The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms

by Christine Ammer

  stream → See CHANGE HORSES IN MIDSTREAM; SWIM AGAINST THE CURRENT (STREAM).

  street → See BACK STREET; EASY STREET; MAN IN THE STREET; ON THE STREET; SIDE STREET; WORK BOTH SIDES OF THE STREET.

  strength → See BRUTE FORCE (STRENGTH); GIVE SOMEONE A BREAK (GIVE ME STRENGTH); ON THE STRENGTH OF; TOWER OF STRENGTH.

  stress out Subject to or undergo extreme pressure or strain, as from working. For example, I badly need a vacation; I’m just plain stressed out from this job and its aggravations. The verb stress has meant “afflict with hardship” or “distress” since the 16th century, but the phrase stress out, alluding to psychological stress, dates only from the 1940s.

  stretch → In addition to the idioms beginning with STRETCH, also see AT A STRETCH; BY ANY STRETCH.

  stretch a point Extend or enlarge beyond the usual limits, exaggerate, as in It would be stretching a point to say this novel is the work of a great writer. [Mid-1600s]

  stretch one’s legs Stand up or go for a walk, especially after a prolonged period of sitting. For example, Let’s go stretch our legs at intermission. [c. 1600]

  stride → See HIT ONE’S STRIDE; MAKE GREAT STRIDES; TAKE IN STRIDE.

  strike → In addition to the idioms beginning with STRIKE, also see GO OUT (ON STRIKE); LIGHTNING NEVER STRIKES TWICE IN THE SAME PLACE; ON STRIKE; TWO STRIKES AGAINST.

  strike a balance Find a compromise, as in We have to strike a balance between what we want and what we can afford. This expression alludes to accounting, where it signifies finding a profit or loss by weighing income versus outlay. [Mid-1800s]

  strike a bargain Reach an agreement, as in They finally struck a bargain after weeks of wrangling over who would get what. [Mid-1700s]

  strike a chord Trigger a feeling or memory, as in That poem strikes a chord in all those touched by the Holocaust. This term alludes to striking the strings or keys of a musical instrument. [First half of 1800s] Also see STRIKE THE RIGHT NOTE.

  strike a happy medium → See HAPPY MEDIUM.

  strike down 1. Fell with a blow or misfortune, as in The tree was struck down by lightning, or He was struck down by tuberculosis while in his twenties. [Late 1400s] 2. Render ineffective, cancel, especially in a legal context. For example, The appeals court struck down the verdict. [Late 1800s]

  strike it rich Also, strike oil or strike it lucky. Experience sudden financial success, as in He never dreamed that he’d strike it rich this soon, or They really struck oil with that investment, or One of these days we’ll strike it lucky. The first of these idioms originated in mining, where it referred to finding a rich mineral deposit. [Colloquial; second half of 1800s]

  strike out 1. Cancel or erase, as in Strike out that last sentence, please. [Early 1500s] 2. Begin a course of action, set out energetically, as in Elaine was determined to strike out on her own. [Early 1700s] 3. Fail in an endeavor, as in His latest business venture has struck out. This usage originated in baseball, where it refers to a batter’s failure to put the ball in play (Williams struck out three times in yesterday’s game), as well as to a pitcher’s success in eliminating a batter (Clemens struck him out again in the fourth inning). [Late 1800s]

  strike the right note Also, hit the right note. Say or do what is especially appropriate, as in She struck the right note when she complimented the new parents on their baby. This expression alludes to playing the correct note on an instrument. Although the idea is older, the precise wording dates only from the mid-1900s. See also HIT THE SPOT.

  strike while the iron is hot Take advantage of ­favorable conditions, as in They just made a huge profit, so let’s strike while the iron is hot and ask for some money. This adage alludes to the blacksmith’s forge. [Late 1300s] Also see MAKE HAY WHILE THE SUN SHINES.

  string → In addition to the idioms beginning with STRING, also see HARP ON (THE SAME STRING); NO STRINGS ATTACHED; ON A SHOESTRING; ON A STRING; PULL STRINGS; PURSE STRINGS; TIED TO APRON STRINGS; TWO STRINGS TO ONE’S BOW.

