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[sell one a bill of goods]{v. phr.} To persuade another to acquire something useless; defraud. •/We were sure sold a bill of goods when Alfred persuaded us to buy his custom-built car for which replacement parts weren’t available anywhere./

[sell one on]{v. phr.} To persuade someone to do something. •/We were able to sell our wealthy uncle on the idea of having a joint family vacation in Hawaii./

[sellout]{n.} 1. A betrayal or act of treason. •/The spy’s behavior during the Cold War was a classical sellout./

[sell out]{v.} 1a. To sell all of a certain thing which a store has in stock. •/In the store’s January white sale the sheets and pillowcases were sold out in two days./ 1b. To sell all the stock and close the store; go out of business. •/The local hardware store sold out last month and was replaced by a cafe./ 2. {informal} To be unfaithful to your country for money or other reward; be disloyal; sell a secret; accept a bribe./ •/In the Revolutionary War, Benedict Arnold sold out to the British./ •/The dishonest wrestler sold out to his opponent for a hundred dollars./

[sell short]{v.} To think (a person or thing) less good or valuable than is true; underestimate. •/Don’t sell the team short; the players are better than you think./ •/Some teachers sold John short./

[sell snow to the Eskimos]{v. phr.} To sell something to people who already have a large quantity of the same or similar goods. •/My Alaskan friend said, "One of the hottest businesses in Alaska is refrigeration. You could say that I, as a refrigerator expert, am selling snow to the Eskimos."/ See: CARRY COALS TO NEWCASTLE.

[send C.O.D.] See: C.O.D.

[send off]{v. phr.} To say good-bye to someone ceremoniously. •/They sent us off to the Mainland from our first visit to Hawaii with an elaborate champagne party at the pier./

[send-off]{n. phr.} A demonstration of affection or respect at someone’s departure, as a retirement ceremony. •/When our colleague retired after 35 years of teaching, we all got together at the Faculty Club and gave him a terrific send-off./

[send one about one’s business]{v. phr.} To dismiss someone summarily; tell one off. •/When Mrs. Atwater discovered that her daughter’s French tutor was an ordinary fortune hunter, she sent him about his business./ Compare: SEND ONE PACKING.

[send one packing]{v. phr.} To fire someone summarily. •/When the boss caught Smith stealing from the cash register, he sent him packing./ Compare: SEND ONE ABOUT ONE’S BUSINESS.

[send to the minors]{v. phr.} To dismiss someone; tell them off; terminate a relationship. — A baseball term. •/"What did you do to your girlfriend?" Ernie asked Bert, when Bert started dating Jane. "I sent her to the minors," Bert answered with a sneer./

[send up]{v. phr.}, {colloquial} To sentence (someone) to prison. •/Did you know that Milton Shaeffer was sent up for fifteen years?/

[send word]{v. phr.} To send notification to; advise. •/When his father fell seriously ill, we sent word to Mike to come home as quickly as possible./

[senior citizen]{n.} An older person, often one who has retired from active work or employment. •/Mrs. North, the history teacher, is a senior citizen./

[sense] See: COME TO ONE’S SENSES, HORSE SENSE, MAKE SENSE, OUT OF ONE’S HEAD or OUT OF ONE’S SENSES.

[separate the men from the boys]{v. phr.}, {informal} To show who has strength, courage and loyalty and find who do not. •/When the ship hit an iceberg and sank, it separated the men from the boys./ •/The mile run separates the men from the boys./

[separate the sheep from the goats] See SEPARATE THE MEN FROM THE BOYS.

[serve] See: FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED.

[serve a sentence]{v. phr.} To be in jail. •/Charlie served four years of an eight-year sentence, after which he was paroled and released./

[serve notice]{v. phr.} 1. To notify one’s employer in a formal or legal manner that one is quitting the former’s employment. •/She gave notice to her boss that she was quitting because of marriage./ 2. To notify an employee or a tenant that one no longer needs their services or wishes to have them as tenants. •/The new landlady gave notice to several families in our building because they were late in paying their rent./

[serve one right]{v. phr.} To be what (someone) really deserves as a punishment; be a fair exchange for what (someone) has done or said or failed to do or say. •/He failed his exam; it served him right because he had not studied./ •/Bob said it served Sally right when she cut her finger; she had taken his knife without asking him./ Compare: ASK FOR, HAVE IT COMING.

[serve time] See: SERVE A SENTENCE.

[serve up]{v.} To prepare and serve (as a food). •/Father caught a trout and Mother served it up at dinner./

[service] See: AT ONE’S SERVICE, CURB SERVICE, LIP SERVICE, OF SERVICE, ROOM SERVICE.

[session] See: BULL SESSION.

[set] See: GET SET.

[set ablaze]{v. phr.} To cause to burn by lighting with a match or other incendiary device. •/The criminals poured gasoline on the house and set it ablaze with a small lighter./

[set about]{v.} To begin; start. •/Benjamin Franklin set about teaming the printer’s trade at an early age./ •/After breakfast, Mother set about her household duties./

[set afire] or [set on fire] See: SET ABLAZE.

