[piggy-back]{adj.} or {adv.} Sitting or being carried on the shoulders. •/Little John loved to go for a piggy-back ride on his father’s shoulders./ •/When Mary sprained her ankle, John carried her piggy-back to the doctor./
[piggy bank]{n.} A small bank, sometimes in the shape of a pig, for saving coins. •/John’s father gave him a piggy bank./
[pigheaded]{adj.} Stubborn; unwilling to compromise. •/"Stop being so pigheaded!" she cried. "I, too, can be right sometimes!"/
[pig in a poke]{n. phr.} An unseen bargain; something accepted or bought without looking at it carefully. •/Buying land by mail is buying a pig in a poke: sometimes the land turns out to be under water./
[pig out]{v. phr.} 1. To eat a tremendous amount of food. •/"I always pig out on my birthday," she confessed./ 2. To peruse; have great fun with; indulge in for a longer period of time. •/"Go to bed and pig out on a good mystery story," the doctor recommended./
[pile up]{v. phr.} 1. To grow into a big heap. •/He didn’t go into his office for three days and his work kept piling up./ 2. To run aground. •/Boats often pile up on the rocks in the shallow water./ 3. To crash. •/One car made a sudden stop and the two cars behind it piled up./
[pile-up]{n.} 1. A heap; a deposit of one object on top of another. •/There is a huge pile-up of junked cars in this vacant lot./ 2. A large number of objects in the same place, said of traffic. •/I was late because of the traffic pile-up on the highway./
[pill] See: BITTER PILL.
[pillar of society]{n. phr.} A leading figure who contributes to the support and the well-being of his/her society; a person of irreproachable character. •/Mrs. Brown, the director of our classical symphony fund, is a true pillar of society./
[pillar to post] See: FROM PILLAR TO POST.
[pimple] See: GOOSE BUMPS or GOOSE PIMPLES.
[pin] See: ON PINS AND NEEDLES.
[pinch] See: TAKE WITH A GRAIN OF SALT also TAKE WITH A PINCH OF SALT, WHERE THE SHOE PINCHES.
[pinch and scrape]{v. phr.} To save as much money as possible by spending as little as possible. •/They are trying to buy their first house so they are pinching and scraping every penny they can./
[pinch-hit]{v.} 1. To substitute for another player at bat in a baseball game. •/Smith was sent in to pinch-hit for Jones./ 2. {informal} To act for a while, or in an emergency, for another person; take someone’s place for a while. •/I asked him to pinch-hit for me while I was away./ •/The president of the City Council pinch-hits for the mayor when the mayor is out of town./ — [pinch-hitter] {n.} •/Jones was hit by a pitched ball and Smith came in as a pinch-hitter./ •/When our teacher was sick, Mrs. Harris was called as a pinch-hitter./ — [pinch-hitting] {adj.} or {n.} •/Pinch-hitting for another teacher is a hard job./
[pinch pennies]{v. phr.}, {informal} Not spend a penny more than necessary; be very saving or thrifty. •/When Tom and Mary were saving money to buy a house, they had to pinch pennies./ — [penny-pincher] {n.}, {informal} A stingy or selfish person; miser. •/He spent so little money that he began to get the name of a penny-pincher./ — [penny-pinching] {adj.} or {n.}, {informal} •/Bob saved enough money by penny-pinching to buy a bicycle./
[pin curl]{n.} A curl made with a hair clip or bobby pin. •/Mary washed her hair and put it up in pin curls./ •/All the girls had their hair in pin curls to get ready for the party./
[pin down]{v.} 1a. To keep (someone) from moving; make stay in a place or position; trap. •/Mr. Jones' leg was pinned down under the car after the accident./ •/The soldier was pinned down in the hole because rifle bullets were flying over his head./ 1b. To keep (someone) from changing what (he) says or means; make (someone) admit the truth; make (someone) agree to something. •/Mary didn’t like the book but I couldn’t pin her down to say what she didn’t like about it./ •/I tried to pin Bob down to fix my bicycle tomorrow, but he wouldn’t say that he could./ 2. To tell clearly and exactly; explain so that there is no doubt. •/The police tried to pin down the blame for the fire in the school./
[pine away]{v. phr.} To waste away with grief. •/After George was sent abroad, his wife pined away for him so much that she became ill./
[pink] See: IN THE PINK, TICKLE PINK.
[pink around the gills] See: GREEN AROUND THE GILLS.
[pin money]{n. phr.} Extra money used for incidentals. •/She has a regular full-time job but she earns extra pin money by doing a lot of baby-sitting./
[pin one’s ears back]{v. phr.}, {slang} 1. To beat; defeat. •/After winning three games in a row, the Reds had their ears pinned back by the Blues./ 2. To scold. •/Mrs. Smith pinned Mary’s ears back for not doing her homework./
[pin one’s faith on]{v. phr.} To depend upon; trust. •/We pinned our faith on our home basketball team to win the state finals, and they did!/
[pin one’s heart on one’s sleeve] See: WEAR ONE’S HEART ON ONE’S SLEEVE.
[pint-size]{adj.}, {informal} Very small. •/The new pint-size, portable TV sets have a very clear picture./ •/It was funny to hear a pint-size voice coming out of a great big man./
[pinup girl]{v. phr.} An attractive girl whose picture is pinned or tacked to the wall by an admirer. •/Some Hollywood actresses are understandably very popular pinup girls among male soldiers./
[pipe] See: PUT THAT IN YOUR PIPE AND SMOKE IT.
[pipe down]{v.} 1. To call (sailors) away from work with a whistle. •/He piped the men down after boat drill./ 2. {slang} To stop talking; shut up; be quiet. •/"Oh, pipe down," he called./ — Often considered rude.
