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[Simon Legree]{n.}, {informal} A strict person, especially a boss, who makes others work very hard. •/Don’t talk on the job; the boss is a real Simon Legree./ •/Everybody avoids the foreman. He acts like a Simon Legree./

[simple] See: PURE AND SIMPLE.

[sing a different tune] or [whistle a different tune] also [sing a new tune]{v. phr.}, {informal} To talk or act in the opposite way; contradict something said before. •/Charles said that all smokers should be expelled from the team but he sang a different tune after the coach caught him smoking./ Syn.: CHANGE ONE’S TUNE, DANCE TO ANOTHER TUNE. Compare: LAUGH OUT OF THE OTHER SIDE OF ONE’S MOUTH.

[sing for one’s supper]{v. phr.}, {informal} To have to work for what one desires. •/I realized a long time ago that I had to sing for my supper if I wanted to get ahead in my profession./

[sing in tune] See: IN TUNE.

[single] See: EVERY SINGLE.

[single out]{v. phr.} To select or choose one from among many. •/There were a lot of pretty girls at the high school prom but Don immediately singled out Sally./

[sing one’s praises]{v. phr.} To extol or praise continuously. •/The audience left the concert with everyone singing the praises of the young piano virtuoso./

[sing out of tune] See: OUT OF TUNE.

[sink] See: HEART SINKS.

[sinker] See: HOOK, LINE AND SINKER.

[sink in] or [soak in]{v.}, {informal} To be completely understood; be fully realized or felt. •/Everybody laughed at the joke but Joe; it took a moment for it to sink in before he laughed too./ •/When Frank heard that war had started, it didn’t sink in for a long time until his father was drafted into the army./ Compare: BRING HOME.

[sink one’s teeth into] See: GET ONE’S TEETH INTO.

[sink or swim]{v. phr.} To succeed or fail by your own efforts, without help or interference from anyone else; fail if you don’t work hard to succeed. •/When Joe was fourteen, his parents died, and he was left by himself to sink or swim./ •/Tom’s new job was confusing and no one had time to help him learn, so he had to sink or swim./

[sit] See: GO SIT ON A TACK, ON THE FENCE also FENCE-SITTING.

[sit back]{v.} 1. To be built a distance away; stand away (as from a street). •/Our house sits back from the road./ 2. To relax; rest, often while others are working; take time out. •/Sit back for a minute and think about what you have done./

[sit by]{v.} 1. To stay near; watch and care for. •/The nurse was told to sit by the patient until he woke up./ •/Mother sat by her sick baby all night./ 2. To sit and watch or rest especially while others work. •/Don’t just sit idly by while the other children are all busy./

[sit down]{v.} To sit on a seat or resting place. •/After gym class Jim was tired and was glad to sit down and rest./

[sit in]{v.} 1. To be a member; participate. •/We’re having a conference and we’d like you to sit in./ also [sit in on]: To be a member of; participate in. •/We want you to sit in on the meeting./ 2. To attend but not participate. Often used with "on". •/Our teacher was invited to sit in on the conference./ Compare: LOOK ON.

[sit on]{v.} 1. To be a member of (a jury, board, commission), etc. •/Mr. Brown sat on the jury at the trial./ 2. {informal} To prevent from starting or doing something; squelch. •/The teacher sat on Fred before he could get started with the long story./ •/The teacher sat on Joe as soon as he began showing off./

[sit on a bomb] or [bombshell]{v. phr.}, {informal} To be in possession of anything that is potentially disastrous or dangerous. •/The finance department will be sitting on a bomb unless it finds a way to cut overhead expenses./

[sit on a volcano]{v.}, {informal} 1. To be in a place where trouble may start or danger may come suddenly. •/Bob was in that part of South America before the revolution began. He knew he was sitting on a volcano./ •/The policemen who patrolled the big city slum area that summer were sitting on a volcano./

[sit on one’s hands]{v. phr.}, {informal} To do nothing; fail or refuse to do anything. •/We asked Bill for help with our project, but he sat on his hands./

[sit on the fence] See: ON THE FENCE.

[sit out]{v.} To not take part in. •/The next dance is a polka. Let’s sit it out./ •/Toby had to sit out the last half of the game because his knee hurt./

[sitter] See: ON THE FENCE also FENCE-SITTER.

[sitting on a powder keg] See: SIT ON A VOLCANO.

[sit through]{v.} To watch or listen until (something) is finished. •/The show was so boring that we could hardly sit through the first act./ •/Elaine liked the movie so much that she sat through three showings./

[sit tight]{v. phr.}, {informal} To make no move or change; stay where you are. — Often used as a command. •/Sit tight; I’ll be ready to go in a few minutes./ •/The doctor said to sit tight until he arrived./ •/The gangsters sat tight in the mountains while the police looked for them./ Compare: STAND PAT.

[sitting on top of the world] See: ON TOP OF THE WORLD.

[sitting pretty]{adj.}, {slang} To be in a lucky position. •/The new library is sitting pretty because a wealthy woman gave it $10,000 worth of reference books./ •/Mr. Jones was sitting pretty until his $25,000-a-year job was dropped by the company./

[sit up]{v.} 1. To move into a sitting position. •/Joe sat up when he heard the knock on his bedroom door./ 2. To stay awake instead of going to bed. •/Mrs. Jones will sit up until both of her daughters get home from the dance./ •/We sat up until two A.M. hoping for news from Alaska./ 3. {informal} To be surprised. •/Janice really sat up when I told her the gossip about Tom./