[straighten up]{v.} To put in order; make neat. •/Vic had to straighten up his room before he could go swimming./ •/Mrs. Johnson straightened up the house before company came./ Compare: PICK UP(6b), SQUARE AWAY.
[straight face]{n.} A face that is not laughing or smiling. •/Mary told all the funny stories she knew to try to make Joan laugh, but Joan kept a straight face./ •/It is hard to tell when Jim is teasing you. He can tell a fib with a straight face./ •/When Bob fell into the water, he looked funny and I could hardly keep a straight face./
[straight from the horse’s mouth]{slang} Directly from the person or place where it began; from a reliable source or a person that cannot be doubted. •/They are going to be married. I got the news straight from the horse’s mouth — their minister./ •/John found out about the painting straight from the horse’s mouth, from the painter himself./
[straight from the shoulder]{adv. phr.}, {informal} In an open and honest way of speaking; without holding back anything because of fear or politeness or respect for someone’s feelings; frankly. •/John asked what he had done wrong. Bob told him straight from the shoulder./ •/The candidate for Congress spoke out against his opponent’s dishonesty straight from the shoulder./ Contrast: PULL ONE’S PUNCHES.
[straightlaced]{adj.} Of very strict morals and manners. •/She is so straightlaced that she won’t even go out with a man unless she senses that he is serious about her./
[straight off]{adv. phr.} At once; immediately. •/After school is over, you come home straight off, and don’t waste time./ •/He asked his father for the car, but his father said straight off that he couldn’t have it./
[straight out] See: RIGHT OUT.
[straight shooters] See: SHOOT STRAIGHT.
[straight ticket]{n.} A vote for all the candidates of a single party. •/Uncle Fred was a loyal member of his party. He always voted the straight ticket./ Contrast: SPLIT TICKET.
[strain a point] See: STRETCH A POINT.
[strange to say]{adv. phr.} Not what you might think; surprisingly. — Used for emphasis. •/Strange to say, Jerry doesn’t like candy./ •/Strange to say, the Indians didn’t kill Daniel Boone./
[strapped for]{adj.} Broke; out of funds. •/My brother is so extravagant that he is always strapped for cash./
[straw] See: GIVE A HANG, GRASP AT A STRAW, GRASP AT STRAWS, LAST STRAW or STRAW THAT BREAKS THE CAMEL’S BACK, MAKE BRICKS WITHOUT STRAW.
[straw boss]{n.} 1. The boss of a few workers who is himself under another boss or foreman. •/The straw boss told Jim he would have to see the foreman about a job./ 2, A man who works himself and also bosses a few other workers. •/Smith worked better than the other men, so the foreman made him straw boss, too./
[straw in the wind]{n. phr.} A small sign of what may happen. •/The doctor’s worried face was a straw in the wind./ •/The quickly-called meeting of the President and his cabinet was a straw in the wind./
[straw poll]{n. phr.} An informal survey taken in order to get an opinion. •/The results of our straw poll show that most faculty members prefer to teach between 9 and 11 A.M./
[straw that breaks the camel’s back] See: LAST STRAW.
[straw vote] See: STRAW POLL.
[streak] See: WINNING STREAK.
[streak of luck] See: RUN OF LUCK.
[stream] See: CHANGE HORSES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREAM, SWIM AGAINST THE CURRENT or SWIM AGAINST THE STREAM.
[street] See: BACK STREET, CROSS STREET, MAN IN THE STREET, ON EASY STREET, SIDE STREET, STOP STREET, THROUGH STREET.
[strength] See: ON THE STRENGTH OF.
[stretch a point] or [strain a point] {v. phr.} To permit something different or more than usual; not tell the exact truth or make an exception. •/Mother stretched a point because it was Christmas time and let the children stay up later than usual./ •/It’s straining a point to call Joe a hero just because he saved the kitten from drowning in the bathtub./
[stretch of the imagination]{n. phr.} Imaginative attempt or effort. •/By no stretch of the imagination can I see Al as a successful lawyer./
[stride] See: HIT ONE’S STRIDE, TAKE IN STRIDE.
[strike] See: CALLED STRIKE, HAVE TWO STRIKES AGAINST ONE, LIGHTNING NEVER STRIKES TWICE IN THE SAME PLACE, TWO STRIKES AGAINST ONE.
[strike a bargain]{v. phr.} To arrive at a price satisfactory to both the buyer and the seller. •/After a great deal of haggling, they managed to strike a bargain./
[strike a happy medium]{v. phr.} To find an answer to a problem that is halfway between two unsatisfactory answers. •/Mary said the dress was blue. Jane said it was green. They finally struck a happy medium and decided it was blue-green./ •/Two teaspoons of sugar made the cup of coffee too sweet, and one not sweet enough. One heaping teaspoon struck a happy medium./
[strike all of a heap] See: ALL OF A HEAP.
[strikebreaker]{n.} One who takes the place of workers on strike or one who recruits such people. •/The striking workers threw rotten eggs at the strikebreakers./
[strike gold]{v. phr.} 1. To find gold. •/Ted struck gold near an abandoned mine in California./ 2. To find suddenly the answer to an old puzzle. •/Professor Brown’s assistant struck gold when he came up with an equation that explained the irregular motions of a double star./ See: PAY DIRT.
[strike home] See: HIT HOME.
[strike it rich]{v. phr.}, {informal} 1. To discover oil, or a large vein of minerals to be mined, or a buried treasure. •/The old prospector panned gold for years before he struck it rich./ 2. To become rich or successful suddenly or without expecting to. •/Everyone wanted to buy one of the new gadgets, and their inventor struck it rich./ •/John did not know that he had a rich Uncle John in Australia. John struck it rich when his uncle left his money to John./ Compare: PAY DIRT(2).
