sacred cow A person or thing immune to criticism or questioning, as in The rules governing the press conference have become a sacred cow in this administration. This term alludes to the honored status of cows in Hinduism, where they are a symbol of God’s generosity to humankind. It has been used figuratively since about 1900.
sadder but wiser Unhappy but having learned from one’s mistakes, as in Sadder but wiser, she’s never going near poison ivy again. The pairing of these two adjectives was first recorded in Samuel Coleridge’s The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (1798).
saddle → In addition to the idiom beginning with SADDLE, also see IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT (SADDLE).
saddle someone with Burden someone with, as in Before he left on vacation, he saddled his assistant with many tasks he hadn’t time to do himself. [Late 1600s]
sad sack A singularly inept person, as in Poor George is a hopeless sad sack. This term alludes to a cartoon character, Sad Sack, invented by George Baker in 1942 and representing a soldier in ill-fitting uniform who failed at whatever he tried to do. It was soon transferred to clumsily inept civilians.
safe → In addition to the idioms beginning with SAFE, also see BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY; ON THE SAFE SIDE; PLAY IT SAFE.
safe and sound Out of danger and unharmed, as in It was a challenging climb, so I’m relieved they got home safe and sound. [c. 1300]
safe as houses Totally secure, as in If you buy Treasury bonds, your money will be safe as houses but you won’t get a large return. In today’s security-conscious climate, where alarm systems to deter housebreaks have become increasingly common, this simile may seem puzzling. Presumably it uses house in the sense of “a shelter from the elements.” [Late 1800s]
safety in numbers, there’s A group has more protection against harm than an individual, as in Her parents won’t allow her to date but do let her go to parties, saying there’s safety in numbers. This phrase comes from the Latin proverb, Defendit numerus, presumably alluding to a military situation. It was first recorded in English about 1550.
said → See EASIER SAID THAN DONE; ENOUGH SAID; NO SOONER SAID THAN DONE; WHEN ALL’S SAID AND DONE; YOU SAID IT. Also see under SAY.
sail → In addition to the idioms beginning with SAIL, also see (SAILING UNDER) FALSE COLORS; PLAIN SAILING; SET SAIL; SMOOTH SAILING; TAKE THE WIND OUT OF ONE’S SAILS; TRIM ONE’S SAILS.
sail close to the wind Be on the verge of doing something illegal or improper, as in She was sailing pretty close to the wind when she called him a liar. This term alludes to the danger incurred when literally sailing too close to (that is, in the direction of) the wind. Its figurative use dates from the first half of the 1800s.
sail into Attack or criticize vigorously, as in It was part of his technique to sail into the sales force at the start of their end-of-the-year meeting. This term derives from sail in the sense of “move vigorously.” [Mid-1800s]
sail through Also, sail right through. Accomplish quickly and easily make easy progress through, as in He sailed through the written test in no time, or We sailed right through customs. This expression alludes to a boat moving quickly and easily through the water. [Mid-1900s]
sail under false colors → See under FALSE COLORS.
sake → See FOR THE SAKE OF.
salad days The time of youth, innocence, and inexperience, as in Back in our salad days we went anywhere at night, never thinking about whether it was safe or not. This expression, alluding to the greenness of inexperience, was probably invented by Shakespeare in Antony and Cleopatra (1:5), when Cleopatra, now enamored of Antony, speaks of her early admiration for Julius Caesar as foolish: “My salad days, when I was green in judgment, cold in blood.”
sale → See CLOSE THE SALE; ON SALE; WHITE SALE.
sales pitch A line of talk that attempts to persuade someone of something, as in Let’s hear your latest sales pitch for energy conservation. This term uses the noun pitch in the sense of “a talk,” or more literally, a throwing of words at one. [Slang; late 1800s]
salt → In addition to the idioms beginning with SALT, also see BACK TO THE SALT MINES; WITH A GRAIN OF SALT.
salt away Also, salt down. Keep in reserve, store, save, as in He salted away most of his earnings in a bank account. This idiom alludes to using salt as a food preservative. [Mid-1800s]
salt of the earth, the The best or noblest of their kind, as in These campers are the salt of the earth. This metaphoric term was used by Jesus for those who were persecuted for being loyal to him (Matthew 5:13) and has been repeated ever since.
