sound someone out试探某人的建议
Have you sounded the principal out on postponing1 the final examination?

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

spick and span干干净净
The housewife always keeps her kitchen spick and span.

go for a spin出去兜风
The city dwellers2 like going for a spin to the country on weekends.

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

The spirit is willing; but the flesh is weak.力不从心
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遭到奖赏
She won her spurs as a popular writer immediately after her first book became a best-seller.

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

stand up to someone与某人大胆对抗
The soldier stood up to the officer and was place in confinement3.

thank ones lucky stars感到万幸
I should thank your lucky stars that you missed the plane which crashed into the sea.

get off to a flying start来了开门红
Our kindergarten got off to a flying start by having 100 children to sign up in the first month.

go steady with someone 与异性稳步进步关系
Mary and Tim got married after going steady with each other for two years.

watch ones step当心
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 stickler4吹毛皮的人
I dont like to go to her home. She is a stickler for neatness.

turn someones stomach让人作呕
Her sweet voice turned my stomach.

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

weather the storm度过难关
The wooden house weathered the storm.

harp5 on the same old string老调重弹
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任意摆布某人
Betty is a housewife and no income. Her husband has her dancing on a string.

pull strings8 for someone为某人走后门，幕后操作
In the material world, money pulls the strings.

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

to sweet-talk someone into doing...甜言蜜语地让某人做（不做）
The accountant sweet-talked the boss out of checking her account.