  string along 1. Go along with someone, accompany or follow, as in I decided to string along with them, just to see what might happen. [Colloquial; first half of 1900s]. 2. Agree, as in We knew that three committee members would string along with us for now. [Colloquial; first half of 1900s] 3. string someone along. Keep someone waiting or in a state of uncertainty; also, fool or deceive someone. For example, We were stringing them along, hoping that we’d get a better offer, or She was in tears when she found out that he’d just been stringing her along. [Colloquial; c. 1900]

  string out 1. Stretch, extend; also, prolong. For ­example, The parade strung out for miles, or The meetings strung out over weeks instead of days. [First half of 1800s] 2. strung out. Addicted to, stupefied by, or debilitated by drug use, as in She was completely strung out when they found her. [Second half of 1900s]

  strings attached → See NO STRINGS ATTACHED.

  string together Compose, assemble, as in There’s more to devising an effective slogan than stringing together some words. This expression alludes to threading beads on a string. [First half of 1800s]

  string up Hang; also, kill by hanging. For example, They strung up their Christmas lights in October, or The mob wanted to string him up on the nearest tree. [Early 1800s]

  stroke → See AT ONE STROKE; NO ACCOUNTING FOR TASTES (DIFFERENT STROKES FOR DIFFERENT FOLKS); PUT ONE OFF ONE’S STRIDE (STROKE).

  strong → In addition to the idioms beginning with STRONG, also see COME ON STRONG.

  strong point Also, strong suit. An area in which someone or something excels, as in That beautiful lobby is the building’s strong point, or Writing is her strong suit. The first term was first recorded in 1840; the variant alludes to various card games, in which it signifies the suit with the highest or most cards.

  strong silent type A man of action who is reserved and masks his feelings. For example, Paula always preferred the strong silent type to more extroverted men. Almost never used for a woman, this expression may be obsolescent. [c. 1900]

  strong suit → See STRONG POINT.

  strung out → See STRING OUT, def. 2.

  strut one’s stuff Behave or perform in an ostentatious manner, show off, as in The skaters were out, strutting their stuff. This expression uses strut in the sense of “display in order to impress others.” [Slang; first half of 1900s]

  stubborn as a mule Extremely obstinate, as in He’s stubborn as a mule about wearing a suit and tie. This simile evokes the proverbial stubbornness of mules, whose use as draft animals was once so common that the reputation for obstinacy can hardly be as warranted as the term indicates. [Early 1800s]

  stuck for, be Be unable to obtain or think of, as in We’re stuck for a fourth for bridge, or In this course I’m always stuck for an answer. [Colloquial; first half of 1900s]

  stuck on, be Be very fond of, as in She’s been stuck on him ever since first grade. [Slang; late 1800s]

  stuck with Saddled or burdened with; also, unable to get rid of. For example, Once again Dean was stuck with the check for all of the dinner guests, or She’s my sister-in-law so I’m stuck with her. [Mid-1800s]

  study → See BROWN STUDY.

  stuff → In addition to the idioms beginning with STUFF, also see GET STUFFED; HOT NUMBER (STUFF); KID STUFF; KNOW ONE’S STUFF; STRUT ONE’S STUFF.

  stuff and nonsense Utter foolishness or absurdity, as in Stuff and nonsense, of course I can pack a suitcase. Often used as an interjection, this idiom employs stuff in the sense of “rubbish.” It was first recorded in 1749.

  stuffed shirt An overly formal or pompous person, as in She’s such a stuffed shirt that I’m surprised you’d invite her to a barbecue. This expression alludes to a shirt filled with paper (instead of a real person). [c. 1900]

  stuff it Take back something, as in As for that memo of yours, you can just stuff it. This idiom is used, often as an interjection, to express contempt or defiance. Presumably it is short for “Stuff it up your ass.” [Vulgar slang; 1950s]

  stuff one’
s face → See FEED ONE’S FACE.

  stuff the ballot box Put fraudulent votes in a ballot box, or otherwise cheat in an election. For example, The only way he’ll win is if we stuff the ballot box. [Second half of 1800s]

  stumble across Also, stumble on. Find by chance, discover or meet with unexpectedly. For example, When we were hiking up the mountain we stumbled across a few abandoned shepherd’s huts, or At the flea market Alfred stumbled on a quite valuable old lithograph. This idiom uses stumble in the sense of “accidentally trip.” [Mid-1500s]

  stumbling block A hindrance or obstacle, as in His lack of a degree is a real stumbling block to his advancement. This term originally meant “a tree stump over which one trips.” Its figurative use dates from the early 1500s.

  style → See CRAMP SOMEONE’S STYLE; GO OUT (OF STYLE); IN FASHION (STYLE).

  subject → In addition to the idiom beginning with SUBJECT, also see CHANGE THE SUBJECT.

