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[speed up]{v.} To go faster than before; also, to make go faster. •/The car speeded up when it reached the country./ •/Push in the throttle to speed up the engine./ Compare: PICK UP(12). Contrast: SLOW DOWN.

[spell out]{v.} 1. To say or read aloud the letters ot a word, one by one; spell. •/John could not understand the word the teacher was saying, so she spelled it out on the blackboard./ 2. To read slowly, have trouble in understanding. •/The little boy spelled out the printed words./ 3. {informal} To explain something in very simple words; explain very clearly. •/The class could not understand the problem, so the teacher spelled it out for them./ •/Before the game the coach spelled out to the players what he wanted them to do./ Compare: WORDS OF ONE SYLLABLE.

[spell trouble]{v. phr.} To signify major difficulties ahead. •/The note we just received from the Chancellor seems to spell trouble./

[spending money] or [pocket money]{n.} Money that is given to a person to spend. •/When the seniors went to New York City on a trip, each was given $10 in spending money./ •/Father gave John a nickel in pocket money when he went to the store with Mother./

[spend the night]{v. phr.} To sleep somewhere. •/It was so late after the party that we decided to spend the night at our friends' house./

[spick-and-span]{adj.} Sparkling clean; having a brand new look. •/She is such a good housekeeper that her kitchen is always spick-and-span./

[spill] See: CRY OVER SPILLED MILK.

[spill the beans]{v. phr.}, {informal} To tell a secret to someone who is not supposed to know about it. •/John’s friends were going to have a surprise party for him, but Tom spilled the beans./ Compare: GIVE AWAY(3), LET THE CAT OUT OF THE BAG, TELL TALES OUT OF SCHOOL.

[spin a yarn]{v. phr.} To tell a story of adventure with some exaggeration mixed in; embellish and protract such a tale. •/Uncle Fred, who used be a sailor, knows how to spin a fascinating yarn, but don’t always believe everything he says./

[spine-chilling]{adj.} Terrifying; causing great fear. •/Many children find the movie, "Frankenstein," spine-chilling./ •/A was spine-chilling to learn that a murderer was in our neighborhood./ Compare: HAIR STAND ON END.

[spine-tingling]{adj.} Very exciting; thrilling. •/Our ride up the mountain in a chair lift was spine-tingling./ •/The children’s plane ride was a spine-tingling adventure to them./

[spinoff]{n.} A byproduct of something else. •/The television soap opera "Knot’s Landing" was considered a spinoff of "Dallas," with many of the same characters featured in both./

[spin off]{v. phr.} To bring something into existence as a byproduct of something that already exists. •/When Dr. Catwallender opened his medical practice, he also spun off a small dispensary beside it where patients could get their prescriptions filled./

[spin one’s wheels]{v. phr.} 1. Said of cars stuck in snow or mud whose wheels are turning without the car moving forward. •/There was so much snow on the driveway that my car’s wheels were spinning in it and we couldn’t get going./ 2. To exert effort in a job without making any progress. •/I’ve been working for the firm for two decades, but I feel I am merely spinning my wheels./

[spin out]{v. phr.} 1. To go out of control. •/The bus spun out on the icy road and fell into the ditch./ 2. To make something go out of control. •/Tom stepped on the brakes so fast that he spun his car out of control and went off the road./

[spirit away]{v. phr.} To hide or smuggle something out; abduct. •/The famous actress was spirited away by her bodyguards as soon as she emerged from the door./

[spite] See: CUT OFF ONE’S NOSE TO SPITE ONE’S FACE.

[spit] or [piss into the wedding cake]{v. phr.}, {vulgar}, {avoidable} To spoil someone’s pleasure or celebration by doing or saying something harsh or unseemly in an otherwise happy gathering; bring up depressing or unhappy subjects at a supposedly happy time. •/Stuart really spit into the wedding cake when he told Burt in a bragging fashion that Lucy, Burl’s bride, used to be his girlfriend./

[spitting image]{n.} or [spit and image]{informal} An exact likeness; a duplicate. •/John is the spitting image of his grandfather./ •/That vase is the spitting image of one I wanted to buy in Boston./ Compare: LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON.

[spit up]{v.} To vomit a little. •/The baby always spits up when he is burped./ •/Put a bib on the baby. I don’t want him to spit up on his clean clothes./

[split end]{n.} An end in football who plays five to ten yards out from the tackle in the line. •/The split end is one of the quarterback’s most important targets for passes./ Contrast: TIGHT END.

[split hairs]{v. phr.} To find and argue about small and unimportant differences as if the differences are important. •/John is always splitting hairs; he often starts an argument about something small and unimportant./ •/Don’t split hairs about whose turn it is to wash the dishes and make the beds; let’s work together and finish sooner./

[split second]{n.} A very short time; less than a second. •/The lightning flash lasted a split second, and then disappeared./

[split the difference]{v. phr.}, {informal} To settle a money disagreement by dividing the difference, each person giving up half. •/Bob offered $25 for Bill’s bicycle and Bill wanted $35; they split the difference./

[split ticket]{n.} A vote for candidates from more than one party. •/Mr. Jones voted a split ticket./ •/An independent voter likes a split ticket./ Contrast: STRAIGHT TICKET.