short and sweet and to the point
A fixed-order word pair (irreversible binomial); full definition pending editorial review.
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Where will you be? Anywhere UK & IrelandUnited StatesOnline slangBusiness jargon
short arm
The penis.
short commons
Short allowance of food. See COMMONS.
short end of the stick
to receive the lesser or unfair share of something
short fuse
Easily angered or quick to lose temper
short hairs
under close supervision or control
short leash
to have strict control over someone
short of a length
not having enough of something
short of something
lacking a sufficient amount of something
short on looks
Unattractive or unpleasant to look at
short strokes
Taking small, quick actions to achieve a goal
short temper
Easily becoming angry
short thigh
See CURTHOSE. The short cut is often the longest way round. It does not always pay to avoid taking a little trouble; e.g, there is no short cut to know- ledge.
short-heeled wench
A girl apt to fall on her back.
Shorten Herring
A lean, spiritless creature, a Jack-o'-Lent, like a herring that has shot.or ejected, its spawn. Herrings gutted and dried are so called also.
shorter
One who makes a dishonest profit by reducing the coin of the realm by clipping and filing. From a crown-piece a SHORTER could gain 5d. Another way was by chemical means: a guinea laid in aquafortis would, in twelve hours, precipitate 9d.-worth of sediment; in twenty-four, 1s. 6d.-worth.—Rommany Rye.
Shorter Catechism
The name given to a confession of faith which sets forth the Presbyterian doctrines of the Church of
shorty
Something or someone that is shorter than normal.
shot
To pay one's shot; to pay one's share of a reckoning. Shot betwixt wind and water; poxed or clapped.
shot
From the modern sense of the word to SHOOT,—a guess, a random conjecture; "to make a bad SHOT," to expose one’s ignorance by making a wrong guess, or random answer, without knowing whether it is right or wrong.
shot across the bow
A warning or threat, often to stop someone's behavior
shot and shell
Artillery fire, especially cannonballs and explosive shells
shot heard round the world
An event that has a significant and far-reaching impact
shot in the dark
A guess or attempt with little chance of success
shotgun approach
Trying many methods at once to solve a problem
shotgun wedding
a wedding that happens quickly due to an unplanned pregnancy
shots fired
A conflict or argument has begun
shotten herring
A thin meagre fellow.
shottie
A shotgun.
shotty
A shotgun.
shoujo ai
A genre of manga, anime, or hentai featuring lesbian sex and romance; yuri.
shoulder
When a servant embezzles his master’s money, he is said to SHOULDER his employer.
shoulder clapper
A bailiff, or member of the catch club. Shoulder-clapped; arrested.
shoulder feast
A dinner given after a funeral, to those who have carried the corpse.
shoulder sham
A partner to a file. See FILE.
shoulder to cry on
Someone to confide in and receive emotional support from
shout
To pay for drink round. "It’s my SHOUT," says he who pays. Possibly because the payer originally SHOUTED to the bar-keeper of an hotel to score the drink to him.—Australian, but now general.
shout and clout
Influence or respect is earned not just by talking, but by taking action.
shout fire in a crowded theater
To say something that could cause panic or harm to others
shove it up your ass
go away or leave me alone
shove something down someone's throat
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
shove-halfpenny
A gambling pot-house pastime, played on a table. A very old game, originally called push-penny.
shovel
To be put to bed with a shovel; to be buried. He or she was fed with a fire-shovel; a saying of a person with a large mouth.
shovel
A term applied by the vulgar crowd to the inelegant twisted hats worn by the dignitaries of the Church. Dean Alford says, "I once heard a venerable dignitary pointed out by a railway porter as "an old party in a SHOVEL."—Queen’s English.
Shovel Board
A game in which three counters, or coins, were shoved or slid over a smooth board, very popular in the sixteenth and seven- teenth centuries. The "two Edward shovel- boards'* mentioned by Slender in the Merty Wives of Windsor (i, 1), were the broad shillings of Edward VI used in playing the game.
show a clean pair of heels
To run away quickly or escape
show a leg
get out of bed quickly
show and tell
a classroom activity where children share something
show ankle
to show a little bit of one's leg
show colour
to show signs of life or activity
show of hands
a vote or survey done by raising one's hand
show off
to display one's skills or possessions to impress others
Show on Earth
He weighed 6£ tons. He was accidentally killed by a railway engine in 1885, but his name is still synonymous with the idea of an elephant in children's minds.
show one's ass
To act foolishly or embarrassingly
show one's butt
to behave foolishly or embarrassingly
show one's cards
to reveal one's plans or intentions
show one's teeth
To show aggression or defensiveness
show one's true colors
To reveal one's true nature or intentions
show one's true stripes
to reveal one's true nature or character
show pony
Someone who looks good but lacks real ability
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