Idioms Beginning With: 'S'

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Swansong

A person's swansong is their final achievement or public appearance.

Swear like a sailor

Someone who is foul-mouthed and uses bad language all the time, swears like a sailor.

Swear like a trooper

Someone who is foul-mouthed and uses bad language all the time, swears like a trooper.

Sweat blood

If you sweat blood, you make an extraordinary effort to achieve something.

Sweat bullets

(USA) If someone is sweating bullets, they're very worried or frightened.

Sweat like a pig

If someone is sweating like a pig, they are perspiring (sweating) a lot.

Sweep off your feet

If you are swept off your feet, you lose control emotionally when you fall in love or are really impressed.

Sweep the board

If you sweep the board, you have a complete victory and win everything possible in a competition, election, etc.

Sweep things under the carpet

If people try to ignore unpleasant things and forget about them, they sweep them under the carpet.

Sweet as a gumdrop

This means that something or someone is very nice or pretty.

Sweet tooth

If you have a sweet tooth, you like eating food with sugar in it.

Sweet-talk

If you sweet-talk someone, you use persuasion and charm to get what you want.

Sweeten the pot

If you sweeten the pot, you increase the stakes or make something more desirable.

Swim against the tide

If you swim against the tide, you try to do something that is very difficult because there is a lot of opposition to you. ('Go against the tide' is an alternative form.)

Swim with the fishes

If someone is swimming with the fishes, they are dead, especially if they have been murdered. 'Sleep with the fishes' is an alternative form.

Swim with the tide

If you swim with the tide, you do the same as people around you and accept the general consensus. ('Go with the tide' is an alternative form.)

Swimmingly

If things are going swimmingly, they are going very well.

Swing into action

When you swing into action, you are quickly beginning to act or operate something.

Swing the lead

(UK) If you swing the lead, you pretend to be ill or do not do your share of the work.

Swinging door

This idiom refers to something or someone that can go in two conflicting or opposite directions.

Swings and roundabouts

If something's swings and roundabouts, it has about as many disadvantages as it has advantages.

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