[string out]{v.} To make (something) extend over a great distance or a
long stretch of time. •/The telephone poles were strung out along the road as
far as we could see./ •/Mary and Ann did not have much to say but they did
not want to go home. They strung out their gossip for a long time./
[string up]{v.}, {slang} To put a rope around the neck of a person
and choke him to death; hang. •/The posse strung up the rustler without a
trial./ Compare: NECKTIE PARTY.
[strings attached]{adv. phr.} With some special proviso or condition
that is a handicap. •/John inherited a large fortune but with the string
attached that he could not touch a penny of it before his 28th birthday./
[strip] See: DRAG STRIP.
[stripe] See: MIDFIELD STRIPE.
[stroke] See: AT A STROKE or AT ONE’S STROKE.
[stroke of luck] See: RUN OF LUCK.
[strong language]{n. phr.} Cursing; swearing. •/When Ned learned
that he had been fired, he used some very strong language about his boss./
[strung out]{adj.}, {slang}, {colloquial} 1. Nervous, jittery,
jumpy; generally ill because of drug use or withdrawal symptoms. •/The only
explanation I can think of for Max’s behavior is that he must be strung out./
2. To suffer because of a lack of something previously accustomed to, such as
the love and affection of someone. •/Sue is all strung out for Jim; they’ve
just split up./ Compare: SPACED OUT.
[stuck on]{slang} Very much in love with; crazy about. •/Judy thinks
she is very pretty and very smart. She is stuck on herself./ •/Lucy is
stuck on the football captain./
[stuck-up]{adj.}, {informal} Acting as if other people are not as
good as you are; conceited; snobbish. •/Mary is very stuck-up, and will not
speak to the poor children in her class./
[stuck with]{adj. phr.} Left in a predicament; left having to take
care of a problem caused by another. •/Our neighbors vanished without a trace
and we got stuck with their cat and dog./
[study] See: BROWN STUDY.
[stuff] See: KNOW ONE’S WAY AROUND(2).
[stuff and nonsense]{n.} Foolish or empty writing or talk; nonsense.
•/Fred told a long story about his adventures in Africa, but it was all stuff
and nonsense./ Often used as an interjection. •/When Jane said she was too
sick to go to school, her mother answered, "Stuff and nonsense! I know there’s
a test today."/
[stuff the ballot box]{v. phr.} To give more votes to a candidate in
an election than there are people who actually voted for him. •/It is a crime
to stuff the ballot box./ — [ballot-stuffing] {adj. phr.}
[stuffed shirt]{n. phr.} A pretentious bore; a pompous, empty person.
•/I think that Howard is a terrible stuffed shirt with no sense of humor./
[stuffed up]{adj. phr.} Impeded; blocked. •/Our kitchen sink is all
stuffed up so I have to call the plumber./
[stumble across]{v. phr.} To encounter a person or thing, mostly by
accident. •/I gave up looking for my old hat when I accidentally stumbled
across it in a dark corner of the closet./
[stump] See: TAKE THE STUMP or TAKE TO THE STUMP, UP A STUMP.
[style] See: CRAMP ONE’S STYLE, HIGH STYLE.
[subject to]{adj. phr.} 1. Under the government or control of; in the
power of. •/The English colonies in America were subject to the English
king./ •/The principal and the teachers of a school are subject to the
school board./ 2. Likely to get or have; liable. •/John is in rather poor
health and is subject to colds./ •/The western plains are subject to
tornadoes./ 3. Depending on some change, happening, or need. •/The company
and the union agreed that the workers' wages should be subject to changes in
the cost of living./ •/Agreements made by the President with other
countries are subject to the approval of the Senate./
[substance] See: IN SUBSTANCE.
[succeed] See: HOWLING SUCCESS, NOTHING SUCCEEDS LIKE SUCCESS.
[such and such]{pronoun} Something whose name is not mentioned because
it does not need to be mentioned. •/George’s argument tries to prove such and
such to be true, but it does not convince me./
[such-and-such]{adj. phr.} Being one whose name has been forgotten or
whose name does not need to be mentioned. •/She told me to go to
such-and-such a street and turn right./ •/Suppose, now, that we have
such-and-such a group coming to the school, and we don’t have enough chairs.
What do we do then?/
[such as]{conj.} 1. Of a kind or amount shown or named; of a kind
like. •/The explorer took only such men and things as he really needed into
the jungle with him./ •/They felt such heat in the jungle as they had never
felt before./ •/Many different pies were in the bakery such as apple,
cherry, and blueberry pies./ 2. Of the average or ordinary kind; poor;
humble. •/Such as the food was, there was plenty of it./ •/The room is
not very nice, but such as it is, you may stay there for the night./
[such as it is] Just as it appears or is presented, not being any better or
worse than most others of its kind; being average or mediocre. •/This pie,
such as it is, is the best I can make./ •/Jane told her grandmother her
grades, such as they were./
[such that]{conj.} Of a kind or amount that; so great or so little
that; enough that. •/There was such a big line at me movie that we had to
wait before we could get in./ •/Jimmy made such noise that his sister told
him to be quiet./ •/Mother’s answer was such that she didn’t say yes and
she didn’t say no./
[sucker list]{n.}, {slang} A list of easily-fooled people,
especially people who are easily persuaded to buy things or give money. •/The
crook got hold of a sucker list and started out to sell his worthless stock./
•/Mr. Smith gets so many advertisements in his mail that he says he is on
every sucker list in the country./
[suck in]{v.} 1. {informal} To pull in by taking a deep breath and
tightening the muscles; flatten. •/"Suck in those stomachs," the gym teacher
said./ 2. {slang} To make a fool of; cheat. •/The uneducated farmer was
sucked in by a clever crook./
[sugar daddy]{n.}, {slang}, {semi-vulgar}, {avoidable} An
older, well-to-do man, who gives money and gifts to a younger woman or girls
usually in exchange for sexual favors. •/Betty Morgan got a mink coat from
her sugar daddy./
[suit] See: BIRTHDAY SUIT, FOLLOW SUIT.
[suit to a T] See: TO A T.
[suit up]{v. phr.} To don a uniform or sports outfit. •/The veterans
like to suit up for the Fourth of July parade./
[suit yourself]{v. phr.}, {informal} To do what one likes or
prefers. •/"I don’t care where you want to sleep," he said. "Suit
yourself!"/
[sum total]{n.} The final amount; everything taken together; total.
•/The sum total of expenses for the trip was $450./ •/Ten years was the
sum total of John’s education./
[sum up]{v.} To put something into a few words; shorten into a brief
summary; summarize. •/The teacher summed up the lesson in three rules./
•/The mailman’s job, in all kinds of weather, is summed up in the phrase
"Deliver the mail."/
[sun] See: UNDER THE SUN.
[sunbelt]{n.}, {informal} A portion of the southern United States
where the winter is very mild in comparison to other states. •/The Simpsons
left Chicago for the sunbelt because of Jeff’s rheumatism./