Словарь американских идиом (8000 единиц)

[stand to reason] <v. phr.> To seem very likely from the known facts. * /If you have a driver's license, it stands to reason you can drive./ * /Joe is intelligent and studies hard; it stands to reason that he will pass the examination./

[stand trial] <v. phr.> To submit to a trial by court. * /The case has been postponed and he may not have to stand trial until next April./

[stand up] <v.> 1. To rise to a standing position; get up on your feet. * /A gentleman stands up when a lady enters a room./ 2. To be strong enough to use hard or for a long time. * /A rocket must be built strongly to stand up under the blast-off./ * /The old car has already stood up for twenty years./ Compare: WEAR WELL. 3. <informal> To make a date and then fail to keep it. * /June cried when Bill stood her up on their first dale./

[stand up and be counted] <v. phr.> To be willing to say what you think in public; let people know that you are for or against something. * /The equal rights movement needs people who are willing to stand up and be counted./ * /If you disagree with the group, you should be ready to stand up and be counted./

[stand up for] or <informal> [stick up for] <v.> To defend against attack; fight for. * /John always stands up for his rights./ * /When Mary was being criticized, Jane stuck up for her./ Compare: BACK UP, GO TO BAT FOR, STAND BY, STAND ONE'S GROUND, STICK TO ONE'S GUNS, GO TO BAT FOR.

[stand up to] <v.> To meet with courage. * /Mary stood up to the snarling dog that leaped toward her./ * /A soldier must stand up to danger./

[stand up with] <v.>, <informal> To be best man or maid of honor at a wedding. * /A groom often chooses his brother to stand up with him./

[star] See: FIVE-STAR, SEE STARS, HITCH ONE'S WAGON TO A STAR, LUCKY STAR, THANK ONE'S LUCKY STARS.

[starch] See: TAKE THE STARCH OUT OF.

[stare in the face] <n. phr.> 1. To be about to meet or to happen to (you.) * /Grandmother became very sick and death was staring her in the face./ * /Defeat stared them in the face, but the soldiers fought on bravely./ 2. To be easy to see; be plain. * /Are you looking for your pencil? It's on your desk, staring you in the face./ * /Their friends all knew that Mary loved John, but John did not see it even though it was staring him in the face./

[stars in one's eyes] <n. phr.> 1. An appearance or feeling of very great happiness or expectation of happiness. * /Mary gets stars in her eyes when she thinks of her boyfriend./ 2. A belief in the possibility of quick and lasting reforms in people and life and an eagerness to make such changes. * /Some inexperienced people get stars in their eyes when they think of improving the world./ - [starry-eyed] <adj.> Very happy and excited, perhaps with little reason; eager and self-confident about improving human nature and general conditions of life. * /Young people are often starry-eyed and eager to improve the world; they do not know how hard it is./

[start] See: BY FITS AND STARTS, HEAD START, JACK-RABBIT START, RUNNING START.

[start from scratch] See: FROM SCRATCH.

[start in] <v.>, <informal> 1. To begin to do something; start. * /Fred started in weeding the garden./ * /The family started in eating supper./ Compare: GO AT. 2. To begin a career. * /Bob started in as an office boy and became president./ 3. To give a first job to. * /The bank started him in as a clerk./

[start out] <v.> 1. To begin to go somewhere. * /Bill started out for school on his bicycle./ * /Art started out on a voyage around the world./ Compare: SET OUT. 2. To begin a career or life. * /Harry started out as an errand boy in a business office./ * /We all start out in life as helpless infants./ Syn.: START IN. 3. <informal> To give one a first job. * /The garage man started Pete out as a grease rack man./ Syn.: START IN(3).

[start something] <v. phr.>, <informal> To make trouble; cause a quarrel or fight. * /John is always starting something./ * /Jack likes to play tricks on the other boys to start something./ Compare: MAKE SOMETHING OF.

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

[start up] <v.> 1. To begin operating, * /The driver started up the motor of the car./ * /The engine started up with a roar./ 2. To begin to play (music). * /The conductor waved his baton, and the band started up./ * /The orchestra started up a waltz./ Compare: STRIKE UP. 3. To rise or stand suddenly. * /When he heard the bell, he started up from his chair./

[stash bag] or [stuff bag] <n.>, <slang>, <informal> 1. A small bag containing marijuana cigarettes or the ingredients for making them. * /The police are holding John because they found a stash bag full of the stuff on him./ 2. Any small bag resembling a stash bag used for small personal items such as lipstick, driver's license, etc. * /Do you have any room for my keys in your stash bag?/

[state] See: LIE IN STATE.

[state-of-the-art] <adj. phr.> The best and - the latest any field of research can offer; modem; the latest; the most advanced. * /State-of-the-art personal computers may cost a little more than older models, but may be worth the cost for those who need them./ Compare: UP TO DATE.

[status symbol] <v. phr.> Signs of wealth and prestige. * /A new yacht or airplane might be a status symbol to a bank manager./

[stead] See: STAND IN GOOD STEAD.

[stave off] <v.>, <literary> To keep from touching or hurting you. Syn.: WARD OFF. * /The white knight struck with his sword. The black knight staved it off with his own sword./ * /Bill's warm new coal staved off the cold./ * /They staved off starvation by eating two of the sled dogs./

[stay in] <v. phr.> To remain at home. * /The weather was so bad that we decided to stay in all day./

[stay out] <v. phr.> To stay away from home. * /Her father was very upset because Mary stayed out until 3 A.M. last night./

[stay put] <v. phr.> To stay in place; not leave. * /Harry's father told him to stay put until he came back./ * /The rocks can be glued to the bulletin board to make them stay put./ * /After Grandmother came home from her trip to visit Aunt May, she said she wanted to stay put for a while./

[stay up late] <v. phr.> To not go to bed until very late. * /Peter has to stay up late these days as he is preparing for his comprehensive exams./ See: BURN THE MIDNIGHT OIL.

[stay with] See: STICK WITH.

[steady] See: GO STEADY.

[steak] See: SALISBURY STEAK, T-BONE STEAK.

[steal] See: LOCK THE BARN DOOR AFTER THE HORSE IS STOLEN.

[steal a march on] <v. phr.> To get ahead of someone by doing a thing unnoticed; get an advantage over. * /The army stole a march on the enemy by marching at night and attacking them in the morning./ * /Jack got the job by getting up earlier than Bill. He stole a march on him./ Compare: GET THE JUMP ON, GET THE BETTER OF, TAKE BY SURPRISE.

[steal away] See: SLIP AWAY.

[steal one's thunder] <v. phr.> To do or say something, intentionally or not, that another person has planned to say or do. * /Fred intended to nominate Bill for president, but John got up first and stole Fred's thunder./ * /Mary was going to sing "Oh! Susanna," but Ellen did it first and Mary said Ellen had stolen her thunder./ * /Smith heard that Jones was going to offer a new law which people wanted, so he himself proposed the law first, stealing Jones' thunder./