[sign up]{v.} 1. To promise to do something by signing your name;join; sign an agreement. •/We will not have the picnic unless more peoplesign up./ •/John wants to sign up for the contest./ •/Miss Carter hassigned up to be the chaperone at the dance./ 2. To write the name of (aperson or thing) to be in an activity; also, to persuade (someone) to dosomething. •/Betty decided to sign up her dog for obedience training./•/The superintendent has signed up three new teachers for next year./

[signed, sealed, and delivered]{adj. phr.} Finished; completed; in astate of completion. •/"How is the campus renovation plan for the governor’soffice coming along?" the dean of the college asked. "Signed, sealed, anddelivered," his assistant answered./ Compare: CUT AND DRIED; HOOK, LINE ANDSINKER.

[silence gives consent] If you say nothing or do not say no to something,it means that you agree. — A proverb. •/Don’t be afraid to say, if you don’tlike something. Silence gives consent./

[silent majority]{n.}, {informal} The large majority of peoplewho, unlike the militants, do not make their political and social views knownby marching and demonstrating and who, presumably, can swing an election oneway or the other. •/Sidney Miltner is a member of the silent majority./

[silver] See: BORN WITH A SILVER SPOON IN ONE’S MOUTH, EVERY CLOUD HAS ASILVER LINING, HAND SOMETHING TO ONE ON A SILVER PLATTER.

[silver anniversary] or [wedding] {n. phr.} The twenty-fifthwedding anniversary of a couple; the twenty-fifth anniversary of a business oran association, etc. •/"The day after tomorrow is Mom and Dad’s silveranniversary," Sue said to her brother. "I hope you have a nice present pickedout."/

[simmer down]{v.}, {informal} To become less angry or excited;become calmer. •/Tom got mad, but soon simmered down./

[Simon Legree]{n.}, {informal} A strict person, especially a boss,who makes others work very hard. •/Don’t talk on the job; the boss is a realSimon Legree./ •/Everybody avoids the foreman. He acts like a SimonLegree./

[simple] See: PURE AND SIMPLE.

[sing a different tune] or [whistle a different tune] also [sing anew tune] {v. phr.}, {informal} To talk or act in the opposite way;contradict something said before. •/Charles said that all smokers should beexpelled from the team but he sang a different tune after the coach caught himsmoking./ Syn.: CHANGE ONE’S TUNE, DANCE TO ANOTHER TUNE. Compare: LAUGH OUTOF THE OTHER SIDE OF ONE’S MOUTH.

[sing for one’s supper]{v. phr.}, {informal} To have to work forwhat one desires. •/I realized a long time ago that I had to sing for mysupper if I wanted to get ahead in my profession./

[sing in tune] See: IN TUNE.

[single] See: EVERY SINGLE.

[single out]{v. phr.} To select or choose one from among many.•/There were a lot of pretty girls at the high school prom but Donimmediately singled out Sally./

[sing one’s praises]{v. phr.} To extol or praise continuously. •/Theaudience left the concert with everyone singing the praises of the young pianovirtuoso./

[sing out of tune] See: OUT OF TUNE.

[sink] See: HEART SINKS.

[sinker] See: HOOK, LINE AND SINKER.

[sink in] or [soak in] {v.}, {informal} To be completelyunderstood; be fully realized or felt. •/Everybody laughed at the joke butJoe; it took a moment for it to sink in before he laughed too./ •/WhenFrank heard that war had started, it didn’t sink in for a long time until hisfather was drafted into the army./ Compare: BRING HOME.

[sink one’s teeth into] See: GET ONE’S TEETH INTO.

[sink or swim]{v. phr.} To succeed or fail by your own efforts,without help or interference from anyone else; fail if you don’t work hard tosucceed. •/When Joe was fourteen, his parents died, and he was left byhimself to sink or swim./ •/Tom’s new job was confusing and no one had timeto help him learn, so he had to sink or swim./

[sit] See: GO SIT ON A TACK, ON THE FENCE also FENCE-SITTING.

[sit back]{v.} 1. To be built a distance away; stand away (as from astreet). •/Our house sits back from the road./ 2. To relax; rest, oftenwhile others are working; take time out. •/Sit back for a minute and thinkabout what you have done./

[sit by]{v.} 1. To stay near; watch and care for. •/The nurse wastold to sit by the patient until he woke up./ •/Mother sat by her sick babyall night./ 2. To sit and watch or rest especially while others work.•/Don’t just sit idly by while the other children are all busy./

[sit down]{v.} To sit on a seat or resting place. •/After gym classJim was tired and was glad to sit down and rest./

[sit in]{v.} 1. To be a member; participate. •/We’re having aconference and we’d like you to sit in./ also [sit in on]: To be a memberof; participate in. •/We want you to sit in on the meeting./ 2. To attendbut not participate. Often used with "on". •/Our teacher was invited to sitin on the conference./ Compare: LOOK ON.

[sit on]{v.} 1. To be a member of (a jury, board, commission), etc.•/Mr. Brown sat on the jury at the trial./ 2. {informal} To preventfrom starting or doing something; squelch. •/The teacher sat on Fred beforehe could get started with the long story./ •/The teacher sat on Joe as soonas he began showing off./

[sit on a bomb] or [bombshell] {v. phr.}, {informal} To be inpossession of anything that is potentially disastrous or dangerous. •/Thefinance department will be sitting on a bomb unless it finds a way to cutoverhead expenses./

[sit on a volcano]{v.}, {informal} 1. To be in a place wheretrouble may start or danger may come suddenly. •/Bob was in that part ofSouth America before the revolution began. He knew he was sitting on avolcano./ •/The policemen who patrolled the big city slum area that summerwere sitting on a volcano./

[sit on one’s hands]{v. phr.}, {informal} To do nothing; fail orrefuse to do anything. •/We asked Bill for help with our project, but he saton his hands./

[sit on the fence] See: ON THE FENCE.

[sit out]{v.} To not take part in. •/The next dance is a polka.Let’s sit it out./ •/Toby had to sit out the last half of the game becausehis knee hurt./

[sitter] See: ON THE FENCE also FENCE-SITTER.

[sitting on a powder keg] See: SIT ON A VOLCANO.

[sit through]{v.} To watch or listen until (something) is finished.•/The show was so boring that we could hardly sit through the first act./•/Elaine liked the movie so much that she sat through three showings./

[sit tight]{v. phr.}, {informal} To make no move or change; staywhere you are. — Often used as a command. •/Sit tight; I’ll be ready to goin a few minutes./ •/The doctor said to sit tight until he arrived./•/The gangsters sat tight in the mountains while the police looked forthem./ Compare: STAND PAT.

[sitting on top of the world] See: ON TOP OF THE WORLD.

[sitting pretty]{adj.}, {slang} To be in a lucky position. •/Thenew library is sitting pretty because a wealthy woman gave it $10,000 worth ofreference books./ •/Mr. Jones was sitting pretty until his $25,000-a-yearjob was dropped by the company./