American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms

Notice the obvious, tell at a glance, as in I could see with half an eye that he was sleeping through the entire concert. This hyperbolic expression, which presumably alludes to an eye that is only half-open, was first recorded in 1579.

seize on Also, seize upon. 1. Grab or take hold of suddenly, as in He seized on the bell rope and started to pull vigorously, or She seized upon every opportunity to present her side of the story.

[Late 1600s] 2. Resort to some action, especially out of dire necessity, as in He seized upon any excuse, no matter how farfetched.

seize up

Come to a halt, as in The peace talks seized up and were not rescheduled. Originally, from about 1870 on, this term was applied to a machine of some kind that jammed or locked, owing to excessive heat or friction. Its figurative use dates from about 1950.

sell

hand. In addition to the idioms beginning with SELL, also see HARD SELL; LIKE HOT

CAKES, SELL.

sell a bill of goods

Deceive, swindle, take unfair advantage of, as in He was just selling you a bill of goods when he said he worked as a secret agent, or Watch out if anyone says he wants to trade bikes with you; he's apt to be selling you a bill of goods. The bill of goods here means "a dishonest offer." [c.

1920]

sell down the river

Betray, as in They kept the merger a secret until the last minute, so the employees who were laid off felt they'd been sold down the river. This expression, dating from the mid-1800s, alludes to slaves being sold down the Mississippi River to work as laborers on cotton plantations. Its figurative use dates from the late 1800s.

sell like hot cakes

hand. see LIKE HOT CAKES.

sell off

Get rid of by selling, often at reduced prices. For example, The jeweler was eager to sell off the last of the diamond rings. [c. 1700] Also see SELL OUT, def. 1.

sell oneself

1. Convince another of one's merits, present oneself in a favorable light, as in A job interview is an ideal opportunity to sell oneself to a prospective employer. Originally this idiom, dating from the second half of the 1700s, alluded to selling one's services for money, but it was being used more loosely by the mid1800s. 2. Compromise one's principles for monetary gain. An early version was sell oneself (or one's soul) to the devil, which alluded to enlisting the devil's help in exchange for one's soul after death. It is embodied in the legend of Faust, first recorded in the late 1500s.

sell out

1. Dispose of entirely by selling. For example, The rancher finally sold out to the oil company, or

The tickets to the concert were sold out a month ago. [Late 1700s] 2. Betray one's cause or colleagues, as in He sold out to the other side. [Slang; late 1800s]

sell short

1. Contract for the sale of securities or commodities one expects to own at a later date and at a lower price, as in Selling short runs the risk of a market rise, forcing one to pay more than one expected. [Mid1800s] 2. sell someone short. Underestimate the true value or worth of someone, as in Don't sell her short; she's a very able lawyer. [First half of 1900s]

sell someone on

Convince or persuade someone of the worth or desirability of something, as in They were hoping to sell enough legislators on their bill so that it would pass easily, or Dave was really sold on that new car. [Colloquial; early 1900s]

send away Also, send off. 1. Dispatch someone or something, as in We send the children away to camp every summer, or I sent off

that letter last week. The first term dates from the first half of the 1500s, the variant from the late 1700s.

2. Order an item, as in I sent away for those gloves last month but they haven't arrived yet. Also

see SEND FOR, def. 2.

send down

Suspend or dismiss from a university, principally a British one. For example, He's done very poorly ever since he was sent down from Oxford. [Mid-1800s]

send flying

Cause to be knocked or scattered about, as in She bumped into the table and sent all the papers flying. This somewhat hyperbolic idiom was first recorded in 1789.

send for

1. Summon someone, request that someone come, as in She sent for all the children when their father lay dying. [Late 1500s] 2. Order a delivery of something, as in The king sent for a bottle of

wine. Also see SEND AWAY, def. 2; SEND OUT, def. 2.

send in

1. Cause to be dispatched or delivered, as in Let's send in a letter of protest to the hiring committee. [Early 1700s] 2. Cause someone to become involved in a particular undertaking, as in

