Commonly used english part 80 pot

silly season - the time of the year late summer when there is no important news and news reporters focus on unimportant things It was the end of summer and the silly season for the news

signed, sealed and delivered

- formally and officially signed

The contract to buy the house was signed, sealed and delivered when I delivered it to the real estate agent

the silence is deafening

- the silence is so great that one becomes uncomfortable, the silence is so great that it suggests the disapproval of something

The silence was deafening at the meeting when nobody stood up to challenge the speaker for his extreme remarks

silly season

- the time of the year (late summer) when there is no important news and news

reporters focus on unimportant things

It was the end of summer and the silly season for the news media

simmer down

- to become calm/quiet

He was very angry after the meeting but now he has begun to simmer down

since time immemorial

- since a very long time ago

Since time immemorial people have been coming to the hot springs to bathe in the water

sing (someone's) praises

- praise someone highly and enthusiastically

My supervisor always sings my praises when he introduces me to someone

sing/whistle a different tune

- to contradict something that one has said before, to talk or act in the opposite way

Usually the man does not care if he disturbs his neighbors at midnight but now that he must get up early in the morning he is whistling a different tune

sink in

- to penetrate, to become understood

It will take time for the comments of our boss to sink in

sink into despair

- to grieve or to become depressed

The woman sank into despair when she learned that she had lost her job

sink one`s teeth into (something)

- to begin to work seriously on a project/problem

The problem is difficult and is hard to sink your teeth into

sink or swim

- to fail or succeed by one's own efforts

My cousin will have to sink or swim when he begins his new job

sit Idioms

sit around (somewhere)

- to sit somewhere and relax and do nothing

sit back

- to be built a distance away from a street

The large mansion sits back three hundred meters from the street

sit back

- to relax/rest, to take a break

We decided to sit back for the day and not do anything

sit back and let (something) happen

- to relax and not interfere in something

I did not want to sit back and let things happen so I began to make some phone calls about my situation

sit bolt upright

- to sit up straight

I sat bolt upright when I heard the news about my cousin

sit idly by

- to sit and watch something while others work, to ignore a situation that calls for help The man sat idly by while the others worked hard

a sit-in

- a political demonstration where students or workers refuse to leave their classroom

or job site

The students had a sit-in demonstration to demand lower tuition fees

sit in for (someone)

- to take someone else's place in some activity

I asked my friend to sit in for me at my volunteer job at the community center

sit in on (something)

- to attend or participate in a meeting

Our boss sat in on our meeting so that he could learn what was happening

sit on (something)

- to be a member of a jury or board etc

The former politician sits on the board of many corporations

sit on its hands

- an audience refuses to applaud

The audience sat on its hands after the terrible performance by the singer

sit on one's hands

- to do nothing, to fail to help

The manager sat on her hands and refused to do anything about the complaints that she had received

sit on (something)

- to hold someone or something back, to delay something

I am going to sit on my job application until I am sure that I want to apply for the new job

sit on the fence

- to not support any side in a dispute, to not decide/support something

Most of the politicians are sitting on the fence over supporting the new rapid transit project

sit right

- to be unacceptable (usually used in the negative or interrogative)

His idea seemed good at first but now it does not sit right with the other members of the staff

sit (something) out

- to not participate in something, to wait until something is over

I am planning to sit the meeting out as I am very tired today

sit through (something)

- to witness or endure all of something

I had to sit through a very boring lecture yesterday

sit tight

- to wait patiently for something

"Please sit tight for a few minutes while I go and get a police officer."

sit up and take notice

- to become alert and pay attention

The loud bang made everybody sit up and take notice at the concert

sit up with (someone)

- to stay with someone (a sick person) during the night

My mother had to sit up all night because my younger sister was very sick

sit well with (someone)

- to please or find favor with someone

My decision to leave early for the weekend did not sit well with the other members of the staff

.

a sitting duck

- a non-moving target that is easily hit by a hunter

The hunter shot the sitting duck easily and quickly

a sitting duck

- an unsuspecting person who is easily fooled - as if he or she were waiting to be attacked

The woman was a sitting duck for the thief when she sat on the bench with her purse beside her

sitting on top of the world

- feeling very good/happy

I was sitting on top of the world after I heard from my friend

sitting pretty

- to be in a favorable situation

My uncle is sitting pretty with his new job and high salary

a sitting target

- someone who is in a position that can be easily attacked

The manager was a sitting target for the criticism by the staff

six feet under

- to be dead

My friend does not plan to move from his house until he is six feet under

six of one or half-a-dozen of the other

- to be the same, to have no difference between two things

It was six of one or half-a-dozen of the other as to whether we should take the train or the airplane They both arrived at the same time and cost the same

at sixes and sevens

- to be in confusion or disagreement

Everybody has been at sixes and sevens since they opened the new school

sixth sense

- a power to know or feel things other than by sight/hearing/smell/taste/touch

My friend seems to have a sixth sense and he knows many things that nobody else knows

the size of it

- the way something is

"That`s about the size of it," I said as I told my friend about the accident

size up (someone or something)

- to try to form an opinion of someone, to assess a situation

It took me some time to size up the candidate before deciding to give him a job

skate on thin ice

- to take a chance, to risk danger or disapproval

My friend has been skating on thin ice recently and he may be fired from his job

skeleton in one`s closet

- a family secret that one does not like to talk about

I heard that the politician has a skeleton in his closet that he does not want to talk about

skid row

- a poor area of a city where many people live who have no money/job/housing The skid row area of our city is a place where few tourists want to go

skin and bones

- to be very skinny

The cat which we found in the empty house was all skin and bones

by the skin of one`s teeth

- only just, barely

We arrived on time for the train by the skin of our teeth

no skin off one`s nose

- to be of no concern/trouble/interest to someone

It is no skin off my nose whether or not she comes to the party

skin (someone) alive

- to scold someone angrily, to spank or beat someone

The woman told her son that if he was late for dinner she would skin him alive

skip bail

- to run away and not come to trial and therefore give up any money that you may have paid the court to guarantee that you appear

The man skipped bail and went to another city before he was arrested again

skip it

- to forget about something

"Skip it," I said when she forgot to bring me the phone number after I asked for it three times

skip out on (someone or something)

- sneak away from someone or some event

I decided to skip out on the meeting and go to a movie

skip rope

- to jump over a rope that is held by two people and which goes over your head and beneath your feet

The children spent the morning skipping rope

sky's the limit

- there is no limit to the success that can be achieved or the money that can be spent or made

The sky is the limit for my friend and his new job

slack off

- to reduce something gradually, to become less active, to become lazy

Recently I have begun to slack off in my effort to find a new job

a slap in the face

- an insult

Not getting a promotion was a slap in the face for the sales manager

slap (someone or something) down

- to rebuke/reject someone or something

My boss slapped my proposal down soon after the meeting started

slap (something) together

- to make something in a hurry and without care

We slapped together a picnic table for the company picnic