sound someone out試探某人的建議
Have you sounded the principal out on postponing^{1 the final examination?}

call a spade a spade有哪些就怎么說
We are good friends. Call a spade a spade. Dont tell me in a round-about way.

spick and span干干凈凈
The housewife always keeps her kitchen spick and span.

go for a spin出去兜風
The city dwellers^{2 like going for a spin to the country on weekends.}

spine-chilling讓人毛骨悚然
He likes horrible films. Those spine-chilling pictures to us are pleasant to his eyes.

The spirit is willing; but the flesh is weak.力不從心
A: How many times have you tried quitting smoking? B: Its not that the spirit is not willing, but that the flesh is weak.

win ones spurs遭到獎賞
She won her spurs as a popular writer immediately after her first book became a best-seller.

put the squeeze on someone對某人施加重壓
The new situation is putting the squeeze on all companies engaged in this business.

stand up to someone與某人大膽對抗
The soldier stood up to the officer and was place in confinement^3.

thank ones lucky stars感到萬幸
I should thank your lucky stars that you missed the plane which crashed into the sea.

get off to a flying start來了開門紅
Our kindergarten got off to a flying start by having 100 children to sign up in the first month.

go steady with someone 與異性穩步進步關系
Mary and Tim got married after going steady with each other for two years.

watch ones step當心
Youre better watch your step when you go out with John. He is a trouble-maker.

a stick-in the-mud老古董
He is a stick=in-the-mud and will never invest his money in stock.

be a stickler^{4吹毛皮的人
I dont like to go to her home. She is a stickler for neatness.}

turn someones stomach讓人作嘔
Her sweet voice turned my stomach.

fall between two stools雞飛蛋打
Tying to straddle two boats, he took up two jobs with two salaries. At last, unable to do either well.

weather the storm度過難關
The wooden house weathered the storm.

harp^{5 on the same old string老調重彈
He really gets on my nerves. He always harps6 on the same old string by promising7 us a paid holiday., but he never keeps it.}

have someone dancing on a string任意擺布某人
Betty is a housewife and no income. Her husband has her dancing on a string.

pull strings^{8 for someone為某人走后門，幕后操作
In the material world, money pulls the strings.}

be stuck on someone迷戀上某人
Tom was stuck on the girl at the first meeting although it was a blind date.

to sweet-talk someone into doing...甜言蜜語地讓某人做（不做）
The accountant sweet-talked the boss out of checking her account.