at the stores after Christmas./

[slug it out] <v. phr.> To have a strong verbal or physical battle with someone; to contest something most vigorously. * /The two contenders for the lightweight boxing championship were slugging it out in the ring./ * /The two candidates for Congress were slugging it out on radio and on television./

[sly] See: ON THE SLY.

[smack-dab] also <Southern> [smack-to-dab] <adv.>, <informal> Exactly; squarely. * /The ball landed smack-dab at our feet./ * /The plane landed smack-to-dab in the middle of the hay field./

[smack one's lips] <v. phr.> To reveal an appetite for; show enjoyment of. * /Eleanor smacked her lips over the dessert of strawberries and whipped cream./

[small] See: BIG FROG IN A SMALL POND.

[small frog in a big pond] See: LITTLE FROG IN A BIG POND.

[small fry] <n.> 1. Young children. * /In the park, a sandbox is provided for the small fry./ 2. Something or someone of little importance. * /Large dairies ignore the competition from the small fry who make only a few hundred pounds of cheese a year./

[small] or [wee hours] <n. phr.> The very early hours of the morning between 1 and 4 A.M. * /My brother was in trouble for coming home in the small hours./ See: WEE HOURS.

[small talk] <n. phr.> General idle conversation. * /At the party there was the usual kind of small talk about the cost of living increase and the war in Africa./

[small-time] <adj.>, <informal> Unimportant; minor; with little power or importance. * /He has a job as a drummer with a small-time band./ * /It is a small-time business, but it may grow./ Contrast: BIG-TIME.

[small wonder] See: NO WONDER.

[smash hit] <n.>, <informal> A very successful play, movie or opera. * /The school play was a smash hit./

[smell a rat] <v. phr.>, <informal> To be suspicious; feel that something is wrong. * /Every time Tom visits me, one of my ashtrays disappears. I'm beginning to smell a rat./ * /When the policeman saw a light go on in the store at midnight, he smelled a rat./

[smell out] See: FERRET OUT.

[smell up] <v.>, <informal> To make a bad smell. * /A skunk smelled up our yard last night./ * /Mr. Brodsky's cigar smelled up the living room./

[smile] See: CRACK A SMILE.

[smoke] See: CHAIN-SMOKE, GO UP IN FLAMES or GO UP IN SMOKE, PUT THAT IN YOUR PIPE AND SMOKE IT, WATCH ONE'S DUST or WATCH ONE'S SMOKE.

[smoke like a chimney] <v. phr.>, <informal> To smoke very heavily and continuously. * /"If you continue smoking like a chimney" the doctor told my uncle, "you'll wind up in the hospital with lung cancer."/

[smoke out] <v. phr.> 1. To force out with smoke. * /The boys smoked a squirrel out of a hollow tree./ * /The farmer tried to smoke some gophers out of their burrows./ 2. <informal> To find out the facts about. * /It took the reporter three weeks to smoke out the whole story./

[smoke-out] <n.> A successful conclusion of an act of investigative journalism revealing some long-kept secrets. * /Journalist Bob Woodward was the hero of the Watergate smoke-out./

[smoke screen] <n. phr.> A camouflage; a veil; something used to cover or hide something. * /June hides her commercial interests behind a smoke screen of religious piety./

[Smokey Bear] or [Smokey-the-Bear] or [the Smokies] <n.>, <slang>, <citizen's band radio jargon> A policeman; a patrol car; frequently abbreviated as Smokey. * /Slow down, Smokey's ahead!/ * /A Smokey is on the move, heading east./

[smooth away] <v.> To remove; (unpleasant feelings) take away. * /Mr. Jones' new job smoothed away his worry about money./

[smooth down] <v.> To make calm; calm down. * /Mrs. Smith's feelings were hurt and we couldn't smooth her down./

[smooth over] <v.> To make something seem better or more pleasant; try to excuse. * /Bill tried to smooth over his argument with Mary by making her laugh./ Syn.: GLOSS OVER. Compare: PATCH UP.

[smooth sailing] See: PLAIN SAILING.

[snail's pace] <n.> A very slow movement forward. * /Time moved at a snail's pace before the holidays./ * /The donkey on which he was riding moved at a snail's pace./

[snake in the grass] <n. phr.>, <informal> A person who cannot be trusted; an unfaithful traitor; rascal. * /Did Harry tell you that? He's a snake in the grass!/ * /Some snake in the grass told the teacher our plans./

[snap] See: COLD SNAP.

[snap it off] See: MAKE IT SNAPPY.

[snap one's fingers at] <v. phr.> To show contempt for; show no respect for; pay no attention to; scorn; disregard. * /John snapped his fingers at the sign that said "Do not enter," and he went in the door./ * /The highway sign said "Speed limit, 35 miles per hour," but when a driver snapped his fingers at it by going 55 miles an hour, a motorcycle policeman arrested him./

[snap out of] <v.>, <informal> To change quickly from a bad habit, mood, or feeling to a better one.
– Often used with "it". * /Mary was unhappy when her fiance abandoned her, but she snapped out of it when she met a new young man./ * /The coach told the lazy player to snap out of it./

[snappy] See: MAKE IT SNAPPY.

[snapshot] <n.> A small photograph, unlike a professional portrait. * /We took several snapshots of the scenery while driving around the island./

[snap up] <v.>, <informal> To take or accept eagerly. * /Eggs were on sale cheap, and the shoppers snapped up the bargain./ * /Mr. Hayes told Bob that he would take him skiing, and Bob snapped up the offer./

[sneak] See: QUARTERBACK SNEAK.

[sneak away] See: SLIP AWAY.

[sneak up on] See: CREEP UP ON.

[sneeze at] <v.>, <informal> To think of as not important; not take seriously.
– Used with negative or limiting words and in questions. * /Mr. Jones was chosen by his party to run for President. He was not elected, but to be chosen to run is not to be sneezed at./ * /If you think Mrs. Green's tests are things to be sneezed at, you have a surprise coming./ * / Is a thousand dollars anything to sneeze at?/ * /John finished third in a race with twenty other runners. That is nothing to sneeze at./