English idioms - Alphabetical list P

	Idiom	Meaning
P	Put through their paces	If you put someone or something through their paces, you test their ability to do something by making them perform certain actions. "During the presentation, the machine was put through its paces."
	Pack of lies	A large number of untruthful statements is referred to as a pack of lies. "The story about her unhappy childhood turned out to be a pack of lies."
	Ahead of the pack	If a person or organization is ahead of the pack, they are better or more successful than their rivals. "Our products will have to be more innovative if we are to stay ahead of the pack."
	Pack something in	If you pack something in, you abandon it or give it up. "She found city life so stressful, she decided to pack it in and move to the country."
	Packed like sardines	If a group of people are packed like sardines, they are pressed together tightly and uncomfortably because there is not enough space. "The bus was very crowded - we were packed like sardines!"
	Pad the bill	If someone pads the bill, they add false items to a bill or invoice in order to increase the total amount. "Check the invoice carefully before paying - he tends to pad the bill!"
	Paddle one's own canoe	If you paddle your own canoe, you do what you want to do without help or interference from anyone. "He decided to paddle his own canoe and set up his own company."
	Paid peanuts	If you are paid peanuts, you have a very low salary. "Anne has a very interesting job but she's paid peanuts. Her salary is very low. "
	Paint the town red	If you paint the town red, you go out and enjoy a lively evening in bars, night-clubs, etc. "To celebrate the victory, the team's supporters painted the town red."
	Paint oneself into a corner	If you paint yourself into a corner, you get yourself into a bad situation that it is difficult or impossible to get out of. "Andy painted himself into a corner by signing a contract with a friend who turned out to be incompetent."
	Paper over the cracks	To say that someone is papering over the cracks means that they are concealing a problem rather than dealing with it effectively. "The measures taken to reduce unemployment are just paper over the cracks."
	Paper trail	If a person or organisation leaves a paper trail, they leave evidence in writing or in document form that will serve as proof of their actions. "The police found a paper trail which lead to the author of the hoax."
	Parting shot	A parting shot is a final remark, often incisive or disparaging, made just as one is leaving. "He has a way of making parting shots that can be very discouraging."
	Partner in crime	A person who helps you to plan something dishonest or unlawful is called your partner in crime. (This expression can be used jokingly as in this example.) "Sam was my partner in crime. He hid my son's new bicycle until his birthday."
	The party is over	To say that the party is over means that a period of happiness, freedom, enjoyment etc. has come to an end, and life is going to return to normal. "I had a wonderful time here but the party's over and I must get back to work."
	Pass the buck	If you say that someone is passing the buck, you are accusing them of not taking responsibility for a problem and letting others deal with it instead. "Whenever a customer comes to complain, she always finds a way of looking busy. Talk about passing the buck!"
	Pass muster	If someone or something passes muster, they are considered to be satisfactory or acceptable. "The interview went well. I hope I'll pass muster."
	Passing fancy	If you have a passing fancy for something, you become fond of it for a short time. "My father started collecting stamps a few years ago, but it was just a passing fancy."
	(Not a) patch on	If someone or something is not a patch on an other, they are not nearly as good. "His second conference wasn't a patch on the first one.
	Pay dividends	Something which pays dividends brings an advantage or benefit at a later date. "Making an effort to improve your English will pay dividends later on."
	Throw pearls to the pigs (cast pearls before swine)	This expression means that it is a waste to offer something valuable or useful to someone who does not understand or appreciate it. "She had a beautifully trained voice but the audience didn't listen - talk about throwing pearls to pigs!"
	Like two peas in a pod	To say that two people are like two peas in a pod means that they are very similar in appearance. "It wasn't difficult to identify the brothers - they were like two peas in a pod!"
	Not the only pebble on the beach	To say that someone is not the only pebble on the beach means that they are not the only person worth consideration or interest. "He thinks his refusal to join the team will cause problems, but there are alternatives ... he's not the only pebble on the beach."
	A square peg in a round hole	To say that a person is a "square peg in a round hole", means that they are not suitable for the job they are doing or the situation they are in.
	A pen pusher	To refer to someone as a "pen pusher" means you think that person does work which requires little action, just office work, and they they lack operating experience.
	The pen is mightier than the sword	This expression means that words and communication have greater effect than war and fighting. "The treaty put an end to the hostilities - the pen is mightier than the sword!"
	The penny drops	When a person has difficulty understanding or realizing something, and then the penny drops, they finally understand. "The teasing continued for some time until the penny dropped and he realized it was a joke!"
	A penny for your thoughts	This phrase is used to ask someone what they are thinking about. "You look pensive. A penny for your thoughts."
	Perish the thought	This expression is used when the speaker really hopes that something will not happen. "If I lost my job, perish the thought, I don't know how we'd survive."
