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spin
take a spin (to some place)
To go for a brief, leisurely drive (to some place). Hey Noah, fancy taking a spin to the grocery store with me? Jenny just got a new car for her birthday, so I think we're going to go take a spin after school.
go for a spin (to some place)
To go for a brief, leisurely drive (to some place). Hey Noah, fancy going for a spin to the grocery store with me? Jenny just got a new car for her birthday, so I think we're going to go for a spin after school.
take (something) for a spin
To take a brief, leisurely ride in a vehicle, especially an automobile. Do you want to go take my dad's Corvette for a spin later? Jenny just got a new car for her birthday, so I think we're going to take if for a spin after school.
spin doctor
One who manipulates information, often by attempting to present negative news as being somehow positive. The campaign's spin doctors somehow made the candidate's poor performance in the debate look like a sign that he was the more relatable candidate.
be in a spin
To be worried and flummoxed about something. Mom is in a spin because she just found out that we're hosting all of our relatives for Christmas—which is three days away.
*for a spin
and *for a ride; *for a driveto take a ride in a vehicle or on a bicycle. (*Typically: go ~; go out ~; take something ~.) Let's get out our bikes and go for a spin.
make someone's head swim
and make someone's head spin 1. Fig. to make someone dizzy or disoriented. Riding the merry-go-round makes my head spin. Breathing the gas made my head swim.
2. Fig. to confuse or overwhelm someone. All these numbers make my head swim. The physics lecture made my head spin.
put a spin on something
to twist a report or story to one's advantage; to interpret an event to make it seem favorable or beneficial to oneself or one's cause. The mayor tried to put a positive spin on the damaging polls. The pundit's spin on the new legislation was highly critical.
spin a yarn
Fig. to tell a tale. Grandpa spun an unbelievable yarn for us. My uncle is always spinning yarns about his childhood.
spin around
1. to turn around to face a different direction. Jill spun around to face her accuser. Todd spun around in his chair so he could see who was talking to him.
2. to rotate, possibly a number of times. The propellers spun around and soon the old plane began to taxi down the runway. The merry-go-round spun around at a moderate speed.
spin doctor
someone who gives a twisted or deviously deceptive version of an event. (Usually in the context of manipulating the news for political reasons.) Things were going bad for the candidate, so he got himself a new spin doctor. A good spin doctor could have made the incident appear far less damaging.
spin off
[for something] to part and fly away from something that is spinning; [for something] to detach or break loose from something. The blade of the lawn mower spun off, but fortunately no one was injured. The rusted-on nut spun off easily after I got it loosened.
spin one's wheels
to waste time; to remain in a neutral position, neither advancing nor falling back. (Fig. on a car that is running but is not moving because its wheels are spinning in mud, etc.) I'm just spinning my wheels in this job. I need more training to get ahead. The whole project was just spinning its wheels until spring.
spin out
[for a vehicle] to go out of control, spinning. You nearly spun out on that last turn! Cars were spinning out all over the highway when the ice storm hit.
spin something off
1. Lit. [for something rotating] to release a part that flies away. The propeller spun one of its blades off and then fell apart all together. It spun off one of its blades.
2. Fig. [for a business] to divest itself of one of its subparts. The large company spun one of its smaller divisions off. It spun off a subsidiary and used the cash to pay down its debt.
3. Fig. [for an enterprise] to produce useful or profitable side effects or products. We will be able to spin off a number of additional products. The development of this product will allow us to spin off dozens of smaller, innovative products for years to come.
spin something out
to prolong something. Was there really any need to spin the whole process out so long? Why did they spin out the graduation ceremony for such a long time?
spin something out of something
and spin something outto remove liquid from something by spinning. The washer spun the water out of the load of clothing. The washer spun out all the water in the clothes.
turn (over) in one's grave
and roll (over) in one's graveFig. to show enormous disfavor for something that has happened after one's death. If our late father heard you say that, he'd turn over in his grave. Please don't change the place around too much when I'm dead. I do not wish to be rolling in my grave all the time.
spin in somebody's grave
to be shocked and upset by what someone has done
Hoch said the place was like a cow pasture, which no doubt had his grandmother spinning in her grave. Usage notes: also used in the forms turn over in someone's grave and roll over in someone's grave; used to show that if someone already dead were present, they would be upset
spin off something
also spin something off1. to form a separate company from parts of an existing company The company will consider spinning off its music recording and retail businesses early next year.
