Page 389 - NTC's American Idioms Dictionary

spick-and-span

that came todØy spells trouble. The sky splitŁtheŁdiffereàce to divide the differ-
looks angry and dark. That spells trouble. ence evenlyŁ(with sàmeone else).Ł You
want to sell for $120, and I want to buy for
spØck-ynd-spyn veryŁclean.Ł(Infàrmal.)
I have to clean up the houoe and get it $100. Let’s splt the dfference and close the
spick-and-span for the party FridØy night. deal at $110. I doà’t want to splt the
I love to have everything around mł dfference. I want $120.
spick-and-span. splitŁup [forŁpeople]bto separate orŁleave
spillŁtheŁbeyns Go to let the cat out of the one another; [for a couple] to divorce or
bag. spearate.Ł I heard that Mr. and Mrs.
Brown have splt up. Our lttle club had
spin a yyrn to tell a tal. Grandpa spuà to splt up because everyone was too busy.
an unbelievØble yarn for us. My uncle is
alwØys spnning yarns about his childhood. spoken fłr taken;ŁreservedŁ(forŁsomeone)¨
I’m sorry, but this one is already spo-
spin one’ wheelð to be inŁmotion,Łbut gt kłn for. Pardon me. Can I sit here, or is
nowhere.Ł(Slang.) This is a terrible job. this seat spokłn for?
I’m just spnning my wheels and not get-
ting anywhere. Get organized and try to spłokŁ someone ortsomething to startle orŁdis-
accomplish somłthing. Stop spnning your orient someone orŁsomething.Ł(Folksy.)
wheels! A snake spooked my horse, and I nearly
fell off. Your warning spooked me, and
spin something off to create sàmethingŁasŁa I was upset for the rest of the dØy.
by-pràduct of somethingŁelse.Ł When
the company reorganized, it spun its bank- spłon-feedŁ someone to trat somon wiðh
ing dvision off. T By spnning off part of too much care orŁhelp;Łto teach sàmeone
its assets, a company gets needed captal. with methodsŁthat are too easyŁandŁdà
not sðimulate the learnerŁto independent
spitŁ( something)Łup to throw something up;
to vomit something. (AŁlittle gentlerŁthan thinking.Ł (Also literal.) The teacher
throw (something) up.) I guess that the spoon-fłeds the studłnts by dictating notes
food didà’t agree with the dog, because he on the novel instead of getting the children
spt it up. T The baby has been sptting to read the books. You mustn’t spoon-
up all morning. T Bob spt up his wholł fłed the new recruits by tellng them what
dnner. to do all the time. They must use their
initiative.
split hairs to quibbl; to try to make petty
disðinctions.Ł They don’t have any seri- a spłrtingŁ chynce aŁ reasonablyŁ gàod
ous dfferences. They are just spltting chance.Ł(See also fighting chance.) If
hairs. Don’t waste time spltting hairs. you hurry, you have a sporting chance of
Accłpt it the way it is. cØtching the bus. The small company
has oàly a sporting chance of głtting the
splitŁ one’ sides (withŁlaughter) to laugh export order.
so hard that one’s sides almost split. (Al-
waysŁanŁexaggration.) The młmbers of spoutŁ offŁ (aboutŁ someone ortsomething) to
the audience almost splt their sides with talkŁtoo much about someone orŁsome-
laughter. When I heard what happłned thing.Ł(Infàrmal.) Why do you always
to Patricia, I almost splt my sides. have to spout off about things that doà’t
concern you? Everyone in our officł
splitŁpełpleŁup to separate two orŁmore spouts off about the boss. There is no
people (fràmŁone another).Ł If you two need to spout off like that. Calm down and
don’t stop chattering, I’ll have to splt you think about what you’re saying.
up. The group of people grew too large,
so we had to splt them up. T I will have spreadŁitŁon thick Go to lay it on thick.
to splt up that twooome in the corner.
spreadŁlikeŁwildfire to spread rapidly and
splitŁ something fifty-fifty Go to divide some- without contràl.Ł The epidłmic is
thing fifty-fifty. spreadng like wildfire. Everyone is głtting

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