Idioms for daily use (S)

Say uncle
(USA) If you say uncle, you admit defeat. ('Cry uncle' is an alternative form.)
 

Say when
People say this when pouring a drink as a way of telling you to tell them when
there's enough in your glass.
 

Say-so
If you do something on someone else's say-so, you do it on the authority, advice
or recommendation.
 

Saying is one thing; doing is another
It's harder to do something than it is to say that you will do it.
 

Scales fall from your eyes
When the scales fall from your eyes, you suddenly realise the truth about
something.
 

Scare the daylights out of someone
If you scare the daylights out of someone, you terrify them. (This can be made
even stronger by saying 'the living daylights'.)
 

Scarlet woman
This idiom is used as a pejorative term for a sexually promiscuous woman,
especially an adulteress.
 

Scattered to the four winds
If something's scattered to the four winds, it goes out in all directions.
 

Scent blood
If you can scent blood, you feel that a rival is having difficulties and you are
going to beat them.
 

Schoolyard pick
When people take it in turns to choose a member of a team, it is a schoolyard
pick.
 

Scot free
If someone escapes scot free, they avoid payment or punishment. 'Scot' is an old
word for a tax, so it originally referred to avoiding taxes, though now has a
wider sense of not being punished for someone that you have done.
 

Scotch Mist
The phrase 'Scotch mist' is used humorously to refer to something that is hard to
find or doesn't exist - something imagined.
 

Scraping the barrel
When all the best people, things or ideas and so on are used up and people try
to make do with what they have left, they are scraping the barrel.
 

Scream blue murder
If someone shouts very loudly in anger, or fear, they scream blue murder.

Sell your soul
If someone sells their soul, their betray the most precious beliefs.
 

Send someone packing
If you send someone packing, you send them away, normally when they want
something from you.
 

Send someone to Coventry
(UK) If you send someone to Coventry, you refuse to talk to them or co-operate
with them.
 

Separate the sheep from the goats
If you separate the sheep from the goats, you sort out the good from the bad.
 

Separate the wheat from the chaff
When you separate the wheat from the chaff, you select what is useful or
valuable and reject what is useless or worthless.
 

Serve time
When someone is serving time, they are in prison.
 

Serve your country
When someone is serving their country, they have enrolled in the military.
 

Set in stone
If something is set in stone, it cannot be changed or altered.
 

Set the Thames on fire
If you do something remarkable, you set the Thames on fire, though this
expression is used in the negative; someone who is dull or undistiguished will
never set the Thames on fire.
 

Set the wheels in motion
When you set the wheels in motion, you get something started.
 

Set your sights on
If you set your sights on someone or something, it is your ambition to beat them
or to achieve that goal.
 

Seven sheets to the wind
If someone is seven sheets to the wind, they are very drunk.
 

Seventh heaven
If you are in seventh heaven, you are extremely happy.
 

Shades of meaning
Shades of meaning is a phrase used to describe the small, subtle differences in
meaning between similar words or phrases; 'kid' and 'youth' both refer to young
people, but carry differing views and ideas about young people.
 

Shaggy dog story
A shaggy dog story is a joke which is a long story with a silly end.