[spitting image]{n.} or [spit and image] {informal} An exactlikeness; a duplicate. •/John is the spitting image of his grandfather./•/That vase is the spitting image of one I wanted to buy in Boston./Compare: LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON.

[spit up]{v.} To vomit a little. •/The baby always spits up when heis burped./ •/Put a bib on the baby. I don’t want him to spit up on hisclean clothes./

[split end]{n.} An end in football who plays five to ten yards outfrom the tackle in the line. •/The split end is one of the quarterback’s mostimportant targets for passes./ Contrast: TIGHT END.

[split hairs]{v. phr.} To find and argue about small and unimportantdifferences as if the differences are important. •/John is always splittinghairs; he often starts an argument about something small and unimportant./•/Don’t split hairs about whose turn it is to wash the dishes and make thebeds; let’s work together and finish sooner./

[split second]{n.} A very short time; less than a second. •/Thelightning flash lasted a split second, and then disappeared./

[split the difference]{v. phr.}, {informal} To settle a moneydisagreement by dividing the difference, each person giving up half. •/Boboffered $25 for Bill’s bicycle and Bill wanted $35; they split thedifference./

[split ticket]{n.} A vote for candidates from more than one party.•/Mr. Jones voted a split ticket./ •/An independent voter likes a splitticket./ Contrast: STRAIGHT TICKET.

[split up]{v. phr.} 1. To separate; get a divorce. •/After threeyears of marriage, the unhappy couple finally split up./ 2. To separatesomething; divide into portions. •/The brothers split up their father’sfortune among themselves after his death./

[split-up]{n.} A separation or division into two or many smallerparts. •/The split-up of our company was due to the founder’s untimelydeath./

[spoil for]{v. phr.} To want something very badly; be belligerent orpugnacious about something. •/After a few drinks it became embarrassinglyevident that Hal was spoiling for a fight./ Compare: HANKER AFTER, LUST FOR.

[spoken for]{adj.} Occupied; reserved; taken; already engaged ormarried. •/"Sorry, my boy," Mr. Jones said condescendingly, "but my daughteris already spoken for. She will marry Fred Wilcox next month."/

[sponge] See: THROW IN THE SPONGE.

[sponge bath]{n.} A bath with a cloth or sponge and a little water.•/During the drought the family had only sponge baths./ •/The family tooksponge baths because they had no bathtub./

[sponge on] or [off] {v. phr.} To exploit parasitically; dependupon for support. •/He is already forty years old, but he refuses to go towork and sponges off his retired parents./

[spoon] See: BORN WITH A SILVER SPOON IN ONE’S MOUTH.

[spoon-feed]{v.} 1. To feed with a spoon. •/Mothers spoon-feed theirbabies./ 2a. To make something too easy for (a person). •/Bill’s motherspoon-fed him and never let him think for himself./ •/Alice depended on hermother for all decisions because she had been spoon-fed./ 2b. To make(something) too easy for someone. •/Some students want the teacher tospoon-feed the lessons./

[sporting blood]{n.} Willingness to take risks; spirit of adventure.•/The cowboy’s sporting blood tempted him to try to ride the wild horse./•/The boy’s sporting blood caused him to run away with a circus./

[spot] See: HIT THE HIGH SPOTS, HIT THE SPOT, JOHNNY-ON-THE-SPOT, ON THESPOT or UPON THE SPOT also IN A SPOT, SORE SPOT.

[spot check]{n. phr.} A sample check or investigation. •/InternalRevenue Service employees often conduct a spot check of individual returns whenthe figures don’t add up./

[spotlight] See: STEAL THE SPOTLIGHT.

[spread it on thick] See: LAY IT ON or LAY IT ON THICK.

[spread like wildfire]{v. phr.} To spread uncontrollably and rapidly.•/Bad news has a tendency to spread like wildfire./

[spread oneself too thin]{v. phr.} To try to do too many things at onetime. •/As the owner, chef, waiter, and dishwasher of his restaurant, Pierrewas spreading himself too thin./

[spring a leak]{v. phr.} 1. To develop a hole (said of boats) throughwhich water can enter, threatening the boat to sink. •/When our small boatsprang a leak, we rapidly returned to shore to fix it./ 2. To be threatenedby some oncoming danger. •/Our firm sprang a leak when the vice presidentsuddenly died of a heart attack./

[spring chicken]{n.}, {slang} A young person. — Usually used with"no". •/Mr. Brown is no spring chicken, but he can still play tennis well./•/The coach is no spring chicken, but he can show the players what to do./

[spring on one]{v. phr.} To approach someone unexpectedly with anunpleasant idea or project. •/Our firm was merely six weeks old when theysprang the news on me that I had to go to Algiers to open a new branchthere./

[spring up]{v. phr.} To arise suddenly. •/Small purple flowers werespringing up all over our backyard./

[sprout wings]{v. phr.} 1. To enter the stage after a period ofdevelopment when wings appear (said of larvae that turn into butterflies).•/The dragonflies suddenly sprouted wings and are flying all about in thepark./ 2. To become good and virtuous (as if airborne). •/Joe has helpedmany colleagues in need; he seems to have sprouted wings./

[spruce up]{v.}, {informal} To make clean or neat. •/Maryspruced up the house before her company came./ •/John spruced himself upbefore he went out on his date./

[spur] See: ON THE SPUR OF THE MOMENT, WIN ONE’S SPURS.

[squad] See: FIRING SQUAD.

[square] See: FAIR AND SQUARE, SHOOT STRAIGHT or SHOOT SQUARE.

[square away]{v. phr.} 1. To arrange the sails of a ship so that thewind blows from behind. •/The captain ordered the crew to square away andsail before the wind./ 2. {informal} To put right for use or action. — Often used in the passive or participle. •/The living room was squared awayfor the guests./ •/Harry got into trouble, but his scoutmaster talked withhim and got him squared away./ Syn.: STRAIGHTEN OUT. 3. {informal} Tostand ready to fight; put up your fists. •/Jack and Lee squared away./Syn.: SQUARE OFF.

[squared away]{adj. phr.} Looked after properly; tucked away;arranged. •/My first two daughters are happily married, but my third one,Jennifer, isn’t squared away yet./

[square deal]{n. phr.} 1. Equitable or fair treatment. •/We areproud to say that at this firm every employee gets a square deal./ ContrastNEW DEAL, RAW DEAL.

[square meal]{n. phr.} A full, nourishing well-balanced meal. •/Therefugees looked as if they hadn’t had a square meal in months./

[square off]{v. phr.}, {informal} To stand ready for fighting withthe fists. •/The two boxers squared off when the bell rang./

[square oneself with]{v. phr.} To apologize; re-establish friendshipwith; make amends. •/"Mr. Alien is very angry with you for leaving the firm,"Bob said. "It will take more than a few words and a drink to square yourselfwith him."/

[square one’s shoulders]{v. phr.} To stand strong and ready to givebattle; be brave. •/Jack squared his shoulders and entered the game./•/Graduates must square their shoulders and face the world./