This disagreement is serious; it's time to send in the lawyers, or In the final few minutes the coach sent in Richard on right wing. [Mid-1800s]

send off

hand. see SEND AWAY, def. 1.

send on

1.Forward something, as in He's moved; I'll send on this letter to his new address. [First half of 1800s]

2.send someone on. Cause someone to go on an errand or path, as in I sent your brother on an errand but he should be back soon, or They've sent us on a wild goose chase. [Second half of 1800s]

send out

1. Issue or dispatch, as in We sent out the wedding invitations last month, or When did you send out that message? [c. 1400] 2. send out for. Order a delivery of something, as in Every Wednesday we send out for Chinese food.

send round

Circulate widely, as in A copy of the new bylaws is being sent round to all union members. [First half of 1800s]

send someone about his or her business Also, send someone packing. Dismiss someone abruptly, as in They always ring the bell at suppertime, asking for signatures, but I send them about their business, or The owner caught Jack taking small items from the store and sent him packing. The first term, which in effect tells people to tend to their own affairs, was first recorded in 1768; the variant, alluding to telling people to pack their bags and leave, was first recorded in 1594. Also see SEND AWAY.

send someone packing

hand. see SEND SOMEONE ABOUT HIS OR HER BUSINESS.

send up

1. Put in prison, as in He'll be sent up for at least ten years. [Mid-1800s] 2. Cause to rise, as in The emissions sent up by that factory are clearly poisonous. [Late 1500s] 3. Satirize, make a parody of, as in This playwright has a genius for sending up suburban life. [First half of 1900s] 4. send up a trial balloon. See TRIAL BALLOON.

sense

hand. see COME TO ONE'S SENSES; HORSE SENSE; IN A SENSE; LULL INTO (A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY); MAKE SENSE; SIXTH SENSE; TAKE LEAVE OF (ONE'S SENSES); TALK SENSE.

separate but equal

Relating to or affected by a policy whereby two groups may be segregated if they are given equal facilities and opportunities. For example, They've divided up the physical education budget so that

the girls' teams are separate but equal to the boys'. This idiom comes from a Louisiana law of 1890, upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in Plessy v. Ferguson, ''requiring all railway companies carrying passengers on their trains in this state, to provide equal but separate accommodations for the white and colored races." Subsequently it was widely used to separate African-Americans from the white population through a general policy of racial segregation. In 1954, in a unanimous ruling to end school segregation, the Supreme Court finally overturned the law (in Brown v. Board of Education).

separate the men from the boys

Distinguish between mature, experienced individuals and novices, as in The picket line will separate the men from the boys in the union. The idiom is used without respect to gender. [c. 1930]

separate the sheep from the goats

Distinguish between good and bad individuals, or superior and inferior ones. For example, In a civil war where both sides commit atrocities, you can't separate the sheep from the goats. This term refers to Jesus's prophecy in the New Testament (Matthew 25:32) that the sheep (that is, the compassionate) will sit on God's right hand (and find salvation), and the goats (the hard-hearted) will sit on the left (and be sent to damnation).

separate wheat from chaff

Sort the valuable from the worthless, as in I hope we'll get a preview of the auction so we can separate the wheat from the chaff. This idiom alludes to the ancient practice of winnowing grain.

serve

hand. In addition to the idioms beginning with SERVE, also see BREAK SOMEONE'S

SERVE; FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED; HAND TO ON A SILVER PLATTER (SERVE UP ON A PLATE).

serve a purpose Also, serve one's or the purpose. Be useful, meet the needs or requirements, satisfy, as in I don't know why they've added all this information but it probably serves a purpose, or It often serves his purpose to be vague, or We don't have a spading fork but this shovel should serve the purpose. This idiom was first recorded in 1513.

serve one right

Be deserved under the circumstances. For example, That punishment serves him right after what he's done to you. It is also put as serves you right, as in It wasn't accepted? Serves you right for applying so late. These idioms use serve in the sense of "treat in a specified manner," in this case, justly. [Late 1500s]

serve time

Undergo a prison sentence; also, work at a particular task, especially an undesirable one. For example, We couldn't hire him when we learned that he had served time for robbery, or I applied for a transfer after serving time in that chaotic department. [Late 1800s]

serve up

1. Dish out food, as in Next they served up some oysters. [First half of 1400s] 2. Provide, as in He served up joke after joke, delighting his audience. [First half of 1600s] Also see HAND TO ON A