Samaritan → See GOOD SAMARITAN.
same → In addition to the idioms beginning with SAME, also see ALL THE SAME; AMOUNT TO THE SAME THING; AT THE SAME TIME; BY THE SAME TOKEN; CAST IN THE SAME MOLD; GREAT MINDS RUN IN THE SAME CHANNEL; IN THE SAME BOAT; IN THE SAME BREATH; IN THE SAME LEAGUE; ONE AND THE SAME; ON THE SAME WAVELENGTH.
same difference No difference at all, the same thing, as in She’s my sister, or stepsister—same difference. This jocular colloquial phrase dates from about 1940.
same here Also, the same with me. Me too, I agree, as in I think she was lying all along.—Same here, or I couldn’t sleep because of the noise.—The same with me. The first phrase is also used in an order for food or drink to indicate one wants the same thing as the previous person ordering; for example, One more beer, please.—Same here. [Colloquial; late 1800s]
same old story, the Also, the same old rigmarole; same old, same old. A frequently recurring event or situation, as in It’s the same old story—they won’t hire you without experience but how can you get experience if you’re not hired? The first two expressions originally alluded to a tiresome, rambling discourse but today are used mainly for an irksome recurrence. The first gained currency during World War II with a song, “As Time Goes By,” popularized in the film Casablanca (1942). The last version, dating from the late 1900s, is also used as an expression of boredom or to signify that nothing much has changed, as in How’s it going at the office?—Same old, same old.
same to you I wish you the same (as you have wished me), as in Merry Christmas!—Same to you. [Late 1800s]
sanctity → See ODOR OF SANCTITY.
sand → See BUILD ON SAND; HIDE ONE’S HEAD IN THE SAND.
sardine → See PACKED IN LIKE SARDINES.
sauce → In addition to the idiom beginning with SAUCE, also see HIT THE BOTTLE (SAUCE).
sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander, what’s What applies to one applies to both, especially to both male and female. For example, After her husband went off with his fishing buddies for a week, she decided to take a vacation without him—what’s sauce for the goose, you know. This proverbial expression, often shortened as in the example, was cited and described as “a woman’s proverb” in John Ray’s English Proverbs (1678).
save → In addition to the idioms beginning with SAVE, also see PENNY SAVED IS A PENNY EARNED; RAINY DAY, SAVE FOR A; SCRIMP AND SAVE; TO SAVE ONE’S LIFE.
saved by the bell Rescued from a difficulty at the last moment, as in I couldn’t put off explaining his absence any longer, but then Bill arrived and I was saved by the bell. This expression alludes to the bell rung at the end of a boxing round, which, if it rings before a knocked-down boxer has been counted out, lets him get up and continue fighting in the next round. Its figurative use dates from the mid-1900s.
save face Avoid humiliation or embarrassment, preserve dignity, as in Rather than fire him outright, they let him save face by accepting his resignation. The phrase, which uses face in the sense of “outward appearances,” is modeled on the antonym LOSE FACE. [Late 1800s]
save for a rainy day → See RAINY DAY.
save one’s bacon Also, save one’s neck or skin. Rescue one from a difficult situation or harm, as in I was having a hard time changing the flat tire but along came Bud, who saved my bacon, or The boat capsized in icy waters, but the life preservers saved our skins. The allusion in the first term is no longer clear. It may simply be a
comical way of referring to one’s body or one’s life. At the time it was first recorded, in 1654, bacon was a prized commodity, so perhaps saving one’s bacon was tantamount to keeping something precious. Both variants allude to saving one’s life, the one with skin dating from the early 1500s, and with neck, alluding to beheading, from the late 1600s.
save one’s breath Refrain from arguing about a lost cause, as in You can save your breath; I’m not going to change my mind. This term was also put as save your breath to cool your porridge (or broth), that is, by blowing on the too hot liquid. The idea of not expending one’s breath to say something another person doesn’t want to hear dates from the early 1700s.
save the day Prevent a misfortune, as in They had forgotten the knife to cut the wedding cake, but Elizabeth arrived with one and saved the day.
save up Accumulate something for a particular purpose, as in Jan had been saving up her allowance for a new bicycle. [First half of 1800s]
saving grace, a A redeeming quality, especially one compensating for drawbacks or negative characteristics. For example, She may not be too knowledgeable, but her saving grace is that she doesn’t pretend to be. This term, dating from the late 1500s, at first referred to the concept of being saved from eternal damnation, and was used more loosely only from the late 1800s on.