[pipe dream]{n.}, {informal} An unrealizable, financially unsound, wishful way of thinking; an unrealistic plan. •/Joe went through the motions of pretending that he wanted to buy that $250,000 house, but his wife candidly told the real estate lady that it was just a pipe dream./ Compare: PIE IN THE SKY.
[piper] See: PAY THE PIPER.
[pipe up]{v.}, {informal} To speak up; to be heard. •/Mary is so shy, everyone was surprised when she piped up with a complaint at the club meeting./ •/Everyone was afraid to talk to the police, but a small child piped up./
[pip-squeak]{n.}, {informal} A small, unimportant person. •/If the club is really democratic, then every little pip-squeak has the right to say what he thinks./ •/When the smallest boy was chosen to be the monitor, the class bully said he would not obey a little pip-squeak./
[piss off]{v.}, {slang}, {vulgar}, {avoidable} To bother; annoy; irritate. •/You really piss me off when you talk like that./ — [pissed off] {adj.} •/Why act so pissed off just because I made a pass at you?/
[pit against]{v.} To match against; oppose to; put in opposition to; place in competition or rivalry with. •/The game pits two of the best pro football teams in the East against each other./ •/He pitted his endurance against the other man’s speed./ •/He was pitted against an opponent just as smart as he was./
[pit-a-pat]{adv.} With a series of quick pats. •/When John asked Mary to marry him, her heart went pit-a-pat./ •/The little boy ran pit-a-pat down the hall./
[pitch] See: WILD PITCH.
[pitch a curve] or [a curve ball] {v. phr.} To catch someone unawares; confront someone with an unexpected event or act. •/My professor pitched me a curve ball when he unexpectedly confronted me with a complicated mathematical equation that was way over my head./
[pitch dark]{adj.} Totally, completely dark. •/A starless and moonless night in the country can be pitch dark./
[pitcher] See: LITTLE PITCHERS HAVE BIG EARS, RELIEF PITCHER, STARTING PITCHER.
[pitchfork] See: RAIN CATS AND DOGS or RAIN PITCHFORKS.
[pitch in]{v.}, {informal} 1. To begin something with much energy; start work eagerly. •/Pitch in and we will finish the job as soon as possible./ 2. To give help or money for something; contribute. •/Everyone must pitch in and work together./ •/We all pitched in a quarter to buy Nancy a present./ Syn.: CHIP IN. Compare: FALL TO.
[pitch into]{v.}, {informal} 1. To attack with blows or words. •/He pitched into me with his fists./ •/He pitched into the idea of raising taxes./ Syn.: LAY INTO(1),(2), RIP INTO. 2. To get to work at; work hard at. •/She pitched into the work and had the house cleaned up by noon./ •/He pitched into his homework right after dinner./ Compare: LAY INTO, SAIL INTO.
[pitch out]{v.} 1. To deliberately throw a pitch outside of the home plate in baseball so that the batter cannot hit the ball and the catcher can make a quick throw. •/The catcher wanted the pitcher to pitch out and see if they could catch the runner stealing./ 2. To toss the ball easily to a football back. •/The quarterback faked to the fullback and pitched out to the halfback going wide./
[pitch woo]{v. phr.}, {slang} To kiss and hug; make love. •/Mary and John pitched woo in the movies./ •/While Bob drove, Betty and Jim sat in the back pitching woo./
[pity] See: TAKE PITY ON or TAKE PITY UPON.
[place] See: HEART IN THE RIGHT PLACE, HIGH PLACE, IN PLACE, INSTEAD OF or IN PLACE OF, IN THE FIRST PLACE, JUMPING-OFF PLACE, LIGHTNING NEVER STRIKES TWICE IN THE SAME PLACE, OUT OF PLACE, PUT IN ONE’S PLACE, PUT ONESELF IN ANOTHER’S PLACE, TAKE PLACE.
[plague on both your houses] or [plague o' both your houses] Bad luck to both of you! — Used to show disgust at those who wont stop quarreling. •/The bus drivers went on strike because the bus company would not raise their pay. After several weeks, the people who needed to ride the bus to work said, "A plague on both your houses."/
[plain Jane]{n. phr.} A common or simple looking young woman or girl. •/When we were in school, Ann was a plain Jane, but she blossomed out and even won the title of Miss Indiana./
[plain] or [smooth sailing] {n. phr.} An uncomplicated, unhampered, or easy course. •/For a graduate of such a famous university as he was, that assignment was plain sailing./
[plain white wrapper]{n.}, {slang}, {citizen’s band radio jargon} Unmarked police car. •/There’s a plain white wrapper at your rear door!/ See: BROWN PAPER BAG.
[plan] See: LAY AWAY PLAN.
[plank] See: WALK THE PLANK.
[plan on]{v.} 1. To have the plan of; have in mind. — Used with a verbal noun. •/I plan on going to the movies after I finish my homework./ •/Mary was planning on seeing John at the baseball game./ Syn.: FIGURE ON. 2. To think you will do or have; be sure about; expect. •/I’m hoping to go away for the weekend, but I’m not planning on it./ •/We can’t order the food for the party until we know how many people to plan on./ •/We planned on Mary for the decorations, but she is sick./
[plate] See: HOME PLATE.
[platonic love]{n. phr.} Great affection toward another person without sex. •/They are platonic lovers; they do everything together except make love./
[platter] See: HAND SOMETHING TO ONE ON A SILVER PLATTER.
[play] See: ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKES JACK A DULL BOY, DOUBLE PLAY, FAIR PLAY, FORCE PLAY, GAME AT WHICH TWO CAN PLAY, MAKE A PLAY FOR, TURN ABOUT IS FAIR PLAY.
[play along (with)]{v.} Cooperate; make no trouble. •/The honest jockey refused to play along with the bookmaker’s illegal plan./