  subject to, be 1. Be under the control or authority of, as in All citizens in this nation are subject to the law. [First half of 1300s] 2. Be prone or disposed to, as in This child has always been subject to colds. [Late 1300s] 3. Be likely to incur or receive, as in This memo is subject to misinterpretation. [Late 1300s] 4. Depend on, be likely to be affected by, as in Our vacation plans are subject to the boss’s whims. [Early 1800s]

  subscribe to 1. Contract to receive and pay for a given number of issues of a periodical, for tickets to a series of performances, or for a utility service. For example, We subscribe to the local paper, or Betty and I have been subscribing to this concert ­series for years, or We have no choice; we have to subscribe to the local power company. 2. Feel or ­express approval of, as in I subscribe to your opinion but I don’t think Donald does. [Mid-1500s] 3. Promise to pay or contribute money to, as in We subscribe to many charities. [Mid-1600s] All of these usages come from subscribe in the sense of “sign one’s name to something, such as a pledge.”

  substance → See IN SUBSTANCE; SUM AND SUBSTANCE.

  such and such Not specified, unnamed and undetermined, as in They agreed to meet at such and such a time and place. [Mid-1500s]

  such as For example, as in She adores the English novels of manners, such as those by Austen and Trollope. [Late 1600s]

  such as it is In the form that it has, which is not very good but all that’s available, as in Of course you can stay for supper, such as it is. This expression is generally used apologetically, indicating that the item in question isn’t very good or worth much. [Late 1300s]

  sucker list A list of names of likely prospects for making purchases or donations, as in Some charities raise money by selling their sucker lists to other ­organizations. This term uses sucker in the sense of “dupe,” a usage that in turn alludes to the naiveté of a baby suckling at its mother’s breast. [Colloquial; 1940s]

  sucker punch An unexpected blow, as in They felt that suddenly raising the interest rate was a sucker punch to the administration. This expression comes from boxing, where it is used for a punch delivered unexpectedly; boxing great Jack Dempsey wrote, “The right lead [for a right-handed boxer] is called a sucker punch.” [Slang; mid-1900s]

  suck in 1. Also, suck into. Draw into a course of action, as in They sucked me into helping them raise money. [Second half of 1700s] 2. Take advantage of, cheat, swindle, as in That used-car salesman sure sucked in my uncle and aunt. This usage employs suck in the sense of “take in.” [First half of 1800s]

  suck up to Behave obsequiously towards, ingratiate oneself with, as in Now that he’s the boss they’re all sucking up to him, hoping to get big raises. [Vulgar slang; mid-1800s]

  sudden → See ALL OF A SUDDEN.

  suffer → See NOT SUFFER FOOLS GLADLY.

  suffice it to say It is enough to say this and no more, as in Suffice it to say that the judge was furious when the invitation was withdrawn. [Late 1600s]

  sugar daddy A wealthy, usually older man who gives expensive gifts to someone much younger in return for companionship or sexual favors. For example, The aspiring young actress and the sugar daddy are a classic combination in Hollywood. The sugar in this term alludes to the sweetening role of the gifts, and daddy to the age difference between the pair. [Early 1900s]

  sugar the pill Make something unpleasant more palatable, as in There would be no Christmas bonus this year but management sugared the pill by giving workers extra vacation time over the holidays. [Late 1700s]

  suit → In addition to the idioms beginning with SUIT, also see BIRTHDAY SUIT; EMPTY SUIT; FOLLOW SUIT; LONG SUIT; STRONG POINT (SUIT).

  suitcase → See LIVE OUT (OF A SUITCASE).

  suit down to the ground → See under DOWN TO THE GROUND.

  suit oneself Do as one pleases, as in We had expected you, but if you don’t want to come, suit yourself. This idiom, which uses suit in the sense of “be agreeable or convenient,” is often put as an imperative. [Late 1800s]

  suit up Put on clothes for a particular activity, as in Come on, fellows, it’s time to suit up for the hockey game. [Mid-1900s]

  sum and substance The essence or gist of something, as in The sum and substance of their platform is financial conservatism. This redundant ­expression—both sum and substance here mean “essence”—has probably survived ­owing to alliteration. Shakespeare used it in The Two Gentlemen of Verona (4:1): “My riches are these poor habiliments [clothes], Of which if you should here disfurnish me, You take the sum and substance that I have.”

