spray

say it, don't spray it

A humorous way of chiding someone who accidentally spat while talking. A: "So anyway, as I was saying—" B: "Hey, say it, don't spray it, Tom!" A: "Oh, sorry about that."

See also: say, spray

spray (someone or something) with (something)

To cover, coat, or soak someone or something with a stream of some mist or liquid. My parents kept spraying us with bug repellant the whole time we were camping. It got so hot that we had to spray the roads with water to keep the asphalt from melting.

See also: spray

spray (something) onto (someone or something)

To shoot a stream of some mist or liquid onto someone or something. My parents kept spraying bug repellant onto us whenever we wanted to go out for a hike. It got so hot that we had to spray water onto the road to keep the asphalt from melting.

See also: spray

spray on

1. To be able to be applied (onto someone or something) as a mist or aerosol spray. This sunblock simply sprays on, making it easy to keep you and your family protected during the summer.

2. To shoot a stream of some mist or liquid onto someone or something. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "spray" and "on." We had to keep spraying on bug repellant the whole time we were camping. It got so hot that we had to spray water on the road to keep the asphalt from melting.

See also: on, spray

spray-on

Able to be applied (onto someone or something) as a mist or aerosol spray. Spray-on sunblock is so much more convenient than the normal kind. Too bad it doesn't work. My girlfriend insists on wearing spray-on tan whenever we go out, which I think looks horribly tacky.

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

spray someone or something with something

to coat someone or something with a mist or stream of liquid. The elephant sprayed us with water. I sprayed the fence with white paint. He sprayed himself with some of the cologne.

See also: spray

spray something onto someone or something

 and spray something on

to direct a mist or stream of a liquid onto someone or something. Danny sprayed cold water onto the boys and cooled them off. Dan sprayed on some cold water. I sprayed the paint on and it dried almost immediately.

See also: spray

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.