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English Idioms: S
> Id io ms & Slang
English Idio m s: 346 e nt rie s be ginning wit h 'S'
(UK) If so me b o d y says this whe n le aving , the y e xp e ct to se e yo u ag ain so o n.
A casual way o f saying to frie nd s I'll se e yo u ag ain, so me time , (witho ut a d e finite d ate o r time having b e e n se t) - this is o fte n
ab b re viate d to 'Late r' o r 'Late rs' as an alte rnative way o f saying g o o d b ye .
A g o o d nig ht p hrase to child re n.
Se e d mo ne y is mo ne y that is use d to start a small b usine ss.
This id io m me ans that p e o p le can o nly re ally b e lie ve what the y e xp e rie nce p e rso nally.
If so me thing 's se e n b e tte r d ays, it has ag e d b ad ly and visib ly co mp are d to whe n it was ne w. The p hrase can also b e use d to
d e scrib e p e o p le .
If yo u se ll so me o ne d o wn the rive r, yo u b e tray the ir trust.
If a p ro d uct is se lling ve ry we ll, it is se lling like ho t cake s.
If so me thing is se lling like ho tcake s, it is ve ry p o p ular and se lling ve ry we ll.
Se ll yo ur b irthrig ht fo r a me ss o f p o ttag e
If a p e rso n se lls the ir b irthrig ht fo r a me ss o f p o ttag e , the y acce p t so me trivial financial o r o the r g ain, b ut lo se so me thing much
mo re imp o rtant. 'Se ll yo ur so ul fo r a me ss o f p o ttag e ' is an alte rnative fo rm.
If so me o ne se lls the ir so ul, the ir b e tray the mo st p re cio us b e lie fs.
If yo u se nd so me o ne p acking , yo u se nd the m away, no rmally whe n the y want so me thing fro m yo u.
Se nd so me o ne to Co ve ntry
(UK) If yo u se nd so me o ne to Co ve ntry, yo u re fuse to talk to the m o r co -o p e rate with the m.
A me mo ry lap se o r a mo me ntary co nfusio n in so me o ne who is no lo ng e r yo ung is a se nio r mo me nt.
Se p arate the she e p fro m the g o ats
If yo u se p arate the she e p fro m the g o ats, yo u so rt o ut the g o o d fro m the b ad .
Se p arate the whe at fro m the chaff
Whe n yo u se p arate the whe at fro m the chaff, yo u se le ct what is use ful o r valuab le and re je ct what is use le ss o r wo rthle ss.
Whe n so me o ne is se rving time , the y are in p riso n.
Whe n so me o ne is se rving the ir co untry, the y have e nro lle d in the military.
Se t a thie f to catch a thie f
The b e st p e rso n to catch a criminal is ano the r criminal as the y und e rstand ho w criminals wo rk.
If so me thing is se t in sto ne , it canno t b e chang e d o r alte re d .
If yo u cre ate the co nd itio ns fo r so me thing to hap p e n o r take p lace , yo u se t the stag e fo r it.
If yo u d o so me thing re markab le , yo u se t the Thame s o n fire , tho ug h this e xp re ssio n is use d in the ne g ative ; so me o ne who is d ull
o r und istig uishe d will ne ve r se t the Thame s o n fire .
Whe n yo u se t the whe e ls in mo tio n, yo u g e t so me thing starte d .
If yo u se t yo ur sig hts o n so me o ne o r so me thing , it is yo ur amb itio n to b e at the m o r to achie ve that g o al.
Se t yo ur te e th o n e d g e
If so me thing , e sp e cially so und s, se ts yo ur te e th o n e d g e , yo u re act ve ry ne g ative ly to it.
This is an o ld b ib lical id io m b ut still use d . It re fe rs to the le e s (d re g s, se d ime nts) o f wine o r o the r liq uid s that se ttle in the
b o tto m o f the co ntaining ve sse l if it is no t d isturb e d . He nce , the id io m re fe rs to so me o ne o r so me thing that is at e ase , no t
d isturb e d , o r wo rrie d . So me time s this also has re fe re nce to a false assurance .
If so me o ne is se ve n she e ts to the wind , the y are ve ry d runk.
If yo u are in se ve nth he ave n, yo u are e xtre me ly hap p y.
Shad e s o f me aning is a p hrase use d to d e scrib e the small, sub tle d iffe re nce s in me aning b e twe e n similar wo rd s o r p hrase s;
'kid ' and 'yo uth' b o th re fe r to yo ung p e o p le , b ut carry d iffe ring vie ws and id e as ab o ut yo ung p e o p le .
A shag g y d o g sto ry is a jo ke which is a lo ng sto ry with a silly e nd .
