secondhand
Used; not new; preowned.
Sometimes a secondhand car is just as reliable as a brand new one.
section hand
A worker who repairs railway track; one of the men in a section gang.
The section hands moved off the track while the train went by.
see how the land lies
To reconnoiter; investigate.
Before going there in person to ask for a job, you had better see how the land lies and who does what.
shake hands
To exchange greetings by clasping hands.
When people meet for the first time, they usually shake hands.
The student warmly shook hands with his old professor.
short and sweet
Brief and to the point.
Henry's note to his father was short and sweet. He wrote, "Dear Dad, please send me $5. Love, Henry."
shorthanded
Understaffed; short on workers.
With several employees gone for the holiday weekend and two dozen people in line, the rent-a-car agency suddenly found itself terribly shorthanded.
show of hands
An open vote during a meeting when those who vote yes and those who vote no hold up their hands to be counted.
The chairman said, "I'd like to see a show of hands if we're ready for the vote."
show one's hand
To reveal or exhibit one's true and hitherto hidden purpose.
Only after becoming Chancellor of Germany did Adolf Hitler really show his hand and reveal that he intended to take over other countries.