[sail under false colors] <v. phr.> 1. To sail a ship, often pirate, under the flag of another country. * /The pirate ship flew the American flag until it got near, then raised the black flag./ 1. To pretend to be what you are not; masquerade. * /The garage hired Jones as a mechanic, but fired him when they found he was sailing under false colors./ * /They found out that Smith was an escaped convict who had been sailing under false colors as a lawyer./
[sake] See: FOR ONE'S SAKE.
[salad days] <n. phr.>, <informal> The period of one's youth; a period of inexperience. * /He was silly and immature during his salad days in high school./
[sale] See: NO DEAL or NO SALE, ON SALE, WHITE SALE.
[sales check] or [sales slip] <n.> A paper which the clerk gives the person who bought something; a paper that shows what you bought in a store and how much you paid for it. * /Mrs. Smith checked the sales slip with what she bought./ * /Mary brought the sales check when she returned the dress so she could get her money back./
[sales talk] <n.> A speech made to point out all the good reasons why the sale would help someone who might buy the product. * /Mrs. Goldsmith gave the man a good sales talk about the new house./ * /The coach gave a sales talk on exercise in the school assembly./
[Salisbury steak] <n.> A broiled or fried hamburger patty sometimes containing eggs, milk, bread crumbs, and seasoning. * /James ordered a Salisbury steak for lunch./
[salt] See: BACK TO THE SALT MINES, TAKE WITH A GRAIN OF SALT also TAKE WITH A PINCH OF SALT, WORTH ONE'S SALT.
[salt away] <v.>, <informal> To save (money) for the future. * /Every week Joe salts away half of his pay./
[salt of the earth] <n. phr.>, <informal> One who helps to make society good and wholesome; a basically good or valuable person. * /Everyone here considers Syd and Susan the salt of the earth because they are so generous./
[salt pork] <n.> Very fat pork that has been packed in salt or dipped in brine for curing. * /Mother cooked beans with salt pork for supper./
[same] See: AT THE SAME TIME, ALL THE SAME, or JUST THE SAME, IN THE SAME BREATH, LIGHTNING NEVER STRIKES TWICE IN THE SAME PLACE, ONE AND THE SAME.
[same here] <informal> And it is the same with me; and the same for me. - Used only in speech. * /Mary ordered an ice cream soda, and Jill said, "Same here."/ * /Tom said he was too tired to run any further, and Bill said, "Same here."/
[sand] See: HIDE ONE'S HEAD IN THE SAND.
[sand lot] <n.> A field, vacant lot, or other open place used as a sports playing field, usually by younger teams or by amateurs who can't afford to use anything better. * /Rogers Hornsby, who was National League baseball batting champion six times, first started playing on Texas sand lots./
[sand-lot] <adj.> Of the kind seen on sand lots; not professional. * /The professional football team was so confused by their opponents' fast play that they acted like a bunch of sand-lot amateurs./
[sand trap] <n.> A low place on a golf course that is filled with sand to stop the ball. * /The golfer lost four strokes trying to get the ball out of the sand trap./
[sandwich board] <n.> Two advertising signs worn by a man, one on his chest and the other on his back. * /The man walking along Main Street wore a sandwich board saying "Eat at Joe's."/
[sauce] See: HIT THE SAUCE.
[save face] <v. phr.> To save your good reputation, popularity, or dignity when something has happened or may happen to hurt you; hide something that may cause you shame. * /The policeman was caught accepting a bribe; he tried to save face by claiming it was money owed to him./ * /Bill would not play in the game because he knew he could not do well and he wanted to save face./ * /The colonel who lost the battle saved face by showing his orders from the general./ Contrast: LOSE FACE. - [face-saver] <n.> * /The shop teacher's note was a face-saver when another teacher thought John and Bill were playing hookey in town./ - [face-saving] <adj.> * /The note was a face-saving idea./ - [face-saving] <n.> * /Face-saving is not helped by too many invented excuses./
[save for a rainy day] See: RAINY DAY.
[save one's breath] <v. phr.>, <informal> To keep silent because talking will not help; not talk because it will do no good. * /Save your breath; the boss will never give you the day off./
[save one's neck] or [save one's skin] <v. phr.>, <slang> To save from danger or trouble. * /The fighter planes saved our skins while the army was landing from the ships./ * /Betty saved Tim's neck by typing his report for him; without her help he could not have finished on time./
[save the day] <v. phr.> To bring about victory or success, especially when defeat is likely. * /The forest fire was nearly out of control when suddenly it rained heavily and saved the day./ * /The team was behind, but at the last minute Sam saved the day with a touchdown./
[save up] <v. phr.> To put away for future use; keep as savings; save. * /John was saving up for a new bicycle./ * /Mary saved up pieces of cloth to make a quilt./
[saving grace] <n. phr.> A single good attribute; a redeeming quality. * /Felicity is not very attractive but her intelligence and wit are her saving grace./
[savings account] <n.> An account in a bank, where people put money to save it, and the bank uses the money and pays interest every year. * /If you leave your money in your savings account for six months or a year, the bank will pay interest on it./ Compare: CHECKING ACCOUNT.
