A dictionary of Confusable Phrases: More Than 10,000 Idioms and Collocations

select committee • selection committee
select committee —a committee consisting of a small number
of members, selected to investigate smth.: The select commit-
tee studying motorized snow vehicles spent the better part of
a day’s sitting listening to an expert.
selection committee —a committee appointed to choose a par-
ticular individual or individuals: If George had been a member
of the Olympic Games Selection Committee, he would have
signed this woman up immediately.
self-righteous • self-righting
self-righteous —sure of the superiority of one’s personal
beliefs and actions: It is in this manner, and not with a self-
righteous attitude, that we should approach the incidents
which sometimes occur.
self-righting —(usually of a boat) able to turn right side up
after being capsized: They initially planned to market the res-
cue tool, and Peter’s design for a self-righting life raft.
sell oneself to someone • sell someone out to
someone
sell oneself to someone —
1
. present oneself in a favorable light;
convince other people of one’s merits: You’re selling yourself
to your employer, and attitude and dress are really all you
need for that. Cf.: sell oneself short— underestimate oneself: My
parents have always taught me to take pride in everything I
do and not to sell myself short. 2. sacrifice one’s principles,
– 291 –
sell oneself to someone

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especially for monetary gain: That literally was the straw which
broke the camel’s back, where they asked me to sell myself to
the government.
sell someone out to someone —betray a person deceitfully to
his adversary: It is revealed that she is just as ruthless as her
employer, selling him out to the presidium in order to take
over as chairman…