[spade] See: CALL A SPADE A SPADE.

[Spain] See: BUILD CASTLES IN THE AIR or BUILD CASTLES IN SPAIN.

[spar with] See: FENCE WITH.

[speak] See: ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS, CHILDREN AND FOOLS SPEAK THE TRUTH, NOT TO MENTION or NOT TO SPEAK OF, SHORT-SPOKEN, SO TO SPEAK, TO SPEAK OF.

[speakeasy]{n.} A bar during Prohibition where illegal alcoholic beverages were sold. •/Al Capone’s associates met in a Chicago speakeasy to drink and discuss business./

[speaker] See: PUBLIC SPEAKER.

[speak for]{v.} 1. To speak in favor of or in support of. •/At the meeting John spoke for the change in the rules./ •/The other girls made jokes about Jane, but Mary spoke for her./ 2. To make a request for; to ask for. •/The teacher was giving away some books. Fred and Charlie spoke for the same one./ 3. To give an impression of; be evidence that (something) is or will be said. — Used with the words "well" or "ill". •/It seems that it will rain today. That speaks ill for the picnic this afternoon./ •/Who robbed the cookie jar? The crumbs on your shirt speak ill for you, Billy./ •/John wore a clean shirt and a tie when he went to ask for a job, and that spoke well for him./ •/It speaks well for Mary that she always does her homework./

[speak of the devil and he appears] A person comes just when you are talking about him. — A proverb. •/We were just talking about Bill when he came in the door. Speak of the devil and he appears./

[speak one’s mind]{v. phr.} To say openly what you think; give advice that may not be liked. •/John thought it was wrong to keep George out of the club and he spoke his mind about it./ Compare: SOUND OFF.

[speak one’s piece] See: SAY ONE’S PIECE.

[speak out of turn]{v. phr.} To say something tactless; commit an indiscretion. •/You spoke out of turn in criticizing Aunt Hermione’s old furniture; she considers herself quite a connoisseur on the subject./

[speak out] or [speak up] {v.} 1. To speak in a loud or clear voice. •/The trucker told the shy boy to speak up./ 2. To speak in support of or against someone or something. •/Willie spoke up for Dan as club president./ •/Ed spoke up against letting girls join the club./

[speak the same language]{v. phr.} To have similar feelings, thoughts, and tastes; have a mutual understanding with another person. •/We both love listening to Mozart. Obviously, we speak the same language./

[speak volumes]{v. phr.} To tell or show much in a way other than speaking; be full of meaning. •/The nice present she gave you spoke volumes for what she thinks of you./ •/A child’s choice of hobbies speaks volumes./ Compare: READ BETWEEN THE LINES.

[speak well of]{v. phr.} To approve of; praise. •/Everyone always speaks well of my sister because she’s so kind./

[speak with a forked tongue]{v. phr.}, {literary} To lie; to say one thing while thinking of the opposite. •/I have learned not to trust Peter’s promises because he speaks with a forked tongue./

[speed trap]{n.} A place where police hide and wait to catch drivers who are going even a little faster than the speed limit. •/Mr. Jones was caught in a speed trap./

[speed up]{v.} To go faster than before; also, to make go faster. •/The car speeded up when it reached the country./ •/Push in the throttle to speed up the engine./ Compare: PICK UP(12). Contrast: SLOW DOWN.

[spell out]{v.} 1. To say or read aloud the letters ot a word, one by one; spell. •/John could not understand the word the teacher was saying, so she spelled it out on the blackboard./ 2. To read slowly, have trouble in understanding. •/The little boy spelled out the printed words./ 3. {informal} To explain something in very simple words; explain very clearly. •/The class could not understand the problem, so the teacher spelled it out for them./ •/Before the game the coach spelled out to the players what he wanted them to do./ Compare: WORDS OF ONE SYLLABLE.

[spell trouble]{v. phr.} To signify major difficulties ahead. •/The note we just received from the Chancellor seems to spell trouble./

[spending money] or [pocket money] {n.} Money that is given to a person to spend. •/When the seniors went to New York City on a trip, each was given $10 in spending money./ •/Father gave John a nickel in pocket money when he went to the store with Mother./

[spend the night]{v. phr.} To sleep somewhere. •/It was so late after the party that we decided to spend the night at our friends' house./

[spick-and-span]{adj.} Sparkling clean; having a brand new look. •/She is such a good housekeeper that her kitchen is always spick-and-span./

[spill] See: CRY OVER SPILLED MILK.

[spill the beans]{v. phr.}, {informal} To tell a secret to someone who is not supposed to know about it. •/John’s friends were going to have a surprise party for him, but Tom spilled the beans./ Compare: GIVE AWAY(3), LET THE CAT OUT OF THE BAG, TELL TALES OUT OF SCHOOL.

[spin a yarn]{v. phr.} To tell a story of adventure with some exaggeration mixed in; embellish and protract such a tale. •/Uncle Fred, who used be a sailor, knows how to spin a fascinating yarn, but don’t always believe everything he says./

[spine-chilling]{adj.} Terrifying; causing great fear. •/Many children find the movie, "Frankenstein," spine-chilling./ •/A was spine-chilling to learn that a murderer was in our neighborhood./ Compare: HAIR STAND ON END.

[spine-tingling]{adj.} Very exciting; thrilling. •/Our ride up the mountain in a chair lift was spine-tingling./ •/The children’s plane ride was a spine-tingling adventure to them./

[spinoff]{n.} A byproduct of something else. •/The television soap opera "Knot’s Landing" was considered a spinoff of "Dallas," with many of the same characters featured in both./

[spin off]{v. phr.} To bring something into existence as a byproduct of something that already exists. •/When Dr. Catwallender opened his medical practice, he also spun off a small dispensary beside it where patients could get their prescriptions filled./

[spin one’s wheels]{v. phr.} 1. Said of cars stuck in snow or mud whose wheels are turning without the car moving forward. •/There was so much snow on the driveway that my car’s wheels were spinning in it and we couldn’t get going./ 2. To exert effort in a job without making any progress. •/I’ve been working for the firm for two decades, but I feel I am merely spinning my wheels./

[spin out]{v. phr.} 1. To go out of control. •/The bus spun out on the icy road and fell into the ditch./ 2. To make something go out of control. •/Tom stepped on the brakes so fast that he spun his car out of control and went off the road./

[spirit away]{v. phr.} To hide or smuggle something out; abduct. •/The famous actress was spirited away by her bodyguards as soon as she emerged from the door./

[spite] See: CUT OFF ONE’S NOSE TO SPITE ONE’S FACE.

[spit] or [piss into the wedding cake] {v. phr.}, {vulgar}, {avoidable} To spoil someone’s pleasure or celebration by doing or saying something harsh or unseemly in an otherwise happy gathering; bring up depressing or unhappy subjects at a supposedly happy time. •/Stuart really spit into the wedding cake when he told Burt in a bragging fashion that Lucy, Burl’s bride, used to be his girlfriend./