SILVER PLATTER.

service

hand. see AT SOMEONE'S SERVICE; BREAK SOMEONE'S SERVE (SERVICE); LIP SERVICE; OF SERVICE TO SOMEONE; PRESS INTO SERVICE.

session

hand. see BULL SESSION.

set

hand. In addition to the idioms beginning with SET, also see ALL SET; DEAD SET

AGAINST; GET SET; GET (SET) SOMEONE'S BACK UP; GET (SET) THE BALL ROLLING; LAY (SET) EYES ON; LET (SET) LOOSE; ON A PEDESTAL, SET; SMART SET; TONGUES WAGGING, SET. Also see under PUT.

set about

Begin, start, as in How do we set about solving this puzzle? [c. 1600]

set against

Be or cause someone to be opposed to, as in Civil wars often set brother against brother, or The police chief's critics were set against his officers. [Late 1200s] Also see DEAD SET AGAINST.

set an example Also, set a good or bad example. Behave in a way that should (or will) be imitated, as in Dad was always telling Bill to set a good example for his younger brother, or They were afraid of setting a bad example for the other nations. [Late 1700s]

set apart

1.Reserve for a specific use, as in One group of tissue samples was set apart for incubation. [c. 1600]

2.Make noticeable, as in Certain traits set her apart from her peers. [Late 1400s]

set a precedent

Establish a usage, tradition, or standard to be followed in the future. For example, He set a precedent by having the chaplain lead the academic procession. The word precedent here signifies a previous instance or legal decision upon which future instances are based, a usage dating from the early 1400s. In British and American law it more specifically refers to a legal decision that may be used as a standard in subsequent cases.

set aside

1. Separate and reserve for a special purpose, as in We have to set aside some chairs for

latecomers. [Early 1700s] Also see SET BY. 2. Discard or reject, as in Setting aside all health considerations, do you believe this law is fair to smokers? [Early 1400s] 3.

Declare invalid, annul, or overrule, as in The higher court set aside the conviction. [Mid-1700s] Also see LAY ASIDE.

set at Also, set upon. Attack or assail, as in The dog set at the postman, or The hyenas set upon the wounded lion. The first term dates from the early 1400s, the variant from the late 1300s.

set at rest

hand. see LAY AT REST.

set back

1. Slow down the progress of, hinder, as in The project was set back by the frequent absences of staff members. [First half of 1500s] 2. Cost, as in That car set me back twenty thousand dollars.

[Colloquial;

c. 1900] 3. Change to a lower level or earlier time, as in We set back the thermostat whenever we go on vacation, or On October 10 we have to set back the clocks. [First half of 1600s] Set back the clock is also used figuratively to mean "return to an earlier era," as in He wished he could set back the clock to those carefree highschool days. Also see SET FORWARD.

set back on one's heels

Surprise, shock, or disconcert, as in The news of their divorce set us back on our heels. This idiom, with its graphic image of someone being pushed back, dates from the first half of the 1900s.

set back the clock

hand. see SET BACK, def. 3.

set by

Put aside for future use, as in She had shelves and shelves of cans set by for some imagined food

emergency. [Late 1500s] Also see SET ASIDE, def. 1; SET STORE BY.

set down

1. Place in a lower position, as in Set the baby down here, or Set the bags down on the hall table. [Late 1400s] 2. Put in writing, record, as in Just set down all the facts as you remember them.

