Idioms S	Back to Vocabulary..
Safe as houses Something that is as safe as houses is very secure or certain
Safe bet A proposition that is a safe bet doesn't have any risks attached
Safe pair of hands A person who can be trusted to do something without causing any trouble is a safe pair of hands
Safety in numbers If a lot of people do something risky at the same time, the risk is reduced because there is safety in numbers
Sail close to the wind If you sail close to the wind, you take risks to do something, going close to the limit of what is allowed or acceptable
Sail under false colours Someone who sails under false colours is hypocritical or pretends to be something they aren't in order to deceive people
Salt in the wound If you rub salt in a wound, you make someone feel bad about something that is already a painful experience
Salt of the earth People who are salt of the earth are decent, dependable and unpretentious
Same old same old When nothing changes, it's the same old, same old
Save face To keep your reputation and the respect of other people especially after something may have gone wrong
Save someone's bacon If something saves your bacon, it saves your life or rescues you from a desperate situation
Save your skin If someone saves their skin, they manage to avoid getting into serious trouble
Saved by the bell If you are saved by the bell, you are rescued from a danger or a tricky situation just in time
Saving grace If someone has some character defects, but has a characteristic that compensate for their failings and shortcomings, this is their saving grace
Scare the daylights out of someone If you scare the daylights out of someone, you terrify them
Scarlet woman This idiom is used as a pejorative term for a sexually promiscuous woman, especially an adulteress
Scattered to the four winds If something's scattered to the four winds, it goes out in all directions
Scot free If someone escapes scot free, they avoid payment or punishment
Scotch mist The phrase 'Scotch mist' is used humorously to refer to something that is hard to find or doesn't exist - something imagined
Scraping the barrel When all the best people, things or ideas and so on are used up and people try to make do with what they have left, they are scraping the barrel
Scream blue murder If someone shouts very loudly in anger, or fear, they scream blue murder
Screw loose If someone has a screw loose, they are crazy
Sea legs If you are getting your sea legs, it takes you a while to get used to something new
Seamy side The seamy side of something is the unpleasant or sordid aspect it has
Second thoughts If some has second thoughts, they start to think that an idea, etc, is not as good as it sounded at first and are starting to have doubts
Second wind If you overcome tiredness and find new energy and enthusiasm, you have second wind
See eye to eye If people see eye to eye, they agree about everything
See red If someone sees red, they become very angry about something
See the light When someone sees the light, they realise the truth
See you anon If somebody says this when leaving, they expect to see you again soon
Seeing is believing This idiom means that people can only really believe what they experience personally
Seen better days If something's seen better days, it has aged badly and visibly compared to when it was new
Sold down the river If you sell someone down the river, you betray their trust
Sell like hot cakes If a product is selling very well, it is selling like hot cakes
Sell your sole If someone sells their soul, they betray their most precious beliefs
Send someone packing If you send someone packing, you send them away, normally when they want something from you
Send someone to Coventry If you send someone to Coventry, you refuse to talk to them or co-operate with them
Separate the wheat from the chaff When you separate the wheat from the chaff, you select what is useful or valuable and reject what is useless or worthless
Set in stone If something is set in stone, it cannot be changed or altered
Set the wheels in motion When you set the wheels in motion, you get something started
Set your sights on If you set you sights on something it's because you have seem something and really want and are determined to get it
Seven sheets to the wind If someone is seven sheets to the wind, they are very drunk
Seventh heaven If you are in seventh heaven, you are extremely happy
Shake a leg If you shake a leg, you are out of bed and active.  It can be used to tell someone to hurry up
Shanks's pony If you go somewhere by Shanks's pony, you walk there
Shape up or ship out If someone has to shape up or ship out, they have to improve or leave their job, organisation, etc
Sharp as a pin If someone is as sharp as a pin, they are very clever indeed or astute
Sharp cookie Someone who isn't easily deceived or fooled is a sharp cookie
Shed light If you shed light on something, you make it clearer and easier to understand
Shifting sands If the sands are shifting, circumstances are changing
Shilly shally If people shilly-shally, they can't make up their minds about something and put off the decision
Ship came in If your ship has come in, something very good has happened to you
Shipshape and Bristol fashion If things are shipshape and Bristol fashion, they are in perfect working order
Shoe is on the other foot If the shoe is on the other foot, someone is experiencing what they used to make others experience, normally negative things
Shoe string If you do something on a shoestring, you try to spend the absolute minimum amount of money possible on it
Shot down in flames If someone demolishes your argument, it (and you) have been shot down in flames
Shoot from the hip Someone who shoots from the hip talks very directly or insensitively without thinking beforehand
Shoot yourself in the foot If you shoot yourself in the foot, you do something that damages your ambition, career, etc
Shop floor The 'Shop floor' refers to the part of an organisation where the work is actually performed rather than just managed
