[smell a rat] <v. phr.>, <informal> To be suspicious; feel that something is wrong. * /Every time Tom visits me, one of my ashtrays disappears. I'm beginning to smell a rat./ * /When the policeman saw a light go on in the store at midnight, he smelled a rat./
[smell out] See: FERRET OUT.
[smell up] <v.>, <informal> To make a bad smell. * /A skunk smelled up our yard last night./ * /Mr. Brodsky's cigar smelled up the living room./
[smile] See: CRACK A SMILE.
[smoke] See: CHAIN-SMOKE, GO UP IN FLAMES or GO UP IN SMOKE, PUT THAT IN YOUR PIPE AND SMOKE IT, WATCH ONE'S DUST or WATCH ONE'S SMOKE.
[smoke like a chimney] <v. phr.>, <informal> To smoke very heavily and continuously. * /"If you continue smoking like a chimney" the doctor told my uncle, "you'll wind up in the hospital with lung cancer."/
[smoke out] <v. phr.> 1. To force out with smoke. * /The boys smoked a squirrel out of a hollow tree./ * /The farmer tried to smoke some gophers out of their burrows./ 2. <informal> To find out the facts about. * /It took the reporter three weeks to smoke out the whole story./
[smoke-out] <n.> A successful conclusion of an act of investigative journalism revealing some long-kept secrets. * /Journalist Bob Woodward was the hero of the Watergate smoke-out./
[smoke screen] <n. phr.> A camouflage; a veil; something used to cover or hide something. * /June hides her commercial interests behind a smoke screen of religious piety./
[Smokey Bear] or [Smokey-the-Bear] or [the Smokies] <n.>, <slang>, <citizen's band radio jargon> A policeman; a patrol car; frequently abbreviated as Smokey. * /Slow down, Smokey's ahead!/ * /A Smokey is on the move, heading east./
[smooth away] <v.> To remove; (unpleasant feelings) take away. * /Mr. Jones' new job smoothed away his worry about money./
[smooth down] <v.> To make calm; calm down. * /Mrs. Smith's feelings were hurt and we couldn't smooth her down./
[smooth over] <v.> To make something seem better or more pleasant; try to excuse. * /Bill tried to smooth over his argument with Mary by making her laugh./ Syn.: GLOSS OVER. Compare: PATCH UP.
[smooth sailing] See: PLAIN SAILING.
[snail's pace] <n.> A very slow movement forward. * /Time moved at a snail's pace before the holidays./ * /The donkey on which he was riding moved at a snail's pace./
[snake in the grass] <n. phr.>, <informal> A person who cannot be trusted; an unfaithful traitor; rascal. * /Did Harry tell you that? He's a snake in the grass!/ * /Some snake in the grass told the teacher our plans./
[snap] See: COLD SNAP.
[snap it off] See: MAKE IT SNAPPY.
[snap one's fingers at] <v. phr.> To show contempt for; show no respect for; pay no attention to; scorn; disregard. * /John snapped his fingers at the sign that said "Do not enter," and he went in the door./ * /The highway sign said "Speed limit, 35 miles per hour," but when a driver snapped his fingers at it by going 55 miles an hour, a motorcycle policeman arrested him./
[snap out of] <v.>, <informal> To change quickly from a bad habit, mood, or feeling to a better one. - Often used with "it". * /Mary was unhappy when her fiance abandoned her, but she snapped out of it when she met a new young man./ * /The coach told the lazy player to snap out of it./
[snappy] See: MAKE IT SNAPPY.
[snapshot] <n.> A small photograph, unlike a professional portrait. * /We took several snapshots of the scenery while driving around the island./
[snap up] <v.>, <informal> To take or accept eagerly. * /Eggs were on sale cheap, and the shoppers snapped up the bargain./ * /Mr. Hayes told Bob that he would take him skiing, and Bob snapped up the offer./
[sneak] See: QUARTERBACK SNEAK.
[sneak away] See: SLIP AWAY.
[sneak up on] See: CREEP UP ON.
[sneeze at] <v.>, <informal> To think of as not important; not take seriously. - Used with negative or limiting words and in questions. * /Mr. Jones was chosen by his party to run for President. He was not elected, but to be chosen to run is not to be sneezed at./ * /If you think Mrs. Green's tests are things to be sneezed at, you have a surprise coming./ * / Is a thousand dollars anything to sneeze at?/ * /John finished third in a race with twenty other runners. That is nothing to sneeze at./
[sniff out] See: FERRET OUT.