[strike one funny]{v. phr.} To appear or seem laughable, curious, ironic, or entertaining. •/"It strikes me funny," he said, "that you should refuse my invitation to visit my chateau in France. After all, you love both red wine and old castles. "/
[strike one’s colors] See: HAUL DOWN ONE’S COLORS.
[strike one’s fancy]{v. phr.} To please one’s predilections; appeal to one. •/The red tie with the yellow dragon on it happened to strike my fancy, so I bought it./
[strike] or [hit a sour note] {v. phr.} To spoil the mood at a gathering by hearing some bad news. •/The news of Mr. Brown’s sudden illness struck a sour note during our New Year’s Eve party./ Compare: SPIT INTO THE WEDDING CAKE.
[strike out]{v.} 1. To destroy something that has been written or drawn by drawing a line or cross through it or by erasing it. •/John misspelled "corollary. " He struck it out and wrote it correctly./ 2. To begin to follow a new path or a course of action that you have never tried. •/The boy scouts struck out at daybreak over the mountain pass./ •/John quit his job and struck out on his own as a traveling salesman./ 3. To put (a batter) out of play by making him miss the ball three times; also: To be put out of play by missing the ball three times. •/The pitcher struck out three men in the game./ •/The batter struck out twice./ 4. To push out an arm suddenly in a hitting motion. •/The boxer saw his chance and struck out at his opponent’s jaw./
[strike out at]{v. phr.} To attack someone verbally or physically. •/She was so angry that she struck out at him every occasion she got./
[strike the hour]{v. phr.} To mark or toll the hour (said of clocks or bells). •/We heard the church clock strike the hour of two./
[strike up]{v.} 1a. To start to sing or play. •/We were sitting around the camp fire. Someone struck up a song, and we all joined in./ •/The President took his place on the platform, and the band struck up the national anthem./ 1b. To give a signal to start (a band) playing. •/When the team ran on the field, the band director struck up the band./ 2. To bring about; begin; start. •/The policeman struck up a conversation with John while they were waiting for the bus./ •/It did not take Mary long to strike up acquaintances in her new school./
[strike while the iron is hot] See: MAKE HAY WHILE THE SUN SHINES.
[string] See: FIRST STRING, LATCH STRING, ON THE STRING or ON A STRING, PULL STRINGS, PURSE STRINGS, SHOE-STRING CATCH, TIED TO ONE’S MOTHER’S APRON STRINGS.
[string along]{v.}, {informal} 1. To deceive; fool; lead on dishonestly. •/Mary was stringing John along for years but she didn’t mean to marry him./ •/George told the new boy that he must always call the teacher "Sir," but the new boy soon saw that George was stringing him along./ Compare: ON A STRING. 2. To follow someone’s leadership; join his group. •/Those of you who want to learn about wild flowers, string along with Jake./
[string out]{v.} To make (something) extend over a great distance or a long stretch of time. •/The telephone poles were strung out along the road as far as we could see./ •/Mary and Ann did not have much to say but they did not want to go home. They strung out their gossip for a long time./
[string up]{v.}, {slang} To put a rope around the neck of a person and choke him to death; hang. •/The posse strung up the rustler without a trial./ Compare: NECKTIE PARTY.
[strings attached]{adv. phr.} With some special proviso or condition that is a handicap. •/John inherited a large fortune but with the string attached that he could not touch a penny of it before his 28th birthday./
[strip] See: DRAG STRIP.
[stripe] See: MIDFIELD STRIPE.
[stroke] See: AT A STROKE or AT ONE’S STROKE.
[stroke of luck] See: RUN OF LUCK.
[strong language]{n. phr.} Cursing; swearing. •/When Ned learned that he had been fired, he used some very strong language about his boss./
[strung out]{adj.}, {slang}, {colloquial} 1. Nervous, jittery, jumpy; generally ill because of drug use or withdrawal symptoms. •/The only explanation I can think of for Max’s behavior is that he must be strung out./ 2. To suffer because of a lack of something previously accustomed to, such as the love and affection of someone. •/Sue is all strung out for Jim; they’ve just split up./ Compare: SPACED OUT.
[stuck on]{slang} Very much in love with; crazy about. •/Judy thinks she is very pretty and very smart. She is stuck on herself./ •/Lucy is stuck on the football captain./
[stuck-up]{adj.}, {informal} Acting as if other people are not as good as you are; conceited; snobbish. •/Mary is very stuck-up, and will not speak to the poor children in her class./
[stuck with]{adj. phr.} Left in a predicament; left having to take care of a problem caused by another. •/Our neighbors vanished without a trace and we got stuck with their cat and dog./
[study] See: BROWN STUDY.
[stuff] See: KNOW ONE’S WAY AROUND(2).
[stuff and nonsense]{n.} Foolish or empty writing or talk; nonsense. •/Fred told a long story about his adventures in Africa, but it was all stuff and nonsense./ Often used as an interjection. •/When Jane said she was too sick to go to school, her mother answered, "Stuff and nonsense! I know there’s a test today."/
[stuff the ballot box]{v. phr.} To give more votes to a candidate in an election than there are people who actually voted for him. •/It is a crime to stuff the ballot box./ — [ballot-stuffing] {adj. phr.}
[stuffed shirt]{n. phr.} A pretentious bore; a pompous, empty person. •/I think that Howard is a terrible stuffed shirt with no sense of humor./
[stuffed up]{adj. phr.} Impeded; blocked. •/Our kitchen sink is all stuffed up so I have to call the plumber./
[stumble across]{v. phr.} To encounter a person or thing, mostly by accident. •/I gave up looking for my old hat when I accidentally stumbled across it in a dark corner of the closet./