	Pervert the course of justice	If a person perverts the course of justice, they tell a lie or prevent the police from finding out the truth about something. "The suspect was accused of trying to pervert the course of justice"
	Pester power	This expression refers to the power children exert over their parents by continually nagging or pestering them until they accept to buy advertised toys or fashionable products. "Pester power leads busy parents to buy more and more for their children."
	Pick someone's brains	If you pick someone's brains, you ask questions about a particular subject in order to obtain advice or information. "Could we have lunch together? I'd like to pick your brains about something."
	Pick holes	If someone picks holes in something such as a plan, an idea or an argument, they criticize it or try to find fault with it. "Why don't you make a suggestion instead of picking holes in all my ideas!"
	Pick up the pieces	After something disastrous has happened, if you pick up the pieces, you do what you can to get the situation back to normal again. "After fire destroyed their house, it took them a long time to pick up the pieces."
	Pick up steam	If something such as a project or process picks up steam, it starts to develop or become more active. "The campaign started slowly but it picked up steam after Christmas."
	Pick up the tab	If you pick up the tab, you pay the bill or pay the cost of something. "There was a celebration lunch for the group and Bill picked up the tab."
	In a pickle	If you are in a pickle, you are in a difficult situation and need help. "My car won't start and the trains are on strike today - I'm in a real pickle!"
	Picture is worth a thousand words	This expression means that a picture can give just as much information as a large amount of descriptive text. "Look at the picture of the crash! A picture is worth a thousand words isn't it?"
	Piece of the action	When someone wants a piece of the action, they want to participate in what other people are doing and benefit from it. "The songwriter thought the show would be a success so he wanted a piece of the action."
	Go to pieces	If you go to pieces, for example after a terrible shock, you are so upset or distressed that you cannot lead a normal life . "Jack nearly went to pieces when his son died in a plane crash."
	Pigs might fly	To say pigs might fly expresses disbelief, or the idea that miracles might happen but are extremely unlikely. "My grandmother buying a computer? ...Yeah! ...and pigs might fly!"
	Make a pig of yourself	If you make a pig of yourself, you eat and drink too much. "Watch what you eat - don't make a pig of yourself!"
	A bitter pill to swallow	A bitter pill to swallow is something very difficult or unpleasant to accept. "Losing his job after organizing the merger was a bitter pill to swallow."
	Pillar to post	If a person, usually someone in difficulty, goes from pillar to post, they move constantly from place to place. "When the factory closed down, Billy moved from pillar to post in search of a new job."
	Pink elephants	This term refers to hallucinations or strange imaginary things seen by people as a result of heavy drinking or the use of narcotics. "No more drinks for me please, otherwise I'll be seeing pink elephants!"
	In the pink of health	If you are in the pink of health, you are in excellent physical condition or extremely healthy. "Caroline looked in the pink of health after her holiday."
	Tickled pink.	If you say you are tickled pink, you are very pleased about something.
	Have pins and needles	To have pins and needles is to have a tingling sensation in a part of the body, for example an arm or a leg, when it has been in the same position for a long time.
	In the pink of health	If you are in the pink of health, you are in excellent physical condition or extremely healthy. "Caroline looked in the pink of health after her holiday."
	In the pipeline	If something is in the pipeline, it is in progress or being organized at the moment.
	The pits	If something is referred to as the pits, it is considered to be absolutely the worst. "That magazine really is the pits!"
	Plan B	Plan B is an alternative solution to be adopted if one's original plan does not succeed. "The idea is to get a caterer to provide the food if it's not too expensive. If it's too costly, Plan B is to organize a buffet with the help of my friends."
	Plain sailing	An activity or task that is plain sailing is without difficulty or free from trouble. "Once the plans were accepted, it was plain sailing all the way."
	Plastic smile	A person with a plastic smile is wearing a forced smile which makes them appear happier than they really are. "A receptionist greeted customers with a plastic smile."
	Play with fire	People who take unnecessary risks or behave in a dangerous way are playing with fire. "Driving alone on isolated roads is playing with fire."
	Play footsie	If you play footsie with someone, you touch their feet lightly, especially under the table, to show your interest. "Pete says they were playing footsie at the office Christmas lunch."
	Play the game	If you play the game, you accept to do things according to the rules laid down by others.
	Play havoc	If someone or something plays havoc, they cause disorder and confusion. "The floods played havoc with the construction work."
	Play the market	If you play the market, you buy stocks and shares in the hope of making a profit when you sell them. "It's always tempting to play the market, but it's more risky at the present time."
	Play by the rules	If you play by the rules, you behave in a fair and honest way with people. "You can trust him, don't worry. He always plays by the rules."
	Play into someone's hands	If you play into someone's hands, you do exactly what your opponent or enemy wants you to do, so that they gain an advantage over you. "When the leaders of the protest movement became violent, they played right into the hands of the police."
