[state] See: LIE IN STATE.

[state-of-the-art]{adj. phr.} The best and — the latest any field of research can offer; modem; the latest; the most advanced. •/State-of-the-art personal computers may cost a little more than older models, but may be worth the cost for those who need them./ Compare: UP TO DATE.

[status symbol]{v. phr.} Signs of wealth and prestige. •/A new yacht or airplane might be a status symbol to a bank manager./

[stead] See: STAND IN GOOD STEAD.

[stave off]{v.}, {literary} To keep from touching or hurting you. Syn.: WARD OFF. •/The white knight struck with his sword. The black knight staved it off with his own sword./ •/Bill’s warm new coal staved off the cold./ •/They staved off starvation by eating two of the sled dogs./

[stay in]{v. phr.} To remain at home. •/The weather was so bad that we decided to stay in all day./

[stay out]{v. phr.} To stay away from home. •/Her father was very upset because Mary stayed out until 3 A.M. last night./

[stay put]{v. phr.} To stay in place; not leave. •/Harry’s father told him to stay put until he came back./ •/The rocks can be glued to the bulletin board to make them stay put./ •/After Grandmother came home from her trip to visit Aunt May, she said she wanted to stay put for a while./

[stay up late]{v. phr.} To not go to bed until very late. •/Peter has to stay up late these days as he is preparing for his comprehensive exams./ See: BURN THE MIDNIGHT OIL.

[stay with] See: STICK WITH.

[steady] See: GO STEADY.

[steak] See: SALISBURY STEAK, T-BONE STEAK.

[steal] See: LOCK THE BARN DOOR AFTER THE HORSE IS STOLEN.

[steal a march on]{v. phr.} To get ahead of someone by doing a thing unnoticed; get an advantage over. •/The army stole a march on the enemy by marching at night and attacking them in the morning./ •/Jack got the job by getting up earlier than Bill. He stole a march on him./ Compare: GET THE JUMP ON, GET THE BETTER OF, TAKE BY SURPRISE.

[steal away] See: SLIP AWAY.

[steal one’s thunder]{v. phr.} To do or say something, intentionally or not, that another person has planned to say or do. •/Fred intended to nominate Bill for president, but John got up first and stole Fred’s thunder./ •/Mary was going to sing "Oh! Susanna," but Ellen did it first and Mary said Ellen had stolen her thunder./ •/Smith heard that Jones was going to offer a new law which people wanted, so he himself proposed the law first, stealing Jones' thunder./

[steal the show]{v. phr.} To act or do so well in a performance that you get most of the attention and the other performers are unnoticed. •/Mary was in only one scene of the play, but she stole the show from the stars./

[steal the spotlight]{v. phr.} To attract attention away from a person or thing that people should be watching. •/When the maid walked on the stage and tripped over a rug, she stole the spotlight from the leading players./ •/Just as the speaker began, a little dog ran up the aisle, and stole the spotlight from him./

[steal up on]{v. phr.} To stealthily approach one; sneak up on someone. •/The thief stole up on his victim, snatched her purse, and ran away./

[steam] See: LET OFF STEAM or BLOW OFF STEAM, UNDER ONE’S OWN STEAM.

[steamed up]{adj.}, {informal} Excited or angry about or eager to do something. •/The coach gave the team a pep talk before the game, and he got them all steamed up to win the game./ •/When Mary found out that Jane had not kept their secret, she became all steamed up./ •/Bill was all steamed up about the movie he had just seen./

[steel] See: MIND LIKE A STEEL TRAP.

[steer clear of]{v.} 1. To steer a safe distance from; go around without touching. •/A ship steers clear of a rocky shore in stormy weather./ 2. {informal} To stay away from; keep from going near. •/Fred was angry at Bill, and Bill was steering clear of him./ •/Some words Martha always spells wrong. She tries to steer clear of them./

[stem the tide]{v. phr.} To resist; hold back something of great pressure or strength. •/The way to stem the tide of juvenile delinquency is to strengthen education and to pass a stiff gun control law./

[step] See: IN STEP, OUT OF STEP, TAKE STEPS.

[step all over] See: WALK OVER.

[step down]{v.} 1. To come down in one move from a higher position to a lower. •/As soon as the train stopped, the conductor stepped down to help the passengers off./ 2. To make go slower little by little. •/The train was approaching the station, so the engineer stepped it down./ Compare: SLOW DOWN, STEP UP. 3. To leave a job as an official or some other important position. •/When the judge became ill, he had to step down./

[step in]{v.} 1. To go inside for a quick visit. •/It was a cold night, and when the policeman passed, we invited him to step in for a cup of coffee./ 2. To begin to take part in a continuing action or discussion, especially without being asked. •/When the dogs began to fight, John stepped in to stop it before they were hurt./ •/When Bill had done as much as he was able to on his model plane, his father stepped in to help him./

[step inside]{v.} To come or go inside. •/Mother invited the callers to step inside./

[step into]{v.} 1. To come or go into. •/The taxi stopped, and we stepped into it./ •/Mr. Jones called to his secretary to step into his office./ 2. To begin to do, undertake. •/When the star became sick, his understudy stepped into his part./ •/When Bill graduates from college, he will step into a job in his father’s bank./

[step into one’s shoes]{v. phr.} To do what someone else usually does after he has stopped doing it. •/When Bill’s father died, Bill had to step into his father’s shoes to support his mother./ •/A coach trains the junior varsity to step into the shoes of the members of the varsity team when they graduate./ •/When the boss retires, his son will step into his shoes./ Compare: IN ONE’S SHOES.

[step off]{v.} 1. To walk or march quickly. •/The drum major lowered his baton and the band stepped off./ 2. or [pace off]. To measure by taking a series of steps in a line. •/The farmer stepped off the edge of the field to see how much fencing he would need./ •/The referee stepped off a five-yard penalty against our team./

[step on it] or [step on the gas] {v. phr.} 1. To push down on the gas pedal to make a car go faster. •/Be very careful when you step on the gas. Don’t go too fast./ Compare: GIVE IT THE GUN. 2. {informal} To go faster; hurry. •/Step on it, or we’ll be late for school./ •/John is a slow starter, but he can step on the gas when it looks as if he might lose the race./ •/Lee was wasting time at breakfast and his father told him to step on it or they would miss the bus./

[step on one’s toes] or [tread on one’s toes] {v. phr.} To do something that embarrasses or offends someone else. •/If you break in when other people are talking, you may step on their toes./ •/Mary is pretty, and she often treads on the toes of the girls by stealing their boyfriend./

[step on the gas] See: STEP ON IT.

[step out]{v. phr.} 1. To go out, particularly socially, as on a date. •/Paul said to Sylvia, "You look so dressed up tonight — you must be stepping out, eh?"/ 2. To leave for a short period during the work day to go to the lavatory or to get a cup of coffee. (Frequently said by secretaries over the phone.) •/"May I speak to Mr. Kotz?" Roy asked. "I’m sorry, sir. He just stepped out for a minute," the secretary answered./