English Idioms and Idiomatic Expressions
Alphabetical List of Idioms S, page 20
from: 'sticky wicket'
to: 'storm is brewing'
- on a sticky wicket
- If you find yourself on a sticky wicket, you are in a situation that is difficult to deal with.
"They've refused to sign the contract so we're on a sticky wicket now!"
- If you find yourself on a sticky wicket, you are in a situation that is difficult to deal with.
- stiff upper lip
- If someone keeps a stiff upper lip, they contain their emotion and do not let others see their feelings.
"When she heard the bad news, she kept a stiff upper lip."
- If someone keeps a stiff upper lip, they contain their emotion and do not let others see their feelings.
- sting someone for
- If you sting someone for an amount of money, you
make them pay for something, usually in a deceitful manner.
"Not only was the lunch boring but I was stung for $25!"
- If you sting someone for an amount of money, you
make them pay for something, usually in a deceitful manner.
- stink to high heaven
- If something has a very strong unpleasant smell, it stinks to high heaven.
"Take off those socks - they stink to high heaven! "
- If something has a very strong unpleasant smell, it stinks to high heaven.
- stir up a hornet's nest
- If you stir up a hornet's nest, you do something which
causes a commotion and provokes criticism and anger.
"His letter to the Board stirred up a real hornet's nest."
- If you stir up a hornet's nest, you do something which
causes a commotion and provokes criticism and anger.
- stir-crazy
- If a person goes stir-crazy, they become very
agitated or nervous because they have been confined to a place for too long.
"After several days in quarantine, people were going stir-crazy."
- If a person goes stir-crazy, they become very
agitated or nervous because they have been confined to a place for too long.
- (be) in stitches
- When people are in stitches, they are laughing a lot.
"The story was so funny, everyone was in stitches."
- When people are in stitches, they are laughing a lot.
- take stock of a situation
- If you take stock of a situation you assess all the
aspects in order to form an opinion.
"He took time to take stock of the situation before making a suggestion."
- If you take stock of a situation you assess all the
aspects in order to form an opinion.
- a stitherum
- Someone who is (all) in a stitherum is excited, agitated or confused about something.
"The whole population was in a stitherum after the mayor's resignation."
- Someone who is (all) in a stitherum is excited, agitated or confused about something.
- a stone's throw away
- Something that is a stone's throw away is just a short distance away.
"It's a residential area but the shops are just a stone's throw away."
- Something that is a stone's throw away is just a short distance away.
- a stool pigeon
- A person who acts as an informer, especially one who gives
information to the police or the authorities, is called a stool pigeon.
"I don't trust Jack. I think he's a stool pigeon for the management."
- A person who acts as an informer, especially one who gives
information to the police or the authorities, is called a stool pigeon.
- stop dead in one's tracks
- If you stop dead in your tracks, you stop suddenly because you are frightened or totally surprised.
"When Steve saw the snake, he stopped dead in his tracks."
- If you stop dead in your tracks, you stop suddenly because you are frightened or totally surprised.
- stop at nothing
- Someone who would stop at nothing would do anything, even something illegal or immoral, to obtain what they want.
"He'd stop at nothing if there was a possibility of making money."
- Someone who would stop at nothing would do anything, even something illegal or immoral, to obtain what they want.
- stop the rot
- When you prevent a situation from deteriorating, especially in business or politics, you stop the rot.
"There was so much conflict in the office that a new manager was appointed to stop the rot."
- When you prevent a situation from deteriorating, especially in business or politics, you stop the rot.
- a storm (is) brewing
- If you say that a storm is brewing, you mean that the
atmosphere indicates that there is going to be trouble, probably with outbursts of anger or emotion.
"As soon as we saw Pete's face, we knew there was a storm brewing."
- If you say that a storm is brewing, you mean that the
atmosphere indicates that there is going to be trouble, probably with outbursts of anger or emotion.
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