	Play second fiddle	If you play second fiddle to somebody, you accept to be second in importance to that person, or have a lower position.
	Play for time	If you play for time, you try to delay or prevent something from happening in order to gain an advantage. "He decided to play for time in the hope that the price would decrease."
	Play truant	If you play truant, you stay away from school without permission or excuse
	Play a waiting game	If you play a waiting game, you deliberately delay taking action in order to be able to act more effectively later. "The cat kept its eyes on the bird, carefully playing a waiting game."
	As pleased (or as proud) as punch	Someone who is as pleased (or as proud) as punch is delighted or feels very satisfied about something. "Danny was as proud as punch when he won the tennis match."
	Pluck something out of the air	To pluck something out of the air means to say a name, date, number, etc. spontaneously, without thinking about it. "What are we going to call the cat?" "I just plucked a name out of the air and said "How about Daisy?"
	A plum in your mouth	Someone who speaks with an upper class accent is said to have a plum in their mouth. "He speaks just like an aristocrat - with a plum in his mouth!"
	Point of no return	When you reach the point of no return, you must continue what you have started, because you have gone so far that it is impossible to go back. "I've agreed to speak and accepted the fee. I've now reached the point of no return and must make the speech I promised."
	Is the Pope Catholic?	A sarcastic way of answering a question in the affirmative when the answer is obviously 'yes'. "Do birds fly? Of course they do! Is the Pope catholic?"
	The pot calling the kettle black	This expression is used to refer to a situation where a person with a fault criticizes someone else for having the same fault. "After being disqualified for not obeying the rules, the player accused another competitor of cheating; it was a case of the pot calling the kettle black!"
	Pour cold water on something	If you pour cold water on someone's plans, opinions or ideas, you discourage them by showing little enthusiasm or expressing your misgivings. "The committee threw cold water on the idea of accepting new members."
	Pour your heart out	If you pour your heart out to someone, you express your feelings and troubles freely. "When she needs to pour her heart out to someone, she goes to visit her grandmother."
	Pregnant pause	A pregnant pause is a moment of silence full of unexpressed meaning or significance. "There was a pregnant pause before the president answered the journalist's question."
	Press (something) home	If you press something home, you insist on a point in a discussion or argument. "Her lawyer kept pressing home the fact that she was a single mother."
	Pressed for time	If you're pressed for time, you have hardly enough time to do something, so you must hurry. "Sorry. I can't talk to you now - I'm a bit pressed for time."
	Pretty penny	If something costs you a pretty penny, it costs you a lot of money. "That new car must have cost him a pretty penny!"
	Prey on someone's mind	If something preys on your mind, it troubles you so much that you keep thinking about it. "The vision of the house on fire kept preying on her mind."
	Price oneself out of the market	If you price yourself out of the market, you charge such a high price for your goods or services that nobody buys them. "He was so eager to make money that he priced himself out of the market."
	Prick up your ears	If you prick up your ears, you suddenly pay attention to what is being said. "The children pricked up their ears when they heard the word 'cookies'."
	Prod someone into doing something	If you prod someone into doing something, you make a slow or hesitant person do something that they are reluctant to do. "She was ideal for the job, but I had to prod her into applying for the position."
	Keep a low profile	People who keep a low profile avoid doing things that will draw attention to them.
	Prolong the agony	If someone prolongs the agony, they make an unpleasant or tense situation last longer than necessary. "Please don't prolong the agony. Just tell me whether I've been accepted or not."
	The proof of the pudding is in the eating.	This expression means that something new can only be judged after it has been tested.
	Proud as a peacock	A person who is as proud as a peacock is extremely proud. "When his son won first prize, Bill was as proud as a peacock."
	Pull a fast one	To pull a fast one means to gain an advantage over someone by deceiving them. "The street vendor pulled a fast one on Tom. He sold him a big bunch of roses, but wrapped a smaller bunch while Tom was taking out his wallet."
	Pull no punches	When someone pulls no punches, they speak openly and honestly, holding nothing back. "The doctor pulled no punches. He explained in detail the risks of the operation.
	Pull out all the stops	If you pull out all the stops, you do everything you can to make something successful. "We'll have to pull out all the stops to get the store ready for the opening day."
	Pull somebody's leg	If you pull somebody's leg, you tease them by telling them something that is not true. "Of course I'm not going to buy a sports car. I was just pulling your leg!"
	Pull strings	If somebody pulls strings, they use influential friends in order to obtain an advantage. "David found a job easily - his Dad just pulled a few strings!"
	Pull the plug (on something)	If you pull the plug on something, you put an end to it or provide no more support for it. "There were so few enrolments that the school decided to pull the plug on the yoga class.
