[Simon Legree]{n.}, {informal} A strict person, especially a boss, who makes others work very hard. •/Don’t talk on the job; the boss is a real Simon Legree./ •/Everybody avoids the foreman. He acts like a Simon Legree./
[simple] See: PURE AND SIMPLE.
[sing a different tune] or [whistle a different tune] also [sing a new tune] {v. phr.}, {informal} To talk or act in the opposite way; contradict something said before. •/Charles said that all smokers should be expelled from the team but he sang a different tune after the coach caught him smoking./ Syn.: CHANGE ONE’S TUNE, DANCE TO ANOTHER TUNE. Compare: LAUGH OUT OF THE OTHER SIDE OF ONE’S MOUTH.
[sing for one’s supper]{v. phr.}, {informal} To have to work for what one desires. •/I realized a long time ago that I had to sing for my supper if I wanted to get ahead in my profession./
[sing in tune] See: IN TUNE.
[single] See: EVERY SINGLE.
[single out]{v. phr.} To select or choose one from among many. •/There were a lot of pretty girls at the high school prom but Don immediately singled out Sally./
[sing one’s praises]{v. phr.} To extol or praise continuously. •/The audience left the concert with everyone singing the praises of the young piano virtuoso./
[sing out of tune] See: OUT OF TUNE.
[sink] See: HEART SINKS.
[sinker] See: HOOK, LINE AND SINKER.
[sink in] or [soak in] {v.}, {informal} To be completely understood; be fully realized or felt. •/Everybody laughed at the joke but Joe; it took a moment for it to sink in before he laughed too./ •/When Frank heard that war had started, it didn’t sink in for a long time until his father was drafted into the army./ Compare: BRING HOME.
[sink one’s teeth into] See: GET ONE’S TEETH INTO.
[sink or swim]{v. phr.} To succeed or fail by your own efforts, without help or interference from anyone else; fail if you don’t work hard to succeed. •/When Joe was fourteen, his parents died, and he was left by himself to sink or swim./ •/Tom’s new job was confusing and no one had time to help him learn, so he had to sink or swim./
[sit] See: GO SIT ON A TACK, ON THE FENCE also FENCE-SITTING.
[sit back]{v.} 1. To be built a distance away; stand away (as from a street). •/Our house sits back from the road./ 2. To relax; rest, often while others are working; take time out. •/Sit back for a minute and think about what you have done./
[sit by]{v.} 1. To stay near; watch and care for. •/The nurse was told to sit by the patient until he woke up./ •/Mother sat by her sick baby all night./ 2. To sit and watch or rest especially while others work. •/Don’t just sit idly by while the other children are all busy./
[sit down]{v.} To sit on a seat or resting place. •/After gym class Jim was tired and was glad to sit down and rest./
[sit in]{v.} 1. To be a member; participate. •/We’re having a conference and we’d like you to sit in./ also [sit in on]: To be a member of; participate in. •/We want you to sit in on the meeting./ 2. To attend but not participate. Often used with "on". •/Our teacher was invited to sit in on the conference./ Compare: LOOK ON.
[sit on]{v.} 1. To be a member of (a jury, board, commission), etc. •/Mr. Brown sat on the jury at the trial./ 2. {informal} To prevent from starting or doing something; squelch. •/The teacher sat on Fred before he could get started with the long story./ •/The teacher sat on Joe as soon as he began showing off./
[sit on a bomb] or [bombshell] {v. phr.}, {informal} To be in possession of anything that is potentially disastrous or dangerous. •/The finance department will be sitting on a bomb unless it finds a way to cut overhead expenses./
[sit on a volcano]{v.}, {informal} 1. To be in a place where trouble may start or danger may come suddenly. •/Bob was in that part of South America before the revolution began. He knew he was sitting on a volcano./ •/The policemen who patrolled the big city slum area that summer were sitting on a volcano./
[sit on one’s hands]{v. phr.}, {informal} To do nothing; fail or refuse to do anything. •/We asked Bill for help with our project, but he sat on his hands./
[sit on the fence] See: ON THE FENCE.
[sit out]{v.} To not take part in. •/The next dance is a polka. Let’s sit it out./ •/Toby had to sit out the last half of the game because his knee hurt./
[sitter] See: ON THE FENCE also FENCE-SITTER.
[sitting on a powder keg] See: SIT ON A VOLCANO.
[sit through]{v.} To watch or listen until (something) is finished. •/The show was so boring that we could hardly sit through the first act./ •/Elaine liked the movie so much that she sat through three showings./
[sit tight]{v. phr.}, {informal} To make no move or change; stay where you are. — Often used as a command. •/Sit tight; I’ll be ready to go in a few minutes./ •/The doctor said to sit tight until he arrived./ •/The gangsters sat tight in the mountains while the police looked for them./ Compare: STAND PAT.
[sitting on top of the world] See: ON TOP OF THE WORLD.