  sum total The entirety, everything, as in I spent all day in the kitchen and the sum total of my efforts is this cake. [Mid-1600s]

  sum up Present the substance of, summarize, as in They always sum up the important news in a couple of minutes, or That expletive sums up my feelings about the matter. [Early 1600s]

  sun → In addition to the idiom beginning with SUN, also see EVERYTHING BUT THE KITCHEN SINK (UNDER THE SUN); MAKE HAY WHILE THE SUN SHINES; NOTHING NEW UNDER THE SUN; PLACE IN THE SUN.

  sun belt The southern and southwestern United States, as in Retirees have been moving to the sun belt for years. It is so called for its warm climate. [Mid-1900s]

  Sunday → In addition to the idiom beginning with SUNDAY, also see MONTH OF SUNDAYS.

  Sunday best One’s finest clothes, as in They were all in their Sunday best for the photographer. This expression alludes to reserving one’s best clothes for going to church; indeed, an older idiom is Sunday-go-to-meeting clothes (meeting here meaning “prayer meeting”). [Mid-1800s]

  sundry → See ALL AND SUNDRY.

  sunny side 1. The pleasant or cheerful aspect of something, as in Beth always sees the sunny side of events like graduations. This idiom alludes to the area on which sunlight falls. [First half of 1800s] 2. on the sunny side of. At an age less than, younger than, as in He’s still on the sunny side of forty. [Second half of 1800s] 3. sunny-side up. Fried so that the yolk remains intact and uppermost, as in I ordered my eggs sunny-side up and you brought me scrambled eggs. This expression transfers the appearance of the sun to that of an egg yolk. [c. 1900]

  supper → See SING FOR ONE’S SUPPER.

  supply → See IN SHORT SUPPLY.

  suppose → See I SUPPOSE SO.

  supposed to 1. Intended to; also, believed to, ­expected to. For example, This pill is supposed to relieve your pain, or You’re supposed to be my partner. [Early 1300s.] 2. Required to, as in He is supposed to call home. [Mid-1800s] 3. not supposed to. Not permitted to, as in You’re not supposed to smoke in here.

  sure → In addition to the idioms beginning with SURE, also see FOR CERTAIN (SURE); MAKE SURE; SLOW BUT SURE; TO BE SURE.

  sure as shooting Most certainly, as in It’s going to snow tonight, sure as shooting, or That grizzly is sure as shooting going to make dinner out of us. This idiom has replaced the older sure as a gun, dating from the mid-1600s, a time when guns fired with far less certainty. [Second half of 1800s]

  sure cure A remedy that won’t fail, as in Hard work is a sure cure for broodin
g. Originating in the late 1800s as an advertising slogan (Dr. Keck’s Sure Cure for Catarrh; first recorded in 1881), this rhyming phrase was soon extended to other matters.

  sure enough Actually, as one might have thought, as in Sure enough, the plane was three hours late. [Mid-1500s]

  sure of oneself Self-confident, as in Now that Mary’s graduated she’s much more sure of herself. This expression uses sure in the sense of “confident” or “secure,” a usage dating from the mid-1400s.

  sure thing 1. a sure thing. A certainty, as in Making the bestseller list has been a sure thing for Stephen King. This usage originally alluded to a bet that one could not lose. [First half of 1800s] 2. Yes indeed, certainly, as in Are you coming tonight?—Sure thing! This use of the idiom as an interjection dates from the late 1800s.

  surface → See ON THE SURFACE; SCRATCH THE SURFACE.

  surf the net Also, net-surfing. Browse the Internet from site to site, either with a definite goal or simply to see what’s there. This term and the related CHANNEL SURFING date from the late 1900s. The second term means browsing television channels, especially using a remote control to do so.

  surprise → See TAKE BY SURPRISE.

  survival of the fittest Those best adapted to particular conditions will succeed in the long run, as in They’ve had to close a dozen of their stores, but the ones in the western part of the state are doing well—it’s the survival of the fittest. This phrase was invented by Herbert Spencer in Principles of Biology (1864) to describe Charles Darwin’s theory of natural selection of living species. By the early 1900s it was being transferred to other areas.

  suspicion → See ABOVE SUSPICION.

  swallow → In addition to the idioms beginning with SWALLOW, also see BITTER PILL TO SWALLOW.

  swallow hook, line, and sinker → See HOOK, LINE, AND SINKER.

  swallow one’s pride Humble oneself, as in She decided to swallow her pride and apologize. This idiom employs swallow in the sense of “refrain from expressing,” a usage dating from the early 1600s.