for them./ •/Before the game the coach spelled out to the players what hewanted them to do./ Compare: WORDS OF ONE SYLLABLE.
[spell trouble]{v. phr.} To signify major difficulties ahead. •/Thenote we just received from the Chancellor seems to spell trouble./
[spending money] or [pocket money]{n.} Money that is given to aperson to spend. •/When the seniors went to New York City on a trip, each wasgiven $10 in spending money./ •/Father gave John a nickel in pocket moneywhen he went to the store with Mother./
[spend the night]{v. phr.} To sleep somewhere. •/It was so lateafter 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 alwaysspick-and-span./
[spill] See: CRY OVER SPILLED MILK.
[spill the beans]{v. phr.}, {informal} To tell a secret to someonewho is not supposed to know about it. •/John’s friends were going to have asurprise 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 someexaggeration mixed in; embellish and protract such a tale. •/Uncle Fred, whoused be a sailor, knows how to spin a fascinating yarn, but don’t alwaysbelieve everything he says./
[spine-chilling]{adj.} Terrifying; causing great fear. •/Manychildren find the movie, "Frankenstein," spine-chilling./ •/A wasspine-chilling to learn that a murderer was in our neighborhood./ Compare:HAIR STAND ON END.
[spine-tingling]{adj.} Very exciting; thrilling. •/Our ride up themountain in a chair lift was spine-tingling./ •/The children’s plane ridewas a spine-tingling adventure to them./
[spinoff]{n.} A byproduct of something else. •/The television soapopera "Knot’s Landing" was considered a spinoff of "Dallas," with many of thesame characters featured in both./
[spin off]{v. phr.} To bring something into existence as a byproductof something that already exists. •/When Dr. Catwallender opened his medicalpractice, he also spun off a small dispensary beside it where patients couldget their prescriptions filled./
[spin one’s wheels]{v. phr.} 1. Said of cars stuck in snow or mudwhose wheels are turning without the car moving forward. •/There was so muchsnow on the driveway that my car’s wheels were spinning in it and we couldn’tget going./ 2. To exert effort in a job without making any progress. •/I’vebeen working for the firm for two decades, but I feel I am merely spinning mywheels./
[spin out]{v. phr.} 1. To go out of control. •/The bus spun out onthe icy road and fell into the ditch./ 2. To make something go out ofcontrol. •/Tom stepped on the brakes so fast that he spun his car out ofcontrol 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 sheemerged 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 sayingsomething harsh or unseemly in an otherwise happy gathering; bring updepressing or unhappy subjects at a supposedly happy time. •/Stuart reallyspit into the wedding cake when he told Burt in a bragging fashion that Lucy,Burl’s bride, used to be his girlfriend./
[spitting image]{n.} or [spit and image]{informal} An exactlikeness; a duplicate. •/John is the spitting image of his grandfather./•/That vase is the spitting image of one I wanted to buy in Boston./Compare: LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON.
[spit up]{v.} To vomit a little. •/The baby always spits up when heis burped./ •/Put a bib on the baby. I don’t want him to spit up on hisclean clothes./
[split end]{n.} An end in football who plays five to ten yards outfrom the tackle in the line. •/The split end is one of the quarterback’s mostimportant targets for passes./ Contrast: TIGHT END.
[split hairs]{v. phr.} To find and argue about small and unimportantdifferences as if the differences are important. •/John is always splittinghairs; he often starts an argument about something small and unimportant./•/Don’t split hairs about whose turn it is to wash the dishes and make thebeds; let’s work together and finish sooner./
[split second]{n.} A very short time; less than a second. •/Thelightning flash lasted a split second, and then disappeared./
[split the difference]{v. phr.}, {informal} To settle a moneydisagreement by dividing the difference, each person giving up half. •/Boboffered $25 for Bill’s bicycle and Bill wanted $35; they split thedifference./
[split ticket]{n.} A vote for candidates from more than one party.•/Mr. Jones voted a split ticket./ •/An independent voter likes a splitticket./ Contrast: STRAIGHT TICKET.