[sitting pretty]{adj.}, {slang} To be in a lucky position. •/The new library is sitting pretty because a wealthy woman gave it $10,000 worth of reference books./ •/Mr. Jones was sitting pretty until his $25,000-a-year job was dropped by the company./
[sit up]{v.} 1. To move into a sitting position. •/Joe sat up when he heard the knock on his bedroom door./ 2. To stay awake instead of going to bed. •/Mrs. Jones will sit up until both of her daughters get home from the dance./ •/We sat up until two A.M. hoping for news from Alaska./ 3. {informal} To be surprised. •/Janice really sat up when I told her the gossip about Tom./
[sit-up]{n.} A vigorous exercise in which the abdominal muscles are strengthened by locking one’s feet in a fastening device and sitting up numerous times. •/Do a few sit-ups if you want to reduce your waist./
[sit up and take notice]{v. phr.}, {informal} To be surprised into noticing something. •/Grace had never impressed her teachers. Hearing that she had won the essay contest made them sit up and take notice./ •/George’s sudden success made the town sit up and take notice./
[sit up for]{v. phr.} To wait until after the usual bedtime for someone’s return. •/Mrs. Smith always sits up for her two daughters, no matter how late it is./
[sit up with]{v. phr.} To be with; particularly to keep someone ill company. •/Mrs. Brown sat up with her sick husband all night in the hospital room./
[sit well (with)]{v.} Find favor with; please. •/The reduced school budget did not sit well with the teachers./
[sit with]{v.}, {informal} To be accepted by; affect. — Used in interrogative sentences and in negative sentences modified by "well". •/How did your story sit with your mother?/ •/Bob’s poor sportsmanship doesn’t sit well with the coach./
[six] See: AT SIXES AND SEVENS, DEEP-SIX.
[six bits]{n.}, {slang} Seventy-five cents. •/"Lend me six bits till Friday, Sam," said Jim. "I’ve spent all my allowance."/ Compare: TWO BITS.
[six of one and half-a-dozen of the other]{n. phr.} Two things the same; not a real choice; no difference. •/Which coat do you like better, the brown or the blue? It’s six of one and half-a-dozen of the other./ •/Johnny says it’s six of one and half-a-dozen of the other whether he does the job tonight or tomorrow night./
[size] See: CUT DOWN TO SIZE, PINT-SIZE.
[size up]{v.}, {informal} To decide what one thinks about (something); to form an opinion about (something). •/Give Joe an hour to size up the situation and he’ll tell you what to do next./ •/Our coach went to New York to size up the team we’ll face in our homecoming game./ Compare: TAKE STOCK(2).
[skate] See: CHEAP SKATE.
[skate on thin ice]{v. phr.} To take a chance; risk danger, disapproval or anger. •/You’ll be skating on thin ice if you ask Dad to increase your allowance again./ •/John knew he was skating on thin ice, but he could not resist teasing his sister about her boyfriend./
[skating rink]{n.}, {slang}, {citizen’s band radio jargon} Slippery road. •/Attention all units — there’s a skating rink ahead!/
[skeleton in the closet]{n. phr.} A shameful secret; someone or something kept hidden, especially by a family. •/The skeleton in our family closet was Uncle Willie. No one mentioned him because he drank too much./
[skid lid]{n.}, {slang} A crash helmet worn by motorcyclists and race drivers. •/How much did you pay for that handsome skid lid?/
[skid row]{n.} The poor part of a city where men live who have no jobs and drink too much liquor. •/That man was once rich, but he drank and gambled too much, and ended his life living on skid row./ •/The Bowery is New York City’s skid row./
[skim the surface]{v. phr.} To do something very superficially. •/He seems knowledgeable in many different areas but his familiarity is very superficial, since he only skims the surface of everything he touches./
[skin] See: BY THE SKIN OF ONE’S TEETH, GET UNDER ONE’S SKIN, JUMP OUT OF ONE’S SKIN, KEEP ONE’S EYES PEELED or KEEP ONE’S EYES SKINNED, SAVE ONE’S NECK or SAVE ONE’S SKIN, WITH A WHOLE SKIN or IN A WHOLE SKIN.
[skin alive]{v. phr.} 1. {informal} To scold angrily. •/Mother will skin you alive when she sees your torn pants./ 2. {informal} To spank or beat. •/Dad was ready to skin us alive when he found we had ruined his saw./ 3. {slang} To defeat. •/We all did our best, but the visiting gymnastic team skinned us alive./
[skin and bones]{n.} A person or animal that is very thin; someone very skinny. •/The puppy is healthy now, but when we found him he was just skin and bones./ •/Have you been dieting? You’re nothing but skin and bones!/
[skin-deep]{adj.} Only on the surface; not having any deep or honest meaning; not really or closely connected with what it seems to belong to. •/Mary’s friendliness with Joan is only skin-deep./ •/Ralph crammed for the test and got a good grade, but his knowledge of the lesson is only skin-deep./ Contrast: BRED IN THE BONE.
[skin off one’s nose]{n. phr.}, {slang} Matter of interest, concern, or trouble to you. Normally used in the negative. •/Go to Jake’s party if you wish. It’s no skin off my nose./ •/Grace didn’t pay any attention to our argument. It wasn’t any skin off her nose./ •/You could at least say hello to our visitor. It’s no skin off your nose./
[skip] See: HEART SKIP A BEAT.
[skip bail] See: JUMP BAIL.
[skip it]{v. phr.}, {informal} To forget all about it. •/When Jack tried to reward him for returning his lost dog, the man said to skip it./ •/I asked what the fight was about, but the boys said to skip it./
[skip out]{v.}, {informal} To leave in a hurry; especially after cheating or taking money dishonestly; sneak away; leave without permission. •/The man skipped out of the hotel without paying his bill./ •/"How did you get out of the house after supper, Harry? " "I skipped out!"/
[skirt around]{v. phr.} To avoid something. •/"Let’s not skirt around the facts," said the attorney to his client. "You must tell me the truth."/
[sky] See: OUT OF THE BLUE or OUT OF A CLEAR SKY or OUT OF A CLEAR BLUE SKY, REACH FOR THE SKY.
