[son] See: FAVORITE SON, LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON.

[song] See: FOR A SONG.

[song and dance]{n.}, {informal} 1. Foolish or uninteresting talk; dull nonsense. Usually used with "give". •/I met Nancy today and she gave me a long song and dance about her family./ 2. A long lie or excuse, often meant to get pity. Usually used with "give". •/Billy gave the teacher a song and dance about his mother being sick as an excuse for being late./ •/The tramp asked us for money and tried to give us a big song and dance about having to buy a bus ticket to Chicago./

[sonic boom]{n.} A loud noise and vibration in the air, made when a jet plane passes the speed of sound (1087 feet per second). •/Fast jet planes sometimes cause a sonic boom, which can break windows and crack the plaster in houses below them./ •/We thought there was an explosion or earthquake, but it was only a sonic boom that shook the house./

[son of a bitch] or [sunuvabitch] also S.O.B. {n. phr.}, {vulgar}, {avoidable} (but becoming more and more acceptable, especially if said with a positive or loving intonation). Fellow, character, guy, individual. Negatively: •/Get out of here you filthy, miserable sunuvabitch!/ Positively: •/So you won ten million dollars at the lottery, you lucky son of a bitch (or sunuvabitch)!/ Compare: SON OF A GUN.

[son of a gun]{n. phr.}, {slang} 1. A bad person; a person not liked. •/I don’t like Charley; keep that son of a gun out of here./ Syn.: BAD ACTOR. 2. A mischievous rascal; a lively guy. — Often used in a joking way. •/The farmer said he would catch the son of a gun who let the cows out of the barn./ •/Hello Bill, you old son of a gun!/ Compare: SO AND SO. 3. Something troublesome; a hard job. •/The test today was a son of a gun./ Used as an exclamation, usually to show surprise or disappointment. •/Son of a gun! I lost my car keys./ Compare: SON OF A BITCH.

[soon] See: AS SOON, FOOL AND HIS MONEY ARE SOON PARTED.

[sooner] See: HAD RATHER or HAD SOONER, NO SOONER --- THAN.

[sooner or later]{adv. phr.} At some unknown time in the future; sometime. •/John will come back sooner or later./ •/Grandpa is very slow about fixing things around the house, but he always does it sooner or later./ Compare: OR OTHER.

[sore] See: SIGHT FOR SORE EYES.

[sore spot] or [sore point] {n.} A weak or sensitive part; a subject or thing about which someone becomes angry or upset easily. •/Don’t ask Uncle John why his business failed; it’s a sore spot with him./ Compare: WHERE THE SHOE PINCHES.

[sorrow] See: DROWN ONE’S SORROWS.

[sort] See: OF SORTS, IN A WAY also IN A SORT OF WAY.

[sort of] See: KIND OF.

[sort out]{v. phr.} 1. To alphabetize; arrange in numerical order. •/The secretary helped Professor Brown sort out his numerous index cards./ 2. To clarify. •/"Help me sort out these bills," she begged her husband./

[so-so]{adj.} Fair; neither good nor bad. •/The children’s grades were just so-so on the test./ •/How is the fishing today? So-so./

[so that]{conj.} 1. or in order that; for the purpose that; so. — "So that" is usually followed by "can" or "could"; "in order that" is usually followed by "may" or "might". •/Let’s get ready now so that we can leave when Father comes./ •/Betty saved her money in order that she might buy a doll./ Compare: IN ORDER TO. 2. With the result that; so. •/My pencil fell under my desk, so that I couldn’t see it./ •/George often told stories that weren’t true, so that no one believed him when he told about a deer in the school yard./

[so --- that] — Used with an adjective or adverb before a clause of result. •/The bus was so full that I could hardly turn around./ •/Billy pitched so well that everyone cheered him at the end of the game./

[so to speak]{adv. phr.} To say it in this way. •/John was, so to speak, the leader of the club, but he was officially only the club’s secretary./ •/The horse, so to speak, danced on his hind legs./ Compare: AS IT WERE.

[sought after]{adj.} Wanted by many buyers; searched for. •/Antiques are much sought after nowadays./ Syn.: IN DEMAND.

[soul] See: HEART AND SOUL, KEEP BODY AND SOUL TOGETHER.

[soul-searching] See: SEARCH ONE’S HEART or SEARCH ONE S SOUL.

[sound] See: HIGH-SOUNDING, SAFE AND SOUND.

[sound effects]{n.} The noises made to imitate real sounds in a play, movie, or program. •/Greg agreed to plan the sound effects for the class play./ •/The movie was good but the sound effects were not very true to life./

[sound off]{v.} 1. To say your name or count "One! Two! Three! Four!" as you march. — Used as orders in U.S. military service. •/"Sound off!" said the sergeant, and the soldiers shouted, "One! Two! Three! Four!" with each step as they marched./ 2. {informal} To tell what you know or think in a loud clear voice, especially to brag or complain. •/If you don’t like the way we’re doing the job, sound off!/ •/George sounded off about how the game should have been played./ •/The teacher is always sounding off about the students not doing their homework./ Compare: SPEAK ONE’S PIECE, SPEAK OUT.

[sound out]{v.} To try to find out how a person feels about something usually by careful questions. •/Alfred sounded out his boss about a day off from his job./ •/When you see the coach, sound him out about my chances of getting on the basketball team./ Syn.: FEEL OUT.

[sound sheet]{n.}, {slang}, {informal} A thin low-quality phonograph recording frequently bound into books and magazines for use as promotional or advertising material; it may have either a spoken or a musical message. •/Don’t throw that away; Sue is collecting sound sheets for her market research course./

[sound truck]{n. phr.} A truck equipped with loudspeakers. •/During the senatorial campaign, the streets of the big city were full of sound trucks blaring out messages./

[soup] See: IN THE SOUP.

[souped-up]{adj.}, {informal} More powerful or faster because of changes and additions. •/Many teen-aged boys like to drive souped-up cars./ •/The basketball team won the last five games with souped-up plays./

[so what]{informal} Used as an impolite reply showing that you don’t care about what another has said. •/Roy boasted that he was in the sixth grade, but Ted said, "So what? I am in Junior High."/ Syn.: WHAT OF IT.

[sow one’s wild oats]{v. phr.} To do bad or foolish things, especially while you are young. •/Mr. Jones sowed his wild oats while he was in college, but now he is a wiser and better man./

[space] See: OUTER SPACE.

[spaced out]{adj.}, {slang}, {informal} Having gaps in one’s train of thought, confused, incoherent; resembling the behavior of someone who is under the influence of drugs. •/Joe’s been acting funny lately — spaced out, you might say./

[space probe]{n.}, {Space English} An unmanned spacecraft other than an Earth satellite fitted with instruments which gather and transmit information about other planets in the solar system (e.g., Venus, Mars, and Jupiter) on what are called fly-by missions, i.e., without the craft landing on any of these bodies. •/Both the U.S.A. and Russia have sent up many a space probe in the past decade./