Short end of the stick If someone gets the short end of the stick, they are unfairly treated or don't get what they deserve
Short shrift If somebody gives you short shrift, they treat you rudely and brusquely, showing no interest or sympathy
Shot in the dark If you have a shot in the dark at something, you try something where you have little hope of success, also a stab in the dark
Show someone a clean pair of heels If you show someone a clean pair of heels, you run faster than them when they are chasing you
Show someone the ropes If you show someone the ropes, you explain to someone new how things work and how to do a job
Show your true colours To show your true colours is to reveal yourself as you really are
Shrinking violet A shrinking violet is a shy person who doesn't express their views and opinions
Sick as a parrot If someone's sick as a parrot about something, they are unhappy, disappointed or depressed about it
Sick to death If you are sick to death of something, you have been exposed to so much of it that you cannot take any more
Sight for sore eyes Someone or something that is a sight for sore eyes is a pleasure to see
Silence is golden It is often better to say nothing than to talk, so silence is golden
Silver surfer A silver surfer is an elderly person who uses the internet
Since time immemorial If something has happened since time immemorial, it's been going on for such a long time that nobody can remember a time without it
Sing from the same hymn sheet If people are singing from the same hymn sheet, they are expressing the same opinions in public
Sing like a canary If someone sings like a canary, they tell everything they know about a crime or wrongdoing to the police or authorities
Sit on the fence If someone sits on the fence, they try not to support either side in a dispute
Sitting pretty Someone who's sitting pretty is in a very advantageous situation
Sitting duck A sitting duck is something or someone that is easy to criticise or target
Six feet under If someone is six feet under, they are dead
Sixes and sevens If something is all at sixes and sevens, then there is a lot of disagreement and confusion about what should be done
Skate on thin ice If someone is skating on thin ice, they are taking a big risk
Skeleton in the closet If someone has a skeleton in the closet, they have a dark, shameful secret in their past that they want to remain secret
Skin someone alive If someone skins you alive, they admonish and punish you hard
Slap on the wrist If someone gets a slap on the wrist, they get a very minor punishment when they could have been punished more severely
Sleep like a log If you sleep like a log, you sleep very soundly
Sling your hook This is used as a way of telling someone to leave or go away
Slip of the tongue If you say something accidentally, it is a slip of the tongue
Slip through your fingers If something slips through your fingers it escapes or is lost through carelessness
Slippery customer A person from whom it is difficult to get anything definite or fixed is a slippery customer
Slippery slope Is where something or someone is progressively getting worse
Slow but sure If something or someone is slow but sure, they may take their time to do something, but they are reliable
Sly as a fox Someone who is as sly as a fox is cunning and experienced and can get what they want, often in an underhand way
Small fry If someone is small fry, they are unimportant
Smart Alec A smart Alec is a conceited person who likes to show off how clever and knowledgeable they are
Smell a rat If you smell a rat, you know instinctively that something is wrong or that someone is lying to you
Smoke and mirrors An attempt to conceal something is smoke and mirrors
Smoking gun A smoking gun is definitive proof of someone's guilt
Snake in the grass Someone who is a snake in the grass betrays you even though you have trusted them
Snug as a bug in a rug If you're as snug as a bug in a rug, you are feeling very comfortable indeed
Sod's law Sod's law states that if something can go wrong then it will
Soft soap someone If you soft soap someone, you flatter them, usually to get your own way
Sound as a a bell If something or someone is as sound as a bell, it is in very good condition or they are very nice people and can be trusted
Sound as a pound if something is as sound as a pound, it is very good or reliable
Sour grapes When someone says something critical or negative because they are jealous, it is a case of sour grapes
Spanner in the works If someone puts or throws a spanner in the works, they ruin a plan
Spare the rod and spoil the child This means that if you don't discipline children, they will become spoilt
Speak of the Devil If you are talking about someone and they happen to walk in, you can use this idiom as a way of letting them know you were talking about them
Speak to the organ grinder not the monkey Talk to the boss not the subordinate
Speak volumes If something speaks volumes, it tells us a lot about the real nature of something or someone,even though it may only be a small detail
Speak with a fork tongue To say one thing and mean another, to lie, to be two-faced
Spend a penny This is a euphemistic idiom meaning to go to the toilet
Spice of life The spice of life is something that makes it feel worth living
Spick and span If a room is spick and span, it is very clean and tidy
Spill the beans If you spill the beans, you reveal a secret or confess to something
Spin a yarn If someone spins a yarn, they tell a story, usually a long or fanciful one
Spinning a line When someone spins you a line, they are trying to deceive you by lying
Spit blood If someone is spitting blood, they are absolutely furious
Spitting image If a person is the spitting image of somebody, they look exactly alike
Split hairs If people split hairs, they concentrate on tiny and unimportant details to find fault with something
