Commonly used english part 81 pot

not sleep a wink - to not get any sleep used in the negative I did not sleep a wink last night.. sleep with someone- to share a bed with someone The little girl always sleeps with her mo

slated for (something)

- to be scheduled for something

The building is slated for demolition at the end of the year

a slave to (someone or something)

- someone who is under the control of someone or something

My mother is a slave to her desire to watch soap operas on television

not sleep a wink

- to not get any sleep (used in the negative)

I did not sleep a wink last night

sleep in

- to oversleep, to sleep late in the morning

I was very tired so I decided to sleep in this morning

sleep like a log/baby

- to sleep very soundly

I slept like a log last night

sleep on (something)

- to think about something, to consider something, to decide something later

"I will sleep on the proposal tonight and I will give you an answer tomorrow."

sleep with (someone)

- to share a bed with someone

The little girl always sleeps with her mother when they go on a holiday

slice of the cake

- a share of something

The city tax office wants a slice of the cake in our new business

slip away/off/out

- to go away or escape quietly or in secret

I slipped away after my class and got something to eat

a slip of the tongue

- something that is said at the wrong time and is not what you want to say

The clerk's comment to the customer was a slip of the tongue

slip one`s mind

- to be forgotten

"I am very sorry that I did not meet you last night but our appointment slipped my mind."

slip out

- to allow a piece of (secret) information to be revealed

It slipped out that the government is planning to close the large downtown hospital

slip through (someone's) fingers

- to get away from someone

My friend had a very good opportunity but it slipped through his fingers because of his lack of action

slip up

- to make a mistake

I slipped up when I said that I would be able to go to the meeting next week

slow as molasses in January

- to be slow

The little girl is as slow as molasses in January and she never gets her work done on time

slow down

- to go more slowly than usual, to cause something to reduce speed

You should slow down when you are driving on a wet road

a slow-down

- a type of work strike where you do not come to a complete stop

The workers had a slow-down at the post office last year

slow going

- the slow rate of speed and the difficulty to do something

slow on the draw

- to be slow in drawing a gun or in doing something

The man is slow on the draw and never takes advantage of opportunities that he sees

slow on the uptake

- to be slow to figure something out

The new employee is slow on the uptake and we must explain everything to him at least two times

slow up

- to cause someone or something to reduce speed

The factory manager decided to slow up production because of problems in the shipping department

slower and slower

- to become slow and then become even slower

The speed of the train was becoming slower and slower as it reached the city

slowly but surely

- slowly and deliberately

Slowly but surely we are preparing for our holiday next month

sly as a fox

- to be smart and clever

The storeowner is as sly as a fox and you can never make a good deal with him

smack dab in the middle

- right in the middle

There was a small hole smack dab in the middle of the new bathtub

smack into (someone or something)

- to collide/hit someone or something

The car ran smack into the car in front of it

small fry

- someone or something of little importance, young children

The police are trying to find the major criminals in the drug trade They are not interested in the small fry

small/wee hours (of the night/morning)

- the hours immediately after midnight

My father likes to read the newspaper in the small hours of the night

small/fine print

- the part of a document that you cannot easily notice because of the small size of the print but which often contains very important information

I always read the small print before I sign a sales contract

small-time

- small, on a small scale

smash hit

- a very successful performance/song/play/movie

Many of the Star War movies were smash hits

smear campaign (against someone)

- a campaign (of rumors) aimed at damaging someone's reputation

The newspaper ran a smear campaign against the mayor of the city

smell a rat

- to become suspicious

I do not know what my colleague is doing but something seems strange and I think that I smell a rat

smile on (someone or something)

- to be favorable to someone or something

I think that the sky is smiling on the farmers in our area

smoke and mirrors

- deception and confusion

The accounting department used a system of smoke and mirrors to hide their illegal activities

smoke (someone or something) out

- to force someone or something out with smoke

We smoked the rats out of their nests with the black smoke

smoke (something) out

- to find out the facts about something

We finally were able to smoke out the reason why our boss left the company

smooth (something) over

- to make something better or more pleasant

We tried to smooth over the problems between our boss and the sales staff

snail`s pace

- a very slow movement forward

The cars on the highway were moving at a snail`s pace

snake in the grass

- an enemy who pretends to be a friend

"You should be careful of that woman Although she seems very nice she is like a snake in the grass."

a snap

- an easy task

The exam was a snap and I am sure that I did very well

snap at (someone)

- to speak sharply or angrily to someone

The supervisor often snaps at people when he meets them in the morning

snap (something) up

- to take/buy/accept something eagerly

The tickets to the concert were snapped up in three hours

(not to be) sneezed at

- (not) to be worth having, (not) to be considered unimportant (used in the negative or interrogative)

The new stereo system is not to be sneezed at

"Do you think that the new offer is something to sneeze at?"

sniff out (someone or something)

- to locate someone or something

The police dog worked hard to sniff out the bank robber

a snow job

- insincere or exaggerated talk designed to gain the favors of someone

His presentation at the meeting was a snow job

a snow job

- technical vocabulary that makes you seem like an expert in a field

The salesman tried to give us a snow job when he started to talk about the

specifications of the machine

snow (someone) under

- to give so much of something that it cannot be dealt with

The extra paperwork snowed me under during the last week

(not a) snowball`s chance in hell

- no chance at all (used in the negative or interrogative or conditional)

We do not have a snowball`s chance in hell of winning the game tomorrow

"Do you really think that you have a snowball's chance in hell to win the

championship?" If I thought that I had a snowball's chance in hell to get the job I would apply for it

so Idioms

a so-and-so

- a person that you do not like

I do not like that so-and-so His personality really bothers me

so far

- until now

So far no one has entered the speech contest at the television station

so far, so good

- until now things have gone well

"So far, so good," she replied when we asked her how her new job was going

so help me

- I promise, I swear

"So help me, if you do not pay me back my money I will phone your company and tell them."

so mad that one could scream

- very mad

I was so mad that I could scream when the travel agent made a mistake with my airline ticket

so much

- a large quantity of something

There was so much rain in the spring that our garden did not grow well

so much for (someone or something)

- that is the last that you will see of someone or something

So much for going on a holiday this summer Now I do not have any money

so much the better

- all to the better

"So much the better, if extra people help us then we can get the work done quickly."

so quiet you can hear a pin drop

- very quiet

It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop when the woman stood up to speak about her cancer operation

so-so

- not good and not bad

I was only feeling so-so and decided not to go to a movie tonight