[savings bond] <n.> A government certificate given for money and saved for a number of years so that the government will pay back the money with interest. * /Mary bought a $25 savings bond for $18.75./ * /John's father gave him a savings bond for graduation./
[sawed-off] <adj.>, <informal> Shorter than usual; small of its kind. * /The riot police carried sawed-off shotguns./ * /Jimmy was a sawed-off, skinny runt./
[saw wood] also <Southern> [saw gourds] <v. phr.>, <slang> To breathe loudly through the nose while sleeping; snore. * /John was sawing wood./ * /In Alabama a boy who snores saws gourds./
[say] See: DARE SAY, GO WITHOUT SAYING, I'LL SAY, NEVER SAY DIE, NOT TO MENTION or TO SAY NOTHING OF, STRANGE TO SAY, THAT IS or THAT IS TO SAY, YOU DON'T SAY, YOU SAID IT or YOU CAN SAY THAT AGAIN.
[say a mouthful] 1. <v. phr.>, <slang> To say something of great importance or meaning; say more by a sentence than the words usually mean. - Usually in past tense. * /Tom said a mouthful when he guessed that company was coming to visit. A dozen people came./ 2. <v. phr.>, <informal> To vent one's honest opinion, even in anger. * /He sure said a mouthful when he told his boss what was wrong with our business./ Contrast: GET AN EARFUL.
[say one's peace] or [speak one's piece] <v. phr.> To say openly what you think; say, especially in public, what you usually say or are expected to say. * /John told the boss that he thought he was wrong and the boss got angry. He said, "You've said your little piece, so go on home."/ * /Every politician got up and said his piece about how good the mayor was and then sat down./
[says who] or [says you] <v. phr.>, <slang> I don't believe or accept that. - An expression of rebuff often used to make fun of someone or oppose him. * /"I am the strongest boy on the block." "Says you./" * /"That brook is full of trout." "Says who? I never saw anybody catch trout there."/ * /"You can't take Mary to the party she's my girl." "Says who?"/
[say-so] <n.> Approval; permission; word. * /Father got angry because I took his new car out without his say-so./
[say the word] <v. phr.>, <informal> To say or show that you want something or agree to something; show a wish, willingness, or readiness; give a sign; say yes; say so. * /Just say the word and I will lend you the money./ * /I will do anything you want; just say the word./ * /If you get tired of those pictures, say the word./
[say uncle] also [cry uncle] <v. phr.>, <informal> To say that you surrender; admit that you have lost; admit a defeat; give up. * /Bob fought for five minutes, but he had to say uncle./ * /The bully twisted Jerry's arm and said, "Cry uncle."/ * /The other team was beating us, but we wouldn't say uncle./ Compare: GIVE IN.
[scale] See: TO SCALE.
[scale down] <v.> To make smaller or less; decrease. * /John scaled down each boy's share of food after a bear robbed the camp./ * /Tom built a scaled down model of the plane./ Compare: CUT DOWN.
[scandal sheet] <n.> A newspaper that prints much shocking news and scandal. * /Bob wanted to find out who won the election, but he could find only a scandal sheet./ * /The scandal sheet carried big headlines about the murder./
[scarcely any] See: HARDLY ANY.
[scarcely ever] See: HARDLY EVER.
[scaredy-cat] or [scared-cat] See: FRAIDY-CAT.
[scare away] or [off] <v. phr.> To cause to flee; frighten away. * /Jake is a confirmed bachelor; the best way to scare him off is to start talking about marriage./
[scare out of one's wits] or [scare stiff] or [scare the daylights out of] <v. phr.>, <informal> To frighten very much. * /The owl's hooting scared him out of his wits./ * /The child was scared stiff in the dentist's chair./ * /Pete's ghost story scared the daylights out of the smaller boys./
[scare to death] See: TO DEATH.
[scare up] or [scrape up] <v.>, <informal> To find, collect, or get together with some effort when needed. * /The boy scared up enough money to go to college./ * /"Will you stay for supper?" she asked. "I can scare up enough for us all."/ * /He managed to scrape up the money for his speeding fine./
[scene] See: BEHIND THE SCENES.
[scent] See: THROW OFF THE SCENT.