English Idioms and Idiomatic Expressions
Alphabetical List of Idioms S, page 3
from: 'scarce as hen's teeth'
to: 'sea legs'
- scarce as hen's teeth
- To say that something is as scarce as hen's teeth stresses the fact that it is extremely rare, to the point of non-existence.
"Take enough supplies. Water is as scarce as hen's teeth where you're going!"
- To say that something is as scarce as hen's teeth stresses the fact that it is extremely rare, to the point of non-existence.
- scare out of one's wits
- If something scares you out of your wits, it makes you very frightened or worried.
"The feeling that a house is haunted can scare people out of their wits."
- If something scares you out of your wits, it makes you very frightened or worried.
- scare the daylights out of someone
- If something scares the (living) daylights out ofyou, it terrifies you.
"The sudden screaming scared the daylights out of me."
- If something scares the (living) daylights out ofyou, it terrifies you.
- scared stiff
- Someone who is scared stiff is so frightened that they are unable to move.
"My mother is scared stiff of heights."
- Someone who is scared stiff is so frightened that they are unable to move.
- school of hard knocks
- Someone who goes through the school of hard knocks
learns through the positive and negative experiences of life rather than through a formal classroom education.
"He never went to college but the school of hard knocks made him a shrewd businessman."
- Someone who goes through the school of hard knocks
learns through the positive and negative experiences of life rather than through a formal classroom education.
- get off scot-free
- Someone who gets off scot-free escapes the punishment they deserve.
"We were all punished except James who managed to get off scot-free!"
- Someone who gets off scot-free escapes the punishment they deserve.
- scrape the bottom of the barrel
- If you scrape the bottom of the barrel, you use the
worst or the least satisfactory ideas, things or people because you have no choice.
"When they started to recruit, they had to scrape the bottom of the barrel because the best candidates had already found jobs elsewhere."
- If you scrape the bottom of the barrel, you use the
worst or the least satisfactory ideas, things or people because you have no choice.
- scratch someone's back
- If you scratch someone's back, you offer to help someone in return for something they do to help you.
"If you find a job for my son, I'll vote for you. You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours."
- If you scratch someone's back, you offer to help someone in return for something they do to help you.
- scratch the surface
- When you only scratch the surface of a problem or subject, you deal
with only a small part of it.
"Some countries are only scratching the surface of their environment problems."
- When you only scratch the surface of a problem or subject, you deal
with only a small part of it.
- not up to scratch
- Something which is not up to scratch fails to reach
the expected or required standard.
"The quality of the material is not up to scratch. We'll have to change our suppliers."
- Something which is not up to scratch fails to reach
the expected or required standard.
- scream blue murder
- People who scream blue murder shout or complain
very loudly as if something very serious has happened.
"The crowd started screaming blue murder when the football match was interrupted."
- People who scream blue murder shout or complain
very loudly as if something very serious has happened.
- screw loose
- If someone has a screw loose, their behaviour is
strange and they appear slightly mad.
"The old lady wears a fur coat in the summer - she must have a screw loose!"
- If someone has a screw loose, their behaviour is
strange and they appear slightly mad.
- scrimp and save
- If you scrimp and save, you spend as little as
possible over a certain period of time in order to save money.
"The parents scrimped and saved for years so that their children could have a college education."
- If you scrimp and save, you spend as little as
possible over a certain period of time in order to save money.
- under (close) scrutiny
- Someone or something that is under (close) scrutiny
is being watched or examined carefully.
"The police are keeping the suspect under close scrutiny."
- Someone or something that is under (close) scrutiny
is being watched or examined carefully.
- sea legs
- A person who has or finds their sea legs is used to walking on a
moving ship, or has the ability to adjust to a new situation.
"It takes a while in a new job to find your sea legs."
- A person who has or finds their sea legs is used to walking on a
moving ship, or has the ability to adjust to a new situation.
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