saw → See OLD SAW.
say → In addition to the idioms beginning with SAY, also see BEFORE YOU CAN SAY JACK ROBINSON; CRY (SAY) UNCLE; DO AS I SAY; GIVE (SAY) THE WORD; GO WITHOUT SAYING; HAVE A SAY IN; I DARE SAY; I’LL SAY; NEEDLESS TO SAY; NEVER SAY DIE; NEVER SAY NEVER; NOT TO MENTION (TO SAY NOTHING OF); ON ONE’S SAY-SO; STRANGE TO SAY; SUFFICE IT TO SAY; THAT IS (TO SAY); TO SAY THE LEAST; YOU CAN SAY THAT AGAIN; YOU DON’T SAY. Also see under SAID.
say a mouthful Utter something important or meaningful, as in You said a mouthful when you called him a fine musician. This term is often used to express agreement, much as YOU CAN SAY THAT AGAIN is. It was first recorded in 1790.
say grace Pronounce a short prayer before a meal, as in Before we started in on the turkey, we asked Liz to say grace. The word grace here signifies asking for God’s blessing or giving thanks for the food being served. [Early 1300s]
say one’s piece → See SPEAK ONE’S PIECE.
says who? Who claims the truth of this statement, which I don’t believe? For example, That horse of yours will never win a race.—Says who? This slangy expression of disagreement or disbelief may also be put in declarative form, says you!, meaning “I disagree with what you just said.” For example, It was an accident, I didn’t mean to break it.—Says you! You’ve always hated that vase. [First half of 1900s]
say the word → See GIVE THE WORD.
say uncle → See CRY UNCLE.
scale → In addition to the idiom beginning with SCALE, also see TIP THE BALANCE (SCALE).
scale down Reduce the size or cost of, as in The owners decided to scale down wages. This expression, along with the related scale up, which refers to an increase, alludes to scale in the sense of “a fixed standard.” [Late 1800s]
scarce → In addition to the idiom beginning with SCARCE, also see MAKE ONESELF SCARCE.
scarce as hen’s teeth Also, scarcer than hen’s teeth. Exceptionally rare, as in On a rainy night, taxis are as scarce as hen’s teeth. Since hens have no teeth, this term in effect says that something is so scarce as to be nonexistent. [Mid-1800s]
scarcely ever → See HARDLY EVER.
scare → In addition to the idioms beginning with SCARE, also see RUN SCARED.
scare out of one’s wits Also, frighten out of one’s wits; scare stiff or silly or to death or the living daylights out of or the pants off. Terrify, make one panic, as in When the lights went out, she was scared out of her wits, or I was scared stiff that I would fail the driver’s test. The first of these hyperbolic terms, scare out of one’s wits, is the oldest and, like silly, suggests one is frightened enough to lose one’s mind. The verb scare dates from about 1200, and out of one’s wits was first recorded in William Tyndale’s translation of the Bible in 1526 (I Corinthians 14:23): “Will they not say that ye are out of your wits?” They were first put together in 1697, the same period from which came scare out of one’s seven senses, a usage now obsolete. The variant using daylights, which sometimes occurs without living, dates from the 1950s. Daylights at one time referred to the eyes but here means “vital organs.” Frighten to death was first recorded in Charles Dickens’s Barnaby Rudge (1840) and scare to death probably appeared about the same time. However, to death used as an intensifier dates from the 1500s. These terms allude to the fact that a sudden fright can precipitate cardiac arrest. Scare stiff, first recorded in 1905, alludes to the temporary paralysis that can accompany intense fear. For the last variant, see also under PANTS OFF.
scare up Also, scrape together or up. Assemble or produce with considerable effort, as in We managed to scare up extra chairs for the unexpectedly large audience, or He managed to scrape together enough cash to buy two more tickets. The first term alludes to scare in the sense of “flush game out of cover” and dates from the mid-1800s; the variant, alluding to scratching or clawing for something, was first recorded in 1549. Also see SCRAPE UP AN ACQUAINTANCE.
scarlet woman A prostitute, an immoral woman, as in Malicious gossip had it that she was a scarlet woman, which was quite untrue. This expression alludes to Revelation 17:4-5, describing Saint John’s vision of a woman in scarlet clothes with an inscription on her forehead, “Mystery, Babylon the Great, the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth.” Some interpreters believe she stood for Rome, drunk with the blood of saints, but by about 1700 the term was being used more generally for a woman with loose morals.
