Commonly-Used Idioms, Sayings and phrasal verbs - "P" Idioms ppt

Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 637 P pack a punch/wallop - to provide a burst of energy/power/excitement The storm packed a wallop and did much damage to the coast. a pack of lies - a series of lies Everything that the man said was a pack of lies and nobody believed him. pack them in - to attract a lot of people The new restaurant is able to pack them in with its new and exciting menu. packed in like sardines - to be packed very tightly The commuters on the train were packed in like sardines during the morning rush hour. pad the bill - to add false expenses to a bill The salesman always pads the bill when he goes on a business trip. Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 638 paddle one's own canoe - to do something by oneself I was forced to paddle my own canoe when the rest of the staff went away for a seminar. a pain in the neck/ass - an annoying/bothersome thing or person Dealing with my neighbor is always a pain in the neck. paint oneself into a corner - to get into a bad situation that is difficult or impossible to get out of My friend has painted himself into a corner now that he has begun to fight with his supervisor. paint the town red - to go out and party and have a good time We decided to go out and paint the town red after we passed our exams. pal around (with someone) - to be friends with someone I have begun to pal around with a friend from my evening language class. pale around the gills - to look sick My colleague was looking a little pale around the gills when he came to work today. Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 639 palm (something) off on (someone) - to deceive someone by a trick or a lie, to sell or give something by tricking The man palmed off his old television set as one that was new and reliable. pan out - to end or finish favorably, to work out well "I hope that your plans to go back to school pan out." paper over the cracks (in/of something) - to try to hide faults or difficulties Our boss is trying to paper over the cracks in the office and will not deal with the problems of the staff. par for the course - to be just what was expected, to be nothing unusual That was par for the course. He always comes late when there is a lot of work to do. paradise (on earth) - a place on earth that is as lovely as paradise The resort in the mountains was paradise on earth. part and parcel of (something) - a necessary or important part of something The house that we bought is part and parcel of a much larger piece of property. part company (with someone) - to leave someone, to depart from someone The two business partners decided to part company and begin their own businesses. Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 640 partake of (something) - to eat or drink something I decided not to partake of the large dinner before the golf tournament. partial to (someone or something) - favoring or preferring someone or something Our boss is partial to the new person who recently began to work in our company. the particulars of (something) - the specific details about something I have no knowledge of the particulars of my father's business dealings. parting of the ways - a point at which people separate and go their own ways I had a parting of the ways with my closest friend from high school. party line - the official ideas of a group (usually political) that must be followed by all members The members of the political party were forced to follow the party line on most issues. the party's over - a happy or good time has come to an end The party's over and I must now begin to work after my long holiday. Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 641 pass Idioms pass away - to die His father passed away when he was 96 years old. pass for/as (someone or something) - to succeed in being accepted as someone or something The young woman was trying to pass for a reporter when she went to the concert. pass muster - to pass a test or checkup, to measure up to a certain standard The player was not able to pass muster and was not included on the team. pass off (something) as (something else) - to sell or give something by false claims, to offer something as genuine when it is not The man passed off the watch as a diamond watch and received more money than it was worth. pass on - to die My grandmother passed on when she was 92 years old. pass on (something) - to give away something that you don`t use anymore The girl always passes on her old clothes to her younger sister. Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 642 pass oneself off as (someone or something) else - to claim to be someone one is not, to pretend to be someone else My friend passed himself off as a reporter and was able to get into the concert free. pass out - to faint Three teenage girls passed out at the rock concert. pass the buck - to shift responsibility to someone else Our supervisor always tries to pass the buck if someone tries to criticize his work. pass the hat - to attempt to collect money for some project We passed the hat in order to raise money for the movie projector. pass the time - to fill up time by doing something My grandfather usually passes the time reading and working in his garden. pass through (someone's) mind - to think about something briefly, to remember something briefly It passed through my mind that I would need to go to the bank and get more money before my holiday. Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 643 . a passport to (something) - something that allows something good to happen A university education is often a passport to a better job. a past master at (something) - someone who is extremely good or skillful at something The chef is a past master at cooking with various kinds of sauces. past (someone or something's) prime - to be beyond the most useful or productive period of someone or something The young skater is past her prime as a figure skater. a pat on the back - praise My boss gave me a pat on the back after I finished the project. patch up (something) - to fix something I have been trying to patch up my differences with my friend for many months. path of least resistance - the easiest way I took the path of least resistance and decided to quit the class rather than try to pass the course. Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 644 pave the way for (someone or something) - to prepare someone or something for something The new company policy is designed to pave the way for more effective communication in the company. pay Idioms pay a call on (someone) - to visit someone I went to the head office to pay a call on the accounting manager. pay a king's ransom for (something) - to pay a great deal of money for something My friend paid a king's ransom for his new stereo system. pay an arm and a leg (for something) - to pay too much money for something I paid an arm and a leg for the new frames for my glasses. pay as you go - to pay costs as they occur or as you buy some goods The small business was forced to pay as they go when the bank began to look at their loan. pay attention to (someone or something) - to look at something with full attention, to listen to someone with full attention The man never pays attention to what his supervisor tells him. Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 645 pay dirt - dirt in which much gold is found, a profitable or useful discovery or venture The company hit pay dirt when they published the new computer software. pay for (something) - to pay money for something I paid for dinner for my friends. pay homage to (someone) - to praise/respect/honor someone The entire country paid homage to their dead leader. pay in advance - to pay for something before it is received or delivered I paid in advance to get the frames for my pictures. pay lip service to (something) - to express loyality or support for something insincerely The city council paid lip service to the concerns of the taxpayers. pay off - to yield good results My risks in starting the new business finally paid off. pay off (something) - to pay something in full and be free from a debt She finally paid off her car loan so she now has some extra money to spend. Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 646 a pay-off - the results of one`s work, a bribe The young man expects to get a big pay-off from his university education when he begins to look for a job. pay one's debt to society - to serve a sentence for a crime (usually in prison) The young man spent several years in prison in order to pay his debt to society. pay one's dues - to earn one's right to something through hard work or suffering The young athlete worked hard to pay his dues in order to get on the best team in the city. pay one's last respects - to attend the funeral of someone Our family gathered to pay their last respects to our grandmother. pay one's own way - to pay the costs for something by oneself The young man was forced to pay his own way during college. pay (someone) a back-handed compliment - to give someone a false compliment that is really an insult The woman paid her colleague a back-handed compliment when she told her what a good job she was doing. [...]... Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com pitch a tent - to put up a tent We pitched the tent in a field beside a stream pitch-black - to be very black It was pitch-black when we left the restaurant to return home pitch camp - to set up or arrange a campsite We stopped for the night next to a small river and pitched camp pitch-dark - very dark It was pitch-dark when I took the garbage out to the garbage can pitch in - to give help or... vacation a pink slip - a dismissal notice from a job He received his pink slip yesterday and no longer has a job pins and needles - a tingling feeling in one's arms and legs, feeling excitement I was on pins and needles all day as I waited to hear the results of the exam pipe down - to be quiet, to get quiet The teacher asked the children to pipe down in the classroom a pipe dream - an unrealistic plan... a lot of money is as good as trying to earn money penny-wise and pound-foolish - wise or careful in small things/purchases but not wise or careful about bigger things/purchases He is penny-wise and pound-foolish and is always wasting his money on things that he does not need people who live in glass houses should not throw stones - do not complain about other people if you yourself are not perfect "You... do in the future pipe up - to speak louder We asked the speaker to pipe up so that we could hear him 657 Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com pipe up with (something) - to speak up and say something The student piped up with a comment from the back of the class piping hot - extremely hot The food from the kitchen was piping hot when the waiter brought it to the table a pip-squeak - a small and unimportant person The... at her husband for very small things pick at (something) - to eat only little bits of something The boy was sick and would only pick at his food pick holes in (something) - to find all the flaws and falsehoods in an argument, criticize something severely My supervisor picked holes in my argument to buy a new computer for the office a pick-me-up - food or a drink that one takes when one feels tired or... before place the blame on (someone or something) - to blame someone or something The teacher placed the blame on the boys for breaking the flower vase plain and simple - absolutely, without further complication or elaboration It was plain and simple I decided to buy the car and I did not want to talk about it further play Idioms play a joke/trick on (someone) - to do a joke/trick that affects someone The... middle/center) - to scheme in a way that pits two sides against each other The man was trying to play both ends against the middle when he tried to negotiate with the two departments in his company play by ear - to play a musical instrument by remembering the tune and not by reading the music Although the woman can't read music she can play by ear and is a very good musician a play-by-play description - a description... it is taking place The announcer gave a play-by-play description of the championship game play cat and mouse with (someone) - to tease or fool someone/something by pretending to let them go free and then catching him/her/it again The boxer was playing cat and mouse with his opponent although he could have won the match easily play down (someone or something) - to give less emphasis to someone or something,... about the broken window play into (someone`s) hands - to do something that gives someone else an advantage If you walk out of the meeting in anger you will only play into the hands of the other side play it by ear - to decide to do something according to the situation Let`s play it by ear and decide where to eat after we see the movie play it cool - to act calm and not concerned I tried to play it cool... with (someone) - to start a quarrel with someone (usually on purpose) I do not like that woman because she likes to pick a quarrel with others pick and choose - to choose very carefully from a number of possibilities The company made an effort to pick and choose the best people for the new project pick at (someone) - to be very critical of someone The woman is always picking at her husband for very small . money. penny-wise and pound-foolish - wise or careful in small things/purchases but not wise or careful about bigger things/purchases He is penny-wise and pound-foolish and is always wasting. pick-me-up - food or a drink that one takes when one feels tired or lacks energy I stopped at the restaurant on my way home from work for a quick pick-me-up. the pick of (something) - the. paint the town red - to go out and party and have a good time We decided to go out and paint the town red after we passed our exams. pal around (with someone) - to be friends with someone