English Idioms and Idiomatic Expressions
Alphabetical List of Idioms S, page 14
from: 'sneeze at'
to: 'spanner in the works'
- not to be sneezed at
- Something that is not to be sneezed at should not be rejected or refused.
"If I were you I'd accept the proposal. An offer like that is not to be sneezed at."
- Something that is not to be sneezed at should not be rejected or refused.
- snowed under
- Someone who is snowed under has so many things to do,
usually work, that they unable to cope with it all.
"With the 'flu epidemic, doctors and nurses are completely snowed under."
- Someone who is snowed under has so many things to do,
usually work, that they unable to cope with it all.
- (as) snug as a bug in a rug
- This is a humorous way of saying that you are warm and comfortable.
"Once I got into my sleeping bag in the tent I felt as snug as a bug in a rug!"
- This is a humorous way of saying that you are warm and comfortable.
- so far so good
- This expression is used to say that everything is satisfactory up to the time of speaking
or the current point.
“Jenny started in her new job over a month ago and so far so good!”
- This expression is used to say that everything is satisfactory up to the time of speaking
or the current point.
- (a) social butterfly
- A person who has a lot of friends and acquaintances and likes
to flit from one social event to another is called a social butterfly.
"Jessica is constantly out and about; she's a real social butterfly."
- A person who has a lot of friends and acquaintances and likes
to flit from one social event to another is called a social butterfly.
- (take a) soft option
- If you choose the easiest course of action available, which is
usually not very effective, you take a soft option.
"Their father took a soft option and confiscated the skateboard for the week-end, hoping his sons would stop quarrelling."
- If you choose the easiest course of action available, which is
usually not very effective, you take a soft option.
- (a) soft spot
- If you have a soft spot for someone or something, you
particularly like them.
"My grandfather has always had a soft spot for fast cars."
- If you have a soft spot for someone or something, you
particularly like them.
- soften the blow
- When someone tries to soften the blow, they do
something to make an unpleasant event or action easier to accept.
"In spite of the extra payments given to soften the blow, the loss of their jobs was a catastrophe for the miners."
- When someone tries to soften the blow, they do
something to make an unpleasant event or action easier to accept.
- go for a song
- If something goes for a song, it is sold at an unexpectedly low price.
"I was able to buy the car simply because it was going for a song."
- If something goes for a song, it is sold at an unexpectedly low price.
- sound (or smell) fishy
- If something sounds or smells fishy, you are
suspicious about it.
"Do you believe what she said? Her story sounds fishy to me!"
- If something sounds or smells fishy, you are
suspicious about it.
- sound hollow
- If an explanation, apology or promise , it seems false or insincere.
"I don't think he's sorry at all. His apology sounded hollow to me."
- If an explanation, apology or promise , it seems false or insincere.
- from soup to nuts
- If you do somethingfrom soup to nuts, you do it all
the way through, from the beginning to the end (like from the first to the last course of a meal).
"She told us the whole story, from soup to nuts."
- If you do somethingfrom soup to nuts, you do it all
the way through, from the beginning to the end (like from the first to the last course of a meal).
- sour grapes
- To say that someone's attitude is 'sour grapes' means that
they are trying to make others believe that something they cannot have is of no importance.
"When she didn't get the job she said she wasn't interested in it anyway, but that's just sour grapes!"
- To say that someone's attitude is 'sour grapes' means that
they are trying to make others believe that something they cannot have is of no importance.
- sow the seeds of suspicion (or doubt)
- If someone's behaviour, or something they say, sows
the seeds of suspicion, it leads people to suspect that they are guilty.
"The fact that the boy spent a lot of money after the burglary sowed the seeds of suspicion in the neigbours' minds."
- If someone's behaviour, or something they say, sows
the seeds of suspicion, it leads people to suspect that they are guilty.
- sow wild oats
- A person, usually a man, who sows their wild oats
goes through a period of carefree pleasure-seeking while they are young.
"He was advised to sow his wild oats before he got married."
- A person, usually a man, who sows their wild oats
goes through a period of carefree pleasure-seeking while they are young.
- (throw a) spanner in the works
- If someone or something throws a spanner (or a wrench) in the works,
they do something that causes problems and prevents the success of a plan or event.
"The two companies were keen to sign the agreement before anything happened to throw a spanner in the works."
- If someone or something throws a spanner (or a wrench) in the works,
they do something that causes problems and prevents the success of a plan or event.
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