[Second half of 1500s] 3. Regard, consider, as in Just set him down as a fool. [Late 1700s] 4. Assign to a cause, ascribe, as in Let's set down his error to inexperience. [Early 1800s] 5. Land an aircraft, as in The pilot set the plane down hard on the runway. Also see PUT DOWN.

set eyes on

hand. see LAY EYES ON.

set fire to

hand. see SET ON FIRE.

set foot

1. set foot in. Enter, as in I'll never set foot in this house again. 2. set foot on. Step on, as in We were so happy to set foot on dry land. [c. 1600]

set forth

1. Also, put forth. Start a journey, as in We plan to set forth at daybreak, or They

put forth for France tomorrow. [c. 1400] 2. Present for consideration; also, express in words, as in

She set forth a very sensible plan, or We need to set forth our ideas clearly. [Early 1500s] 3. See

PUT FORTH, def. 3.

set forward Also, set ahead. Turn a clock to a later time, as in For daylight-saving time we set the clocks forward. [1600s]

set in

1. Insert, put in, as in I still have to set in the sleeves and then the sweater will be done. [Late 1300s] 2. Begin to happen or become apparent, as in Darkness was setting in as I left. [c. 1700] 3. Move toward the shore, said of wind or water, as in The tide sets in very quickly here. [Early 1700s]

set in motion

Start something moving, give impetus to something, as in A press conference set the new project in motion. It is also put as set the wheels in motion, as in Let's set the wheels in motion for the new library wing. This idiom dates from about 1800. It was preceded by put in motion, which dates from the mid-1600s.

set in one's ways, be

Be inflexible, fixed in one's habits, as in She's too set in her ways to go out and buy a dog. This idiom uses set in the sense of "in a rigid position," a usage dating from about 1300.

set loose

hand. see LET LOOSE.

set off

1. Give rise to, cause to occur, as in The acid set off a chemical reaction. [Early 1600s] 2. Cause to explode, as in They set off a bomb. [Late 1800s] 3. Distinguish, show to be different, contrast with, as in That black coat sets him off from the others in the picture, or Italics set this sentence off from the rest of the text. [Late 1500s] 4. Enhance, make more attractive, as in That color sets

off her blonde hair. [Early 1600s] 5. Begin a journey, leave, as in When do you set off for Europe?

[Second half of 1700s]

set on Also, set upon. 1. Attack; see SET AT. 2. Instigate, urge one to engage in action, as in The older boys set on the young ones to get in trouble. [Early 1500s]

3. be set on or upon. Be determined to, as in He's set on studying law.

set on a pedestal

hand. see ON A PEDESTAL.

set one back

hand. see SET BACK, def. 1; 2.

set one back on one's feet

Help restore one's position, reestablish one, as in The outplacement office promised to help set the displaced workers back on their feet. This idiom uses an upright position as a metaphor for being active and productive.

set one's back up

hand. see PUT ONE'S BACK UP.

set one's cap for

Pursue someone romantically, as in We all thought Anne had set her cap for Joe, but we were wrong. In the 1700s this term, which may have alluded to donning one's best headgear, was applied to members of either sex, but by the early 1800s it generally described a woman chasing a man. It is probably obsolescent.

set one's face against

Strongly disapprove, as in Her parents set their faces against her eloping. The term set one's face has been used in the sense of "assume a fixed facial expression" since the mid-1500s.

set one's heart on Also, have one's heart set on. Strongly desire something, as in I'd set my heart on a vacation in New Mexico but got sick and couldn't go, or Harry had his heart set on a new pickup truck. [Late 1300s]

set one's mind at rest Also, put one's mind at rest. Stop worrying, allay one's anxiety. For example, Your car's been found undamaged, so set your mind at rest. Also see LAY AT REST.

set one's mind on

hand. see under PUT ONE'S MIND TO.

set one's seal on Also, put one's seal on. Authorize, give one's approval to, as in We can go ahead as soon as the boss sets his seal on it. This idiom alludes to the old-time practice of affixing

a seal on a document as a form of verification. It also began to be used more loosely in the early 1600s.

set one's sights on

Have as a goal, as in She's set her sights on law school. This expression alludes to the device on a firearm used for taking aim. [Mid-1900s]

set one's teeth on edge

Irritate, annoy, make one cringe, as in That raucous laugh sets my teeth on edge. This expression alludes to the shuddering feeling evoked by a grating noise or similar irritation. It appears in several books of the Bible and was also used by Shakespeare. [c. 1600]

set on fire

1. Also, set fire to. Cause to ignite and burn, as in The drought and high wind combined to set the woods on fire. [c. 1400] 2. Cause to become excited, as in The music set the audience on fire. Also

see CATCH FIRE; SET THE WORLD ON FIRE.