	Pull through	If you pull through, you recover from a serious illness.
	Pull the rug from under someone's feet	If you pull the rug from under someone's feet, you suddenly and unexpectedly remove all help or support. "When Andy's mother stopped sending him money, she pulled the rug from under his feet and forced him to find a job."
	Pull your weight	If you say that someone pulls their weight, you mean that they do their fair share of the work. "It's great working with Sandra. She always pulls her weight."
	Punch above one's weight	If you punch above your weight, you try to perform at a level that is considered to be beyond your ability. "She submitted her idea for the 'invention of the year' award, knowing that she was punching above her weight."
	Punch line	The punch line is the funny sentence that ends a joke or an amusing story. "When my dad tells jokes, he never gets the punch line right!"
	Push the envelope	When you push the envelope, you do something in an extreme way, or exceed the limits of what is considered acceptable. "Some TV programmes really push the envelope when they expose people's private lives."
	Push one's luck	If you push your luck, you try to get more than what you have already obtained, and risk spoiling the situation. "You've got your father's permission to go to the concert. Don't push your luck by trying to borrow his car!"
	If/when push comes to shove.	You use the expression if, or when, push comes to shove, to refer to what you will do if the situation becomes critical and you have to make a decision or take action. "There should be enough room for everyone, but if push comes to shove we can go to the hotel."
	Pushing up the daisies	If you say of someone that they are pushing up the daisies, you mean that they are dead. "Old Johnny Barnes? He's been pushing up the daisies for over 10 years!"
	Put it mildly	This expression means that you express your opinion or reaction in a controlled way, without exaggeration. "She's three years old and already able to read. That's promising, to put it mildly."
	Put your feet up	When you put your feet up, you sit down and relax. "You must be tired. Come in and put your feet up."
	Put one's foot in one's mouth	If you put your foot in your mouth, you do or say something that offends, upsets or embarrasses someone else. "She really put her foot in her mouth when she mentioned the housewarming party - Andy hadn't been invited!"
	Put one's house in order	If you put your house in order, your organize your own affairs or improve your methods before criticizing others. "The government should put its own affairs in order before telling other countries what to do."
	Put out to pasture	To say that someone has been put out to pasture means that they have been forced to retire or give up their responsibilities. "He's in good health and feels it's too early to be put out to pasture."
	Put someone in the picture	If you give somebody all the information necessary to enable them to fully understand a situation, you put them in the picture. "Let me put you in the picture about what happened during your absence."
	Put the squeeze on someone	If you put the squeeze on somebody, you put pressure on them to force them to act in a particular way. "Bob was reluctant to replace his colleague until the boss put the squeeze on him."
	Put your best foot forward	If someone puts their best foot forward, they do something as fast as they can. "It's a long way to the station, but if I put my best foot forward I should catch the next train."
	Put on a brave face	When confronted with difficulties, if you put on a brave face, you try to look cheerful and pretend that the situation is not as bad as it is. "Even at the worst of times she put on a brave face."
	Put a damper on something	If someone or something puts a damper on a situation or event, they make it less successful or enjoyable. "The party was going great until the neighbour's complaints put a damper on it."
	Put that in your pipe and smoke it!	You have to accept what I say, whether you like it or not. "I am not going to buy you a scooter, so put that in your pipe and smoke it!"
	Put on ice	To say that a plan or project is put on ice means that all further action has been postponed for an indefinite period of time. "Plans for a nuclear power station have been put on ice."
	Put out feelers	If a person or organization puts out feelers, they cautiously check the views of others. "The politician put out feelers to test public reaction to his future proposals."
	Put one's foot in one's mouth	If you put your foot in your mouth, you do or say something that offends, upsets or embarrasses someone else. "She really put her foot in her mouth when she mentioned the housewarming party - Andy hadn't been invited!"
	Put a spanner in the works (Throw a (monkey) wrench in the works)	To put a spanner in the works means to cause problems and prevent something from happening as planned. (In the US, the word 'wrench' or 'monkey wrench' is used instead of 'spanner'.)
	Put your shoulder to the wheel	If you put your shoulder to the wheel, you start putting a lot of effort into a difficult task. "We'll have to put our shoulders to the wheel to get the store ready for the opening day."
	Put somebody through their paces	If you put someone or something through their paces, you test their ability to do something by making them perform certain actions. "During the presentation, the machine was put through its paces."
	Put somebody on the spot	If you put somebody on the spot, you put them in a difficult situation, for example by asking embarrassing or difficult questions which they cannot avoid. "When the reporter was asked to reveal his source, he was really put on the spot."
	Put words in somebody's mouth	If you claim, wrongly, that someone has said something, or suggest what they should say, you are putting words in their mouth. "You're putting words in my mouth. I did not say I saw Mr. Brown; I said I saw his car!"