2. to produce something additional “Star Trek” seems capable of spinning movies and TV series off endlessly.
spin out something
also spin something out to give the details of a story or idea LaRouche liked to spin out crazy theories all the time. We were dazzled by his ability to take a simple idea and spin it out into something amazing.
spin (your) wheels
to use a lot of effort but not get anything done For almost an hour now he had been spinning his wheels, accomplishing nothing. Seattle was spinning wheels while Texas beat New York to take a two-game lead in the division.
spin your wheels
to waste time doing something that is not effective For almost an hour he had been spinning his wheels on the telephone when he could have fixed the problem himself in less than hour.
a spin doctor
someone whose job is to make sure that the information the public receives about a particular event makes them approve of the organization they work for, usually a political party In politics, this is the age of the spin doctor and image maker.
be in a spin
to be very anxious and confused She's in a spin over the arrangements for the party.
spin somebody a line
(british) to try to make someone believe that something is true, often so that they will do what you want or not be angry with you He spun her a line about having to work late at the office.
spin your wheels
(American informal) to waste time doing things that achieve nothing (often in continuous tenses) If we're just spinning our wheels, let us know and we'll quit.
turn in your grave
(British, American & Australian) also turn over/spin in your grave (American) if you say that a dead person would turn in their grave, you mean that they would be very angry or upset about something if they knew She'd turn in her grave if she knew what he was spending his inheritance on.
make one's head spin
Cause one to be giddy, dazed, or confused, as in The figures in this tax return make my head spin. This phrase employs spin in the sense of "rapidly gyrating," a usage applied to the brain or head since about 1800.
put a spin on
Give a certain meaning or interpretation to.
Spin is usually modified by an adjective in this expression, as in
Robert was adept at putting positive spin on weak financial reports, or
This chef has put a new spin on seafood dishes. Also see
spin doctor. [1980s]
spin a yarn
Tell a story, especially a long drawn-out or totally fanciful one, as in This author really knows how to spin a yarn, or Whenever he's late he spins some yarn about a crisis. Originally a nautical term dating from about 1800, this expression probably owes its life to the fact that it embodies a double meaning, yarn signifying both "spun fiber" and "a tale."
spin control
Manipulation of news, especially political news, as in
The White House press secretary is a master of spin control. This idiom uses
spin in the sense of "interpretation," that is, how something will be interpreted by the public (also see
put a spin on). [c. 1980] Also see
spin doctor.
spin doctor
An individual charged with getting others to interpret a statement or event from a particular viewpoint, as in
Charlie is the governor's spin doctor. This term, born about 1980 along with
spin control, uses
doctor in the colloquial sense of "one who repairs something."
spin off
Derive or produce from something else, especially a small part from a larger whole. For example, The corporation decided to spin off the automobile parts division, or Her column was spun off from her book on this subject. The expression transfers the throwing off by centrifugal force, as in spinning, to other enterprises. [Mid-1900s]
spin one's wheels
Expend effort with no result, as in We're just spinning our wheels here while management tries to make up its mind. This idiom, with its image of a vehicle in snow or sand that spins its wheels but cannot move, dates from the mid-1900s.
spin out
1. Protract or prolong, as in They spun out the negotiations over a period of months. This idiom alludes to drawing out a thread by spinning. [c. 1600]
2. Rotate out of control, as in The car spun out and crashed into the store window. [Mid-1900s]
spin off
v. To derive something, such as a company or product, from some source: The television network decided to spin a new show off from its popular comedy series. The media conglomerate spun off its entertainment division.
spin out
v. To rotate out of control, as a skidding car leaving a roadway: The car spun out on the ice and crashed into the ditch.
spin doctor
n. someone who provides an interpretation of news or an event in a way that makes the news or event work to the advantage of the entity employing the spin doctor. (Usually in political contexts in reference to manipulating the news.) Things were going bad for the president, so he got himself a new spin doctor.
spin one’s wheels
tv. to waste time; to remain in a neutral position, neither advancing nor falling back. I’m just spinning my wheels in this job. I need more training to get ahead.
spin (one's) wheels
Informal To expend effort with no result.
spin the bottle
A kissing game. A weekend party of adolescents. The living room or playroom was darkened and a bunch of girls and boys sat around a circle. A boy placed an empty cola bottle on the floor in the center of the ring and spun it. The bottle stopped, its neck pointed at a girl—whom the guy got to kiss! Then it was the girl's turn . . . Ah, for the days of such innocent kissing games as “Spin the Bottle” and “Post Office” (two groups in different rooms, each person goes to the other room and kisses members of the opposite sex), where the worst that the participants could expect was to be an embarrassing surprise visit from parents or chaperone.