[split up]{v. phr.} 1. To separate; get a divorce. •/After threeyears of marriage, the unhappy couple finally split up./ 2. To separatesomething; divide into portions. •/The brothers split up their father’sfortune among themselves after his death./
[split-up]{n.} A separation or division into two or many smallerparts. •/The split-up of our company was due to the founder’s untimelydeath./
[spoil for]{v. phr.} To want something very badly; be belligerent orpugnacious about something. •/After a few drinks it became embarrassinglyevident that Hal was spoiling for a fight./ Compare: HANKER AFTER, LUST FOR.
[spoken for]{adj.} Occupied; reserved; taken; already engaged ormarried. •/"Sorry, my boy," Mr. Jones said condescendingly, "but my daughteris already spoken for. She will marry Fred Wilcox next month."/
[sponge] See: THROW IN THE SPONGE.
[sponge bath]{n.} A bath with a cloth or sponge and a little water.•/During the drought the family had only sponge baths./ •/The family tooksponge baths because they had no bathtub./
[sponge on] or [off]{v. phr.} To exploit parasitically; dependupon for support. •/He is already forty years old, but he refuses to go towork and sponges off his retired parents./
[spoon] See: BORN WITH A SILVER SPOON IN ONE’S MOUTH.
[spoon-feed]{v.} 1. To feed with a spoon. •/Mothers spoon-feed theirbabies./ 2a. To make something too easy for (a person). •/Bill’s motherspoon-fed him and never let him think for himself./ •/Alice depended on hermother for all decisions because she had been spoon-fed./ 2b. To make(something) too easy for someone. •/Some students want the teacher tospoon-feed the lessons./
[sporting blood]{n.} Willingness to take risks; spirit of adventure.•/The cowboy’s sporting blood tempted him to try to ride the wild horse./•/The boy’s sporting blood caused him to run away with a circus./
[spot] See: HIT THE HIGH SPOTS, HIT THE SPOT, JOHNNY-ON-THE-SPOT, ON THESPOT or UPON THE SPOT also IN A SPOT, SORE SPOT.
[spot check]{n. phr.} A sample check or investigation. •/InternalRevenue Service employees often conduct a spot check of individual returns whenthe figures don’t add up./
[spotlight] See: STEAL THE SPOTLIGHT.
[spread it on thick] See: LAY IT ON or LAY IT ON THICK.
[spread like wildfire]{v. phr.} To spread uncontrollably and rapidly.•/Bad news has a tendency to spread like wildfire./
[spread oneself too thin]{v. phr.} To try to do too many things at onetime. •/As the owner, chef, waiter, and dishwasher of his restaurant, Pierrewas spreading himself too thin./
[spring a leak]{v. phr.} 1. To develop a hole (said of boats) throughwhich water can enter, threatening the boat to sink. •/When our small boatsprang a leak, we rapidly returned to shore to fix it./ 2. To be threatenedby some oncoming danger. •/Our firm sprang a leak when the vice presidentsuddenly died of a heart attack./
[spring chicken]{n.}, {slang} A young person. — Usually used with"no". •/Mr. Brown is no spring chicken, but he can still play tennis well./•/The coach is no spring chicken, but he can show the players what to do./
[spring on one]{v. phr.} To approach someone unexpectedly with anunpleasant idea or project. •/Our firm was merely six weeks old when theysprang the news on me that I had to go to Algiers to open a new branchthere./
[spring up]{v. phr.} To arise suddenly. •/Small purple flowers werespringing up all over our backyard./
[sprout wings]{v. phr.} 1. To enter the stage after a period ofdevelopment when wings appear (said of larvae that turn into butterflies).•/The dragonflies suddenly sprouted wings and are flying all about in thepark./ 2. To become good and virtuous (as if airborne). •/Joe has helpedmany colleagues in need; he seems to have sprouted wings./
[spruce up]{v.}, {informal} To make clean or neat. •/Maryspruced up the house before her company came./ •/John spruced himself up