[small] or [wee hours] {n. phr.} The very early hours of themorning between 1 and 4 A.M. •/My brother was in trouble for coming home inthe small hours./ See: WEE HOURS.

[small talk]{n. phr.} General idle conversation. •/At the partythere was the usual kind of small talk about the cost of living increase andthe war in Africa./

[small-time]{adj.}, {informal} Unimportant; minor; with littlepower or importance. •/He has a job as a drummer with a small-time band./•/It is a small-time business, but it may grow./ Contrast: BIG-TIME.

[small wonder] See: NO WONDER.

[smash hit]{n.}, {informal} A very successful play, movie oropera. •/The school play was a smash hit./

[smell a rat]{v. phr.}, {informal} To be suspicious; feel thatsomething is wrong. •/Every time Tom visits me, one of my ashtraysdisappears. I’m beginning to smell a rat./ •/When the policeman saw a lightgo on in the store at midnight, he smelled a rat./

[smell out] See: FERRET OUT.

[smell up]{v.}, {informal} To make a bad smell. •/A skunksmelled up our yard last night./ •/Mr. Brodsky’s cigar smelled up theliving room./

[smile] See: CRACK A SMILE.

[smoke] See: CHAIN-SMOKE, GO UP IN FLAMES or GO UP IN SMOKE, PUT THAT INYOUR PIPE AND SMOKE IT, WATCH ONE’S DUST or WATCH ONE’S SMOKE.

[smoke like a chimney]{v. phr.}, {informal} To smoke very heavilyand continuously. •/"If you continue smoking like a chimney" the doctor toldmy uncle, "you’ll wind up in the hospital with lung cancer."/

[smoke out]{v. phr.} 1. To force out with smoke. •/The boys smoked asquirrel out of a hollow tree./ •/The farmer tried to smoke some gophersout of their burrows./ 2. {informal} To find out the facts about. •/Ittook the reporter three weeks to smoke out the whole story./

[smoke-out]{n.} A successful conclusion of an act of investigativejournalism revealing some long-kept secrets. •/Journalist Bob Woodward wasthe hero of the Watergate smoke-out./

[smoke screen]{n. phr.} A camouflage; a veil; something used to coveror hide something. •/June hides her commercial interests behind a smokescreen of religious piety./

[Smokey Bear] or [Smokey-the-Bear] or [the Smokies] {n.},{slang}, {citizen’s band radio jargon} A policeman; a patrol car;frequently abbreviated as Smokey. •/Slow down, Smokey’s ahead!/ •/ASmokey is on the move, heading east./

[smooth away]{v.} To remove; (unpleasant feelings) take away. •/Mr.Jones' new job smoothed away his worry about money./

[smooth down]{v.} To make calm; calm down. •/Mrs. Smith’s feelingswere hurt and we couldn’t smooth her down./

[smooth over]{v.} To make something seem better or more pleasant; tryto excuse. •/Bill tried to smooth over his argument with Mary by making herlaugh./ Syn.: GLOSS OVER. Compare: PATCH UP.

[smooth sailing] See: PLAIN SAILING.

[snail’s pace]{n.} A very slow movement forward. •/Time moved at asnail’s pace before the holidays./ •/The donkey on which he was ridingmoved at a snail’s pace./

[snake in the grass]{n. phr.}, {informal} A person who cannot betrusted; an unfaithful traitor; rascal. •/Did Harry tell you that? He’s asnake in the grass!/ •/Some snake in the grass told the teacher ourplans./

[snap] See: COLD SNAP.

[snap it off] See: MAKE IT SNAPPY.

[snap one’s fingers at]{v. phr.} To show contempt for; show no respectfor; pay no attention to; scorn; disregard. •/John snapped his fingers at thesign that said "Do not enter," and he went in the door./ •/The highway signsaid "Speed limit, 35 miles per hour," but when a driver snapped his fingers atit by going 55 miles an hour, a motorcycle policeman arrested him./

[snap out of]{v.}, {informal} To change quickly from a bad habit,mood, or feeling to a better one. — Often used with "it". •/Mary was unhappywhen her fiance abandoned her, but she snapped out of it when she met a newyoung man./ •/The coach told the lazy player to snap out of it./

[snappy] See: MAKE IT SNAPPY.

[snapshot]{n.} A small photograph, unlike a professional portrait.•/We took several snapshots of the scenery while driving around theisland./

[snap up]{v.}, {informal} To take or accept eagerly. •/Eggs wereon sale cheap, and the shoppers snapped up the bargain./ •/Mr. Hayes toldBob that he would take him skiing, and Bob snapped up the offer./

[sneak] See: QUARTERBACK SNEAK.

[sneak away] See: SLIP AWAY.

[sneak up on] See: CREEP UP ON.

[sneeze at]{v.}, {informal} To think of as not important; not takeseriously. — Used with negative or limiting words and in questions. •/Mr.Jones was chosen by his party to run for President. He was not elected, but tobe chosen to run is not to be sneezed at./ •/If you think Mrs. Green’stests are things to be sneezed at, you have a surprise coming./ •/ Is athousand dollars anything to sneeze at?/ •/John finished third in a racewith twenty other runners. That is nothing to sneeze at./

[sniff out] See: FERRET OUT.

[snow in]{v.} To block up or trap by much snow; keep inside, •/Afterthe storm the farmer and his family were snowed in for three days./ •/Thetrain went off the track and the passengers were snowed in for several days./

[snow job]{n.}, {slang}, {informal} 1. Insincere orexaggerated talk designed to gain the favors of someone. •/Joe gave Sue asnow job and she believed every word of it./ 2. The skillful display oftechnical vocabulary and prestige terminology in order to pass oneself off asan expert in a specialized field without really being a knowledgeable worker inthat area. •/That talk by Nielsen on pharmaceuticals sounded very impressive,but I will not hire him because it was essentially a snow job./

[snow under]{v.} 1. To cover over with snow. •/The doghouse wassnowed under during the blizzard./ 2. {informal} To give so much ofsomething that it cannot be taken care of; to weigh down by so much ofsomething that' you cannot do anything about it. — Usually used in thepassive. •/The factory received so many orders that it was snowed under withwork./ •/The disabled girl was snowed under with Christmas letters./

[snuff] See: UP TO PAR or UP TO SNUFF.

[snug as a bug in a rug]{adj. phr.} Comfortable; cozy. •/"Are youwarm enough?" the boy’s mother asked. "Yeah," he replied, "I’m snug as a bug ina rug."/

[so] See: AND SO FORTH or AND SO ON, EVEN SO, EVERY NOW AND THEN or EVERYSO OFTEN, HOW SO, IN SO MANY WORDS, IS THAT SO, OR SO, THUS AND SO.

[soak in] See: SINK IN.

[soak up]{v.} 1. To take up water or other liquid as a sponge does.•/The rag soaked up the water that I spilled./ 2. To use a sponge orsomething like a sponge to take up liquid. •/John soaked up the water withthe rag./ 3. {informal} To take up into yourself in the way a spongetakes up water. •/Mary was lying on the beach soaking up the sun./•/Charles soaks up facts as fast as the teacher gives them./

[so-and-so(1)]{pronoun}, {informal} Someone whose name is notgiven. •/Don’t tell me what so-and-so thinks. Tell me what you think./