of marijuana cigarettes: Ernie was a stick man till he started being less particular. stickup man—(Underworld) an armed robber; a mugger: Any moron could get a gun and become a stickup man . stick one’s nose out • stick one’s nose where it doesn’t belong stick one’s nose out—(coll.) go outside: I’ll just stick my nose out to see if it’s raining. Note: The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase stick one’s neck out—(coll.) behave rashly; expose oneself to danger, criticism, etc. (also: put one’s neck out): You don’t have to stick your neck out , David — I’ll stick mine out. And it’ll be a pleasure! stick one’s nose where it doesn’t belong—(also: poke one’s nose where it doesn’t belong) meddle into the business of other peo- ple: Occasionally he sticks his nose where it doesn’t belong , which makes him, by definition, an investigative journalist. stick to one’s guns • stick to one’s last stick to one’s guns—hold fast to a statement, opinion, or course of action: We were all glad that Kit stuck to her guns about divorcing him. The proceedings took place very qui- etly… stick to one’s last—keep to what one knows; refrain from doing smth. that one is not good at: The view was that I ought to stick to my last and run the program, and Jim would take care of the rest. stick up for someone • stick up to someone stick up for someone—(coll.) take the part of smb.; defend a person (also: stand up for someone): I stuck up for him and said I had always found him to be honest. stick up to someone —(coll.) meet an opponent with courage; resist a person (also: stand up to someone): If there is no one who dare stick up to him, he soon becomes intolerable. stock author • stock book stock author —a person who writes plays which form part of a repertoire of a particular theatrical company: Jones keeps a stock author , and does not rely on outsiders. stock book —a book in which an account is kept of goods in stock: Love was a sentiment too elevated for one whose imag- ination dwelt habitually on the beauties of the stock-books . stone fence • stone wall stone fence—(U.S. sl.) an alcoholic liquor: “Stone fence ” is the euphonious cognomen given to whisky which is drunk with cider instead of water. stone wall—1. parliamentary obstruction of a debate, bill, etc. by engaging in delaying tactics: The New Zealand Leg- islation indulged in what is known as a “stone wall .” 2. a body of politicians practicing “stone wall” tactics of obstruction: Mr. Smith wished to ask whether the six members constituted the “stone wall ” which was to oppose all progress? stone frigate • stone ship stone frigate—(Royal Navy) naval barracks or a shore estab- lishment named after the old frigates: She found that H.M.S. Mastodon was a stone frigate . It was Exbury Hall, about three miles up the Beaulieu River. stone ship—1. a fossilized ship discovered in the course of archeological excavations: The discovery of this stone ship has created a world sensation, not only in archaeology…. 2. (WWI) a war-time ferro-concrete ship: The carrying capacity was less for a concrete ship. The significant element in build- ing, however, was that fewer expensive trades and industries were called for in a “stone” ship . stop and smell the roses • wake up and smell the coffee stop and smell the roses—(also: take time to smell the roses) slow down and relax; take time out and enjoy or appreciate life: There is a whole lot more to life than work and worry. You got to stop and smell the roses . wake up and smell the coffee—is used to tell a person to face the facts; realize what is really happening: There is nothing you can do that will convince them to let you back into the club, so wake up and smell the coffee . stop doing something • stop to do something stop doing something—cease or give up doing smth.: The teachers had stopped attending to pupils who would certainly pass or certainly fail. stop to do something—pause in order to do smth.: He stopped to watch a half-dozen of the boys playing blackjack. stop one’s clock • stop someone’s clock • stop the clock stop one’s clock—(Chess) press one’s chess clock to measure time: The last move is not considered as made until after the player has stopped his clock . Note: The expression is not antonymous in meaning to the phrase one’s biological clock is ticking— used of a woman who may soon be too old to bear a child: Your biological clock is ticking . Why are you spending some of that precious time in a relationship about which you feel skeptical? stop someone’s clock—(sl.) kill a person: Mr. Carlson, despite the drug agents’ best efforts to stop his clock , miraculously survived three gunshot wounds. He decided to sue the gov- ernment. Note: The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase clean someone’s clock—(sl.) 1. give smb. a beating: He’s much bigger than you and could easily clean your clock . 2. defeat a person decisively in a fight or competition: If this is a battle the other side wants to have, we welcome it. We’ll clean their clock ! stop the clock—1. postpone a deadline by not counting the elapsing time: Management agreed to stop the clock so that a new contract could be negotiated before the present one expired. 2. = stop one’s clock: Either player may stop the clock to summon the arbiter to settle a dispute. stop someone’s breath • take someone’s breath away stop someone’s breath—affect smb. by a sudden strong emo- tion such as fear, etc.: Even in the dusk, the look on Sam’s face was enough to stop her breath . take someone’s breath away—inspire a person with utter delight: The thought of practicing on that splendid instrument quite took her breath away . storm petrel • stormy petrel storm petrel—any of various small sea birds of the family Hydrobatidae of the North Atlantic and the Mediterranean: As for birds, the colonies of yellow-legged gull and the nesting of the storm petrel are worth mentioning. Note: The expression is not equivalent in meaning to the phrase storm bird—1. Common Koel (Eudynamys scolopacea) a member of the cuckoo family: From a tree several yards away could be heard the monotonous coo-ee of a bird which Claud told them was the Koel, otherwise known as the storm bird . 2. Chan- nel-billed Cuckoo (Scythrops novaehollandiae) a member of the cuckoo family: Did you know that a Channel-billed Cuckoo is the proper name for the bird we commonly know as the storm bird ? stormy petrel—1. = storm petrel: Of the two species the true – 307 – storm petrel