[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./
[stump] See: TAKE THE STUMP or TAKE TO THE STUMP, UP A STUMP.
[style] See: CRAMP ONE’S STYLE, HIGH STYLE.
[subject to]{adj. phr.} 1. Under the government or control of; in the power of. •/The English colonies in America were subject to the English king./ •/The principal and the teachers of a school are subject to the school board./ 2. Likely to get or have; liable. •/John is in rather poor health and is subject to colds./ •/The western plains are subject to tornadoes./ 3. Depending on some change, happening, or need. •/The company and the union agreed that the workers' wages should be subject to changes in the cost of living./ •/Agreements made by the President with other countries are subject to the approval of the Senate./
[substance] See: IN SUBSTANCE.
[succeed] See: HOWLING SUCCESS, NOTHING SUCCEEDS LIKE SUCCESS.
[such and such]{pronoun} Something whose name is not mentioned because it does not need to be mentioned. •/George’s argument tries to prove such and such to be true, but it does not convince me./
[such-and-such]{adj. phr.} Being one whose name has been forgotten or whose name does not need to be mentioned. •/She told me to go to such-and-such a street and turn right./ •/Suppose, now, that we have such-and-such a group coming to the school, and we don’t have enough chairs. What do we do then?/
[such as]{conj.} 1. Of a kind or amount shown or named; of a kind like. •/The explorer took only such men and things as he really needed into the jungle with him./ •/They felt such heat in the jungle as they had never felt before./ •/Many different pies were in the bakery such as apple, cherry, and blueberry pies./ 2. Of the average or ordinary kind; poor; humble. •/Such as the food was, there was plenty of it./ •/The room is not very nice, but such as it is, you may stay there for the night./
[such as it is] Just as it appears or is presented, not being any better or worse than most others of its kind; being average or mediocre. •/This pie, such as it is, is the best I can make./ •/Jane told her grandmother her grades, such as they were./
[such that]{conj.} Of a kind or amount that; so great or so little that; enough that. •/There was such a big line at me movie that we had to wait before we could get in./ •/Jimmy made such noise that his sister told him to be quiet./ •/Mother’s answer was such that she didn’t say yes and she didn’t say no./
[sucker list]{n.}, {slang} A list of easily-fooled people, especially people who are easily persuaded to buy things or give money. •/The crook got hold of a sucker list and started out to sell his worthless stock./ •/Mr. Smith gets so many advertisements in his mail that he says he is on every sucker list in the country./
[suck in]{v.} 1. {informal} To pull in by taking a deep breath and tightening the muscles; flatten. •/"Suck in those stomachs," the gym teacher said./ 2. {slang} To make a fool of; cheat. •/The uneducated farmer was sucked in by a clever crook./
[sugar daddy]{n.}, {slang}, {semi-vulgar}, {avoidable} An older, well-to-do man, who gives money and gifts to a younger woman or girls usually in exchange for sexual favors. •/Betty Morgan got a mink coat from her sugar daddy./
[suit] See: BIRTHDAY SUIT, FOLLOW SUIT.
[suit to a T] See: TO A T.
[suit up]{v. phr.} To don a uniform or sports outfit. •/The veterans like to suit up for the Fourth of July parade./
[suit yourself]{v. phr.}, {informal} To do what one likes or prefers. •/"I don’t care where you want to sleep," he said. "Suit yourself!"/
[sum total]{n.} The final amount; everything taken together; total. •/The sum total of expenses for the trip was $450./ •/Ten years was the sum total of John’s education./
[sum up]{v.} To put something into a few words; shorten into a brief summary; summarize. •/The teacher summed up the lesson in three rules./ •/The mailman’s job, in all kinds of weather, is summed up in the phrase "Deliver the mail."/
[sun] See: UNDER THE SUN.
[sunbelt]{n.}, {informal} A portion of the southern United States where the winter is very mild in comparison to other states. •/The Simpsons left Chicago for the sunbelt because of Jeff’s rheumatism./
[Sunday] See: MONTH OF SUNDAYS.
[Sunday best] or [Sunday-go-to-meeting clothes] See: BEST BIB AND TUCKER.
[sunny-side up]{adj.} Fried on one side only. •/Barbara likes her eggs sunny-side up./
[supper] See: COVERED-DISH SUPPER or POTLUCK SUPPER.
[supply] See: IN SHORT SUPPLY.
[sure] See: FOR SURE, MAKE SURE, TO BE SURE.
[sure enough]{adv.} As expected. •/Charles was afraid he had done badly on the test, and sure enough, his grade was failing./ •/The children saw a familiar shape coming up the street and hoped it was their lost dog. When it came near, sure enough, it was Spot./ Compare: SURE THING(2).
[sure-enough]{adj.} Real; genuine. •/Rick found a sure-enough nickel./ •/Martha’s uncle gave her a sure-enough pearl on a little gold chain./ •/Jane’s uncle is a sure-enough cowboy./
[surefire]{adj.} Without fail; effective; bringing actual results. •/During a campaign the only surefire way to get the sympathy of the voters is to mingle with them in person./
[sure thing] 1. {n.}, {informal} Something sure to happen; something about which there is no doubt. •/It’s no fun betting on a sure thing./ 2. {adv.} Of course; certainly •/Sure thing, I’ll be glad to do it for you./ Compare: FOR SURE(2), SURE ENOUGH.