scene → See BEHIND THE SCENES; MAKE A SCENE; MAKE THE SCENE; ON THE SCENE; SET THE SCENE FOR.
scent → See THROW OFF, def. 3.
schedule → See ON SCHEDULE.
scheme → See BEST-LAID PLANS (SCHEMES) GO ASTRAY.
school → In addition to the idiom beginning with SCHOOL, also see TELL TALES (OUT OF SCHOOL).
schoolgirl complexion Fresh, glowing, unblemished skin, as in She’s fifty but she still has her schoolgirl complexion. This expression, alluding to the beauty of young skin, was invented for an advertising campaign for Palmolive Soap, which ran from about 1923 through the 1930s and claimed to preserve one’s schoolgirl complexion.
school of hard knocks The practical experience of life, including hardship and disappointments. For example, A self-made man, he never went to college but came up through the school of hard knocks. This idiom uses knock, “a blow,” as a metaphor for a setback. [Mid-1800s]
scoot over Move to the side, especially to make room. For example, If you scoot over a little I’ll have room to sit down. [Colloquial; first half of 1900s]
score → See BOX SCORE; KNOW THE SCORE; PAY OFF (AN OLD SCORE); SETTLE A SCORE.
scoring position, in About to succeed, as in The publisher is in scoring position with that instant book about the trial. This term comes from sports, where it signifies being in a spot where scoring is likely. In baseball it refers to a situation in which a runner is on second or third base. The figurative use of the term dates from the second half of the 1900s.
scot → See GET OFF (SCOT-FREE).
scout → See GOOD EGG (SCOUT).
scrape → See (SCRAPE THE) BOTTOM OF THE BARREL; BOW AND SCRAPE; SCARE (SCRAPE) UP.
scrape together → See SCARE UP.
scrape up an acquaintance Make an effort to become familiar with someone, especially for one’s own benefit. For example, He scraped up an acquaintance with the college president in hopes of getting his son admitted. This term uses scrape in the sense of “gather with difficulty” (also see under SCARE UP). Originally put as scrape acquaintance, it was first recorded in 1600.
scratch → In addition to the idioms beginning with SCRATCH, also see FROM SCRATCH; UP TO PAR (SCRATCH).
scratch one’s head Express puzzlement or perp
lexity, think hard, as in They scratched their heads over this vexing question, but no one knew the answer. Although literally scratching one’s head may simply betoken the fact that it itches, it also may indicate mental mystification or bewilderment. The term’s figurative use dates from the first half of the 1900s.
scratch someone’s back Do someone a favor in hopes that a favor will be returned. For example, I don’t mind driving this time—she’s scratched my back plenty of times. It also is put as you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours, as in If you do the laundry I’ll do the cooking—you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours. This idiom was first recorded in 1704.
scratch the surface Investigate or treat something superficially, as in This feed-the-hungry program only scratches the surface of the problem, or Her survey course barely scratches the surface of economic history. This metaphoric term transfers shallow markings made in a stone or other material to a shallow treatment of a subject or issue. [Early 1900s]
scream bloody murder Angrily protest as loudly as possible, as in When Jimmy took her teddy bear, Lauren screamed bloody murder, or Residents are screaming bloody murder about the increase in property taxes. The scream here may be either literal (as in the first example) or figurative, which is also true of invoking murder as though one were in danger of being killed. Versions of this term, such as cry murder, date from the 1400s.
screw → In addition to the idioms beginning with SCREW, also see HAVE A SCREW LOOSE; PLUCK (SCREW) UP ONE’S COURAGE; TIGHTEN THE SCREWS; TURN UP THE HEAT (PUT THE SCREWS) ON.
screw around 1. Fool around aimlessly, accomplishing nothing, as in If you boys would stop screwing around we’d have the fence painted in an hour. It is also put as screw around with, as in Stop screwing around with the new camera. The idiom probably derives from screw in the sense of “turn” or “twist.” [Slang; second half of 1900s] 2. Be sexually promiscuous, as in He’s been screwing around behind her back for years. [Vulgar slang; first half of 1900s]
screw loose → See HAVE A SCREW LOOSE.
The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms Page 103