[spending money] or [pocket money] {n.} Money that is given to a person to spend. •/When the seniors went to New York City on a trip, each was given $10 in spending money./ •/Father gave John a nickel in pocket money when he went to the store with Mother./
[spend the night]{v. phr.} To sleep somewhere. •/It was so late after the party that we decided to spend the night at our friends' house./
[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."/
[square one’s shoulders]{v. phr.} To stand strong and ready to give battle; be brave. •/Jack squared his shoulders and entered the game./ •/Graduates must square their shoulders and face the world./
[square peg in a round hole]{n.}, {informal} A person who does not fit into a job or position; someone who does not belong where he is. •/Arthur is a square peg in a round hole when he is playing ball./ •/George likes to work with his hands. When it comes to books, he’s a square peg in a round hole./ — Sometimes used in a short form, [square peg].
[square shooter] See: SHOOT STRAIGHT.
[square up]{v. phr.} To liquidate debts and other obligations. •/I want to square up my medical bills before I accept my new teaching assignment in Africa./
[squeak] See: PIP-SQUEAK.
[squeak by]{v. phr.} 1. To barely succeed. •/He was so poorly prepared for his bar exam that he barely squeaked by./ 2. To clear with difficulty. •/The entrance to the corridor in the old Italian castle was so narrow that I barely managed to squeak by it./
[squeak through]{v.}, {informal} To be successful but almost fail; win by a small score. •/Susan squeaked through the history examination./ •/The football team squeaked through 7-6./ Compare: BY THE SKIN OF ONE’S TEETH.