[surface] See: SCRATCH THE SURFACE.
[surprise] See: TAKE BY SURPRISE.
[survival of the fittest]{n. phr.} The staying alive or in action of the best prepared; often: idea that those living things best able to adjust to life survive and those unable to adjust die out. •/Life in the old West was often a case of survival of the fittest./ •/With changes in the world’s climate, dinosaurs died but many smaller animals lived on. It was survival of the fittest./ •/On the 50-mile hike it was survival of the fittest; only 12 out of 25 Scouts finished./
[suspicion] See: ABOVE SUSPICION.
[swallow] See: LOOK LIKE THE CAT THAT ATE THE CANARY.
[swallow hook, line, and sinker] See: HOOK, LINE, AND SINKER.
[swallow one’s pride]{v. phr.} To bring your pride under control; humble yourself. •/After Bill lost the race, he swallowed his pride and shook hands with the winner./ Compare: EAT ONE’S WORDS,
[swallow one’s words] 1. To speak unclearly; fail to put enough breath into your words. •/Phyllis was hard to understand because she swallowed her words./ 2. See: EAT ONE’S WORDS.
[swallow up]{v. phr.} To do away with; absorb; engulf. •/My expenses are so great that they swallow up my modest salary./
[swan song]{n. phr.}, {literary} A farewell or last appearance. •/The famous soprano gave her swan song in La Traviata before she retired./
[SWAT team]{n.}, {informal} Police unit trained for especially hazardous or sensitive law-enforcement assignments; short for Special Weapons and Tactics. •/Joe made the SWAT team of the NYPD due to his athletic skills./
[swathe] See: CUT A SWATHE.
[swear by]{v.} 1. To use as the support or authority that what you are saying is truthful; take an oath upon. •/A witness swears by the Bible that he will tell the truth./ •/In ancient Greece a doctor swore by Apollo, the god of healing, that he would be a good doctor./ •/John swore by his honor he would return the bike./ 2. To have complete confidence in; be sure of; trust completely. •/When John has to go somewhere fast, he swears by his bike to get there./ •/We can be sure that Fred will come on time, since his friend Tom swears by him./
[swear in] or [swear into] {v.} To have a person swear or promise to do his duty as a member or an officer of an organization, government department, or similar group. — "Swear into" is used when the name of the group is given. •/Mary and Ann will be sworn into the club tonight./ •/Fred was sworn in as class president./ •/Many new men were sworn into the army last month./ •/At the inauguration, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court swore in the new President./
[swear off]{v.}, {informal} To give up something you like or you have got in the habit of using by making a promise. •/Mary swore off candy until she lost ten pounds./ •/John has sworn off dessert for Lent./
[swear out]{v.} To get (a written order to do something) by swearing that a person has broken the law. •/The policeman swore out a warrant for the suspect’s arrest./ •/The detectives swore out a search warrant./
[sweat] See: BY THE SWEAT OF ONE’S BROW.
[sweat blood]{v. phr.}, {slang} 1. To be very much worried. •/The engine of the airplane stopped, and the pilot sweated blood as he glided to a safe landing./ 2. To work very hard. •/Jim sweated blood to finish his composition on time./
[sweat out]{v.}, {informal} To wait anxiously; worry while waiting. •/Karl was sweating out the results of the college exams./ •/The search plane signaled that help was on the way. The men in the lifeboat just had to sweat it out./
[Sweeney] See: TELL IT TO THE MARINES or TELL IT TO SWEENEY.
[sweep] See: NEW BROOM SWEEPS CLEAN.
[sweep off one’s feet]{v. phr.} To make (someone) have feelings (as love or happiness) too strong to control; overcome with strong feeling; win sudden and complete acceptance by (someone) through the feelings. •/The handsome football captain swept Joan off her feet when he said so many things to her at the dance./ •/Joan was swept off her feet when the football captain started flirting with her./ •/Mary is swept off her feet whenever she hears a band start playing./ •/John was swept off his feet when he won the contest./ Compare: BOWL OVER (2), CARRY AWAY.
[sweep out of]{v. phr.} To leave in an impressive, majestic manner. •/Offended by Tim’s remark, Mary swept out of the room with her head high in the air./
[sweep the city] or [country] or [nation] or [world] {v. phr.} To gain great attention or popularity throughout the city, country, etc. •/Pavarotti’s unmatched tenor voice swept the world in an unprecedented manner./
[sweep under the rug]{v. phr.} To hide or dismiss casually (something one is ashamed of or does not know what to do about). •/In many places, drug abuse by school children is swept under the rug./
[sweet] See: SHORT AND SWEET.
[sweetie pie]{n.}, {informal} A person who is loved; darling; sweetheart. •/Arnold blushed with pleasure when Annie called him her sweetie pie./ •/Nancy is Bill’s sweetie pie./
[sweet on]{adj. phr.}, {informal} In love with; very fond of. •/John is sweet on Alice./
[sweet talk] 1. {n.}, {informal} Too much praise; flattery. •/Sometimes a girl’s better judgment is overcome by sweet talk./ 2. {v.}, {informal} To get what you want by great praise; flatter. •/Polly could sweet talk her husband into anything./
[sweet tooth]{n. phr.} A great weakness or predilection for sweets. •/Sue has such a sweet tooth that she hardly eats anything else but cake./
