English Idioms and Idiomatic Expressions
Alphabetical List of Idioms - P, page 15
from: 'put on thinking cap'
to: 'Pyrrhic victory'
- put on your thinking cap
- If you tell someone to put their thinking cap on,
you ask them to find an idea or solve a problem by thinking about it.
"Now here's this week's quiz; it's time to put on your thinking caps!"
- If you tell someone to put their thinking cap on,
you ask them to find an idea or solve a problem by thinking about it.
- put out feelers
- Before doing something, if you try to discover what other
people thnk about it by making discreet enquiries, you put out feelers.
"The politician put out feelers to test public reaction to his proposals."
- Before doing something, if you try to discover what other
people thnk about it by making discreet enquiries, you put out feelers.
- 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.
"My father is in good health and he feels it's too early to be 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.
- put pants on one leg at a time
- To say that someoneputs their pants on one leg at a time means that the person is a human being no different from enyone else.
"Don't be scared to speak to him. He puts his pants on one leg at a time just like the rest of us!"
- To say that someoneputs their pants on one leg at a time means that the person is a human being no different from enyone else.
- 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 deliver the goods on time."
- If you put your shoulder to the wheel, you start putting a lot of effort into a difficult task.
- put that in your pipe and smoke it
- This expression means that you have to accept what the speaker says, whether you like it or not.
"I'm not going to buy you a scooter, so put that in your pipe and smoke it!"
- This expression means that you have to accept what the speaker says, whether you like it or not.
- put the kibosh on
- If you do something to prevent a plan or activity from happening
or developing, you put the kibosh on it.
"The bank's refusal to grant him a loan put the kibosh on Jack's project."
- If you do something to prevent a plan or activity from happening
or developing, you put the kibosh on it.
- put the squeeze on
- If you put the squeeze on someone, you put pressure on them to force them to do something.
"Bob was reluctant to work with Ben until the boss put the squeeze on him."
- If you put the squeeze on someone, you put pressure on them to force them to do something.
- put through one's 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 new machine was put through its paces."
- If you put someone or something through their paces,
you test their ability to do something by making them perform certain actions.
- put two and two together
- A person who canput two and two together is capable
of reaching the right conclusion based on the information they have.
"Forget your explanation. She won't believe you. She can put two and two together!"
- A person who canput two and two together is capable
of reaching the right conclusion based on the information they have.
- put words in someone's mouth
- If you claim 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!"
- If you claim that someone has said something, or suggest what
they should say, you are putting words in their mouth.
- Pyrrhic victory
- A victory that is obtained at a tremendous cost, or causes
such a great loss that it is not worth winning, is called a Pyrrhic victory.
"It was a Pyrrhic victory. The shop owner won the lawsuit but went bankrupt because of the legal expenses involved."
- A victory that is obtained at a tremendous cost, or causes
such a great loss that it is not worth winning, is called a Pyrrhic victory.
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