[set aside]{v.} 1. To separate from the others in a group or collection. •/She set aside the things in the old trunk which she wanted to keep./ 2. To select or choose from others for some purpose. •/The governor set aside a day for thanksgiving./ 3. To pay no attention to (something); leave out. •/The complaint was set aside as of no importance./ 4. {formal} To refuse to accept; annul; cancel as worthless or wrong. •/The Supreme Court set aside the decision of the lower courts./

[setback]{n.} A disadvantage; a delay. •/We suffered a major setback when my wife lost her job./

[set back]{v.} 1. To cause to put off or get behind schedule; slow up; check. •/The cold weather set back the planting by two weeks./ 2. {informal} To cause to pay out or to lose (a sum of money); cost. •/His new car set him back over $3000./

[set back on one’s heels] or [knock back on one’s heels] {v. phr.}, {informal} To give an unpleasant surprise; upset suddenly; stop or turn back (someone’s) progress. •/Jack brags too much and it set him back on his heels when the coach told him he wasn’t as good a player as he thought he was./ •/Jean was doing very well in school until sickness knocked her back on her heels./ Compare: KNOCK FOR A LOOP, THROW FOR A LOSS.

[set down]{v.} 1. To write; record. •/He set down all his important thoughts in his dairy./ •/At the beginning of his letter Dan set down the date./ Syn.: PUT DOWN. 2. To stop a bus or other vehicle and let (someone) get off. •/The bus driver set her down at the corner./ 3. To put into some group; classify; consider. •/When he heard the man speak, he set him down as a fool./ 4. To explain; think a reason for. •/The teacher set down the boy’s poor English to his foreign birth./

[set eyes on] See: LAY EYES ON.

[set fire to]{v. phr.} To cause to burn; start a fire in. •/The sparks set fire to the oily rags./ Compare: CATCH FIRE.

[set foot]{v. phr.} To step; walk; go. — Used with a negative. •/She would not let him set foot across her threshold./ •/She told the boy not to set foot out of the house until he had finished supper./

[set forth]{v.}, {formal} 1. To explain exactly or clearly. •/The President set forth his plans in a television talk./ 2. To start to go somewhere; begin a trip. •/The troop set forth on their ten-mile hike early./ Compare: SET OUT.

[set free]{v. phr.} To liberate. •/The trapper set all the small animals free before the snowstorm hit./

[set great store by] See: SET STORE BY.

[set in]{v.} To begin; start; develop. •/Before the boat could reach shore, a storm had set in./ •/He did not keep the cut clean and infection set in./ •/The wind set in from the east./

[set in one’s ways]{adj. phr.} Stubborn; opinionated; unchangeable. •/My grandfather is so old and set in his ways that he’ll eat nothing new./

[set loose] See: LET LOOSE(1a).

[set off]{v.} 1. To decorate through contrast; balance by difference. •/The bright colors of the birds were set off by the white snow./ •/A small gold pin set off her plain dark dress./ 2. To balance; make somewhat equal. •/Her great wealth, as he thought, set off her plain face./ 3a. To begin to go. •/They set off for the West in a covered wagon./ Compare: SET OUT. 3b. To cause to begin. •/A letter from home set off an attack of homesickness./ •/An atomic explosion is created by setting off a chain reaction in the atom./ Compare: TOUCH OFF. 3c. To cause to explode. •/On July 4 we set off firecrackers in many places./

[set of new threads]{n. phr.} New men’s suit. •/"Nice set of new threads'" Ed said, when he saw Dave in his new tailor-made outfit./

[set on] also [set upon] {v.} 1. To begin suddenly to fight against; attack fiercely. •/Tom was walking through the park when a gang of boys set on him./ 2. To cause to attack. •/Some boys went to steal melons but the farmer set his dog on them./

[set one’s cap for]{v. phr.}, {informal} To attempt to win the love of or to marry. •/Usually used of a girl or woman./ •/The young girl set her cap for the new town doctor, who was a bachelor./

[set one’s face against]{v. phr.}, {literary} To be very much against; strongly disapprove. •/The banker’s daughter wanted to marry a poor boy, but her father set his face against it./

[set one’s hand to] See: PUT ONE’S HAND TO.

[set one’s hand to the plow] See: PUT ONE’S HAND TO THE PLOW.

[set one’s heart on]{v. phr.} To want very much. •/He set his heart on that bike./ also: To be very desirous of; hope very much to succeed in. — Used with a verbal noun. •/He set his heart on winning the race./

[set one’s house in order] See: PUT ONE’S HOUSE IN ORDER.

[set one’s mind at rest]{v. phr.} To relieve someone’s anxieties; reassure someone. •/"Lef me set your mind at rest about the operation," Dr. Vanek said. "You’ll be back on your feet in a week."/

[set one’s mind on]{v. phr.} To be determined to; decide to. •/He has set his mind on buying an old chateau in France./

[set one’s sights]{v. phr.} 1. To want to reach; aim for. •/John has set his sights higher than the job he has now./ 2. To wish to get or win. •/Owen set his sights on the championship./

[set one’s teeth on edge]{v. phr.} 1. To have a sharp sour taste that makes you rub your teeth together. •/The lemon juice set my teeth on edge./ 2. To make one feel nervous or annoyed. •/She looks so mean that her face sets my teeth on edge./

[set on foot] See: ON FOOT.

[set out]{v.} 1. To leave on a journey or voyage. •/The Pilgrims set out for the New World./ Compare: SET FORTH(2), SET OFF(4), START OUT. 2. To decide and begin to try; attempt. •/George set out to improve his pitching./ 3. To plant in the ground. •/The gardener set out some tomato seedlings./

[set right]{v. phr.} To discipline; correct; indicate the correct procedure. •/"Your bookkeeping is all messed up," the accountant said. "Let me set it right for you, once and for all."/

[set sail]{v. phr.} To begin a sea voyage; start sailing. •/The ship set sail for Europe./