Чтение онлайн

[straight from the shoulder]{adv. phr.}, {informal} In an open and honest way of speaking; without holding back anything because of fear or politeness or respect for someone’s feelings; frankly. •/John asked what he had done wrong. Bob told him straight from the shoulder./ •/The candidate for Congress spoke out against his opponent’s dishonesty straight from the shoulder./ Contrast: PULL ONE’S PUNCHES.

[straightlaced]{adj.} Of very strict morals and manners. •/She is so straightlaced that she won’t even go out with a man unless she senses that he is serious about her./

[straight off]{adv. phr.} At once; immediately. •/After school is over, you come home straight off, and don’t waste time./ •/He asked his father for the car, but his father said straight off that he couldn’t have it./

[straight out] See: RIGHT OUT.

[straight shooters] See: SHOOT STRAIGHT.

[straight ticket]{n.} A vote for all the candidates of a single party. •/Uncle Fred was a loyal member of his party. He always voted the straight ticket./ Contrast: SPLIT TICKET.

[strain a point] See: STRETCH A POINT.

[strange to say]{adv. phr.} Not what you might think; surprisingly. — Used for emphasis. •/Strange to say, Jerry doesn’t like candy./ •/Strange to say, the Indians didn’t kill Daniel Boone./

[strapped for]{adj.} Broke; out of funds. •/My brother is so extravagant that he is always strapped for cash./

[straw] See: GIVE A HANG, GRASP AT A STRAW, GRASP AT STRAWS, LAST STRAW or STRAW THAT BREAKS THE CAMEL’S BACK, MAKE BRICKS WITHOUT STRAW.

[straw boss]{n.} 1. The boss of a few workers who is himself under another boss or foreman. •/The straw boss told Jim he would have to see the foreman about a job./ 2, A man who works himself and also bosses a few other workers. •/Smith worked better than the other men, so the foreman made him straw boss, too./

[straw in the wind]{n. phr.} A small sign of what may happen. •/The doctor’s worried face was a straw in the wind./ •/The quickly-called meeting of the President and his cabinet was a straw in the wind./

[straw poll]{n. phr.} An informal survey taken in order to get an opinion. •/The results of our straw poll show that most faculty members prefer to teach between 9 and 11 A.M./

[straw that breaks the camel’s back] See: LAST STRAW.

[straw vote] See: STRAW POLL.

[streak] See: WINNING STREAK.

[streak of luck] See: RUN OF LUCK.

[stream] See: CHANGE HORSES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREAM, SWIM AGAINST THE CURRENT or SWIM AGAINST THE STREAM.

[street] See: BACK STREET, CROSS STREET, MAN IN THE STREET, ON EASY STREET, SIDE STREET, STOP STREET, THROUGH STREET.

[strength] See: ON THE STRENGTH OF.

[stretch a point] or [strain a point]{v. phr.} To permit something different or more than usual; not tell the exact truth or make an exception. •/Mother stretched a point because it was Christmas time and let the children stay up later than usual./ •/It’s straining a point to call Joe a hero just because he saved the kitten from drowning in the bathtub./

[stretch of the imagination]{n. phr.} Imaginative attempt or effort. •/By no stretch of the imagination can I see Al as a successful lawyer./

[stride] See: HIT ONE’S STRIDE, TAKE IN STRIDE.

[strike] See: CALLED STRIKE, HAVE TWO STRIKES AGAINST ONE, LIGHTNING NEVER STRIKES TWICE IN THE SAME PLACE, TWO STRIKES AGAINST ONE.

[strike a bargain]{v. phr.} To arrive at a price satisfactory to both the buyer and the seller. •/After a great deal of haggling, they managed to strike a bargain./

[strike a happy medium]{v. phr.} To find an answer to a problem that is halfway between two unsatisfactory answers. •/Mary said the dress was blue. Jane said it was green. They finally struck a happy medium and decided it was blue-green./ •/Two teaspoons of sugar made the cup of coffee too sweet, and one not sweet enough. One heaping teaspoon struck a happy medium./

[strike all of a heap] See: ALL OF A HEAP.

[strikebreaker]{n.} One who takes the place of workers on strike or one who recruits such people. •/The striking workers threw rotten eggs at the strikebreakers./

[strike gold]{v. phr.} 1. To find gold. •/Ted struck gold near an abandoned mine in California./ 2. To find suddenly the answer to an old puzzle. •/Professor Brown’s assistant struck gold when he came up with an equation that explained the irregular motions of a double star./ See: PAY DIRT.

[strike home] See: HIT HOME.

[strike it rich]{v. phr.}, {informal} 1. To discover oil, or a large vein of minerals to be mined, or a buried treasure. •/The old prospector panned gold for years before he struck it rich./ 2. To become rich or successful suddenly or without expecting to. •/Everyone wanted to buy one of the new gadgets, and their inventor struck it rich./ •/John did not know that he had a rich Uncle John in Australia. John struck it rich when his uncle left his money to John./ Compare: PAY DIRT(2).