[snow in] <v.> To block up or trap by much snow; keep inside, * /After the storm the farmer and his family were snowed in for three days./ * /The train went off the track and the passengers were snowed in for several days./
[snow job] <n.>, <slang>, <informal> 1. Insincere or exaggerated talk designed to gain the favors of someone. * /Joe gave Sue a snow job and she believed every word of it./ 2. The skillful display of technical vocabulary and prestige terminology in order to pass oneself off as an expert in a specialized field without really being a knowledgeable worker in that area. * /That talk by Nielsen on pharmaceuticals sounded very impressive, but I will not hire him because it was essentially a snow job./
[snow under] <v.> 1. To cover over with snow. * /The doghouse was snowed under during the blizzard./ 2. <informal> To give so much of something that it cannot be taken care of; to weigh down by so much of something that' you cannot do anything about it. - Usually used in the passive. * /The factory received so many orders that it was snowed under with work./ * /The disabled girl was snowed under with Christmas letters./
[snuff] See: UP TO PAR or UP TO SNUFF.
[snug as a bug in a rug] <adj. phr.> Comfortable; cozy. * /"Are you warm enough?" the boy's mother asked. "Yeah," he replied, "I'm snug as a bug in a rug."/
[so] See: AND SO FORTH or AND SO ON, EVEN SO, EVERY NOW AND THEN or EVERY SO OFTEN, HOW SO, IN SO MANY WORDS, IS THAT SO, OR SO, THUS AND SO.
[soak in] See: SINK IN.
[soak up] <v.> 1. To take up water or other liquid as a sponge does. * /The rag soaked up the water that I spilled./ 2. To use a sponge or something like a sponge to take up liquid. * /John soaked up the water with the rag./ 3. <informal> To take up into yourself in the way a sponge takes up water. * /Mary was lying on the beach soaking up the sun./ * /Charles soaks up facts as fast as the teacher gives them./
[so-and-so(1)] <pronoun>, <informal> Someone whose name is not given. * /Don't tell me what so-and-so thinks. Tell me what you think./
[so-and-so(2)] <n.>, <informal> A person of a special kind and usually of a very bad kind. - This word is used in place of a more unacceptable word or swear word. * /I wish that old so-and-so who thinks digging is easy work was right here digging now./ * /He called me a dirty so-and-so and I hit him in the mouth./ - Sometimes used in a joking way. * /Peter met his friend John and said, "Hello there, you old so-and-so."/
[so --- as to] - Used with an adjective or adverb before an infinitive to show a result. * /Who could be so mean as to do a thing like that?/ * /Ruth wouldn't be so careless as to forget her pen./ Compare: SO --- THAT.
[soap opera] <n. phr.> Radio or television serialized stories of a sentimental nature, often involving sex, crime, and social intrigue. These shows often advertise soap products, hence their name. * /The two longest running soap operas in the United States were "Dallas" and "Knot's Landing."/
[so as to] See: IN ORDER TO.
[sob all the way to the bank] See: CRY ALL THE WAY TO THE BANK. Contrast: LAUGH ALL THE WAY TO THE BANK.
[so bad] See: NOT BAD.
[so be it] also [be it so] <adv. phr.>, <formal> 1. Let it be that way; may it be so. So be it. * /We shall smoke the pipe of peace./ 2. Very well; all right. * /Will the company lose money by doing this? So be it, then./
[sob story] <n.> A story that makes you feel pity or sorrow; a tale that makes you tearful. * /The beggar told us a long sob story before he asked for money./ * /The movie is based on a sob story, but people love it./
[social climber] <n.> A person who tries to mix with rich or well-known people and be accepted by them as friends and equals. * /People do not like Mrs. Brown very well; she is known as a social climber./ * /Social climbers are usually soon known and they are not accepted by those they run after./
[sock] See: TAKE A PUNCH AT or TAKE A SOCK AT.
[sock it] <v. phr.>, also <interj.>, <slang>, <informal> To give one's utmost; everything one is capable of; to give all one is capable of. * /Right on, Joe, sock it to 'em!/ * /I was watching the debate on television and more than once Bill Buckley really socked it to them./
[soda jerk] or [soda jerker] <n.>, <informal> A person who serves soda and ice cream to customers, usually in a drug store or ice cream parlor. * /Bob worked as a soda jerk at the drug store all summer./ * /He is just a soda jerker with no future./