Spoil the ship for a ha,pworth or tar If someone spoils the ship for a ha'pworth (halfpenny's worth) of tar, they spoil something completely by trying to make a small economy
Sprat to catch a mackerel If you use a sprat to catch a mackerel, you make a small expenditure or take a small risk in the hope of a much greater gain
Spring to mind If something springs to mind, it appears suddenly and unexpectedly in your thoughts
Spur of the moment If you do something on the spur of the moment, you do it because you felt like it at that time, without any planning or preparation
Square meal A square meal is a substantial or filling meal, taken originaly from theRoyal Navy because their meals were served on a square plate
Square peg in a round hole If somebody's or something is in a situation, where they or it doesn't fit in then they or it is a square peg in a round hole
Square the circle When someone is squaring the circle, they are trying to do something impossible
Squeaky clean If something is squeaky clean, it is very clean indeed- spotless. If a person is squeaky clean, they have no criminal record and are not suspected of illegal or immoral activities
Squeeze blood out of a stone When people say that you can't squeeze blood out of a stone, it means that you cannot get something from a person, especially money, that they don't have
Stalking horse A stalking horse is a strategy or something used to conceal your intentions
Stand in good stead If something will stand you in good stead, it will probably be advantageous in the future
State of the art If something is state of the art, it is the most up-to-date model incorporating the latest and best technology
Status quo Someone who wants to preserve the status quo wants a particular situation to remain unchanged
Steal someone's thunder If someone steals your thunder, they take the credit and praise for something you did
Stem the tide If people try to stem the tide, they are trying to stop something unpleasant from getting worse
Step on someone's toes If you step on someone's toes, you upset them, especially if you do something that they should be in charge of
Stew in your own juices If you leave someone to stew in their own juices, you leave them to worry about the consequences of what they have done wrong or badly
Stick in your craw If someone or something really annoys you, it is said to stick in your craw
Stick out like a sore thumb If something sticks or stands out like a sore thumb, it is clearly and obviously different from the things that are around it
Stick to your guns If you stick to your guns, you keep your position even though people attack or criticise you
Stick your neck out If you stick you neck out, you take a risk because you believe in something
Stick in the mud A stick-in-the-mud is someone who doesn't like change and wants things to stay the same
Sticking point A sticking point is a controversial issue that blocks progress in negotiations, etc, where compromise is unlikely or impossible
Sticky fingers The tendency to keep (or steal) an object you touch.  Also, to steal something quickly without anyone noticing
Sticky wicket If you are on a sticky wicket, you are in a difficult situation
Stiff as a poker Something or someone that is stiff as a poker is inflexible
Stiff upper lip If you keep your emotions to yourself and don't let others know how you feel when something bad happens, you keep a stiff upper lip
Still waters run deep People use this idiom to imply that people who are quiet and don't try to attract attention are often more interesting than people who do try to get attention
Stir the blood If something stirs your blood, it arouses feelings or passions
Stone deaf Someone who is stone deaf is completely deaf
Stone's throw If a place is a stone's throw from where you are, it is a very short distance away
Stool pigeon A stool pigeon is a police informer
Storm in a tea cup If someone exaggerates a problem or makes a small problem seem far greater than it really is, then they are making a storm in a teacup
Straight faced If someone keeps a straight face, they remain serious and do not show emotion or amusement
Straight from the shoulder If someone talks straight from the shoulder, they talk honestly and plainly
Straw that broke the camel's back The straw that broke the camel's back is the problem that made you lose your temper or the problem that finally brought about the collapse of something
Streets ahead If people are streets ahead of their rivals, they are a long way in front
Strike a cord If something strikes a chord, it is familiar to you, reminds you of something or is connected to you somehow
Strike while the irons hot If you strike while the iron is hot you do something when things are going well for you and you have a good chance to succeed.
Stubborn as a mule Someone who will not listen to other people's advice and won't change their way of doing things is as stubborn as a mule
Sure as eggs are eggs These means absolutely certain
Sure fire If something is sure-fire, it is certain to succeed
Swan song A farewell or final appearance, action, or work. The beautiful legendary song sung only once by a swan in its lifetime, as it is dying
Swear like a trooper Someone who is foul-mouthed and uses bad language all the time, swears like a trooper
Sweep off your feet If you are swept off your feet, you lose control emotionally when you fall in love or are really impressed
Sweep things under the carpet If people try to ignore unpleasant things and forget about them, they sweep them under the carpet
Swim against the tide If you swim against the tide, you try to do something that is very difficult because there is a lot of opposition to you
Swim with the tide If you swim with the tide, you do the same as people around you and accept the general consensus
Swing the lead If you swing the lead, you pretend to be ill or do not do your share of the work
Swings and roundabouts If something's swings and roundabouts, it has about as many disadvantages as it has advantages