[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.
[squeeze out of] <v. phr.> To apply pressure to someone in order to obtain what one desires. * /The police were interrogating the suspect to squeeze information out of him./
[stab in the back(1)] <v. phr.>, <slang> To say or do something unfair that harms (a friend or someone who trusts you). * /Owen stabbed his friend Max in the back by telling lies about him./
[stab in the back(2)] <n. phr.>, <slang> An act or a lie that hurts a friend or trusting person; a promise not kept, especially to a friend. * /John stabbed his own friend in the back by stealing from his store./ * /My friend stabbed me in the back by telling the teacher I was playing hooky when I was home sick./
[stab in the dark] <n. phr.> A random attempt or guess at something without previous experience or knowledge of the subject. * /"You're asking me who could have hidden grandpa's will," Fred said. "I really have no idea, but let me make a stab in the dark - I think my sister Hermione has it."/
[stack] See: BLOW A FUSE or BLOW ONE'S STACK.
[stack the cards] <v. phr.> 1. To arrange cards secretly and dishonestly for the purpose of cheating. * /The gambler had stacked the cards against Bill./ 2. To arrange things unfairly for or against a person; have things so that a person has an unfair advantage or disadvantage; make sure in an unfair way that things will happen. Usually used in the passive with "in one's favor" or "against one." * /A tall basketball player has the cards stacked in his favor./ * /The cards are stacked against a poor boy who wants to go to college./
[stage] See: AT --- STAGE OF THE GAME, HOLD THE STAGE, ON THE STAGE, SET THE STAGE.
[stage fright] <n. phr.> The fear one feels before appearing in front of an audience. * /Many famous actors and actresses admit that they often have stage fright before the curtain goes up./
[stagestruck] <adj.> Desirous of becoming an actor or actress; enamored of the acting profession. * /Milly is so stagestruck that she waits for actresses at the stage door after each performance to get their signatures./
[stage whisper] <n. phr.> A loud whisper intended to reach other ears than those of the person(s) addressed. * /Some jokes should be told in a stage whisper./