Page 383 - NTC's American Idioms Dictionary

slower than molasses in January

soon. The dog’s breathing got slower and against him. Jack started a smear cam-
slower as it włnt to slłep. paign against Tom so that Tom wouldà’t
get the manager’s job.
slowerŁthyn molasses in Jynuary Go to
(as) slow as molasses in January. smellŁ a rat to suspect that somethingŁis
wrong;Łto sense that sàmeone hasŁcaused
slow(ly)Ł butŁ sure(ly) slowlyŁ but with a somethingŁwrong.Ł(Slang.) I doà’t think
purpose; slowly and deliberately. (The ex- this was an accidłnt. I smłll a rat. Bob had
pressionŁwithout the -ly isŁinfàrmal.) somłthing to do with this. The mnute
Slowly but surely, the lttle train reached I came in, I smelled a rat. Sure enough, I
the top of the mountain. Progress was had błen robbed.
slow but sure. SomedØy we would be
finished. smellŁto highŁheaveà Go to stink to high
heaven.
slyŁas a fox Go to (as) sly as a fox.
smileŁon someone ortsomething to be favàrabl
smack-dabŁ in theŁ middle right inŁ the
middle.Ł(Infàrmal.) I want a big help- to someone or something. Fate smiled
ing of mashed potatoes with a glob of but- on me and I got the job. Lady luck
ter smack-dØb in the middle. Tom and smiled on our vłnture and we made a
Sally were having a terrible argumłnt, and profit.
I was trapped—smack-dØb in the middle. smoke and mirrors dcepðion and confu-
sion.Ł(SaidŁof sðatementsŁorŁmore com-
smallŁfry 1. unimpàrtant people.Ł( Small fry plicatedŁrhetoricŁusedŁto misleadŁpeople
are small,Ł juvenile fish.) The policł ratherŁthanŁinfàrm.ŁRefersŁto the wayŁa
have only caught the small fry. The leader magicianŁusesŁopticalŁillusion to create
of the gang is still free. You people are believabilityŁwhile prfàrmingŁaŁtrick.)
just small fry! I want to talk to the boss. Most people know that the poltician was
2. children.Ł Peter’s takng the small fry just using smoke and mirrors to makł
to the zoo. We ohould take the small fry things look błtter than they really were.
to the pantomme.
Her report was lttle more than smoke and
smallŁ hours (ofŁ theŁ night) and wee mrrors. No one will believe any of it.
hours (ofŁtheŁnight) the hoursŁimme- smokeŁ someone ort something out to force
diatelyŁafterŁmidnight.Ł The dance włnt someone orŁ somethingŁ out (of some-
on into the small hours of the night. Jim thing),bprhapsŁwith smoke.Ł(InŁcowboy
goes to bed in the włe hours and głts up or gangsterŁtalkŁthisŁrefersŁto the smoke
at lunchtime.
from gunfir.) There was a mouse in
the smallŁprint and the fineŁprint the part the attic, but I smoked it out. T The oher-
of aŁdocument that isŁnot easilyŁnoticed, iff and the dłputies smoked out the bank
oftenŁ because of the smallnessŁ of the robbers.
print, andŁthat oftenŁcontainsŁimpàrtant smoothŁ as glass Go to (as) smooth as
infàrmation.Ł You should have read the glass.
small print błfore signing the contract.
You should alwØys read the fine print in an smoothŁas silk Go to (as) smooth as sàlk.
insurance policy.
smooth something out Go to smooth some-
small-time small;ŁonŁaŁsmallŁscale.Ł(Infàr- thing over.
mal.)b Our business is small-Łime just smooth something over and smooth some-
now, but it’s growing. He’s a small-Łime thing out to reduce the intensity of anŁar-
crook.
gument orŁaŁmisundersðanding;Łto tryŁto
smearŁcampaign (againstŁ someone) aŁcam- make people feelŁbtterŁabout sàmething
paignŁaimedŁat damagingŁsàmeone’sŁrep- that hasŁhappened.Ł(Also literal.) Mary
uðaðion by making accusaðions and and John had a terrible argumłnt, and
spreadingŁrumors.Ł The poltician’s op- they are both trying to smooth it over.
ponents are engaging in a smear campaign Let’s get everyone togłther and try to

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