sell (redirected from sells short)

*the hard sell

high-pressure selling techniques. (*Typically: get ~ give someone ~.) They gave me the hard sell, but I still wouldn't buy the car. The clerk gave the customer the hard sell.

See also: hard

sell someone or something as something

to put someone or something up for consideration as something. The political party tried to sell the candidate as a responsible administrator. The sales force was told to sell the paint as the best available anywhere.

sell someone or something short

Fig. to underestimate someone or something; to fail to see the good qualities of someone or something. This is a very good restaurant. Don't sell it short. When you say that John isn't interested in music, you're selling him short. Did you know he plays the violin quite well?

See also: short

sell someone a bill of goods

Fig. to get someone to believe something that isn't true; to deceive someone. Don't pay any attention to what John says. He's just trying to sell you a bill of goods. I'm not selling you a bill of goods. What I say is true.

See also: bill, good

sell someone on something

to convince someone to do something; to convince someone to accept an idea. Mary sold me on ordering pizza for dinner. John sold Anne on switching long-distance phone companies.

sell someone out and sell someone down the river

to betray someone; to reveal damaging information about someone. Bill told everything he knew about Bob, and that sold Bob down the river. You'll be sorry if you sell me out. Lefty sold out his friends, and we'll all soon be arrested.

See also: out

sell something at something 

1. to market something at a particular price. Do you think we can sell these things at four dollars each? We cannot sell these at ten times what we paid for them!

2. to market something at something or some place. We will try to sell our old kitchen sink at the flea market in Adamsville. He sold all his watermelons at the farmers market in town.

sell something for a certain price

to market something at a certain price. I think I can sell this for twice what I paid for it. This is selling for twice the price at the shop down the street.

See also: certain, price

sell something for a song

Fig. to sell something for very little money. (As in trading something of value for the singing of a song.) I had to sell my car for a song because I needed the money in a hurry. I have two geometry books and I would sell one of them for a song.

See also: song

sell something off

to sell all of something. We ended up with a large stock of out-of-style coats and we had to sell them all off at a loss. We sold off all the excess stock.

sell something on credit

to sell something now and let the purchaser pay for it later. I'm sorry, we don't sell groceries on credit. It's strictly cash-and-carry. There is a shop around the corner that sells clothing on credit.

See also: credit

sell something out

to sell all of something. Have they sold their supply out yet? The stores sold out their stocks of that game long before Christmas.

See also: out

sell at something

[for something] to be marketed at a particular price. This coat formerly sold at twice this price. Next month, this will sell at a 60 percent markup.

sell like hotcakes

Fig. [for something] to be sold very fast. The delicious candy sold like hotcakes. The fancy new cars were selling like hotcakes.

See also: like

sell out (to someone) 

1. to sell everything, such as all one's property or one's company, to someone. The farmer finally gave up and sold out to a large corporation. I refuse to sell out no matter what they offer me.

2. to betray someone or something to someone. I think that you have sold out to the enemy!

See also: out

sell out (to someone) 

1. to sell everything, such as all one's property or one's company, to someone. The farmer finally gave up and sold out to a large corporation. I refuse to sell out no matter what they offer me.

2. to betray someone or something to someone. I think that you have sold out to the enemy!

See also: out

sell the farm and bet the farm

Fig. to liquidate all one's assets in order to raise money to invest in something. It's a risky proposition. I wouldn't bet the farm on it.

See also: farm

selling point

a feature of a product or idea that is worth mentioning when trying to sell the product or idea. The fact that the book had large type is an important selling point.

See also: point

soft sell

a polite attempt to sell something; a very gentle sales pitch. Some people won't bother listening to a soft sell. You gotta let them know you believe in what you are selling. I tried the soft sell, but that didn't work.

See also: soft

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be past your sell-by date

if someone is past their sell-by date, they are not wanted or useful any more because they are too old

Usage notes: A sell-by date is a date put on food products to show the latest date that they can be sold.

There's plenty of time to have a baby, I'm not past my sell-by date yet.

See also: date, past

go/sell like hot cakes

if things are going like hot cakes, people are buying a lot of them very fast (often in continuous tenses) The book has only just been published and copies are already selling like hot cakes in both Britain and America.

See also: cake, hot, like

pile it/them high and sell it/them cheap  (mainly British)

to sell large amounts of something at cheap prices The shops at the lower end of the clothing market have survived by piling it high and selling it cheap.

See also: and, cheap, high, pile

sell somebody/something short

to not value someone or something as much as they deserve to be valued I'm fed up with people selling this country short. (often reflexive) 'Who'd employ me at my age?' 'Don't sell yourself short! You're intelligent and you've got loads of experience.'

See also: short

sell somebody a bill of goods  (American)

to make someone believe something that is not true Politicians have sold all of us a bill of goods, that if we put more people in prison we're going to be safer. The electrician said I'd need the outdoor lighting on a different circuit - is he just selling me a bill of goods?

See also: bill, good

sell somebody down the river

to do something which harms or disappoints someone who trusted you, in order to get an advantage for yourself A lot of people feel they have been sold down the river by a government who have failed to keep their pre-election promises.

See also: river

sell your soul (to the devil)

to do something bad in order to succeed or get money or power As far as Mike was concerned, he badly wanted the job and he'd sell his soul to the devil to get it.

See go like hot cakes, the hard sell

See also: soul

the hard sell

a method of trying very hard to persuade someone to buy something even if they do not want to All I did was ask for a price list and a carpet salesman started giving me the hard sell.

See also: hard

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sell somebody/something short

to not appreciate the qualities of someone or something as much as they deserve I think her presentation really sold Morocco short.

Usage notes: sometimes used in the form sell yourself short (not have reasonable confidence in your abilities): She doesn't succeed in interviews because she always sells herself short.

See also: short

sell somebody a bill of goods

to lie about something He sold the FBI a bill of goods to stay out of jail himself.

See also: bill, good

sell somebody down the river

to do something that hurts someone who trusted you Workers complained that their leaders sold them down the river in the latest contract negotiations.

Related vocabulary: sell out somebody/something

See also: river

sell your soul (to the devil)

to accept immoral behavior in order to succeed If the day comes when I begin to sell my soul like the other managers do, that's the day I'll quit.

Etymology: from the literal idea of exchanging your soul (spirit) with the devil (the origin of evil) to get something you want

See also: soul

sell like hotcakes also sell like hot cakes

to sell quickly and in large numbers Since word got out about the Perry case, the book has been selling like hot cakes.

See also: like

sell out

to accept money to stop following your principles So many musicians simply sell out to the demands of the industry and abandon their art.

See also: out

sell out (of something)

to sell all of something, so that there is none left We sold out of the souvenir T-shirts in the first couple of hours. During the summer the campgrounds are sold out each night. Her cruises regularly book up months in advance and almost always sell out.

See also: out

sell out somebody/something also sell somebody/something out

to stop being loyal to someone or something He accused Congress of selling out the American people to lawyers who opposed the bill. I could sell you all out and go straight to the police with this information.

Usage notes: often money is the advantage that is gotten: Anyone who would sell out his own country for money deserves to go to prison for life.

Related vocabulary: sell somebody down the river

See also: out