stack (redirected from sea stacks)

*black as a skillet and *black as a stack of black cats; *black as a sweep; *black as coal; *black as night; *black as pitch; *black as the ace of spades

completely dark or black. (*Also: as ~.) I don't want to go down to the cellar. It's as black as a skillet down there. Her hair was black as a stack of black cats. After playing in the mud all morning, the children were as black as night. The stranger's clothes were all black as pitch.

See also: black, skillet

blow a fuse 

1. to burn out the fuse on an electrical circuit and lose power. The microwave oven blew a fuse, so we had no power. You'll blow a fuse if you use too many appliances at once.

2. and blow one's fuse; blow a gasket; blow one's cork; blow one's lid; blow one's top; blow one's stack Fig. to explode with anger; to lose one's temper. Come on, don't blow a fuse. Go ahead, blow a gasket! What good will that do?

See also: blow, fuse

stack something against someone or something

to make a pile of something that leans against someone or something. (See also stack the deck (against someone or something).) Watch what you are doing! Why are you stacking the books against me? They will fall when I move. stack the books against the wall.

See also: against

stack something up

to make a stack of things. (Also without the up.) Where should I stack them up? Please stack up these boxes.

See also: up

stack the deck (against someone or something) and stack the cards (against someone or something)

to arrange things against someone or something. (Originally from card playing; stacking the deck is to cheat by arranging the cards to be dealt out to one's advantage.) I can't get ahead at my office. Someone has stacked the cards against me. Do you really think that someone has stacked the deck? Isn't it just fate?

See also: deck

stack up

[for something] to accumulate, as in stacks. Your work is stacking up. You will have to work late to finish it. I hate to let my work stack up. I have to do it sooner or later.

See also: up

stack up to someone or something

[for someone or something] to measure up favorably when compared to someone or something. How do you think I stack up to Liz? My car stacks up pretty well to yours.

See also: up

swear on a stack of Bibles and swear on one's mother's grave

to state something very earnestly, pledging to tell the truth. (~ a Stack of Bibles refers in an exaggerated way to swearing to tell the truth in court by placing one's hand on a Bible.) I swear on a stack of Bibles that I am telling the truth. Of course, I'm telling the truth. I swear on my mother's grave!

See also: Bible, swear

---

blow your stack/top  (informal)

to suddenly become very angry My mother blew her top when she saw the mess we'd made in the kitchen.

See also: blow

blow a fuse/gasket  (informal)

to become very angry and shout or behave in a violent way Jim'll blow a fuse if he finds you here. When her husband realised how much she'd spent he blew a gasket.

See also: blow, fuse

stack the deck  (mainly American)

to arrange something in a way that is not fair in order to achieve what you want

Usage notes: This phrase comes from the idea of arranging a set of cards in a card game so that you will win.

The manager stacked the deck in Joe's favor so he got the promotion.

See blow stack

See also: deck

---

stack the deck also the deck is stacked against you

to arrange something so that it is unfair to someone We wanted to make sure no one was stacking the deck in their favor. The deck truly is stacked against the poor.

Etymology: based on a way of cheating in a card game by secretly arranging the cards so that you will win

See also: deck

stack up (against something)

to compare with something else We wondered how London restaurants stacked up against Atlanta's.

See also: up