set out

1. Begin an earnest attempt, as in He set out to prove his point, or We accomplished what we set out to do. [Late 1800s] 2. Lay out systematically, as in She set out all the reports in chronological order. [Second half of 1500s] 3. Display for exhibition or sale, as in The Japanese restaurant set out samples of all the different kinds of sushi. [c. 1300] 4. Plant, as in It was time to set out the seedlings. [Early 1800s] 5. Begin a journey, as in They set out at dawn. [Late 1500s]

set right Also, put right. 1. Place something in proper position; also, repair something. For example, Your tie is lopsided; let me set it right, or The faucets were in backwards but the plumber will soon put them right. [Second half of 1500s] 2. Correct someone, as in They thought he was married but he quickly set them right. 3. Make something accurate or fair, as in He offered to pay for the meal to put things right. Also see SET STRAIGHT.

set sail Also, make sail. Begin a voyage on water, as in Dad rented a yacht, and we're about to set sail for the Caribbean, or We'll make sail for the nearest port. These expressions, dating from the early 1500s, originally meant "put the sails in position to catch the wind," and hence cause the vessel to move.

set store by Also, set great store by. Regard as valuable or worthwhile, as in I don't set much store by her judgment, or He sets great store by his good name. The word store here is used in the sense of "something precious," a usage that is obsolete except in these terms.

set straight

Correct someone by providing accurate information; also, make an arrangement honest or fair. For example, Let me set you straight about Lisa; she's never actually worked for us, or To set matters straight I'll pay you back Monday. It is sometimes put as set the record straight, meaning "correct an inaccurate account," as in Just to set the record straight, we arrived at ten. [First half of 1900s]

set the pace

Establish a standard for others to follow, as in Jim has set the pace for the department, exceeding the monthly quota every time. This expression comes from racing, where it is said of a horse that passes the others and leads the field. It was transferred to other activities in the early 1900s.

set the record straight

hand. see SET STRAIGHT.

set the scene for Also, set the stage for. Provide the underlying basis or background for, make likely or inevitable, as in Their fights about money set the scene for a divorce, or The comptroller's assessment of the firm's finances set the stage for a successful bond issue. These

expressions allude to arranging a play's actors and properties on a theatrical stage. The first term dates from the late 1700s, the variant from the late 1800s.

set the table Also, lay the table. Arrange a cloth, plates, glasses, silverware and the like for a meal, as in Please set the table for eight tonight. [Late 1300s]

set the wheels in motion

hand. see SET IN MOTION.

set the world on fire

Perform an outstanding feat and win fame, as in An ambitious man, he longed to set the world on fire with his inventions. This hyperbolic expression uses set on fire in the sense of "arouse excitement in." Also see SET ON FIRE, def. 2.

settle a score Also, settle or wipe out an old score or scores. Get even, avenge a grievance or an injury. For example, Wendy settled an old score with Bill when she made him wait for half an hour in the rain. These expressions, dating from the mid-1800s to early 1900s, all use score in the sense of "an account" or "bill." Also see PAY OFF, def. 3.

settle down

1. Begin living a stable, orderly life; also, marry. For example, After traveling all over the world for years, he decided to settle down in his home town, or Her parents wished she would settle down and raise a family. [Early 1600s] 2. Become calm, less nervous, or less restless, as in Come on, children, it's time to settle down. [Mid-1800s] 3. Apply oneself seriously, as in If you don't settle down to your homework, you'll never get it done. [First half of 1800s]

settle for

Accept or be satisfied with as a compromise, as in He really wanted a bigger raise but decided to settle for what they offered. [Mid-1900s]

settle on Also, settle upon. 1. Decide something, as in They finally settled on Bermuda for their vacation. [Second half of 1700s] 2. Give property or a title to someone, as in She settled an annuity on her husband. [Mid-1600s]